Promoting Ethical Decision-Making

85% of Professionals Face Office Politics Master these unwritten laws. Succeed ethically. Most get it wrong: ↳ They hide. ↳ They think politics means playing dirty. ↳ They ignore reality and suffer consequences. The real danger? ↳ Career stagnation. ↳ Watching less competent peers get promoted. ↳ Being excluded from critical organizational decisions. Harvard research reveals the truth: ↳ Top performers engage. ↳ They master ethical political navigation. ↳ They build relationships while maintaining integrity. Here are 9 office politics truths you can embrace to survive and thrive: 1. Be Careful Who You Complain To ↳ That "supportive" colleague can weaponize your words ↳ Even casual venting leaves permanent traces 2. Don’t Assume Silence Means Agreement ↳ People stay silent to avoid conflict, not to support you. ↳ What’s left unsaid is often more important than words. 3. Control Your Non-Verbal Cues ↳ People assess your power before you speak. ↳ Master neutral facial expressions and a calm tone. 4. Read the Room Before Speaking Up ↳ Pay attention to relationships and power dynamics. ↳ Speaking at the wrong time can create enemies. 5. Align with Decision-Makers, Not Just Your Boss ↳ Your boss isn’t always the final decision-maker. ↳ Build rapport with key gatekeepers of power. 6. Stay Close to Problem-Solvers, Not Complainers ↳ Surround yourself with solution-oriented colleagues. ↳ Being around complainers hurts your credibility. 7. Leverage the Power of Strategic Silence ↳ Sometimes, saying nothing is your greatest advantage. ↳ A well-timed pause commands authority and respect. 8. Don't Jump To Answer. Respond Thoughtfully ↳ Buy yourself time with smart questions if needed. ↳ "Great question! Can you share more context?" 9. Guard Your Reputation Relentlessly ↳ You can’t control others, but you control your actions. ↳ Counter any credibility attacks with excellence. Political intelligence isn't manipulation. It's understanding the dynamics of human behavior. That's how ethical leaders become the most influential. Which one of these have you experienced? Let me know in the comments. ♻️ Repost to protect others from career blindspots. ➕ Follow me (Meera Remani) for no-nonsense leadership truths.

Seychelles sets a global precedent for fisheries transparency In an era when opacity often clouds the management of marine resources, Seychelles, a tiny island nation in the western Indian Ocean, has cast a bright light. In February, it became the first country to achieve full compliance with the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI), an international standard aimed at improving public access to information about fisheries governance. The accomplishment is significant not only for its symbolism — that a small, resource-constrained nation can lead where larger, better-resourced countries have not — but also for its practical implications. The FiTI standard requires governments to publish key data online, from fishing access agreements and catch statistics to details on legislation and beneficial ownership. Seychelles, which has an economy built on tourism and tuna, now publishes much of this data, including previously opaque agreements with EU and Taiwanese entities. The country’s progress is not without caveats. Critics argue that while documents are now online, independent assessments of those deals remain lacking. As Pierre Failler of the University of Portsmouth told Malavika Vyawahare, “You don’t know how many boats have been fishing, and you don’t know how much fish they caught.” The latest FiTI report acknowledges this, citing a complete absence of evaluations of Seychelles’ fishing agreements. Still, the act of making these agreements public — many for the first time — marks a critical shift. “This is one step forward,” said former FiTI board member Mialy Rann Andriamahefazafy. “The next step is to mobilize the vast information available now to improve management in tangible ways.” Compliance with FiTI does not imply perfection. Rather, it signals commitment — and in a region where few countries disclose even basic terms of access agreements, Seychelles’ example could yet ripple outward. It has demonstrated that transparency is not merely a luxury of the powerful, but a choice — and a tool — for better governance. 📰 Vyawahare reports: https://lnkd.in/gmMRG_YS 📸 Photo credit: Masayuki Agawa / Ocean Image Bank

