It's better to burn out than it is to rust
Let’s play pretend. You just bought a house—not one of those brand new places featuring all the great modern amenities. No, your “new” house isn’t new at all. In fact, it’s what we call “historic,” meaning old. Your house has “character,” sporting a large classic porch with a glorious wrought iron railing. Once you’ve moved in, though, the reality of owning a historic house becomes apparent, particularly that wrought iron railing with its thin layer of paint concealing extensive rusting.
You have your work cut out for you. You’ll have to remove all that rust before you put on a fresh coat of paint else you’ll be in even worse shape next year.
There are some tempting chemical shortcuts for sale, but experts say there’s no substitute for a good ol’ wire brush and elbow grease. As you roll up your sleeves to get started on what will be days of tedious, back-breaking work, you curse to yourself and swear that next time you’ll buy a condo.
So what is rust? In the simplest terms, rust is a byproduct that forms when iron oxidizes due to exposure to water. Unlike the oxidation of other metals, though, rust is porous, meaning moisture can continue to penetrate deeper until it compromises the very integrity of the metal. Rust is destructive corrosion. If not halted, that rust will eat away at the iron, and bye-bye lovely railing. There’s character, and then there’s decay. Rust is corruption.
In the workplace and elsewhere, we can witness a different but similar sort of corruption in which an outside influence eats away at integrity until it’s compromised out of existence. That influence could be money or power, but often it’s overwork and stress leading to exhaustion, shoddy work, cover-ups, and increasing dishonesty. Much corruption stems from mental and moral fatigue and the action or inaction of those at the top of the organization.
The corruption of metallic rust really only takes one form. It’s red, flakey, useless, and destructive. In the workplace, corruption takes two primary shapes.
The first is what we usually think of when we hear the word “corruption.” It involves legal or ethical violations, which can run the gamut from the mere appearance of a conflict of interest to actual bribery or theft. We can witness examples in the news on an almost daily basis. Let’s leave this rule breaking to the investigators, lawyers, and ethicists who adjudicate these matters. Frankly, this form of corruption is pretty obvious.
The other sort of corruption—more common and subtle and warranting careful consideration—is moral or mental corruption in its several manifestations. This sort may operate well within the bounds of the law and ethical codes as well as within workplace policies. While legal or ethical corruption may exact higher penalties, moral or mental corruption can be more insidious, undermining or betraying one’s very self.
A basic and pervasive example of moral corruption is lying, bullshitting, and other types of dishonesty. In some ways, deception is the gateway degeneracy to further corruption. Think of it as that first particle of moisture that slips under the paint to attack the iron. Once it starts, it usually just continues as lies pile on lies. In contrast, leaders are impeccably honest and open.
Such dishonesty often occurs in support of bullying and other abusive behavior. I find myself writing about these toxic antics quite a bit. Abuse is a corruption we can’t say enough about, being widespread, destructive, and in perfect opposition to effective leadership and productivity.
Hypocrisy—professing one thing and doing something opposite—is another overlooked corruption. Hypocrites promote values that their behavior undermines. Leaders walk a different path, not only checking their values regularly but checking their behavior to assure they’re living the values they embrace.
You can easily compile your own list of further morally corrupt acts, such as biased behavior, corner cutting, irresponsibility, and the like. By possessing sound values and living them, though, you can stave off all forms of corruption just as you would stave off rust on a wrought iron railing.
Let’s return to that beautiful historic house you bought and the crumby and crumbly railing you inherited. However will you restore it? As I mentioned before, the first step is to remove the rust—all of it—by going at it with a wire brush. It’s brutal work but necessary if you want to halt the corrosion and restore the rail to a decent condition. Have no illusions about how long this step will take. Whatever you anticipate, it’ll be longer.
Painting the rail can also be challenging to do right. You start with a high quality primer followed by a superior rust-resistant paint. There can be no scrimping or shortcuts here. Be sure to cover every surface of the rail with the primer, and wait until it’s perfectly dry before applying the top coat. You may even want a second coat to be sure. Don’t miss a spot! Otherwise, you’ll let in moisture, and we know what happens then.
Ever after you must remain vigilant, searching for signs of flaking paint and moisture penetrating the surface. You need to watch out for inclement weather, but everyday humidity and daily wear and tear will also take a toll. You must immediately rectify any flaking or corrosion unless you want more work in the long run. This is a time for zero tolerance. If you need to break out the ol’ wire brush from time to time, don’t hesitate. The slightest bit of corruption will spread, so keep that primer and paint on hand just in case.
It’s much the same with moral corruption. The tiniest bit grows and grows, eating away at the core. In the workplace it distorts and destroys fundamental values and undermines missions. Left unchecked, sooner than you think the only discernible principle remaining will be the corruption itself as rust replaces metal and falls to dust.
In my analogy, think of the railing as your core self or the heart of your organization. Once you’ve cleared away any damage, to prevent future corruption you must lay down a prime coat of solid values. Your topcoat will be practice and behavior, meaning you and your organization must diligently live your values to provide protection forevermore. And remember that it’s always easier to prevent corrosion than to remove it.
Leaders have a duty to identify, halt, restore, and prevent workplace rust because leaders are the keepers and protectors of values and institutional missions. They start with themselves, hindering corruption from within. No one is perfect, and rust will appear, but great leaders always have their wire brush, primer, and waterproof topcoat at the ready.
How have you coped with moral corruption in the workplace? What did you do to prevent or correct it?
Leaders develop the ability to readily identify, remove, and protect against workplace and personal corruption, and I can help.
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I’m Dr. Jim Salvucci, an author, keynote speaker, coach, and consultant. I served higher education for 30 years as an English professor, dean, and vice president before founding Guidance for Greatness to guide young bosses to become the next generation of great leaders. I’m a certified Tiny Habits coach as well as a certified Thrive Global coach and life coach and hold leadership certificates from Harvard University and the American Council on Education in addition to my Ph.D. from the University of Toronto. Central to my leadership philosophy is that all great leaders are decent humans as well as great teachers, guiding their people and their organizations through values toward success. My goal is to guide today’s young leaders to become the next generation of great leaders by offering practical strategies on values-driven leadership.
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