In Napoleon Hill's bestselling book, Think & Grow Rich, he introduces a practice called The Master Mind Group. As an executive who wants to succeed, you should regularly assemble a grouping of professionals who will help you learn, understand and grow.
They could be an attorney, an accountant, a financial planner, a marketing/pr consultant, etc. At the end of the day, you need a grouping of smart individuals who know their areas cold and can help you with any problem, situation, or opportunity that might arise. You meet with them on a quarterly basis, off-site, usually for a full day (you also pay them for their time).
Let's look at this idea through a lens to pursue a highly ethical leadership style: Can you use this Master Mind Group practice to help you maintain (or regain) your high ethical standards? Yes, you can.
Look at the makeup of the group. You need highly reputable professionals that abide by ethical standards in their respective vocations. Now we all know that there are some miscreants who buck the system ethically (we are not talking about them) — we want the best, the brightest, AND the most ethical.
Choose an attorney, accountant, or financial planner of the highest ethical standards . . . Why? Because they will steer you straight ALL THE TIME. Adopt a 'Definite Purpose' as an objective to be attained by the alliance, choosing individual members whose education, experience and influence are such as to make them of the greatest value in achieving that purpose.
There isn't any use in forming a Master Mind Alliance just to have someone to chat with. Your Master Mind will fail if you don't have a strong motive behind it, and it's up to you to plant that motive in the minds of the group members. Your allies for this group should be chosen for their ability to help you get to where you are going. Do not choose people simply because you know them and like them.
You want the hard truth — you want these members to steer you straight and give you valuable advice.
When you have established rapport, you will find that ideas will flow into the minds of each of the members and likewise into your own mind. When the Master Mind is in effect, it produces ideas that would not come to your mind alone. I have had that experience many times when sitting in on the many groups of which I am a member on a consulting basis.
But in the end, you want these professionals to keep you on the straight and narrow and to help you when you are pulled into shady territory by investors, the board, your peers, etc. You need a voice of reason to help you navigate these treacherous waters.