When I served in the Marines in the 1990s, my unit was among those sent into Somalia — a treacherous area that much of America remembers as the site of Black Hawk Down. We got our job done, and successfully left for operations in Kuwait.
But then, we were told we had to go back to Somalia. And we were informed of a new plan: We were to report to the United Nations, not to the U.S. Central Command. To many of us, this meant facing unnecessary risks and difficulties from the command structure.
Days later, when we arrived in Somalia, we found out that the decision was reversed. We would keep reporting to CENTCOM after all. To this day, I believe that’s one of the reasons we were so successful.
Why had the decision been switched? Although a reason was never given publicly, the word spread that Carl Epting Mundy Jr., who was Commandant of the Marine Corps, went to the president and said something like, “I cannot have my Marines going into harm’s way in that situation,” and threatened to quit.
Ethics come first. I don’t demand that my staff do things and simply expect that they’ll obey. I empower them with the knowledge that they can and should speak up.
Resigning over a moral issue is not an option, it's an expectation
We’ll likely never know exactly what transpired. But the point is the same either way. We knew that in the military, resigning over a moral issue isn’t just an option, it’s an expectation. If you are tasked with doing something you believe is unethical, you are specifically supposed to speak up and, if necessary, leave your rank insignia on the table.
That message served me well as a Marine captain and continues to guide me as a CEO. Ethics come first. I don’t demand that my staff do things and simply expect that they’ll obey. I empower them with the knowledge that they can and should speak up.
I have been thinking of this after seeing the latest research about ethics in the workplace. More American workers say they’re likely to report misconduct they observe (86%, up from 69% in 2017). But employees feel more pressure to compromise their organization’s ethical standards than at any other time since 2000. Furthermore, “Employee perceptions that they experienced retaliation after reporting misconduct is also the highest it has ever been in the United States and has nearly doubled since 2017.”
All this pressure to compromise on ethics isn’t just a sign of a problematic culture. It’s bad business. When employees can challenge leadership, businesses are much more likely to avoid disasters that can not only damage the bottom line but can destroy lives. Take Boeing for example. A congressional investigation found that the company’s “culture of concealment” was a major factor that led to two fatal crashes.
A staff that’s afraid to speak out is a sign of failed leadership. It is up to executives to establish the right dynamics in the workplace. That starts with embracing a level of vulnerability. You have to accept that you might be wrong and that someone at a lower level in the organization chart than you might realize something you don’t. A truly confident leader won’t be phased by this.
Make transparency a hallmark of your operations
Many leaders say they’re open to being challenged, but when it happens, they react harshly. So it’s important to walk the walk. When an employee questions one of your decisions, praise them for doing so and tell your staff about it. That way, people know you mean it. Of course, in order to speak up, your staff needs to know what’s going on. So instilling an ethical culture means making transparency a hallmark of your operations. Discuss your decisions and the reasons behind them.
There’s also a lot you can do in shifting your own mindset. As a leader with so many stakeholders counting on you, you can sometimes feel the temptation to cut corners or take an action that you know isn’t the best one. In the Marines, I learned to run my decisions through what I call the “front-page test.” How would I feel if news of my decision was reported on the front page of a paper? (Perhaps the equivalent today would be for it to “go viral.”) Often, when I consider any decision from that perspective, it becomes clear as day.
It’s also important to have a strong board of directors overseeing you. Never try to fill a board with people who might look the other way if there’s a problem or back you up no matter what you do. Because I know the board will challenge me, I avoid actions that they would disapprove of in the first place. And if I’m ever in doubt about the ethics of an action, I bring it to their attention.
Do the right thing no matter the cost
Sometimes, doing the right thing means taking a risk. If your decision doesn’t work out best for the company, you might face criticism and even end up losing your job or your livelihood. So it’s helpful to keep in mind that others have risked much more. In the Marines, we knew we had to do what was right even if we ended up dying for it. In business, doing the right thing can take courage — but it’s nothing compared to the heroism of my fallen comrades.
William Stilley is an entrepreneur and executive with over 20 years of biotech experience. He is CEO of Adial Pharmaceuticals, which develops drugs for the treatment of addictions and related disorders. He served as Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps and holds an MBA from the Darden School of Business.