I'd agree with that. What defines us is not what we do when things are going well but how we react when things are not. This aligns well with psychological safety - if we behave poorly in times of crisis, we will reduce the level of safety and hence get worse outcomes than if we'd remained decent throughout.
Agree completely. Decency is a virtue that must be preserved even in the most difficult moments, proving integrity in all our actions as professionals. Saving Changes...
Senior Projects Manager | Field & Marten AssociatesNew Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
Decency is part of who someone is and shouldn't be defined by a situation or a condition. It is in the tough times that someone do prove they have real decency.
Product Operations Program ManagerBarcelona, Cataluña, Spain
I agree with my peers and with the quote.
It made me reflect: are decency and integrity interchangeable to some extent? I recall a famous quote from Warren Buffet:
"Somebody once said that in looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if you don’t have the first, the other two will kill you" Saving Changes...
Thomas WalentaGlobal Project Economy ExpertHackenheim, Germany
Words like decency, integrity, humility describe concepts that might be different in cultures and languages. Even dictionaries give different explanations.
I perceive decency as a personal trait, attribute of behaving in a social environment showing respect to others and being kind. As such the attribute is coming from the ones you interact with.
Being humble (not taking yourself too important) is a good way to be perceived to have decency.
Tom Peters seems to suggest that decency can be sacrificed, I do not think so. It cannot be turned on and off. You are a decent person or not, but you can develop into a more decent person. Decency comes with the ability to see (empathy), accept (value) and respect others, once you have it, you cannot look away.
That said, as a leader you may have the ability to behave like a jerk, if the situation demands it, but you still will feel decency and there will be an ethical dilemma.
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