🛰️ 75% of industrial fishing vessels are invisible. Let that sink in. Most of the world's industrial fishing fleet is sailing under the radar - literally - and it’s a crisis we can no longer afford to ignore. 🌊 The ocean feeds over 3 billion people and drives the global economy, but the systems meant to oversee how we fish it are wildly outdated. With super-trawlers on the loose, hovering up to 400,000 tons of fish per day, per vessel... We need to protect our oceans. No global rule currently requires vessels to share tracking data. That’s left the seas wide open to exploitation. 📡 Enter Global Fishing Watch They’re fighting to drag one of the world’s most secretive industries into the light. And they’ve got a clear solution: a binding global vessel tracking rule. Why does it matter? 🔍 The problem: - No global rule requires vessels to carry tracking systems. - Vessels can switch them off or manipulate data to stay hidden. - Coastal nations often lack the tools or capacity to monitor what’s really happening offshore. 🛑 This lack of oversight creates the perfect storm for illegal and unregulated fishing. The fix is simple and powerful: make tracking public and mandatory. 🎯 With universal tracking: ✅ Authorities can focus on enforcement, not detective work. ✅ Operators prove compliance, rather than authorities trying to expose wrongdoing. ✅ We shift the burden from the overwhelmed to the accountable. It’s a game-changer. And Global Fishing Watch is rallying governments, especially at the upcoming "Our Ocean Conference" in Busan, to back this vision. So what’s the holdup? 🔐 The secrecy culture Fishing has long been guarded. Fear of losing fishing grounds, competition, and decades of “that’s just how it’s done” have left officials and operators reluctant to embrace transparency. But the world has changed. 🛰️ Satellite tech is affordable. 🌐 Data is accessible. ⚖️ Fairness is non-negotiable. How do we move forward? 🌍 Global Fishing Watch is: - Supporting countries to implement tracking tools tailored to their capacity. - Advocating for public vessel tracking through the FAO and global forums. - Offering open-access tools and technical support to nations that need it. 💡 Even a basic public tracking system can give poorer nations a fighting chance to protect their waters and enforce sustainable fishing. No more ghost ships. No more blind spots. It’s time for a new era of ocean accountability. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eKRiHDtG.

Navigating workplace politics can be challenging, but there are strategies for avoiding entanglements and maintaining a neutral stance. Here are some practical tips to maintain peace and support your development as a neutral and impartial leader. 1. Focus on Your Work Prioritize Productivity: Concentrate on your tasks and responsibilities. High performance can speak louder than political manoeuvring. Set Clear Goals: Keep your professional goals in mind, and let them guide your actions and decisions. 2. Maintain Professionalism Stay Objective: Make decisions based on facts and data rather than personal opinions or alliances. Avoid Gossip: Refrain from engaging in or spreading workplace gossip. It's a primary source of political tension. Be Fair and Consistent: Treat all colleagues with the same level of respect and fairness, regardless of their position or personal feelings toward them. 3. Build Positive Relationships Network Broadly: Build relationships across different departments and levels within the organization. This reduces the appearance of favouritism and broadens your support network. Show Respect: Respect diverse perspectives and avoid taking sides in conflicts or disputes. Communicate Clearly: Be clear and transparent in your communications to avoid misunderstandings and misinterpretations. 4. Develop Emotional Intelligence Stay Calm. Control your emotions, especially in tense situations. This will help you remain neutral and rational. Listen Actively: Pay attention to others' viewpoints without immediately reacting. This demonstrates respect and can de-escalate potential conflicts. Empathy: Understand the emotions and motivations of others, which can help you navigate political situations with sensitivity. 5. Focus on Solutions Be Solution-Oriented: When conflicts arise, focus on finding solutions rather than assigning blame. This approach can help diffuse political tension. Collaborate: Encourage teamwork and collaboration to achieve common goals. This helps shift the focus from individual agendas to collective success. 6. Know When to Step Back Choose Your Battles: Not every issue is worth your time or energy. Focus on what matters most to your role and the organization's goals. Seek Guidance: If you're unsure how to handle a politically charged situation, seek advice from a trusted mentor or HR professional. 7. Protect Your Integrity Stand by Your Principles: Uphold your values and ethical standards, even if it means distancing yourself from certain situations or individuals. Be Transparent: Honesty and transparency in your actions and communications help build trust and minimize misunderstandings. #corporate #behaviours #politics #teams #oneteam #supportive

