324 Global Ethics for Leadership
bravery, but also a sufficiently good material safety net to avoid falling
into the insecurity gap upon leaving a position out of ethical conviction!
Two further examples of personalities known for their integrity are
Nelson Mandela, seen almost as a Saint and emblem among African and
world leaders^244 ; and Erich Walser, Entrepreneur and Director of the
Association of Swiss Insurances.^245 Many more persons of integrity,
known and unknown, could be listed. They must not be Saints and per-
fect, but examples of courageous and righteous persons with values.
26.7 Integrity as Systemic Approach and Institutional
Culture
Some may blame the ethics of virtues as individualistic. Indeed, vir-
tues are foremost references for attitude and action on a personal level.
But integrity is not only reserved to ethical heroes, in other words,
women and men with a strong character. Integrity is the attitude of an
individual who can bring transformation to a culture, within which the
majority of the population can adapt under all circumstances, the foun-
dations of integrity. Integrity is a holistic and systemic approach to solve
a problem and reduce its vices. Christian ethics not only calls individu-
als to come back to moral behaviour, but makes them feel convicted for
having failed to provide the necessary support to carry out a virtuous
life. In addition, Christian ethics help to build a thorough support struc-
ture for the individuals. The individual and interpersonal ethics are
about the direct interaction between human beings. The structural ethics
is the indirect interaction of ethics through structures and rules within
institutions. Here are some examples:
244
See the comparison of Mandela and Mugabe in Christoph Stückelberger,
Responsible Leadership Handbook. For Staff and Boards, Geneva 2014, 105-
107, Free download at http://www.globethics.net/publications. 245
Berger, Urs/ Dürr, Lucius, Gestalter und Brückenbauer, Neue Zürcher
Zeitung, 7 January 2015.