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.

Outlines

00:00

💡 Courage in the Face of Fear

The speaker begins by humorously acknowledging the challenge of following a notable figure, Van Jones, at a conference. The main theme revolves around courage, defined as the ability to act from the heart despite fear, and as a skill that can be developed with practice. The speaker uses the Enron scandal as an example of a lack of courage and calls for a change, suggesting that individuals could have made a difference if they had the courage to act on their values. The narrative continues with personal anecdotes, illustrating the struggle between knowing the right thing to do and the influence of situational pressures. The speaker emphasizes the vulnerability of individuals to situational influence, referencing Dr. Phil Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment, and concludes by prompting the audience to reflect on their own experiences where they might have needed to act courageously.

05:01

🛡️ Fostering Ethical Courage in Business

This paragraph delves into the subtle yet pervasive issue of ethical fading in business environments, where operational objectives and pressures can overshadow the ethical implications of actions. The speaker introduces the concept of a 'magic pause button' as a tool to reconnect with one's values in the face of fear. Social Fitness Training, developed by Dr. Lynne Henderson, is presented as a method to retrain the brain to override the natural fear response and act according to one's values. The speaker encourages recognizing personal patterns of behavior and practicing in simulated social situations to build the muscle memory for ethical action. The paragraph concludes with advice on becoming a 'pattern interrupter' to foster ethically courageous corporate cultures and the importance of making choices that reflect our innate capacity for courage.

Keywords

💡Courage

Courage is the ability to act despite fear or potential risks. In the video, courage is presented as a skill that can be developed through practice. The speaker emphasizes its importance in the face of unethical situations, using the story of 'Ted' who found an illegal trading ring and eventually acted on his values to expose it.

💡Ethical Fading

Ethical Fading is a concept from Harvard research, which suggests that when people are focused on operational objectives and under pressure, the ethical implications of their actions may become less apparent. The video uses this term to highlight how easy it is for individuals to overlook ethics in a high-pressure business environment.

💡Synergistic Corruption

Synergistic Corruption refers to a situation where multiple parties contribute to a corrupt outcome, often due to a failure of checks and balances. The Enron fraud example in the video illustrates this concept, where lawyers, accountants, and bankers all failed to perform their roles in preventing unethical behavior.

💡Bystander Effect

The Bystander Effect is a social psychological phenomenon where individuals are less likely to offer help to a victim when other people are present. The video mentions this effect, noting that it's a natural human tendency to follow a leader or group, even when they are aware of wrongdoing.

💡Stanford Prison Experiment

The Stanford Prison Experiment was a study conducted by Dr. Phil Zimbardo in 1971 that demonstrated how situational factors can lead to unethical behavior, even among those who are normally ethical and compassionate. The video references this experiment to emphasize the vulnerability of individuals to situational influences.

💡Social Fitness Training

Social Fitness Training is a method developed by Dr. Lynne Henderson over 25 years, aimed at retraining the brain to override the natural fear response and act according to one's values. The video suggests using this training to build the skill of courage in the face of fear.

💡Pattern Recognition

Pattern Recognition in the context of the video refers to the ability to identify where one stands up for oneself or others easily and where one might struggle to do so. Understanding these patterns is crucial for practicing and improving one's social fitness and courage.

💡Social Flight Simulations

Social Flight Simulations are practice scenarios that mimic real-life situations where one might feel fear or pressure. The video suggests using these simulations to build muscle memory for acting courageously when faced with actual challenging situations.

💡Priming the Brain

Priming the Brain is a concept from neuroscience that the video uses to describe how practicing with a certain mindset or emotion can prepare the brain to react in a similar way when faced with a real situation. It is related to the idea of using fear or adrenaline as a cue for action rather than avoidance.

💡Pattern Interrupter

A Pattern Interrupter, as mentioned in the video, is someone who consciously breaks their own patterns of behavior, creating a pause to reconnect with their values. This concept is used to encourage individuals to foster ethically courageous corporate cultures by interrupting the status quo.

💡Innate Capacity

Innate Capacity refers to the natural abilities or tendencies that individuals are born with. In the video, the speaker asserts that everyone has an innate capacity for courage, emphasizing that choosing to act courageously is a matter of personal choice and has significant implications.

Highlights

The speaker was told they would be speaking after Van Jones at the conference, which they humorously questioned as a good thing.

The main topic is courage - the ability to act from the heart in the face of fear, and how it can be built as a skill with practice.

A video about the Enron fraud illustrates a lack of courage and checks and balances leading to corruption.

The speaker asks if anything has changed in the last 10 years regarding such situations and the importance of courage and skills.

The story of 'Ted' who found an illegal trading ring in his department and initially did nothing, highlighting the struggle with fear and inaction.

Ted's friend encouraged him to take action by finding the program in the system, showing the power of being reminded of one's values.

The speaker's personal experience with discovering unethical and illegal activities by a CEO and the challenge of confronting it.

The initial reluctance of the CFO to immediately act on the unethical activities, demonstrating the influence of powerful situations.

The realization by the speaker that they were influenced by the situation and the importance of reconnecting to shared values in difficult moments.

Dr. Phil Zimbardo's Stanford Prison Experiment is mentioned to show how easily ethical values can be betrayed in challenging situations.

The concept of 'ethical fading' from Harvard research, where operational objectives and pressure can cause ethical implications to fade from mind.

The idea that there is a space between stimulus and response where we can choose to act courageously by reconnecting to our values.

The introduction of 'Social Fitness Training' developed by Dr. Lynne Henderson to retrain the brain to override fear responses.

