June 25, 2026
From our earliest days, the adults in our lives have reminded us to be honest and “do the right thing”. I’m sure we all hope that the young people in our families and community are learning the same lesson. For current or aspiring leaders, this hope should rise to the level of imperative; those of us in leadership roles have an obligation to provide clear guidance to our team members about the standards of ethical behavior. Leaders must model behavior that reflects the highest level of integrity.
Within an organization, there should be no mystery surrounding the acceptable rules of conduct. Expectations should be stated clearly in the employee handbook, on organizational materials—heck, even on the breakroom wall! If an organization’s Code of Conduct is important enough to its leadership, it should be impossible to avoid. To the same end, your team members should be well aware of the penalty for violating these rules. Leaders should talk about their organization’s ethical standards frequently and preach the message in group settings. The bottom line is: leaders should do all they can to ensure there is never a misunderstanding about proper conduct.
During my time at Tractor Supply Company, about fifty percent of my time involved travel to stores and distribution centers. In the evenings, our team would typically gather together for dinner and to review the day’s events. I always picked up the check; and, on several occasions, I noticed we had not been charged for a second beer or glass of wine. I made sure to point out these discrepancies to the waiter so the bill could be corrected. As a company, we strived to be fair and honest in our relationships—why should a dinner out be any different? In a small way, I was modeling the ethical behavior that was expected throughout the company.
On another occasion, our leadership team was made aware of a situation in which one of our employees received free services from a corporate supplier. We investigated and subsequently terminated the employee when the allegations proved true. This employee had the skills to enjoy a bright future at our company, but they could not meet the ethical expectations. Throughout my long career, I have found that it always pays to walk the high road.
Check the news outlets at any given point and you will likely encounter a story of poor ethical behavior in the workplace. The next time you hear such a story, remind yourself: it is your job to make sure none of these characters wind up in your organization! Set the bar for conduct high and repeat the message to your people early and often.
If you place integrity at the center of your organization, you will never regret it.
published Nashville Business Journal
You either mean it or you don’t. If you do, then as a leader you make the standards crystal clear – no misinterpretations, no misunderstandings. This is key: “Leaders should talk about their organization’s ethical standards frequently and preach the message in group settings.” A great article, Joe, and I hope that leaders take it to heart.
Wonderful article, Joe. In my previous partnership and company, we had a motto that demonstrated a similar message. It was simply, “Do right, and fear no one”. It didn’t matter if it was with a customer, a vendor, a supplier, or another employee. It might not even feel convenient at the time, but it always, and I mean ALWAYS proved out to be the better path to take. Thank you for sharing your incredible insights on proper virtues and leadership across the board.
And the same goes for the music Business. An Artist can’t preach to his or her band “no drinking alcohol on stage or before a show“ and then be seen taking a swig out of a bottle of Jack Daniels behind some amps during the guitar solo. You have to model the behavior you wish to have manifest in your team, and not just when people are looking.
Great article Joe, as always.
Joe, this is exactly right. Ethical standards are not sustained by policy alone; they are sustained by what leaders tolerate, reinforce, and model every day.
The small moments matter. Correcting a dinner bill, addressing a conflict of interest, or holding a talented employee accountable all send the same message: integrity is not situational.
Organizations take their cues from leaders. If the standard is clear, consistent, and lived at the top, people know what right looks like before the hard moment arrives.
Trust is built through repeated evidence. Ethical leadership provides that evidence.
This reminds me of a sermon that compared integrity to training a muscle. Every decision either strengthens it or weakens it.
When leaders consistently choose honesty, humility, and respect—even in small moments—it becomes more natural to do the right thing when the stakes are higher. The opposite is true as well. When a leader starts making small compromises or treating their team poorly, it weakens that muscle. Over time those choices accumulate, making it easier to justify the behavior and believe it’s okay.
To me, that’s the difference between simply following a code of ethics and leading with integrity.