'Ethics Guy' leads business execs down the 'right' path

The Charleston Gazette (West Virginia)By Eric Eyre The Charleston Gazette, W.Va.Date: Thursday, April 29 2010Apr. 29--CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- "The Ethics Guy" stopped in Charleston Wednesday, challenging local business leaders to do the right thing by their clients, family, friends and themselves."Being a good leader is really about being a good human being and leading others to do good," said Bruce Weinstein, a former West Virginia University professor who writes "The Ethics Guy" column for BusinessWeek.com.Weinstein spoke during Wednesday's West Virginia Roundtable Leadership Conference, leading business executives through a series of exercises designed to help fine-tune ethical decision-making.At one point, business leaders played "whisper down the lane," showing how dissemination of confidential information can often get distorted. Next, Weinstein asked if anyone felt unappreciated. A woman who raised her hand came to the front of the room and received a 30-second standing ovation."See, you feel better having made her day," Weinstein said, noting that everyone was smiling.Weinstein outlined five "life principles" to help people become strong leaders and stay on the ethical high road in life and business:-- Do no harm. "It's a principle of restraint, not to say things, to do things that would be harmful," said Weinstein, who taught at WVU from 1989 to 1995. "Think about the consequences of what you say."-- Make things better. "Ethics is about striking the balance between helping yourself and helping others," he said.-- Respect others. Keep your promises, and know when to keep private matters private, Weinstein said.-- Be fair. Weinstein showed a black-and-white clip from "The Andy Griffith Show," as Griffith tries to teach his young son, Opie, a lesson about how to be a good loser."Everything you need to know about being a good leader is in the first five episodes of 'The Andy Griffith Show,'" he said. "This show has powerful lessons to teach us."-- Be loving. "People give you their best if they feel appreciated," said Weinstein, who has written several books about ethics. "Money is not the driving factor for most of us. We want to be valued and recognized."Although the principles are simple, Weinstein acknowledged they "can be extremely difficult to put into place.""This is truly a marathon," he said. "The reason to do the right thing is because it's the right thing to do. When you start living according to these principles, you will feel better off."Weinstein's clients include the National Football League, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and the National Guard.In addition to Weinstein's talk, a panel of state business and political leaders spoke about how ethics played a role in their careers. Panelists were Triana Energy CEO Henry Harmon, Secretary of State Natalie Tennant, University of Charleston President Ed Welch and WVU Provost Michele Wheatly.About 300 people attended the leadership conference at the Embassy Suites in Charleston."Ethics is a very timely and important topic, not only for members of the business community but society as a whole," said Paul Arbogast, president of the West Virginia Roundtable. "You can't pick up the paper without reading about someone who faced an ethical situation and unfortunately did the wrong thing."The West Virginia Roundtable, which is made up of the state's leading business, education and economic development executives, supports public policies that enhance economic growth in West Virginia.Reach Eric Eyre at ericeyre@wvgazette.com or 304-348-4869.To see more of The Charleston Gazette, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.wvgazette.com . Copyright (c) 2010, The Charleston Gazette, W.Va. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.'Ethics Guy' leads business execs down the 'right' path - The Charleston Gazette