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Ethics, Values and Ethical Decision Making
How Does it Affect Leaders?
Beth Oakley
Educational Development Centre
“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
Values
• Values: “one’s principles or standards, one’s
judgement about what is valuable or important in
life” (Oxford Concise English Dictionary -1995)
• “beliefs of a person or social group in which they
have an emotional investment (either for or
against something)” (Dictionary.com)
• The rules we use to determine right from wrong
• The core of our belief system
Ethics
• Ethics: “a set of moral principles; concerning
human conduct; morally correct; honourable”
(Oxford Concise English Dictionary -1995)
• “The rules or standards governing the conduct of
a person or the members of a profession”
(Dictionary.com)
• Ethics are a formal system or set of rules
explicitly adopted by a group of people
• How you act out your beliefs. An outward
display of your values
• Our behaviour within our environment
What Do You Value?
• 10 things in your personal life that you
value
What Do You Value?
• 10 things in your professional/academic
life that you value
What Do You Value?
• 10 things you value in a leader or a boss
Your answers
• Find the similarities between the three
groups
• Where did you acquire these values?
• Do values differ across different cultures?
Values & Ethics
how it influences your leadership style
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As a leaders you:
Share in decision making
Sometimes make decision for a group
Makes choices with the best interest of the
community in mind
• Show concern for people
• Trust in those you lead
• Lead those who trust you
Effective Leader Traits
Huber, 1998
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Honesty
Forward thinking
Inspiring
Competent
Integrity
Maturity
Empathetic
Intuitive
Exemplary Leaders Are
(Huber, 1998)
• Passionate - develop a sense of purpose
and caring, openness to possibilities and a
shared vision
• Authentic - genuine and true
• Credibile – do what they say they will do –
delivering on promises
• Ethical –apply their own beliefs to social
issues –service to others and a commitment
to the greater good
• These characteristics come from deep
within us and are largely based on our
value system
• Your values are not fixed and can change
based on your experiences
• As a leader, you have the opportunity to
model good values to those you lead
Scenarios
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Divide yourselves into groups of 6
Then divide again into 2, 2, and 2
2 = Strong Values
2 = Poor Values
2 = Undefined (wishy washy) Values
Read and respond to your scenario based
on your values set
• What factors led to your decisions
Things to Consider
• What motivated the choices you made?
• How does your decision make you feel
about yourself?
• How does your decision affect others?
• -Specify all those affected and how they are affected
• How does your decision affect your
character?
• How might your decision affect your future?