“He that lieth down with dogs shall rise up with fleas.”  -Benjamin Franklin

You want a great life at home and work. You want to work for an ethical organization, one that you’re proud to be affiliated with. You want to “be great” and “do good.”

But you recognize that the world around can be a harsh, unforgiving place, often putting great pressure on people to do things that are not right.

You probably hear rationalizations like,

“It’s not personal.”

“We have to do this to compete.”

“Business is business.”

“Everybody’s doing it.”

“It wasn’t my call.”

You might be sitting in a meeting, hearing your colleagues discussing a course of action that just doesn’t sound right to you.

Yet you know it’s so much easier not to be some boy-scout-goody-two-shoes who makes a fuss. You know they’ll push back and say, “Come on. We can’t spend all day on this. We have to move on this. Why can’t you just get with the program.”

That’s your moment of truth. That’s when your ethical will is tested. That’s when you will realize whether or not you work for an ethical organization. Are you courageous enough to be a “voice of one” who stands up and objects even when it’s hard and there are risks for you?

If you work for an unethical organization, eventually you will be tainted. As a senior exec recently told us, “I either change this behavior in my organization, or acknowledge that I endorse it.” Failing to leave an unethical organization that refuses to change gives tacit approval to the behavior.

Here are ten indicators whether you work for an ethical and enduring organization:

1. Integrity: Integrity (or a related word like character or honesty) is one of the shared values that is a part of day-to-day decision-making.

2. Role Model: Leaders role model ethical behavior, leading by example.

3. Trust: Trust among all stakeholders is high.

4. Transparency: There is transparency in virtually all information.

Read the rest of the story, by Bob and Gregg Vanourek, on Inspiyr.com