ADM 612 - Leadership

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ADM 612 - Leadership

• Lecture 14 Leadership Ethics

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Introduction

• Very little unifying literature on leadership
  ethics.

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Ethics Defined

• Ethics derives from the Greek word ethos
  meaning customs, conduct, or character.
• Concerned with the kinds of values and morals an
  individual or society finds desirable or
  appropriate.
• Also concerns virtuousness of individuals and
  their motives.

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Ethics Defined

• In terms of leadership, ethics has to do with
  what leaders do and who leaders are.

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Ethical Theories
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Ethical Theories

• Ethical theories can be divided broadly between
  theories about leaders conduct and about their
  characters.
• The conduct theories can be further subdivided
  into theories about consequences and duties or
  rules.

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Teleological Theories (Consequences)
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Deontological Theories (Duty)

• Is the action itself good? Not just the
  consequences.
• Actions of the leader and his or her moral
  obligation to do the right thing.

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Virtue-based Theories

• Focuses on the character of the leader.
• Virtues and moral abilities are not innate but
  can be acquired and learned through practice.

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Virtue-based Theories

• Aristotle (individuals in communities) courage,
  temperance, generosity, self-control, honesty,
  sociability, modesty, fairness, and justice.
• Velasquez (managers) perseverance,
  public-spiritedness, integrity, truthfulness,
  fidelity, benevolence, and humility.
• Our virtues come from our actions and our
  actions manifest our virtues.

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Centrality of Ethics to Leadership

• The influence dimension of leadership places a
  heavy ethical burden and responsibility.
• Ethical responsibility to treat subordinates with
  dignity and respect.
• Leaders have a greater ethical responsibility
  because of their position.

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Centrality of Ethics to Leadership

• Leaders help to establish and reinforce
  organizational values.
• All leaders have values and have an enormous
  impact on the ethical values of the organization.

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Heifetzs Perspective on Ethical Leadership

• Leaders must use authority to mobilize people to
  face tough issues.
• Provides a holding environment in which there
  is trust, nurturance, and empathy.

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Heifetzs Perspective on Ethical Leadership

• Within a supportive context, followers feel safe
  to confront and deal with hard problems.
• Leaders get people to pay attention to issues,
  act as a reality check, manage and frame issues,
  orchestrate conflicting perspectives, facilitate
  decision-making.

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Burns Perspective on Ethical Leadership

• Transformation leadership places a strong
  emphasis on followers needs, values, and morals.
• Move followers to higher plane of moral
  responsibility.

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Greenleafs Perspective on Ethical Leadership

• Servant leadership emphasizes that leaders should
  be attentive to the concerns of their followers
  and empathize with them they should take care of
  them and nurture them.
• Social responsibility to be concerned with the
  have-nots and recognize them as equal
  stakeholders in the organization.

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Common Themes

• Leader-follower relationship central to ethical
  leadership.
• Pay close attention to needs of followers.
• Ethic of caring.

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Principles of Ethical Leadership
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Strengths

• Timely research on ethical issues.
• Ethics should be considered an integral part of
  the broad domain of leadership.
• Highlights several principles that are important
  to the development of ethical leadership.

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Criticisms

• Early stage of development and does not have a
  strong body of traditional research findings.
• Most of the leadership ethical theory based on
  the writings of a few individuals who have
  written essays and texts strongly influenced by
  their personal opinions.

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Application

• Not widely taught or used.
• But can be taught or used by all individuals at
  all levels of an organization.

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Application

• Leadership involves values, and leader must know
  and be concerned about her own values.
• Leaders can better understand themselves and
  strengthen their own leadership.

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Greenleafs Perspective on Ethical Leadership

• Removes inequalities and social injustices.
• Uses less institutional and formal power and
  shifts more responsibilities to followers.