For a leader to stay ethical, he or she must develop an ethical mind or a point of view that helps inspire good work that matters to their colleagues, companies, and society in general. Developing an ethical mind begins with the belief that retaining an ethical compass is essential to the health of the organization. Early life influences, such as encouragement not to cheat on exams or plagiarize when writing papers, are a good start. Next, the leader must state his or her ethical beliefs and stick to them.

The leader must also make a rigorous self-test to make sure values are being adhered to, such as checking to see if merit instead of favoritism is a key criterion for promotion. Taking the time to reflect on beliefs can help the leader stay focused on ethical behavior. Asking mentors to comment on the ethics of your behavior can be a useful reality check. Finally, to stay ethical, the leader should act quickly on strongly unethical behavior of others, such as confronting a colleague who is using the corporate jet for a family vacation.