Why Promotion Is a Moral Hazard

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"When leaders very publicly fail due to ethical lapses, some people are inclined to say, 'See, that’s just how business is,' instead of learning a more inspiring lesson." Jessica Kennedy gets frustrated when people—often academics—try…

Why Do We Always Think We’re Right? A Conversation with Jon Haidt

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In this episode of The Good Fight podcast, host Yascha Mounk speaks with Ethical Systems Founding Director Jonathan Haidt about the psychological differences between the political left and right, the human tendency to discriminate in…

Why Some Americans Don’t Believe the Election Results

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When we care deeply about an issue and get an unfavorable outcome, we question the process used to make the decision. The electoral votes have confirmed Joe Biden won the 2020 United States presidential election. The presidential electors…

The Case for Adding Darwin to Behavioral Economics

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As Darwin understood clearly, our fate depends not only on our own decisions and capabilities but also on those of rivals and partners. Following my first sabbatical—a two-year stint as a federal bureaucrat in Washington, DC—I resumed…

The Case for a Time-Affluent Workplace Culture

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"Feeling time-poor," researchers say, "can adversely affect subjective well-being, mental health, work performance, creativity, and relationship quality.” Not long ago, NPR spoke with the descendants of the eminent economist John Maynard…

Overcoming Our Ethical Blindspots: A Conversation with Ann Tenbrunsel

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In this episode of the Leading Transformational Change podcast, host Tobias Sturesson speaks with Ethical Systems collaborator Ann Tenbrunsel about the pitfalls in corporate culture that make it easier to behave less ethically. They…

How This CEO Grew His Luxury Brand During a Pandemic

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Ian Bentley, Parker Clay's CEO, says, "Our brand tagline, ‘We Go Together,’ comes from the African proverb, ‘If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.'" Beleaguered leaders are grasping for ways to keep…

The Gray Rhino Trump Ignored and Still Tries to Hide

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As the gray rhino of COVID-19 continues to spotlight the fatal incompetence of the Trump Administration and pummel the U.S., the more abstract gray rhino of climate change keeps goading humanity to coordinate a respectable response. Perhaps…

Sometimes It’s Best to Fight Bias with Bias

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When Christina Fang was a graduate student at the University of Pennsylvania, in the Wharton School of Business, she took a course on behavioral decision making and it blew her away. It fascinated her that people and firms can deviate systematically…

How CEOs Should Think About Rebuilding America

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The OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act) loop framework, used by Air Force pilots, is readily adaptable for peacetime use to help CEOs become the fast-evolvers they need to be to survive—or better yet, thrive—in an uncertain business environment. The…