Ethics & Leadership
Presented to the Clarkson University Senior Class
Presented by:
Donald Nims, P.E.
NSPE Code of Ethics
Interactive Polling
Interactive Polling
 All responses are anonymous.
 The results of the voting and presentation will
be available… so, please participate.
 Your answer will show up in the LCD window
in the upper left hand corner of your device. A
small GREEN light will also go on when you
register your answer.
 At the end of the session,
PLEASE place
your pollers in the center of the table.
Select your engineering discipline:
1.
2.
3.
4.
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
0%
Ch
em
i ca
l
En
gi
Ci
ne
v
E
le il
er
c
in
g a tric
a
En nd M l
vi
ro ...
nm
M ent
ec
a
ha l
ni
ca
l
Ot
he
r
Chemical
Civil
Electrical
Engineering and
Management
5. Environmental
6. Mechanical
7. Other
Do you plan to obtain a Professional Engineering
License?
1. Yes
2. No
3. Not sure
0%
No
ts
ur
e
0%
No
Ye
s
0%
Do you plan to become a Project Manager or
Technical Expert?
1. Project Manager
2. Technical Expert
hn
i ca
lE
xp
er
t
0%
Te
c
Pr
oj
e
ct
M
an
ag
er
0%
Do you plan to work in government or for a
company?
1. Government
2. Company
pa
ny
0%
Co
m
Go
ve
r
nm
en
t
0%
Select the extent to which you have studied
ethics:
0%
0%
0%
re
qu
i re
w
...
as
a
Ih
re
qu
av
i re
e
on
...
ly
st
Ih
ud
av
ie
d
e
e.
no
..
ts
tu
di
ed
et
. ..
4.
0%
Et
hi
cs
3.
w
as
a
2.
Ethics was a required topic
of my college curriculum.
Ethics was a required topic
of my college curriculum
and I have studied it on my
own time.
I have only studied ethics
on my own time.
I have not studied ethics.
Et
hi
cs
1.
Do you agree or disagree with the following statement?
“Good and bad, right and wrong are relative terms. We
cannot be certain of what is good and bad, right or wrong.”
1. Agree
2. Disagree
is
ag
re
e
0%
D
A
gr
ee
0%
“Integrity” to me means…
1. Honoring one’s word
2. Wholeness of
character
ha
ra
ct
er
0%
W
ho
le
ne
ss
of
c
Ho
no
rin
g
on
e’
s
w
or
d
0%
To me, the greater ethical problem for a leader is
being…
1. Hypocritical – Not being
consistent between what
you say and what you
do.
2. Unjust – Not treating
others fairly.
0%
tr
No
t
Un
ju
st
–
Hy
po
cr
iti
ca
l–
No
tb
...
ea
tin
...
0%
Which of the following statements best describes how
you tend to trust others?
1. Trust no matter what
2. Trust until proven
otherwise
3. Trust but verify
4. Trust only if no other
choice
o
to
nl
y
if
n
Tr
us
tb
ut
ot
he
r.
..
ve
r if
y
ot
...
n
Tr
us
tu
Tr
us
Tr
us
tn
nt
il
o
m
pr
ov
e
at
te
rw
ha
t
0% 0% 0% 0%
To me, ethics deals chiefly or primarily with the…
1. CONDUCT or ACTIONS
we choose freely.
2. CONSEQUENCES of our
free choices/decisions.
3. INTENTIONS behind our
choices.
hi
..
NS
EN
IN
TE
N
TI
O
Q
U
NS
E
O
C
0%
be
CE
S
...
AC
or
T
C
U
ND
O
C
0%
..
0%
What is Ethics?
A scene from the movie: Miller’s Crossing
DON: This is an
image, not the video
clip. I need to send
the video separate
because it is too
large. I can show you
how to insert if you
need help.
What are the Mob’s values?
RELATIONSHIPS / LOYALTY “I’m talking about… Friendship… Character…”
TRUST
“if you can’t trust the fix…what can you trust?”
HONESTY
“Bernie ain't satisfied with the honest dollar he can make off the vig!”
MONEY / PROFITS
“It's gettin' so a businessman can't expect no return from a fixed fight.”
PREDICTABILITY / ORDER
“For a good return, you gotta go bettin'on chance, and then you're back with
anarchy. Right back in the jungle…”
ETHICS
”Hell, Leo, I ain't embarrassed to use the word, I’m talking about…
Ethics…
 The Mob has values… and a code of conduct.
 No organization can last for long without ethics.
 The Mob’s version of ethics is just as legitimate as any
other except for one fundamental thing that it is missing:
… the GOOD
 What is the GOOD?
 We have to know what constitutes the real, authentic
and greater GOOD in each situation if we hope to Get it
Right AND Get Along as professionals.
What is Ethics?
 In reality, people are chiefly praised and blamed on the basis of their
choices and the actions that follow.
 Ethics is the science of finding and choosing the good. What kind of
goods? Answer: the real, authentic and greater good in each and
every situation.
 The only object we can choose is action. And in choosing your own
actions, you are choosing the way that you are relating to things.
Strictly speaking, you are choosing relationships.
 Getting it Right AND Getting Along reflect choices we make on how
we are going to relate to ourselves and others.
 So, ACTION or CONDUCT is the primary subject of ethics.
