With a presentation about business ethics, do you think of memorization, heavy lecturing, and little feedback? Many people do, but there is one person on a mission to change all that. Someone with a gift for public speaking allows future business leaders to instill actionable change in their business behavior and the behavior of those around them.
The issue of ethics has become increasingly important to companies the world over. We spoke to award-winning trainer, author, and consultant, Frank Bucaro. This article covers his journey to being amongst the most sought-after speakers on the subject. In a few weeks, you can also catch Frank Bucaro live in action at his virtual event series ‘Trust Me! Insights into Ethical Leadership’.
When you speak to Frank, you soon realize that he has the ability to convey knowledge beyond the legal necessities of Ethics and Compliance Law. He knows that sound ethics are fundamentally built on trust and his unique knowledge is now considered required reading. His perspective strikes at the “heart” of gaining career success and is highly effective at building better business and personal relationships that last a lifetime.
That ‘Aha’ Moment
With a quick search, you can find any number of books, podcasts, and YouTube videos devoted to identifying someone’s true ‘Aha’ moment. But if you ask Frank Bucaro about his epiphany-like experience, he’ll tell you it didn’t happen quite that fast. Instead, it took years of teaching others and the right mentors to reach the success he craved, first with blogs and speaking engagements, then through books and virtual events.
Frank Bucaro’s moment came after honing his public speaking skills by teaching Moral Theology, Intro to Ethics, and Contemporary Moral Issues in high school and community colleges. The 16 years spent in front of eager students paved the way to more decisive career decisions and ultimately being presented with the Council of Peers Award of Excellence (CPAE) from the National Speakers Association. Not only does the award have a Hall of Fame designation, but it is also so exclusive that only 250 speakers around the world have this honor.
How Frank Created his Niche as a Professional Speaker and Motivator
Businesses are taking a long hard look at their HR policies, code of conduct, and mission statements to actively promote inclusivity, diversity, and sustainability. These are all topics in ethics that have been gaining more attention, and not necessarily in a positive way. But times are changing and this area has become the perfect segue for professional speakers in ethics, like Frank Bucaro, to grow and nurture their true selves.
“I decided to market the topic and that’s what got me in zillions of different industries. I became known as kind of the ethics guy who could adapt to different industries. A lot of speakers that I know, they’re in insurance… banking… manufacturing. I didn’t have any of that background. I thought, “I’ve got to start from scratch here”.
~Frank Bucaro
Facing the challenge of moving from the academic to the corporate world, rather than focusing on one exclusive industry, Frank chose to concentrate on his niche topic of ethics in business and professional development. He felt it was better to build on ethics, a subject he was already a skilled expert in, rather than learn a whole new field. This was partly out of practical necessity – customizing his professional speaking and consulting programs to each company’s needs and industry, was certainly more practical than retraining for a new role.
Mentored by professional speakers Frank admired, he got his big break when asked to speak at the Million Dollar Round Table to an audience of 5000 insurance and finance professionals from more than 500 companies. This opportunity opened doors to the insurance industry and he worked with different insurance companies for the next ten years. Later, the banking industry showed interest in Frank’s consultancy, leading to speaking engagements with healthcare, manufacturing, and real estate companies.
Trust is Central to the Success of Any Relationship
Frank Bucaro sees his engagements and virtual events as an art, crafted over years of insightful speaking to audiences all over the United States and around the globe. Attendees speak of him as a genuine crowd-pleaser who engages with as many individual participants as possible. He makes them laugh, disarms those who expect lectures and creates a natural, effortless bond with his audience. Once they are at ease, his message resonates to meet the needs of everyone. A message that is relatable and actionable once the presentation is over. There’s a magic to Frank’s message that allows for the invention of new ideas and accelerates inspiration.
One major factor for repeat referrals is Frank’s ability to garner trust. He believes trust touches the foundation of all industries and relationships, both personal and professional. Frank explains, in his humorous and no-nonsense way, how to encourage and gain trust from employees, business partners, and clients.
The Partnership between Ethics and Compliance
The story behind Frank’s success as a speaker is his ability to put a fresh perspective on the partnership between compliance and ethics. As an expert in ethics, he can help with many of the pressing issues facing overburdened compliance officers. Managing risks, reporting compliance metrics, and working with federal and state regulators gives them little time for ethics training. Sometimes, federal or state laws intersect with ethics, and Frank’s unique ability to partner with compliance officers allows for a united approach to employee and executive training.
With his singular insights, current case studies, and research, Frank presents tools, tips, and real-world analogies that executive leaders can bring to their careers. In turn, participants use these techniques and principles throughout the company. It’s like skimming stones across a pond where the ripples of water reach every shoreline, impacting everyone involved with the company and clients alike.
Building reputations by being consistent across all teams and departments shows what a company stands for and how all employees should express it in their behavior. According to Frank, there also needs to be ongoing communication amongst all employees about what a company values most.
“You do that and you’ll do fine with your people. They’ll be empowered, you’ll get their cooperation. They’ll be continually trained, and updated about how you make your decisions. And you become a team rather than ‘us’ and ‘them’.”
~Frank Bucaro
Practical Advice That is Useful in Today’s World
As a speaker and consultant, Frank’s audience can be mid-level management up to the C-suite or a board of directors. Testimonials from prestigious participants reveal the impact his speaking has had on their careers and their company’s reputation. Clients tell him that they’ve implemented new programs based on what they’ve learned in his sessions, or how they moved their business or department in a different and positive direction. Frank can’t imagine a greater compliment.
Frank thinks of himself as a catalyst; he passes on his knowledge in a relatable way, and regardless of the industry, makes it relevant to their life experiences, careers, and relationships. His knowledge resonates with his audience to the point that they apply his techniques immediately to realize fantastic results.
After his session, Frank’s participants fully understand the meaning and importance of ethics; it’s about making tough decisions that lead to greater payouts. While unethical decisions may seem like the right move with a payout upfront, 99% of the time the consequences mean bad reputations and legal ramifications.
As a consultant, Frank teaches how to manage and make the right choices in the role an employee has embraced. Just as importantly, he also teaches how to relate to co-workers, subordinates, leaders, managers, and CEOs. He imparts techniques and knowledge surrounding ethical behavior knowing it takes a team to make it truly part of a company’s core mission and value statement.
With Frank Bucaro, business leaders learn the tools and techniques to align their company’s mission with their employee’s interests and reputation. With his practical knowledge of ethics, participants are given the tools to empower their employees to always strive to do the right thing, at the right time, and for the right reasons.
You can meet Frank by signing up for his virtual event series this May.
Trust Me! Insights into Ethical Leadership.
With 35 years of experience in ethics and as a keynote speaker, Frank Bucaro is a published author with titles such as The Trust Puzzle: How to Keep your Company on the Ethical High Road and Trust Me! Insights into Ethical Leadership.