What is the true role of a Tax Consultant? It's more complex than just saving taxes—it's about societal contribution A young team member Ahmad Husain recently asked me this exact, highly pertinent question. Today, clients need us for two things: tax optimization and aggressively defending against tax demands raised by authorities on contentious matters. His question took me back to 1997, to my early days in tax practice. I remember my mentor Aquib Hussain asking me how I approached a show-cause notice. My answer, delivered with youthful pride: Assume it's wrong and counter it with every argument possible. He smiled and shared the philosophy that has guided my career for nearly three decades, reminding me that the consultant's core duty extends beyond the client: The Ethical Framework: Duty to Client and System 1. Duty to the System: Our obligation extends to the State and the tax system itself. Tax revenue, collected ethically and lawfully, is the engine of public service. 2. Objective Review: We must first evaluate the tax authority’s contention objectively, based purely on the facts and the letter of the law based on judicial pronouncements. 3. Ethical Advising: If the tax is legitimately due, we must advise the client to pay. Never over-commit to a position that lacks legal grounding. 4. Lawful Optimization: Our value lies in finding lawful and inherently defensible structures and interpretations. Our job is to identify the most tax-efficient route that is also compliant and based on plausible interpretation of legal provisions. The Deeper Reflection: Finding Purpose in Tax Law This enduring emphasis on integrity leads to a deeper question of professional purpose. When we choose a career, we seek a meaningful contribution. I am often reminded of Karl Marx’s advice from his essay of 1835: Reflections of a Young Man on the Choice of a Profession (https://lnkd.in/eQZ6cssF). Two lessons define the high calling of this field: 1. On Perfection and Welfare: He asserts that the chief guide must be the "welfare of mankind and our own perfection," achievable only by "working for the perfection, for the good, of his fellow men." 2. On Independence and Worth: He also stresses that professional "worth can be assured only by a profession in which we are not servile tools, but in which we act independently in our own sphere." In tax consulting, our independence and ethical judgment are not just professional requirements—they are our way of meeting this philosophical ideal. By ensuring compliance and upholding the integrity of the tax base, we serve both the client and the public good. The ultimate lesson: Integrity is the greatest asset of a tax professional. The best advice is not just profitable—it is ethical, defensible, and delivered with the confidence that it serves the principles of law and society. #TaxConsulting #LeadershipLessons #SocietalContribution #TaxLaw #MentorshipMatters

✴ AI Governance Blueprint via ISO Standards – The 4-Legged Stool✴ ➡ ISO42001: The Foundation for Responsible AI #ISO42001 is dedicated to AI governance, guiding organizations in managing AI-specific risks like bias, transparency, and accountability. Focus areas include: ✅Risk Management: Defines processes for identifying and mitigating AI risks, ensuring systems are fair, robust, and ethically aligned. ✅Ethics and Transparency: Promotes policies that encourage transparency in AI operations, data usage, and decision-making. ✅Continuous Monitoring: Emphasizes ongoing improvement, adapting AI practices to address new risks and regulatory updates. ➡#ISO27001: Securing the Data Backbone AI relies heavily on data, making ISO27001’s information security framework essential. It protects data integrity through: ✅Data Confidentiality and Integrity: Ensures data protection, crucial for trustworthy AI operations. ✅Security Risk Management: Provides a systematic approach to managing security risks and preparing for potential breaches. ✅Business Continuity: Offers guidelines for incident response, ensuring AI systems remain reliable. ➡ISO27701: Privacy Assurance in AI #ISO27701 builds on ISO27001, adding a layer of privacy controls to protect personally identifiable information (PII) that AI systems may process. Key areas include: ✅Privacy Governance: Ensures AI systems handle PII responsibly, in compliance with privacy laws like GDPR. ✅Data Minimization and Protection: Establishes guidelines for minimizing PII exposure and enhancing privacy through data protection measures. ✅Transparency in Data Processing: Promotes clear communication about data collection, use, and consent, building trust in AI-driven services. ➡ISO37301: Building a Culture of Compliance #ISO37301 cultivates a compliance-focused culture, supporting AI’s ethical and legal responsibilities. Contributions include: ✅Compliance Obligations: Helps organizations meet current and future regulatory standards for AI. ✅Transparency and Accountability: Reinforces transparent reporting and adherence to ethical standards, building stakeholder trust. ✅Compliance Risk Assessment: Identifies legal or reputational risks AI systems might pose, enabling proactive mitigation. ➡Why This Quartet? Combining these standards establishes a comprehensive compliance framework: 🥇1. Unified Risk and Privacy Management: Integrates AI-specific risk (ISO42001), data security (ISO27001), and privacy (ISO27701) with compliance (ISO37301), creating a holistic approach to risk mitigation. 🥈 2. Cross-Functional Alignment: Encourages collaboration across AI, IT, and compliance teams, fostering a unified response to AI risks and privacy concerns. 🥉 3. Continuous Improvement: ISO42001’s ongoing improvement cycle, supported by ISO27001’s security measures, ISO27701’s privacy protocols, and ISO37301’s compliance adaptability, ensures the framework remains resilient and adaptable to emerging challenges.

