1. Home ›
  2. Thought Leadership ›
  3. The Importance of Saying No [Video]

The Importance of Saying No [Video]

By NDDCEL Staff

Barry Salzberg, Global CEO of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited

 

 

Barry Salzberg cites examples from his career where saying "no" was the best way to do what was right. 

Teaching Notes

Use the following prompts to facilitate a guided discussion on this installment of Walking the Talk: Insights on Putting Ethics into Practice.

What are the “right circumstances” under which it is important to say no?

Provide an example from your own experience of a time in which not doing something was more important than doing something.

Why is “saying no” difficult in many circumstances?  What barriers, or “reasons and rationalizations,” both personal and organizational, contribute to the challenge of doing the right thing?

What does Salzberg mean by “being thoughtful” about saying no?  What is the role of analysis and reasoning?

How can thinking about what is at stake in difficult decision making help us to develop the courage to “say no.”

Related Content

Sports and Ethical Leadership: Views from the Field

Sports and Ethical Leadership: Views from the Field

Like most universities with Division I athletics, Notre Dame doesn’t need to look far to find alumni making their mark in competition after graduation. But sports as an industry is big business - with big challenges, and ever-expanding opportunities for ethical leadership. We sat down with alumni working in the industry along with faculty member and NDDCEL Fellow Professor Brian Levey…

Sustainable Energy for a Sustainable Future

Sustainable Energy for a Sustainable Future

“Isn’t every company a sustainable company?”

 

This is the challenging question posed by Kirsten Higgins, ND ’14, during her insightful interview on the present and future of renewable energy. She expanded on this question noting that as more companies become attuned to the costs—tangible and intangible…

A Crystal Clear Opportunity: Transparency Improves Business and Sets Your Firm Apart

A Crystal Clear Opportunity: Transparency Improves Business and Sets Your Firm Apart

It’s clear by now that ESG (environmental, social, and governance) factors are part of the 21st century business landscape. You can’t stroll through business or investing sites without coming across the term, but a simple commitment to ESG is not going to be enough for companies to justify their social license to operate. Consumers, especially Gen Z who have considerable market power, have gotten savvy to ‘greenwashing’ and ‘social washing’ by major companies and are demanding more transparency…