Kamran Bakr

All of us remain enamoured by principled political leaders like Bangabandhu, Mandela, and Gandhi, who we respect and admire and are willing to follow due to their sacrifices for upholding principles. However, this write-up is about a different type of leaders, namely corporate leaders.

In a business world plagued by unethical practices, adhering to ethical standards may seem idealistic to most - due to deeply ingrained practices. They leverage the unethical system for personal gain, acclaiming it as a “pragmatic survival strategy”. However, pursuing wealth and fame through unethical practices often lands them in prison.

In my last article, I highlighted how boards set the “tone at the top” towards building an ethical organisation. Taking this cue, senior management, which includes the CEO, must find ways to shape ethical organisations where everyone is encouraged to do the right thing (even when no one is watching).

Remember the ethical lapses at Volkswagen, Wells Fargo, Wirecard and Enron?

In a world blinded by wealth and associated power and fame, ethics are often neglected.

Bangladesh is racing ahead towards becoming the world’s ninth-largest consumer market by 2030. However, in today’s hyper-dynamic world, deep change is inevitable for our educational and financial institutions as well as large conglomerates. Anticipating resistance, it is crucial to understand why people resist change and how to overcome it. Having led large-scale business transformations for three decades, I am sharing below my learning for the benefit of the upcoming business leaders.