Today marks a historic milestone for ocean sustainability and multilateral cooperation: the WTO Fisheries Subsidies Agreement has officially entered into force. I am incredibly heartened to see this moment arrive. WWF has championed this for decades - advocating alongside partners for a global framework that mobilizes governments to reform fisheries subsidies programs and build capacity to redirect harmful subsidies toward sustainable fisheries, benefiting coastal communities and the ocean more broadly. This agreement is a major step forward. It begins to correct a system that has, for too long, rewarded overfishing and destructive practices. Every year, an estimated US$22 billion in harmful fisheries subsidies undermine coastal communities and threaten the future of the very industry they aim to support. Already, one-third of assessed fish stocks are being fished beyond sustainable levels. This new global framework is key to achieving the 2030 Agenda, including SDG 14.6, and delivering Target 18 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to eliminate or reform harmful subsidies. It prohibits subsidies where they are most damaging: when illegal fishing has been determined; when fish stocks are overfished and no recovery measures are in place; or when fishing targets unregulated stocks on the high seas. It also lays the groundwork for greater transparency in fisheries and subsidies related data and accountability. But this is just the beginning. To truly deliver on its promise, we now need: - Swift ratification by all remaining WTO members - Effective implementation at WTO, regional and national level  - Strategic use of the WTO Fish Fund to support developing and least developed countries - Continued negotiations to close remaining gaps related to rules on overcapacity and overfishing This agreement is a crucial milestone toward a future where fisheries are managed equitably, fish stocks are rebuilt, and ocean resilience is restored. And with the tremendous progress on ratifications of the High Seas Treaty - paving the way for its entry into force - we’re seeing a powerful signal: the ocean remains a force for multilateral collaboration and global progress. I believe deeply in the power of collective action. Now is the time to turn promises into measurable progress - and hold ourselves accountable to deliver the commitments our ocean and planet so urgently need.

🌍 INATBA’s DeFi Self-Regulation. Decentralized Finance (DeFi) is one of the most groundbreaking financial innovations of the century. 🔥Regulators yet to establish clear guidelines, the question arises: Can the industry self-regulate to ensure security and growth while maintaining decentralization ? #INATBA’s Finance Working Group produced a report, which proposes a structured approach to DeFi self-regulation, offering best practices designed to mitigate risks and foster trust without compromising innovation. 🎯 To prevent common pitfalls and establish a sustainable financial ecosystem, the report highlights 5 key areas where self-regulation can enhance security and compliance ... 1. Real-Time Financial Reporting DeFi protocols should implement transparent, automated dashboards to track liquidity, collateral levels, and risk exposure in real time—ensuring financial resilience without external oversight.   2. Smart Contract Security Standards Strict audit requirements and on-chain fail-safe mechanisms should be adopted to prevent exploits, front-running, and liquidity attacks.   3. Decentralized & Transparent Governance Governance models must prevent excessive insider control by distributing decision-making power fairly, ensuring no single entity can compromise security.   4. KYC/AML Compliance at Key Intermediary Layers Rather than imposing #KYC on decentralized protocols, self-regulation should focus on centralized intermediaries like fiat on/off-ramps, maintaining financial privacy while preventing illicit activities.   5. Open-Source & Permissionless Innovation Protocols adhering to self-regulatory standards should gain preferential access to integrations, promoting trustless and verifiable financial tools as industry norms. 🚀 Bottomline - By implementing these principles, #DeFi can build confidence among institutional and retail users, prevent fraud and technical vulnerabilities before they occur, ensure sustainable decentralized financial innovation, and help legislators construct a sound, sensible, and affordable regulatory framework. A proactive, industry-driven approach allows DeFi to evolve responsibly while maintaining its core values of decentralization and accessibility

