Intentional Integrity

Organizational ethics are a new frontier, argues Robert Chesnut, chief ethics officer and former general counsel of Airbnb and a former federal prosecutor. Ethical missteps, Chesnut says, can be costly and damaging, so companies need a clear road map showing executives and employees what they can and cannot do. He insists that specific guidelines will help your people do the right thing. They will also respond to a constant emphasis on integrity issues, especially when top executives deliver the message.

To his credit, Chesnut doesn’t gloss over the challenges of getting people to behave ethically. He cites an array of possible ethics issues, including sexual harassment, office romances, intoxication at work, fudged expense accounts, conflicts of interest and mishandling of private data. Building a culture of integrity requires hard work, and Chesnut makes a compelling case for that effort.