Wired on Wall Street: Tom Hardin’s Journey from Insider Trading to Ethical Leadership
About this episode
Tom Hardin shares his journey from insider trading to ethical leadership, exploring the subtle pressures that lead to moral drift.
In this raw episode of Do Good to Lead Well, I welcome Tom Hardin, whose journey from Wall Street hedge fund analyst to one of the FBI’s most prolific informants is a powerful examination of what drives good people to cross ethical lines. Despite the widespread belief that corruption comes from major events, Tom outlines the subtle drift and rationalizations that can turn ambition into poor decisions. Tom makes a compelling case that most people are far more vulnerable to contextual pressures than they would care to admit. In fact, he argues that the more confident we are in our belief that we are incorruptible, the more likely we are to make an ethical misstep. Through honest storytelling, the episode urges us to move beyond blaming or distancing ourselves, challenging us to ask better questions, reflect on our own values, and foster workplaces where psychological safety and true accountability can thrive. For anyone seeking a deeply personal and vulnerable understanding of ethics, culture, and resilience, this conversation delivers practical tools for self-reflection, leadership, and building lasting trust. These heartfelt lessons matter at every level of business and life…
More episodes of Do Good To Lead Well with Craig Dowden
- Embracing Authenticity at Work with Chief Heart Officer and Bestselling Author, Claude Silver
- Unlocking Unforgettable Presence and Influence with Bestselling Author, Lorraine K. Lee
- From Playing It Safe to Crushing It: Dianna Fioravanti on Flipping the Switch in Leadership and in Life
- Creating Positive Impact While Leading Through Change and Uncertainty – A Conversation with Laura Paglia, CEO of the Canadian Forum for Financial Markets
- Fixing Fairness: Building Workplaces That Work for Everyone with Lily Zheng
- Building Emotionally Intelligent Teams with Vanessa Druskat
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Do Good To Lead Well with Craig Dowden podcast page.