Webster’s defines ethics as, “…the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation…” but why is ethics important to your workforce and workplace culture? Employees need to not only define and apply ethical standards but to understand the WHY behind them, in order to shift their thinking to the personal importance of ethics and the growth benefits that being an ethical leader offers both inside and outside the organization. Face it, the level of success of an ethics program is primarily based on the level at which employees understand, interpret, and are willing to execute it. When employees understand the WHY – and practice it within their own personal mantra – cultural transformation can truly happen. Using a principles-based framework, this session explores best practices and ethical decision-making models for the cultivation of ethical leadership and the building of an ethical culture in the workplace.