Download Ethical Leadership and Followership

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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Courage to assume responsibility
Courage to serve
Courage to challenge
Courage to participate in
transformation
• Courage to leave
“That you may retain your selfrespect, 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