Ian Paul stated that FIFA correctly stripped Hamman of his executive committee position but should have also stripped Qatar of its right to host the World Cup.  Since organized sports involves billions of dollars, there will always be corruption and undue influences.  To change this unethical behavior, we need more than policing and punishment.  We need a cultural shift.  Business and organizational leaders need to set the tone and be the example.  However, since everyone makes mistakes, organizations need to develop policies to foster better behavior.

Whether Hamman purposely or inadvertently used his position to benefit Qatar is unknown.  If FIFA is serious about cleaning up its image by eliminating undue influences and ensuring a fair and ethical process, it needs to develop a policy of transparency and guidelines in conflict of interest.  The fact that Hamman was on the executive committee of FIFA gives him access to certain information that could be used to Qatar’s advantage.  This is obviously a conflict of interest.  Policies should be set up to prevent individuals with access to privy information from participating in the bidding process.  Furthermore, if rules on transparency were in place, all parties involved can assess and determine if other dealings have an undue influence on their decisions.  These policies will foster better leaders for tomorrow.