I doubt you will disagree when I say, “Leaders should always do the right thing and teach others to do the right thing as well.”

I once heard about someone who worked in a restaurant complaining to his boss that he smelled something unusual. Apparently, the boss ignored him and did nothing about the smell, so the employee alerted the authorities.

When the officials came, they determined the smell was a gas leak, and the restaurant had to shut down. Apparently unhappy about this, the boss retaliated by firing the employee.

Retaliation against someone for speaking up or doing the right thing is wrong. Do you see how it highlights a significant leadership character flaw, not a strength?

Leadership Tip
Seek out opportunities to practice “doing the right thing” and model it for those around you.

A leader’s retaliation will result in people working in fear. Because of that fear, morale, productivity, creativity, customer service, quality, and profitability will all suffer. The organization will also experience high turnover, with the leader attributing that to an unstable generation of workers.

Even if it’s bad for you, take the time to teach, encourage, appreciate, and reward “doing the right thing” among your people.

I know I’m preaching to the choir on this one, but it’s an important reminder: “Always do the right thing.”