🌍 Sustainability and Earth-Friendly Practices in Hospitality – A Climate-Conscious Approach Hospitality has always been about creating memorable experiences. Today, it also carries the responsibility of safeguarding the planet while doing so. As climate change continues to impact our world, guests, employees, and communities alike expect hotels to operate with a deeper sense of responsibility. A climate-conscious approach is no longer optional—it’s integral to long-term success. Forward-thinking hotels are embedding sustainability into their culture and operations, not just as compliance or branding, but as a way of redefining hospitality. 🔑 Key Earth-Friendly Practices in Hotels: • Energy Efficiency: Smart building designs, renewable energy, and AI-driven systems to reduce carbon footprint. • Water Stewardship: Rainwater harvesting, greywater recycling, and low-flow fixtures to preserve this precious resource. • Responsible Sourcing: Farm-to-table dining, local produce, and suppliers who follow ethical, sustainable practices. • Waste Reduction: Phasing out single-use plastics, composting food waste, and innovative recycling programs. • Community Engagement: Partnering with local artisans, eco-tourism initiatives, and supporting biodiversity projects. • Guest Involvement: Encouraging mindful choices—like linen reuse programs, EV charging stations, and green stay packages. This is not just about “going green.” It’s about building a resilient, future-ready hospitality industry that respects people, profits, and the planet equally. Guests of tomorrow will choose brands that align with their values, and sustainability will be a key differentiator. ✨ Hospitality has the power to inspire change. By embracing climate-conscious practices, we can offer not only exceptional service but also a meaningful contribution to a healthier planet. #SustainableHospitality #ClimateConscious #GreenHospitality #ResponsibleTourism #EcoFriendlyTravel #HospitalityForFuture #PeoplePlanetProfit

🌍Released: The Digital Statecraft Manifesto v1.0. 👉 We are living through a decisive turning point in governance. Algorithms, AI, and planetary-scale digital systems are not just tools—they are shaping how decisions are made, often faster than laws or institutions can respond. 👉 The Digital Statecraft Manifesto v1.0: The Art, Science, and Practice of Governance in the Algorithmic Age lays out a vision for reimagining governance in this new era. 👉 It sets out 10 guiding principles to ensure that technology advances democracy, equity, and public trust, rather than undermining them. ✍️ Co-authored with Zeynep Engin, PhD, Data for Policy CIC, UCL David Hand, Imperial College London, Data for Policy CIC, Validate AI Emily Gardner, Data for Policy CIC, UCL Jon Crowcroft, University of Cambridge, The Alan Turing Institute, Data for Policy CIC Philip Treleaven, University College London (UCL) Tim Gordon, Best Practice AI,  The Age of Intelligence Podcast 💻 Published by the Digital Statecraft Academy (DSA), an initiative by Data for Policy CIC ⚖️ Why it matters: Without new forms of leadership, we risk a future of: ✅Technocratic Leviathans (centralized algorithmic bureaucracy), or ✅Platform Sovereignties (private platforms replacing public authority). ➡️ But there is another path: Resilient Public Futures—where adaptive, ethical, and human-centred institutions harness technology to serve society at scale. ✨ Key aspects of the Manifesto: ✅ Defines Digital Statecraft as the art (vision & ethics), science (technology & methods), and practice (execution & impact) of governing in the algorithmic age. ✅ Outlines 10 principles for ethical and adaptive governance, from preserving human agency and democratic oversight, to embedding values into AI systems, to advancing international cooperation. ✅ Calls for leadership above all: the leaders of tomorrow must govern technology and govern with technology. 📖 Read the full manifesto here: https://lnkd.in/et5EFmWP 🌐 Learn more: digitalstatecraft.academy ✍️ Share your feedback: https://lnkd.in/ezS8S4xf