Ethical Leadership and Followership Chapter 11. “When morality comes up against profit, it is seldom that profit loses.” –Shirley Chisholm.

Ethical Leadership and Followership

Chapter 11

“When morality comes up against profit, it is seldom that profit loses.”

– Shirley Chisholm

Ethics

• Refer to standards of moral conduct, to judgments about whether human behavior is right or wrong

Ethical Challenges

• Challenge of Deceit• Challenge of Responsibility• Challenge of Power• Challenge of Privilege• Challenge of Loyalty• Challenge of Consistency

Challenge of Deceit

• Lies – messages designed to make others believe what we ourselves do not believe

• Leaders practice deception

• When to reveal information

• How leaders get information

Challenge of Deceit• Lie, particularly for selfish ends• Use information solely for personal benefit• Deny having knowledge that is in their possession• Gather data in a way that violates privacy rights• Withhold information that followers legitimately need• Share information with the wrong people• Put followers in moral binds by insisting that they

withhold information that others have a right to know

Challenge of Responsibility• Leaders set the tone• Most have ethics officers, policies and procedures

concerning ethics• Responsible leaders:

– Acknowledge and try to correct problems– Admit that they have duties to follow– Take responsibility for consequences of their orders and

actions– Take reasonable steps to prevent crimes and other

abuses by followers– Hold themselves to the same standards as their followers

Challenge of Power

• Leaders decide on power usage

• Is it ever appropriate for a leader to insist that a follower behave in a way that he or she finds unacceptable?

Challenge of Privilege

• Leadership positions are associated with social and material rewards

• CEO compensation/golden parachutes

Challenge of Loyalty

• Leaders owe loyalty to many different groups

• May have some conflict between the groups

• Selfish concerns vs needs of others

Challenge of Consistency

• Leadership behavior varies

• Act fairly and equitable

Components of Ethical Behavior Model• Moral sensitivity

• Moral judgment

• Moral motivation

• Moral action

Moral Sensitivity

• Recognizing that our behavior impacts others

• Identifying possible courses of action

• Determining the consequences of each possible strategy

Moral Judgment

• Deciding which course of action identified in the first component is the right one to follow

Moral Motivation

• The desire to do the right thing

• Ethical behavior occurs when values take precedence over other considerations

Moral Action

• Implementation stage of the model

• Obstacles

Ethical Behavior Model

• May not occur in order

• Ethical failure

• Can increase our ethical competence– education

Ethical Perspectives

• Kant’s Categorical Imperative

• Utilitarianism

• Virtue Ethics

• Communitarianism

• Leaders as Servants

Kant’s Categorical Imperative• Categorical- without exception

• Individuals ought to do right regardless of the consequences

• Standard – “Would we want everybody to make the same decision we did?

Utilitarianism• Ethical choices should be based on their

consequences• Best decisions

– Generate the most benefits as compared to their disadvantages

– Benefit the greatest good for the greatest number of people

• Leaders weigh outcomes• Identifying and evaluating consequences can be

difficult• Different leaders may reach different conclusions even

when facing the same dilemma

Virtue Ethics• Highlights the role of the person or actor in ethical

decision making• Ideal leader definition

– Seek to develop a description of the ideal person– Identify the character of this ethical prototype

• Virtues of the ethical leader– Deep-rooted dispositions, habits, skills or traits of

character that incline persons to perceive, feel and act in ethically right and sensitive ways

• Development of high moral character– Virtues are acquired through observation and imitation– Story telling to illustrate and reinforce ethical values

Communitarianism• Goal is to build strong, moral, communities that foster

the development of ethical character• Be less concerned about our individual rights and more

concerned with our collective responsibilities• Staying informed about public issues• Becoming active in community affairs• Working with others on common projects• Caring for the less fortunate• Cleaning up corruption• Urging families to provide moral education

Communitarianism• Civic community – the networks and norms

that are created when citizens actively participate in public life

• A new perspective– Addresses dangers of individualism– Better balance between individual rights and

collective needs– Urges a collaborative approach

• Critics– Leads to erosion of individual rights

Leaders as Servants

• Leadership that puts the followers first

• Foundation– Concern for people– Stewardship– Equity or justice

Leaders as Servants– Indebtedness

• Right to be needed• Right to be involved• Right to a covenantal relationship• Right to understand• Right to affect one’s own destiny• Right to be accountable• Right to appeal• Right to make a commitment

Leaders as Servants

• Self understanding

Courageous Followership

• Courage to assume responsibility• Courage to serve• Courage to challenge• Courage to participate in

transformation• Courage to leave

“That you may retain your self-respect, it is better to displease the people by doing what you know is right, than to temporarily please them by doing what you know is wrong.”

– William J. H. Boetcker