CODE of Good Governance (2) As we stated in this column last week, sustainable authentic corporate governance starts with embedding personal values and ethical principles in the mind of the chairman, president, CEO, CFO, supervisors, managers and employees. This is done by coaching them to reflect on their personal ambition and align this with their behavior and actions, according to our authentic governance method we launched in this book. In this way good corporate governance will be a way of life, characterized by trust, credibility, transparency, personal & social responsibility, open communication and a continuously learning process, embedded in an ethical culture. This cultural shift will have a positive impact throughout society. We have defined governance in holistic and authentic terms, namely: the systematic process of continuous, gradual and routine improvement, steering, and learning, that lead to sustainable high performance and ethical excellence. We have made a distinction between authentic personal governance and authentic corporate governance. Authentic personal governance entails the systematic process of continuous, gradual and routine personal improvement, steering, and learning, that lead to sustainable high personal performance and ethical personal excellence. Personal conduct is part of authentic personal governance; the ability to discern right from wrong and the commitment to do what is right, good, and proper. Authentic corporate governance entails the systematic process of continuous, gradual and routine corporate improvement, steering, and learning, that lead to sustainable high corporate performance and ethical corporate excellence.

So, authentic governance is a continuous voyage of discovery, involving continuous, gradual and routine improvement, steering, and learning. It is about winning through good authentic governance and a journey towards a happier and more ethical life for individuals and ethical corporate excellence. Our breakthrough authentic governance differs from traditional corporate governance concepts, which focus mainly on bureaucratic regulations, procedures and policies and which insufficiently consider the importance of authenticity, holistic approach and alignment with human capital, needed to achieve enduring high corporate performance and ethical corporate excellence. When these traditional bookkeeping concepts are being used, the results are cosmetic and sometimes even have an adverse effect. Sustainable corporate governance will be achieved only if the personnel change inwardly and personal integrity has become a way of life. The aim here is maximum commitment, devotion, personal integrity, and self-responsibility on the part of all involved as well as the encouragement of continuous learning and improvement.

In the next articles we will introduce an organic, holistic and authentic governance model which will help organizations to realize sustainable high corporate performance and ethical corporate excellence. This innovative corporate governance approach is combined with powerful tools to deliver peak performance and to create a stable basis for trustworthiness, credibility, and personal responsibility. This new governance blueprint is an inside-out approach and focuses mainly on the human side of good governance. It places more emphasis on understanding yourself and the needs of others, meet those needs while staying true to your personal and corporate values, improve yourself and your personal integrity continuously, making ethics a way of life and a continuous learning process, and align these with formal corporate regulations, procedures and guidelines, instead of focusing on exhaustive formal corporate regulations, procedures and guidelines only. This integrated governance system will create a paradigm shift in the organization and will continually impact the employee’s transformational process. It will work as a catalyst to accelerate the transformation of the personnel into committed and ethical executives and employees and will create a stable basis for a real learning organization. Personal Governance with Corporate Governance” and will be continued in the next part of this column.
Prof. Hubert Rampersad is President of the Technological University of the Americas and Abiodun Kayode Fawumi is the Publisher of Ekocity Magazine.