As business leaders, we often separate our personal lives from our professional lives. We assume mistakes, character flaws, or even ethical compromises can stay “contained” in one sphere. But the truth is far more challenging and far more enlightening.
In this week’s episode of Ms Biz, we explored a question posed over 2,700 years ago in Hosea 8:5:
“How long will they be incapable of innocence?”
The Prophet Hosea was observing a nation that had compromised so much that purity seemed impossible. Fast forward to today, and we find ourselves asking the same question; not about a distant nation, but about our businesses, our leadership, and ourselves.
What Does Innocence Really Mean?
It’s easy to think of innocence as naivety. But true innocence is something much deeper: purity of motive. It’s acting with transparency, humility, and truth, even when no one is watching.
Why does this matter in business? Because corruption doesn’t just live in large corporations or headlines. Small compromises, selfish decisions, and shortcuts in leadership inevitably ripple outward, affecting employees, clients, and ultimately, your bottom line.
Real-Life Lessons From Leadership Failures
Consider some of the most well-known corporate scandals:
- Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos: exaggerating claims and falsifying technology led to a $9 billion collapse and a 15-year prison sentence.
- Wells Fargo: employees created millions of fake accounts under pressure from unrealistic leadership, costing the company $3 billion and trust that could never be fully restored.
- Volkswagen’s Dieselgate: cheating emissions tests cost billions in fines and irreparably damaged brand credibility.
Even smaller-scale ethical failures matter. In Florida in 2025 alone, multiple attorneys were disciplined, suspended, or disbarred for misusing client funds or acting dishonestly. These cases are reminders that personal sin always finds its way into professional life, regardless of company size or position.
Why We Keep Falling Into the Same Traps
Statistics tell a compelling story:
- 30% of employees report being pressured to compromise ethics at work.
- Over $25 billion in corporate fines were issued globally in 2023 for fraud, corruption, and environmental misconduct.
- 70% of workers have lost trust in corporate leadership due to ethical failures.
The pattern is clear: pride, greed, deceit, and selfishness are not just personal problems — they are systemic risks for any business.
Returning to Innocence
So how do we restore what’s been lost? Scripture points the way:
“Until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high… then justice will dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness abide in the fruitful field. The effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness, and trust forever.” — Isaiah 32:15-18
Restoring innocence requires intentionality:
- Prioritize God daily – Make Him the CEO of your life and business. Start each day with prayer, worship, and reflection.
- Confess and repent – Acknowledge areas where pride, greed, or deceit have crept in. Stop excusing unethical behavior.
- Invite accountability – Find a partner or group to check in with weekly, holding each other responsible for growth and integrity.
- Commit your work to God – Pray over your business, staff, and clients. Let your work reflect God’s character, not just ambition.
Why This Matters for Your Business
Ethics and integrity are not optional add-ons; they are foundational to sustainable growth. When you lead with pure motives, your team trusts you, clients stay loyal, and your business thrives — spiritually, personally, and professionally.
In a world where shortcuts and compromise are celebrated, staying innocent in motive is countercultural, but it’s also the path to lasting success.
Takeaway Challenge:
- Conduct a personal audit: Where have you traded integrity for convenience?
- Conduct a professional audit: Are there systems or habits in your business that dishonor God?
- Schedule daily time with God: Make spiritual renewal a priority, not a ritual.
- Identify your accountability partner(s): Check in weekly to share progress, struggles, and growth.
When you recommit daily to living and leading with integrity, you’ll find that the solution to Hosea’s question has always been the same: innocence, restored by the Spirit, transforms not just hearts, but businesses.
For guidance, coaching, or to continue the conversation, visit MsBiz.com/coaching and join our community.
Because real growth starts from within and when you lead with integrity, your business thrives too.