Reading this article makes me reflect on my own roles in student leadership, especially as a Poole Ambassador and IFC VP Communications, where I’ve had to make decisions that align with both the organization’s goals and my sense of integrity. For example, when coordinating campus events, I sometimes weighed the easier option of foregoing transparency about costs against the more ethical path of full disclosure to whoever may be affected. The article’s message that “strong ethics provide guidance” reminds me that choosing the more transparent route, even if it requires more work and effort, reinforces both trust and credibility. In my future career as a CFO, this resonates deeply, as financial leaders must uphold ethical standards not just for compliance, but to lead with purpose and trust.

The article’s emphasis on ethics reminds me of the approaches in Thomas L. Velasquez & Michael J. Andre’s Thinking Ethically, where they argue that beyond the utilitarian lens or rights-based analysis, ethical decision making also involves virtues and integrity. Similarly, the guest column doesn’t reduce ethics to rules, as it just frames them as guiding principles for daily choices in the workplace. When compared to our module on values-based leadership, the column reinforces the idea that organizational values aren’t just nice statements on the wall, but rather become active guiding lights for behavior and decision making.

In today’s business climate, where issues like corporate governance failures and “green washing” are public and impactful, this article is especially relevant. Organizations such as Enron suffered severe consequences when short-term profit motives overrode ethical frameworks and long term sustanability. The guest column’s simple message, “strong ethics provide guidance,” speaks to the broader necessity for leaders at all levels (from student orgs to global corporations) to embed ethical reasoning into their decision-making. For someone aspiring to become a CFO, this means building not only financial knowledge but also a culture of integrity, transparency, and long-term value creation for everyone affected.

Guest Column: “Strong ethics provide guidance,” Triangle Business Journal, Feb 17, 2017.