"The last time my integrity was put to the test was when I was working with my trainee, who I was training for a leadership position in our firm. For a month, we'd been working together to bring on an account that felt like a big deal, and I wanted to see it through to the end, even though my trainee repeatedly requested they handle the final details on their own. That was when I started asking questions. It felt like they were intentionally omitting information, and the more I asked, I started to realize there was a conflict of interest. I discovered this client had an immediate member of their family that was personally connected to the family of my trainee.

As soon as I learned this, I respectfully confront them, and asked if they were aware of this from the beginning. They confessed that they were aware of it, but felt it was a really great opportunity for the firm. When I asked them why they hadn't been honest about this from the start, they admitted that they weren't honest about it because they thought I would shoot their idea down if I knew. This presented an incredibly difficult decision for me. On one hand, I was invested in training this individual who I suddenly realized wasn't fit to lead according to our values. On the other hand, there was this client which presented a conflict of interest for me and my trainee. So, I informed my department manager of what had come to light. They handed the account over to another leader, and then we together reprimanded my trainee, who faced disciplinary measures, and was no longer a candidate for a leadership position within the firm. It was tough, disappointing, and personally a little embarrassing. But coming forward was the only option, as it was the right thing to do."