Creating ethical cultures in business: Brooke Deterline at TEDxPresidio

Summary

In this engaging speech, the speaker explores the concept of courage as a skill that can be developed through practice. They discuss the importance of acting on one's values despite fear, using examples like the Enron fraud and personal experiences to illustrate the impact of situational influence on ethical behavior. The speaker introduces 'Social Fitness Training' as a method to retrain our brains to override fear responses and act courageously, emphasizing the need for ethically courageous corporate cultures and the innate capacity for courage in all of us.

Takeaways

• 🗣️ The speaker begins by humorously acknowledging the challenge of following Van Jones and then transitions into a discussion on courage.
• 💭 Courage is described as an ability to act from the heart despite fear, and it is a skill that can be developed with practice.
• 🌐 The speaker uses the Enron fraud case to illustrate the consequences of a lack of courage and the absence of checks and balances.
• 🙌 The potential for change is highlighted, suggesting that having the courage and skills to act on values can prevent unethical situations.
• 🕵️‍♂️ The story of 'Ted' exemplifies how courage can lead to justice when someone stands up against illegal activities within a company.
• 🏢 The speaker shares a personal experience of confronting unethical behavior in a company and the importance of acting on shared values.
• 🤔 The concept of 'ethical fading' is introduced, showing how operational objectives and pressure can cause the ethical implications of actions to be overlooked.
• 🧠 Dr. Phil Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment is referenced to explain the vulnerability of individuals to situational influence and the betrayal of values.
• 🛑 The idea of a 'magic pause button' is presented as a method to reconnect with values and act courageously, rather than succumbing to situational pressures.
• 🏋️‍♀️ Social Fitness Training is introduced as a way to retrain the brain to override fear responses and act according to values, even in the face of fear.
• 🔄 Becoming a 'pattern interrupter' is encouraged as a means to foster ethically courageous corporate cultures by interrupting established patterns and creating space for reflection and action.

Q & A

What was the 'good news' the speaker received from the conference organizer?

The 'good news' was that the speaker was scheduled to speak after Van Jones at the conference.

What is the main theme of the speaker's talk?

The main theme is courage, specifically the ability to act from one's heart in the face of fear and building courage as a skill through practice.

What example of a lack of courage is mentioned in the script?

The Enron fraud is mentioned as an example where checks and balances failed due to a lack of courage to say no.

What is the name of the man who found an illegal trading ring in his department?

The man is referred to as 'Ted' in the script to protect his identity.

What advice did Ted's friend give him when he discovered the illegal trading ring?

Ted's friend advised him that if he could find the program within the system, then he had no choice but to come forward.

What personal experience did the speaker share regarding a powerful situation?

The speaker shared an experience where they discovered the CEO of the company they worked for was engaging in unethical and illegal activities.

What was the speaker's initial reaction to their boss's suggestion to do more research and give it more time after revealing the CEO's misconduct?

The speaker was dumbstruck by the suggestion and felt perplexed, as they believed immediate action was necessary.

What concept from Dr. Phil Zimbardo's research is mentioned in the script?

The concept mentioned is the natural human tendency to be influenced by situational factors, which Zimbardo discovered through the Stanford Prison Experiment.

What is 'Social Fitness Training' and how does it help in building courage?

Social Fitness Training is a method developed by Dr. Lynne Henderson over 25 years. It helps retrain the brain to override the natural fear response and act consistently from one's values in the face of fear.

What term is used in the script to describe the moment of choice between stimulus and response?

The term used is 'the magic pause button,' which represents the space where one can reconnect to their values and act courageously.

How can one foster an ethically courageous corporate culture according to the speaker?

One can foster such a culture by becoming a 'pattern interrupter,' interrupting one's own patterns, and creating pause buttons for themselves, their teams, and organizations.