Chief Integrity Officer: A Necessary Job Title

"We the people....want Integrity Back"

I think we should have a new job title in America, “Chief Integrity Officer”. It seems that our current society, whether it be the open market (capitalism), the legal system, or the federal government, is not working to curb what is an obvious ethical and moral failure of our large organizations. Nor will congress enacting truck loads of new regulation help either, not to mention the cost of growth that will result. Sure, these protections may work in the short run, but then people will find loopholes and new markets will be open up that are outside these measures and we will have more pain and more damage to good, hard working people because of greed and corruption. Remember the savings and loans crisis that resulted in the Tax Reform Act of 1986? How long did it take for history to repeat itself in a different form? 22 years, thats how long.

Just think of what catastrophes could have been avoided if each company had a capable person tasked with the enforcement of integrity throughout the organization? Enron, WorldCom, Countrywide Home Loans, and Bernie Madoff come to mind, and the list could go on and on, however we can’t leave out the biggest organization of all, the United States Government. Can we expect them to do any differently if there is no immedate accountability? Who is in the charge of monitoring the integrity of the United States Government and it’s largest corporations? I suppose I would have to say it’s ultimately the people, the stakeholders, investors and tax payers, but do we really know what’s going on in there? No, we don’t, we ony hear the speeches and see the results. And if we did know what was going on, could we hold them accountable? Not until the next election. Plenty of time for PR, spin, paper shredding, legal defense. However, someone who is a part of the organization, on the inside, would have a fightinh chance at discerning how and when the they act in opposition to the integrity we have been promised and at least make an attempt to hold them accountable.

I think it’s time we look for internal controls instead of outside forces. Instead of enacting new laws that may or may not work, let’s address the problem head on. Isnt that what integrity is all about? Doesnt integrity start with making a commitment from within to stand by your principles because you value them and believe them to be true? Why can’t individual companies and government do the same and show some accountability themselves? Maybe because they are lacking a structure that puts one person in charge and responsible solely for these issues, a key distinction. This person would not have the responsibility of having to worry about profits, shareholders or votes, as they tend to create obvious conflicts and pressure that lead to abandoning integrity for short term results. Creating a new position, the Chief Integrity Officer, might just work to change that.

Imagine the benefits that a company with a high level of integrity would enjoy! Increased long term performance across the board, relationships benefitting from an enhanced level of trust, and much lower expenses in the legal department. I also happen to believe that capitalism is based on trust, on integrity. Just as the freedom of man is based on the assumption that it is a human right and that man will make good use of it, doesn’t capitalism assume that the markets and the people who make them, will act in good faith, and with honesty? It must, otherwise it wouldn’t work. Capitalism starts to fault when the people with the most power, who are trusted to act with integrity, do not. This has been proven recently with the near collapse of the financial markets, due to a supreme and well deserved lack of trust.

It certainly would take the “right” kind of person for this job. The Chief Integrity Officer should be a person of great character, strength, and honesty. A person who has demonstrated over the course of his/her life to be honest, courageous, compassionate, and discerning. This person would have to be…well, integrious. However, this isn’t about finding the perfect person with impeccable characteristics and fortitude. It is simply about change, about small improvements that over time can make a substantial difference. Integrity is not very prevalent in our culture, as I;m sure you have noticed, but we can start with a step in the right direction. Personal integrity, or human integrity, is not about being perfect, is not being better than others, it is about being the best you can be. It is about respect, honor, and faith; in yourself, your fellow man, humanity, and in your chosen spirituality.

This wouldnt be easy of course, and would take a very clear and determined plan, but if the “why” is big enough, I think we could figure out the “how”. We need a acronym and since CIO is already taken, how about we call it CINO, or maybe CNO.