The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2015

92 July-August 2015 | the foreign Service journal Colin Powell righted the longstanding wrong by presenting Bingham’s family with a “Special Posthumous Award for Constructive Dissent” for Hiram Bingham IV at the AFSA Awards Ceremony in June. Newell credits the department and AFSA for their support of constructive dissent. While To Serve with Honor is worth reading for the cases it presents, it is most useful in offering practical ways in which individuals and organizations can improve ethical conduct. For example, Chapter 7 is devoted to how an organiza- tion can create a positive ethos. In it, the author provides guidelines for those who lead by example: • Take ethical issues seriously. • Speak to employees about ethical guidelines. • Discuss ethical dilemmas with employees when the organization or team is facing a tough decision. • Clearly express expectations con- cerning ethical behavior. • Model ethical behavior in personal actions and decisions. • Send consistent messages about the importance of behaving ethically. In short, Newell makes the case for personal and organizational ethical con- duct in government. Through examples, illustrations and practical guidance he equips the reader with the wherewithal to do an ever-better job of making ethical decisions and creating an enduring ethi- cal environment. Without these things, government will not succeed. This book generated in me a pride in service that I all too often take for granted. I recommend it without reser- vation. n Retired FSO Robert Dry is the interim chair of AFSA’s Committee on the Foreign Service Profession and Ethics. Newell succeeds by highlighting real-world examples. From the first page, he introduces the reader to the consequences of failed or faulty governmental action.