Source: www.guardian.co.tt
By Brian Lewis
No one is above getting caught up in an ethical or moral dilemma. The FIFA executive committee are authors of their present predicament. However, because of blind loyalty many are afraid to ask the hard questions or speak out for fear of repercussions. Debates about personalities, popularity, likeability, achievements and contributions raise hypocrisy to the level of fine art. There are degrees of truth when fuzzy logic is applied. What is needed is an acknowledgment that something is not right. Adidas is right to call for clarity as opposed to naïve falsifications. Sir Humphrey Appleby in the British comedy Yes Prime Minister said: “The truth, in politics, means any statement that cannot be proved false.” General Norman Schwarzkopf defined leadership as “a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one of them be without strategy.” In his book How the Mighty Fall, Jim Collins argued the point that moral vices of pride, greed and denial have led to corporate destruction. The members of the FIFA executive committee would have all started off with the best of intentions but somewhere along the line they miskicked the ball.
In the organisation’s code of ethics adopted in September 2009 the rules of conduct are authoritative and unambiguous. According to the code FIFA has a special responsibility to safeguard the integrity and reputation of football worldwide and to protect the image of football and especially FIFA from jeopardy or harm as a result of immoral or unethical methods or practices. There are guidelines on fiduciary duty, conflict of interest, political neutrality, bribery, accepting and giving gifts and other benefits, commission, conduct towards government and private organisations — http// www.fifa.com. There is much more at stake than money, power, authority, ego and self -aggrandisement. The leaders of FIFA have a fiduciary responsibility to world football and FIFA—and legal as well as moral duties. If the leadership is perceived as being unethical, on what moral authority will FIFA attack issues such as bribery, match fixing, doping and illegal gambling?
Ethical behaviour, however, can only be properly evaluated with proper ethical analysis. Very often there may be more than one appropriate course of action—it is not simply a case of right and wrong or good and bad. What is the duty of the decision maker in a particular situation? What is the duty to the organisation, stakeholders, yourself and society on the whole? Someone can be unethical, and yet be trusted, popular and excellent in everything they do. On the other hand someone can be ethical, untrustworthy and mediocre. The world governing body for football has a golden opportunity in the spotlight of world media attention to lead by example and behave with ethics and integrity above all other considerations. No one wants “to teach a fish to swim” or “swap horses in mid-stream.”
However, a good reputation is not built up overnight, but it can be destroyed in a second. All things in life happen for a reason. Those who have the humility to learn from adversity can avoid being misled by emotion. Is FIFA listening to the many concerns raised about their individual and collective behaviour?
There is a Chinese saying: “Heaven and Earth will not be angry with one who will correct his faults.” Another one that comes to mind is, “arrogance costs a fortune.” FIFA’s vision needs to shift back for the greater good of the beautiful game. There are those who believe they have violated no duty and at worse may have committed an act of imprudence.
Whoever is careless with the truth cannot be trusted in important matters. In the grey area of political expediency the full truth becomes a sacrificial lamb. FIFA must self-regulate and adhere to its own ethical code of conduct. Not only Adidas and other major corporate sponsors, but global football and sport, are urging that the dilemma be clarified. The truth of the matter is that this is not only about FIFA, but also the IOC and any number of international sport federations.
Brian Lewis is the Honorary Secretary General of the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee www.ttoc.org. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the TTOC.