Integrity

Description. Anne Mulcahy is the former chairperson and CEO of Xerox Corporation. Shortly after becoming CEO, she announced publicly that Xerox’s business model was unsustainable and that the company would confront reality and make tough decisions to restore its competitiveness. She kept her word and reached “the great turnaround story of the post-crash era/" as it was dubbed by Money Magazine.

Because of her integrity, Ann Mulcahy gained the trust of Xerox employees. They gave their best efforts and returned Xerox to profitability.

Key Insight. Business Leaders who are situationally aware demonstrate integrity, accept problems and work towards solving the key challenges.

Description. Martin Winterkorn is a former business executive who was chairman of the board of management of Volkswagen AG, the parent company of the Volkswagen Group, and chairman of the supervisory board of Audi. He contributed to the company’s unethical and illegal installation of software that failed to accurately report emissions of its vehicles.

He knew what was happening at his company, did not disclose anything, and denied the truth until the last moment. Volkswagen lost billions of dollars in fines and lost their reputation.

Key Insight. Leaders without integrity often hide the truth and distort facts, which can severely damage their personal and business brands.