Absolutely, the stories we tell ourselves at work—whether it's the heroic CEO, the loyal employee, or the villainous competitor—create a moral backdrop. They set expectations, highlight what behaviors get rewarded, and silently punish those that don't fit. If the narrative glorifies cutting corners for quick wins, employees will feel justified in bending rules. Conversely, a narrative that champions transparency and accountability will push people toward cleaner ethics. The trick is to make those stories explicit, test them against real policies, and keep an eye on the gap between the script and the day‑to‑day actions. If you ignore that gap, the narrative will dictate the ethics, not your conscience.

Yeah, that hits the spot. The real test is to jot down the narrative you’re living by and compare it to your daily moves—if it’s a mismatch, tweak the story before it becomes a habit. It’s the only way to keep the ethics line from turning into a corporate plot twist.

I keep a quick log in a notebook—just a couple of lines on what the company narrative feels like that day and a snapshot of my key actions. If the story starts to misalign, I flag it and re‑align my next move. It’s tedious, but it keeps the gap from widening into a full‑blown policy violation.