Why is Ethics important?
 Safety
 Competence
 Truthfulness
 Faithfulness
 Obligation
 Lawfulness
Environmental Stewardship
The environmental impact of the car and the
associated parts of the entire transportation sector
is devastating, yet the buying public wants
something sleek, stylish, fast, and cost-effective.
Do you, as an engineer, have an ethical responsibility
to not design a car at all because of its poor
environmental and sustainability attributes?
A. Yes
B. No
0%
s
Ye
0%
N
o
Do you have an ethical responsibility to design
improvements that minimize environmental impact,
reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil deposits,
plan for future recyclability and reuse, and use
different
A. Yes energy sources much more efficiently?
B. No
0%
s
Ye
0%
N
o
Your colleagues are responsible for their own actions,
but do you have an ethical responsibility to talk to
them about these issues and raise questions for them to
consider?
A. Yes
B. No
0%
s
Ye
0%
N
o
Do you have an ethical responsibility to talk to the
leaders of your firm or company about its internal and
external involvement in these issues?
A. Yes
B. No
0%
s
Ye
0%
N
o
Do you have an ethical responsibility to improve
sustainability in your everyday life?
A. Yes
B. No
0%
s
Ye
0%
N
o
Do you have an ethical responsibility to future
generations?
A. Yes
B. No
0%
s
Ye
0%
N
o
Safety
► Fundamentally, which has a higher priority the
safety of the passengers or reducing
emissions when designing a car?
► On a grander scale, what is a better
approach?
► When can the safety of the passengers take a
lower priority than reducing emissions?
Competence
► Under what circumstances can an
inexperienced engineer design the brakes of a
car?
► To be prepared what should the inexperienced
engineer do?
Objective & Truthful Public Statements
► Fundamental canon is to "avoid deceptive
acts."
► Honesty and candor is needed to solve
problems.
► Honesty reinforces integrity.
► Honesty and integrity lead to trust.
Avoid Deceptive Acts
► VW engineers designed software installed in their
diesel vehicles that was able to sense when
emissions testing was in progress based on the
position of the steering wheel, vehicle speed, the
duration of the engine's operation and barometric
pressure. Once the software picked up on these
inputs, it went into a type of "test mode" when the
front wheels of the car were on a dynamometer.
This allowed emissions controls to run full-tilt
during official testing, but emitted 10 to 40 times
the legal amount while on the road.
► Should the engineers at VW have considered,
designed, or installed a such a sophisticated
system?
► VW has lost 1/3 of its value.
Obligation to Client/Customer
► To whom is a VW engineer obligated?
► What had a higher priority:
• Shareholder Profit?
• Public Safety?
• Environmental Impacts?
• Car Buyer Value?
► What compromises were made?
► What should the engineers at VW have done?
Responsible & Lawful Conduct
► Did the engineers act responsibly?
► What are the repercussions?
10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Joining the
Work Force
1. Flexibility
2. Reality of Compromise
3. Continuing Education
4. Find Your Mentor
5. Leadership
6. Don’t Be Smug
7. Networking
8. Digital Profile
9. Line of Credit
10. Find the Release
Questions to Improve for
Next Year
Were the exam details helpful?
Not at all helpful
Not very helpful
Somewhat helpful
Very helpful
ul
ry
Ve
ew
ha
he
el
pf
lp
f
So
m
0%
lp
fu
l
0%
ul
0%
he
er
y
ot
v
N
ot
a
N
Response Counter
ta
ll
h
el
pf
ul
0%
th
1.
2.
3.
4.
Were the ethics session helpful?
Not at all helpful
Not very helpful
Somewhat helpful
Very helpful
ul
ry
Ve
ew
ha
he
el
pf
lp
f
So
m
0%
lp
fu
l
0%
ul
0%
he
er
y
ot
v
N
ot
a
N
Response Counter
ta
ll
h
el
pf
ul
0%
th
1.
2.
3.
4.
Was Building a Winning Resume and Acing the
Interview helpful?
Not at all helpful
Not very helpful
Somewhat helpful
Very helpful
ul
ry
Ve
ew
ha
he
el
pf
lp
f
So
m
0%
lp
fu
l
0%
ul
0%
he
er
y
ot
v
N
ot
a
N
Response Counter
ta
ll
h
el
pf
ul
0%
th
1.
2.
3.
4.
Overall, was this session helpful?
Not at all helpful
Not very helpful
Somewhat helpful
Very helpful
ul
ry
Ve
ew
ha
he
el
pf
lp
f
So
m
0%
lp
fu
l
0%
ul
0%
he
er
y
ot
v
N
ot
a
N
Response Counter
ta
ll
h
el
pf
ul
0%
th
1.
2.
3.
4.
Would a leadership session be helpful?
Not at all helpful
Not very helpful
Somewhat helpful
Very helpful
ul
ry
Ve
ew
ha
he
el
pf
lp
f
So
m
0%
lp
fu
l
0%
ul
0%
he
er
y
ot
v
N
ot
a
N
Response Counter
ta
ll
h
el
pf
ul
0%
th
1.
2.
3.
4.
Additional questions to improve for next year…
 What topic(s) should be changed?
 What topic(s) should be added?
 Do you have any additional ideas for improving
this session?
Questions???
Thank you!
PLEASE return your
interactive polling devices…