IN recent years, my work has brought me face-to-face with many C-level professionals and senior employees across respected organizations.
What I once thought were rare ethical lapses have, unfortunately, proven to be alarmingly common. There is a deep and growing void where values like honesty, loyalty and integrity should reside. It’s become almost routine to hear decision-makers ask for a personal cut under the table in exchange for doing something that’s supposedly part of their job. Deals are awarded not on merit or competence but based on hidden incentives. Lies to senior management, selective reporting and unethical collaborations are not occasional they are embedded in the system.
The New Corporate Currency: Somehow, we’ve stopped seeing honesty as strength. We’ve stopped valuing people who stay loyal to their roles without expecting shortcuts or side benefits. Success today is measured by visible possessions, not invisible principles. The car you drive, the gadgets you own and the luxury brands you wear seem to hold more weight than how faithfully you do your job. This shift in mindset is dangerous not only for the corporate culture but for society at large. Everyone is in a race to “make it,” but no one wants to talk about the cost we’re paying to get there.
No Room for Ethics in Higher Education? We often speak about the gaps in our education system usually in terms of practical exposure or digital readiness. But rarely do we acknowledge the absence of ethical grounding. In most higher education settings, there’s no emphasis on being a responsible, loyal and decent professional. Students are taught how to lead teams, close deals and climb the ladder but not how to remain principled while doing so. Somewhere along the line, we’ve stopped discussing basic human decency. And sadly, that silence is now showing up in the workplace.
Are We Focusing on the Right Things? Companies today are investing in skill development, AI training, cultural diversity workshops, and digital transformation. These are important steps. But the bigger need—perhaps the more urgent one—is to build a culture of trust, loyalty, and ethical discipline. It might sound simple, even outdated, but it matters: showing up on time, fulfilling commitments, being transparent and doing what you said you’d do. These aren’t just values—they’re the foundation of any sustainable system.
It starts at the top: Culture is never created in isolation. It trickles down. When senior professionals normalize dishonest behaviour or engage in backdoor dealings, they don’t just harm their companies they train everyone beneath them to do the same. When leadership lacks integrity, teams lose their direction. And when loyalty is replaced with self-interest, the entire organizational structure begins to rot quietly and steadily.
A Gentle Reminder: This is not a complaint it’s a call for reflection. Let’s start recognizing that the real “smartness” is staying committed, even when no one’s watching. Let’s stop celebrating only the loudest wins and start valuing silent integrity. Because at the end of the day, it’s not about who reaches the top first but who can look back without shame once they get there.
—The writer is contributing columnist.
