College and University Auditors of
Virginia
ETHICS
(And Why Good Leaders Go Bad)
Craig Anderson
Deputy Director, University Audit
Virginia Commonwealth University
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OUTLINE
1.
2.
3.
4.
Introduction / Background
General Thoughts & Principles
“Slippery Slope” Model
Closing Comments & Questions
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INTRODUCTION
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My Background / Biases
 VCU Experience
 Prior Experiences
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WHAT IS ETHICS ?
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WHAT IS ETHICS ?
Merriam-Webster:
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Discipline dealing with what is Good
& Bad, with Moral Duty & Obligation
Set or System of Moral Values and
Principles
A Guiding Philosophy
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WHAT ARE THE OBSTACLES
TO ETHICAL BEHAVIOR &
DECISION-MAKING ?
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How much Gray exists?
What kind of “Gray” have you
encountered?
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And Many Times:
It’s Easy to Do the Wrong Thing
It’s Hard to Do the Right Thing
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WHY IS IT EASY
TO DO THE WRONG THING ?
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Lack of Knowledge of the
Expectations or Requirements
Lack of training in the “right
way to do things”
Lack of Accountability
Intent
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SLIPPERY SLOPE MODEL
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Even if You Win the Rat Race,
You’re Still a Rat.
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WHY IS IT HARD
TO DO THE RIGHT THING ?
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Frustration with Policies or
Procedures (without understanding
the reason for those P&P)
Time or Departmental Pressures
Competing Priorities
Short-Term Impacts
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SO WHY DO GOOD
LEADERS GO BAD ?
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SLIPPERY SLOPE MODEL
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The Early Years
Entitlement
Arrogance
Greed
The Fall from Grace
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Morality, like art, means drawing
a line somewhere
OSCAR WILDE
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SLIPPERY SLOPE MODEL
STAGE 1 - THE EARLY YEARS
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“He was impressive, young and aggressive,
saving the world on his own” (Jimmy Buffett)
Talent, Hard Work, Very aggressive
Knows & Respects “the rules”
Usually rises rapidly in the organization
What other characteristics do you see?
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That you may retain your self
respect, it is better to displease
people by doing what is right than
to temporarily please them by
doing what you know is wrong.
WILLIAM J H BOETCKER
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SLIPPERY SLOPE MODEL
STAGE 2 - ENTITLEMENT
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I Earned It – “You don’t look smart
enough to find it if I did”
I Deserve This – “If I can’t get a raise
I will get it another way”
It Comes with the Territory – “How
will my kids go to college?”
It’s No Big Deal – “I’m not the only
one doing this”
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Relativity applies to physics,
Not ethics.
ALBERT EINSTEIN
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SLIPPERY SLOPE MODEL
STAGE 3 - ARROGANCE
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They Start to Believe the Press Clippings
All the Successes are due to My Efforts
This Department couldn’t survive without
me and my Grants
Better to Ask Forgiveness than
Permission
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SLIPPERY SLOPE MODEL
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Don’t get down in the Mud
with a Pig; You Both get Dirty
but Only the Pig Enjoys It.
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SLIPPERY SLOPE MODEL
STAGE 4 - GREED
Earth provides Enough to Satisfy
Every Man’s Needs, but
Not Every Man’s Greeds
GANDHI
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SLIPPERY SLOPE MODEL
STAGE 4 - GREED
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At this point, the Leader’s Greeds take
precedence over the Organization’s Needs
The Leader’s Priorities drive the Organization’s
Priorities
The Leader’s Actions no longer support the
Organization’s Mission
What can we do to prevent some of these very
real issues?
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A Native American grandfather talking to
his young grandson tells the boy he has
two wolves inside of him struggling with
each other. The first is the wolf of peace,
love and kindness. The other wolf is fear,
greed and hatred. "Which wolf will win,
grandfather?" asks the young boy.
"Whichever one I feed," is the reply.
NATIVE AMERICAN PROVERB
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SLIPPERY SLOPE MODEL
DENIAL
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Don’t Listen/Watch when the
Foundation is Crumbling
“This is a Short-Term
Problem”
“I Know Better than They Do;
I Built this Place”
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Good people do not need laws to
tell them to act responsibly, while
bad people will find a way around
the laws.
PLATO ~ 400 BC
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SLIPPERY SLOPE MODEL
STAGE 5 - THE FALL
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Cumulative Effect of:
Entitlement
Arrogance
Greed
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Ethics is knowing the difference
between what you have a right to
do and what is right to do.
POTTER STEWART
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SO WHERE DO WE
GO FROM HERE ?
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YOUR RESPONSIBILITY
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Educate yourself –understand the relevant
policies and procedures
Establish strong relationships with your
Deans/AVPs/Chairs
Ask for Help when you don’t understand
Lead By Example – if you mess up they will
remember and throw it back at you!!!
Speak up when you see something wrong – it
doesn’t have to be in a report
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SUMMARY
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Power is the Common Denominator
in the most damaging cases I’ve
worked on
Absolute Power Corrupts, Absolutely
There is no Reset Button in Life
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EVERYTHING I NEED TO
KNOW ABOUT ETHICS I
LEARNED IN
KINDERGARTEN
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CLOSING THOUGHTS
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Across our Organizations, Thousands
of Good, Sound, Ethical Decisions
are Made Every Day.
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One Person CAN Make a Difference !
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Always do right;
This will gratify some
And astonish the rest.
MARK TWAIN
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The path of least resistance is
what makes rivers run crooked.
ELBERT HUBBARD
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Case Studies:
Case Study 1 – Pcard Misuse
Case Study 2 – Grant Fraud
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CLOSING
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Questions
Comments
Thank You !
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