“Line in the Sand” Ethics: What DO you stand for?

The story of the Alamo has always captured my attention, both as a kid and as an adult. I don’t know if this fascination grew because I have been a history buff most of my life, or if it has more to do with the spell that was cast upon me as a child by the Walt Disney movies about Davy Crockett. Business and professional meetings have taken me to San Antonio many times and each trip includes a stop at the Alamo.
The story is a powerful part of Texas history, in which this year 2011, marks the 175th anniversary of the battle and fall of the Alamo.
The task of leading the Alamo defenders fell to Colonel William Barrett Travis. It is difficult to imagine the range of emotions that he experienced as a leader….specifically as he came to the awareness that they were alone in the small adobe church-turned-fort, that help was not coming and that they faced certain defeat and death. The image of Colonel Travis tracing a line in the sand with his sword and asking the defenders to cross the line of they would remain with him to fight to the end, spoke to me about leadership, courage and making difficult choices.
I use this story to illustrate that there are times and circumstances that may require us to “draw a line in the sand” or conversely we may be faced with a situation where we may be asked to “cross a line.”
While we may never be asked to respond to a request as serious as the one made by Colonel Travis, it is quite possible that at some point, we may be asked to make a choice that is quite difficult. As much as it would be ideal, we cannot count on always having the luxury of long and careful deliberation on difficult issues. A little advanced thought and planning might help if we are ever in a tight spot down the road and charged with making a difficult choice
Is there something we can do now about a possible future situation? I think so! Keep alert and periodically evaluate what is going on in your industry, department or workplace. At the same time make sure that you are familiar with your industry’s best practices and your organization’s code of ethics and conduct.
Consider, before something really serious happens, what would you do if you are asked to do something which goes against your personal code and/or your organization’s code of right and wrong. Drawing your own “line in the sand” ahead of time and keeping mindful about where you stand on difficult issues, can help to put good choices, for good reasons, on auto-pilot.
The defenders of the Alamo knew why they were there and 189 men crossed that line knowing they will never go home, see their wives and children again and still were willing to sacrifice themselves for the future of Texas.
What’s your line in the sand?