Think twice about accepting a job with an organization headed by a renowned industry captain, a technological wunderkind or a visionary philanthropist, warns an expert who’s studied the downside of charismatic leadership. Business icons become more susceptible to disastrous ethical lapses as their workplace fame spreads, says Marianne Jennings, J.D., a professor of legal and ethical studies at the W. P. Carey School of Business. When the gurus crash and burn, the careers of those around them falter, too.

For Marianne Jennings, a healthy market economy depends on four pillars — business, investors, government and customers. Each relies on the others in a symbiotic relationship that leads to mutual benefit and smooth operations. But when ethical lines are crossed, even in just one of the four areas, everyone is at risk. "If one of these [four groups] falls, the system falls," said Jennings, a professor of legal and ethical studies at the W. P. Carey School of Business, during a recent speech in Mexico City.

In an early morning speech recently, attorney Mark Belnick recounted his career as a litigator at a powerful New York firm, and the events that made him a defendant in one of the Tyco corruption cases. Acquitted on criminal charges, Belnick served his message like a cup of black coffee to the W. P. Carey MBA — Executive Program students in the audience: cutting corners ethically leaves you with no place to stand when things go wrong.

Strict new ethics rules governing lobbying interactions with members of Congress make it more crucial than ever for businesses to diversify their influence-building strategies. The W. P. Carey School’s management Professor Gerry Keim, who studies the relationships between business and government, says companies need to develop grassroots advocacy networks among employees.