I, like many others, have watched with increasing horror the genocide now occurring in parts of the Middle East and the deliberate slaughter of individuals for no other reason than their religious beliefs. What comes to mind (at least that part that can be discussed in public) is the old adage that if we don’t learn from our mistakes we’re bound to repeat them. I have to wonder what we failed to learn from the horrific slaughter of tens of millions of people between 1933 and May 1945, solely because of their religious beliefs or where they lived. What did we fail to learn from the more recent genocides in other parts of the world?
What does my concern have to do with our discussions or your organizations? Just this – when you see or hear of a clearly identified wrong, as the leader of your organization you have both a moral and ethical obligation to right it. Turning a blind eye or deaf ear doesn’t help. Your silence implies that you condone the wrong being done. Your silence can undermine the morale of your staff, leading to additional issues which will probably impact your bottom line in a very negative way. You may find your staff seeking other jobs elsewhere just to get away from the negativity your silence engenders. As your silence continues you will have to face a myriad of problems that may ultimately result in the collapse of your organization.
So – when faced with a moral and/or ethical obligation to right a wrong, can you, should you remain silent?
