Like every year, this year’s Global Ethics Summit gave us lots to think about. But unlike most years, the 2025 summit had us grappling with compliance and ethics during an era of uncertainty. So, let me emphasize how impressed I was 🤩 by my fellow E&C pros’ poise, professionalism, and sense of direction as they addressed an audience that, understandably, harbored plenty of concerns about the future.
With that said, here are my key takeaways from these wonderful speakers, which provide some overarching guiding principles on how we can maintain our corporate integrity while we’re faced with turbulence.
I’m sure it comes as no surprise that regulatory and enforcement uncertainty was omnipresent throughout the conference. It’s impossible to know if or when clarity will come, but there is a silver lining in our E&C community: The general consensus among attendees was that their companies are recognizing that being ethical isn’t just about following the law. If they didn’t understand this before, they are beginning to now—and that’s a good thing.
Source: The Gilmore Girls on The WB via Giphy.com
From C-suites to advisors, and leaders to boards, the message is crystallizing that ethics is about doing the right thing even when no one is looking, which is an especially powerful (and effective!) stance when facing an uncertain regulatory ecosystem.
The emerging risk seems to be culture itself. Why? Because culture is fragile. It takes real effort and drive to build it. It takes even more energy to maintain it. But it’s super simple to break.
Managing cultural risk requires a holistic approach, and whoever embraces that idea will be in a strong position to drive company success. A commitment to managing cultural risk necessitates:
✅ leaders championing a culture of ethics and risk awareness,
✅ middle managers receiving the tools and motivation to foster a risk-aware environment (more on this in a sec),
✅ channels for employees to voice their concerns, and
✅ a "top" and "middle" that values that input.
It also requires consistent messaging and action across all levels, coupled with regular assessments and feedback to identify areas of improvement.
So, what's the solution? Managers, FTW! “Tone at the top" sets the standards. "Buzz at the base" is where the words meet actions. But it's the "mood in the middle" that ties it all together and keeps the flywheel spinning.
Source: Saturday Night Live on NBC via Giphy.com
That's because managers are the main ethical models for employees. They are the ones who foster open dialogues to combat pressure and burnout. They lead by example whenever they choose integrity, and they are the E&C team's front-line responders to ethical concerns.
Therefore, supporting managers in fostering an ethical culture is vital. One way to do that is by establishing a suite of resources to support their efforts.
Need some help with that, you say? We got you! Whether you call it manager upskilling, leader-led training, or ambassador onboarding, in the end, it's all in pursuit of the same goal. Learn more about just how to pull this off here and here.
But it wasn’t all serious and heavy. IMHO, it was like Fashion Week visited Atlanta and turned the Global Ethics Summit into its runway! Patterns, colors, fabrics, cuts, and couture, oh my! And it wasn’t just the ladies who had it on lock… the guys’ fits were tight, too! 😎
Now, I didn’t want to be a creeper and take a bunch of photos of everyone’s outfits, but I wasn’t the only one who noticed the seriously high fashion IQ of the E&C community! Two of my new friends were kind enough to create a little catwalk and describe the vibe. Check them out below, and thank you, Edith Chamblin and Leesa Askew, for playing along! #GotEthics
So, what do you think? If you attended—either IRL or virtual—what did you take away from this year's Global Ethics Summit? We'd love to hear your thoughts! Reach out and let's chat! Email us or connect with us on LinkedIn!