Show leadership
Encourage (also) others to adhere to the Code of Conduct. (Personal) leadership plays a crucial role in creating a culture of integrity. Through exemplary behavior, inspire colleagues to maintain high ethical standards. Make dilemmas negotiable. This is especially true for executives.
DSI core principles in practice
What can you learn from this DSI-2018-05 ruling by the DSI Disciplinary Committee?
A certified manager of a financial company was instructed by the Board of Directors to execute a large transaction. There was discussion within the organization about this transaction because there were indications that confidential information may have been involved. Nevertheless, the Board of Directors decided to go ahead.
The manager was faced with a choice: should he follow the order or further investigate the potential risks? He chose to execute the transaction, assuming the Board had already made the ethical consideration.
The Disciplinary Committee ruled that the manager himself bore responsibility in this. As a senior professional, he should have identified a possible integrity risk. He should have discussed this and, if necessary, called in compliance. Blindly trusting the decision of higher authority was not enough.
Show leadership by taking responsibility, especially when decisions come from on high.
What does this mean to you?
Showing leadership means not looking away when you have doubts, even when a decision has already been made. Do you see a potential integrity risk? Ask questions, discuss it within your team and engage compliance when necessary. By acting proactively, you show that you stand for integrity and professional behavior.
DSI Core Principles
At DSI, ten core principles are central to the essence of our Code of Conduct. They offer financial professionals guidance on how to act with integrity on a daily basis and strengthen trust in the sector. Every DSI certified professional commits to these principles so that together we contribute to a transparent and honest financial sector.
