Navigate ethical dilemmas with confidence by mastering three key mindsets that empower you to identify professional threats and speak up with confidence.
Ethical dilemmas rarely announce themselves clearly. In today’s complex professional environment, accountants are often called to act in moments of ambiguity — when competing pressures, relationships, and organizational realities can blur the path forward. Navigating these situations requires more than knowledge of the rules; it requires the confidence and capability to speak up when it matters most.
In Ethics: Three Speak-Up Mindsets, professional accountant and executive coach Anna Stuart guides CPAs beyond theory into practical application, helping bridge the critical gap between knowing the right thing to do and actually doing it.
The course begins by grounding participants in the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) Code, revisiting the five fundamental principles of ethical behavior: integrity, objectivity, professional competence and due care, confidentiality, and professional behavior. From this foundation, the learning quickly moves into the realities of practice — examining the threats that accountants encounter every day. Through realistic case studies, you will explore how self-interest, self-review, advocacy, familiarity, and intimidation can subtly — and sometimes powerfully — compromise professional judgment.
But awareness alone is not enough.
This course provides a clear, practical framework for ethical decision-making when the stakes are high. You will learn how to evaluate facts objectively, identify affected stakeholders, and determine a defensible course of action grounded in professional standards.
At the heart of the program are three powerful speak-up mindsets — designed to help you move from hesitation to action. You will leave with concrete strategies to communicate concerns effectively, uphold your professional obligations, and contribute to a culture of integrity within your organization.
Because ethics is not tested when it is easy — it is proven when it is difficult.
FCPA, FCMC, ACC
With more than 25 years of experience advising and coaching organizations and leaders in complex contexts, I have established a strong reputation for helping organizations and individuals to realize their goals. I have designed, delivered and facilitated hundreds of presentations and group meetings. As co-owner of an executive search and HR consulting firm, I led and managed the firm’s growth and national expansion. I’ve been a consulting partner and principal with two large public accounting and consulting firms and have held senior finance leadership roles in the public sector and in a global not-for-profit organization. I have taught at the university undergraduate and high school continuing education levels. I am a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants, a Certified Executive Coach and Associate Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation, a Fellow Certified Management Consultant, and have a Master of Business Administration Degree. I am certified to interpret Gallup Clifton Strengths assessments, the Hogan Assessment, and the Management Research Group LEA Self-Assessment and LEA 360 Assessment.
This portal is provided as a training and development resource for City of Markham employees. Every course is delivered by a qualified subject matter expert or learning organization, is quantifiable in hours, and is verifiable — you receive a documented certificate of completion for every course you finish, stored on LearnFormula indefinitely.
If you hold a professional designation (for example in engineering, accounting, human resources, or law), courses may be counted as professionally relevant, verifiable learning activities toward your continuing professional development. Individual practitioners are responsible for confirming that an activity meets the requirements of their professional body. For questions about the City of Markham's training and development policies, please speak with your people leader or Human Resources.
