September 10, 2024
by Stephen T. Messenger
I have a theory called “Stop Sign Ethics.” The law states that we must come to a complete stop at those red octagons on the side of the road. Yet it’s so tempting not to.
Let’s be honest, when no one’s around, we use the California Stop. The one where we slow down near a stop sign, look around quickly, and roll slowly through. This is easy to justify, especially when we can clearly see no other cars, and it’s obviously safe to do so.
Yet, it’s illegal. Stop Sign Ethics is my theory that if we do all the little things right, like a full stop at every stop sign, then we’ll do the bigger things right, like not cheat on our spouse. When we do the right things every day, especially when no one is looking, we’re going to set an example of positive values and ethics to those around us.
My wife once joked it’s irrelevant because no one would want to have an affair with someone who’s boring enough to come to a complete stop at every single stop sign; but doing the little things in private earns us instant credibility with others and trust in the bigger things.
When we’re in a leadership position, everyone is watching us. They know what car we drive and if we stop at that intersection. They know our habits and how we treat others. They see a lot more than we think they do. It’s imperative that we’re above reproach in our public and private lives. And yes, that means stopping at every stop sign, no matter how boring that seems.
Broken Windows
In 1969, Stanford psychologist Phillip Zimbardo conducted an experiment relating to small crimes and whether they led to bigger ones. He abandoned two cars with the front hoods up and no license plates. The first he dumped in the middle of the Bronx in a run-down, crime-ridden area. The second he dropped in Palo Alto, California.
Ten minutes after leaving the car in New York City, a family approached the vehicle and stole the radiator and battery. After one day, the entire car was stripped of all usable parts. Shortly after, the locals started destroying the car, smashing the windows and tearing up the vehicle. Finally, the car became a dilapidated playground for the local children.
In contrast, the Palo Alto residents left their car alone. For over a week, the car sat there with no vandalism. Zimbardo then took a sledgehammer to the vehicle, and afterward the residents began to smash the car. His theory was that when a car is clearly abandoned, others feel they can participate in the destruction.
Criminologists George Kelling and James Wilson in 1982 argued that it didn’t matter if that car was in a crime-ridden or affluent neighborhood. Crime commonly has a ripple effect. Once a single misdemeanor occurs with no punishment, things start to escalate. The solution, they reasoned, is to target low level crimes (like drifting through stop signs) to deter more violent activity.
This concept evolved into “Broken Windows Policing.” In the Bronx, criminal activity was seen as the norm so the community felt it was an acceptable behavior to take part in it.
William Bratton took over as the head of the New York City Transit Authority in 1990, where using Kelling’s work, he sent hundreds of police officers to patrol subway stations with the goal of catching turnstile jumpers and vandals. Rudy Giuliani was elected mayor in 1993 and expanded this to the streets, arresting people for previously ignored crimes: marijuana use, graffiti, selling cigarettes, and in a Footloose move, shutting down illegal dancing clubs.
The results were a significant increase in misdemeanor charges and a decrease in violent crimes. Focusing on the little things helped with the big things. In effect, stopping at every stop sign keeps people faithful to their spouses… I know that’s a stretch, but it does make sense.
Set the Example Every Day
It’s so important that we walk around without a hint, sniff, or whiff of impropriety, because everyone is watching. If we’re rolling through stop signs, not contributing to the coffee fund, treating people poorly, accepting the broken window or just being a negative person, everyone around us will emulate those behaviors.
We must ensure we take a hard look at our windows and fix the ones that are broken. We must reflect on and emulate the values we want our team to normalize. Nothing is hard about this—but it does take effort. We can do this in five ways.
1. Smile. Mother Teresa said: “I will never understand all the good that a simple smile can accomplish.” It’s so true! To reflect positive values to others, often the best thing we can do is to smile. Simply put, when we smile, we feel better. When others see us smile, they want to smile as well. When they smile, they feel better too! This simple act is very powerful.
2. Treat Everyone with Dignity and Respect. “Do you know the name of your janitor?” This was asked to me over twenty years ago. I didn’t at the time but have known every one since. It’s so important to treat each person the same from the C-Suite to the mailroom. Our reputation is built on how we treat others. Those that see us will copy what we do creating a better organizational climate.
3. Be Energetic. Not always the easiest, but our attitude directly reflects onto those around us. The more energy we have to tackle that impossible project, engage the challenging employee, or perform the mundane tasks in life, the better it is for the group. Throw on some upbeat music, encourage others, and bring energy to every event.
4. Stop at Every Stop Sign. People know when we talk about ethics and then blow the proverbial stop sign. But when they see us come to a complete stop and talk about value ethics often, they’ll think about upping their game too. It starts at the top, and we need to set the example to others on what right looks like.
5. Hold Ourselves to the Highest Standard. Not only does setting a high bar help others, but it also helps us. There is only one person that can truly hold me accountable for every action – it’s me. I have to be the one to police myself so others won’t. I have to be above reproach and correct myself. I have to be the example to others. Only I can choose to reflect positive values in the workplace.
The World Is Watching
One of my recent supervisors would say, “Act as if the mics are always on and the camera is always rolling.” She understood the importance of being above reproach. By policing the little things in our lives, it protects us from messing up the big things, and no one can debate our ethics.
As a counterpoint, we’re all going to mess up, and that’s okay. There is grace in leadership. We just need to admit we were wrong, apologize, and move on. Sometimes that’s the best way to gain credibility.
As Linda Thornton stated, “You won’t find ethical leadership in the rule books. It’s in the deep commitment to good that drives our choices and transforms our organizations.” Our personal example has the ability to transform the people around us simply by reflecting positive values. And stopping at every stop sign.
This series is part of our BRAG+1 Leadership Philosophy. If you’re just joining us, start from the beginning on 16 January: A Team to BRAG about and continue from there:
Boots: Put Boots on the Ground
Regimentals: Place Service over Self
Armor: Be Resilient to Life’s Attacks
Gun: Close with and Destroy the Enemy
+1 (Belt): Not a Hint, Sniff, nor Whiff of Impropriety
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