The importance of recognizing personal patterns of standing up or not, and practicing in situations that scare you to build courage.

The concept of 'priming the brain' in neuroscience, using fear or adrenaline as a cue for mindful action rather than avoidance.

Becoming a 'pattern interrupter' to foster ethically courageous corporate cultures by creating pause buttons for oneself and teams.

The call to action for everyone to choose courage, as it is an innate capacity we all possess and a choice that matters greatly.

The applause at the end signifies the impact and resonance of the talk on courage and ethical action.

Transcripts

Translator: Ilze Garda Reviewer: Maricene Crus

So I got an e-mail last week from the conference organizer;

it said, "Good news! You're going after Van Jones."

(Laughter)

I thought, "In whose alternate universe is it a good thing to follow Van?"

(Laughter)

And then I remembered I'm here to talk about courage:

our ability to act from our hearts in the face of fear.

And courage as a skill that we can build with practice,

so thank you for this tremendous opportunity to practice.

(Laughter)

First, let's take a look at what does life look like without courage.

(Video) The Enron fraud is the story of synergistic corruption.

There are supposed to be checks and balances in the system.

The lawyers are supposed to say no, the accountants are supposed to say no,

the bankers are supposed to say no,

but no one who was supposed to say no said no.

(On stage) So, has anything changed in the last 10 years?

And, please, raise your hands when you've had enough.

(Laughter)

Yeah, me too.

And it doesn't have to be this way.

What if the people in these circumstances had the courage and the skills

to act on their values in the face of fear?

I met a man who did in exactly one of those types of circumstances.

We'll call him Ted.

He found an illegal trading ring in his department,

and he didn't know what to do, so he did nothing.

As the days passed and the stress built, he decided he would have to quit.

He confided in his friend in another department,

and his friend said to him,

"If you went into the system, could you find the program?"

And Ted said, "Yes."

His friend said, "Then you have no choice."

What Ted says is he was reminded of who he was, of his values,

in that moment, reflected by his friend.

So he came forward, and justice prevailed.

I had my own subtle experience with powerful situations.

I was working for a company,

and I found out the CEO was doing something unethical and illegal.

So I called a meeting with my boss, the CFO, and his other direct reports

in a scenario that looked shockingly like this Stock photo.

(Laughter)

I went to deliver the news, and I knew he would struggle.

Although a very ethically driven man, the CEO is also a good friend of his.

So I delivered the news, and he looked at me and said,

"I think we should do some more research and give it a little time."

I was so dumbstruck by the answer that everything went into slow motion

like it did when I was a kid playing soccer.

I looked around, and everyone has their head down or is slowly nodding.

I was so perplexed!

I know these people, they're good people,

and the last thing you want to do is to put more time

between when you know and when you say in a circumstance like this.

So I was confused,

but the humbling part of the story for me is then my thought process goes to,

"Maybe we don't have to do anything.

Maybe it isn't such a big deal.

I don't even have to say anything."

And then I was given a gift:

the CFO was called out of the room for a minute,

and in that moment, I remembered, "This is one of those moments.

This man hired me because he believed in me;

he believed I would do my job

and act on our shared values when it was hard."

So he came back into the room, I stepped back into time, and I said,

"We should go to the Board."

He paused, and he looked at me, and he nodded.

And we did.

But what I will never forget

is that I am and we all are vulnerable

to situational influence all the time;

it's just natural human wiring.

This is from our founder Dr. Phil Zimbardo.

He found this out in 1971

when he conducted the famous Stanford Prison Experiment

that showed that even the most ethical and compassionate among us

can easily betray our values in the face of a challenging situation.

I won't make you raise your hands for this one,

but think back over the last six months.

How many of you have been in a situation

where you thought, "Someone should do something, or I should say something."

And think of the subtle ones

because those are often the ones that get us,

and you and no one else did anything.

It's natural,

it's a natural human tendency to be a bystander,

to follow a leader or a group that we know is doing something wrong

for sense of acceptance or sense of security.

The good news is we get to choose.

But first, it's even harder for us in business to do the right thing.

The research out of Harvard on ethical fading

shows that when we're focused on operational objectives

and you throw pressure on top - sounds familiar? -

the ethical implications of our acts will fade from our minds.

Pay attention when people say, "This is business";

find out what they mean when they say that.

So now the good news is we get to choose.

Between stimulus and response, there is a space,

and our work is about using that space to get us to reconnect to our values,

to our hearts, to our natural wisdom to act courageously.

The kids in our program call it the magic pause button.

The way we do that is we do something called Social Fitness Training.

It was developed over 25 years by Dr. Lynne Henderson.

The great news about it

is that with practice we can actually retrain our brains

to override our natural fear response,

to act consistently from our own values in the face of fear.

Start to think the key aspects of her work to remember,

start to recognize your patterns:

where do you stand up easily and where do you not?

Once you know your patterns, practice the situations that scare you.

We call them social flight simulations.

And just like with pilots,

if you practice with some level of fear, it creates the muscle memory

so that when the actual moment arises,

you can act in the way that you've practiced.

You start to use that shot of fear or adrenaline

as your cue for mindful action versus avoidance.

In neuroscience, they call it "priming the brain."

So how do we foster these ethically courageous corporate cultures?

Become a pattern interrupter:

start to interrupt your own patterns, create your own pause button,

create it for your teams and organizations.

I think we can all agree

if we look at the challenges facing our economic system,

our political system, and the world at large,

we're going to need a bigger pause button.

What I also know by our work

is that we are all born with the innate capacity for courage.

It's a choice -

one I hope we'll all make, and it matters.

Thank you.

(Applause)