Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene, addressed Ghanaian business leaders at the Ghana Business Leaders Conclave held at the University of Professional Studies, Accra, urging them to embed integrity, honesty, and humility into their corporate leadership. He emphasized that sustainable business success is impossible without trust and that ethical leadership is crucial for national development.
The Foundation of Business: Trust and Integrity
The Asantehene underscored that trust has historically been the bedrock of business, predating modern legal frameworks and technology. “My word is my bond” was the fundamental principle upon which commerce was built, he stated.
He defined integrity not as an abstract ideal but as a practical application of values in daily decision-making. “Integrity is how a person behaves when nobody is watching. It is how a leader acts when power is in his hands. It is how a manager decides when profits are at stake,” Otumfuo explained.
The Asantehene referenced the six core values of integrity identified by the International Centre for Academic Integrity—honesty, trust, fairness, respect, responsibility, and courage. He noted that these universal values are deeply aligned with Ghanaian cultural traditions.
Consequences of Unethical Practices
Otumfuo cautioned business executives against engaging in unethical practices such as tax evasion, dishonesty, and the exploitation of workers. He asserted that leaders who cut corners or cheat the state cannot legitimately complain about national weakness.
He warned that dishonesty at the leadership level has a cascading effect throughout an organization. “If a manager teaches workers to cut corners for the business, one day those same workers will cut corners for themselves,” the Asantehene cautioned.
The Peril of Arrogance in Leadership
The monarch also criticized arrogance as a detrimental trait in leadership, citing it as a cause of avoidable personality conflicts and ego-driven management styles within organizations. “Arrogance is not leadership. Arrogance is a hindrance to harmony,” he declared.
He advised leaders that their position does not equate to possessing all wisdom. “A person who has risen to the office of chief executive must not assume that wisdom begins and ends with him.”
Humility, according to the Asantehene, is essential for leaders in both public and private sectors, as institutional success relies on collective effort. “You are only one person in a long chain of actors whose combined efforts produce success,” he advised.
Stimulating Private Enterprise Ethically
While acknowledging the need for greater stimulation and support for Ghana’s private sector, the Asantehene stressed that businesses must uphold ethical standards to earn public trust and achieve long-term growth. He concluded by stating, “Business without integrity is danger, leadership without humility is arrogance and prosperity without ethics is fragile.”
Leave a Reply