Ethical Leadership Interview: FBLE

Alex Lancaster

EDL 270

A leader should act with integrity, fairness, and ethics. I was able to interview three

leaders within the educational, political, and religious communities regarding their outlook on

leadership ethics and effectiveness. I have had the privilege of knowing all three individuals for

several years and have had both professional and personal interactions. The names of the leaders

I discuss are pseudonyms that the interviewees chose for themselves.

Similarities

All three leaders shared a similar disposition in regards to effective leadership: clear

communication and collegiality are fundamental. A collegial work environment is one where the

mission and values are understood and followed by all. Steve Jones, principal of a large metro

high school shared, “All means all - always. If we’re going to say students are receiving the best

education possible, we have to behave in that manner.” This particular statement resonated with

me because I have heard the “all means all” phrase throughout my teaching career, but I have

never reflected on its meaning. The fact that Steve added in “always” after it, shows the

importance of a clear mission statement that everyone adheres to. The other point Steve made

sure to mention was that the mission statement was communicated and understood by everyone.

Hamilton, a former political advisor who currently serves on the Grimes City Council,

shared a similar sentiment to Steve. “We all have various political views and beliefs, but when it

comes to supporting the campaign’s mission, it is vital we are all supporting it with 100%

efficacy.” The word that stuck out to me was “efficacy” because it ties to John Hattie’s ​Visible
Learning​ and the value behind collective teacher efficacy. Similarly to Steve, Hamilton

discussed the importance of supporting the same mission and making that mission clear to

everyone.

Finally, Arthur Graham, a religious leader in the community, conveyed, “Our faith guides

everything we do. We share a clear mission that is our driving force”. All of these statements

reflect the importance of having a collegial leadership style, which means the responsibility of

fulfilling the mission lands among all staff. They also stressed the importance of making that

mission clear to all stakeholders.

When asked about staying competitive, a trend seemed to occur. Hamilton discussed the

right path may not be the easiest path, but it will pay off in the long run. It can be easier to make

a quick decision to stay in a positive spotlight, but if it goes against your north compass, it is not

worth it. Steve Jones shared a similar anecdote by stating, “We’re competitive because we’re

doing the right things and pursuing the right ideals.” In other words, following his north

compass. When thinking about ethics and daily occurrences, following your north compass

should be the first step. When I initially thought about competitiveness, I expected all of them to

respond about the importance of being on top and maintaining that status. However, they all

reflected on following a moral compass and the competitiveness will fall in line.

Differences

While there were several similarities in leadership styles between the three leaders I

interviewed, there were also some abundant differences. The first major difference was when I

asked about handling divergent opinions in the workplace. As a high school principal, Jones

immediately discussed the importance of teachers keeping their opinions and preferences in
check while at school. When not at school, teachers are free to support and share their opinions,

but it should not impact the school environment.

Hamilton, working in politics, shared a different view. “I encourage staff to debate and

discuss diverging issues. We all came from one political party with a lot of different views

within that party. Iron sharpens iron; you get better at your position by having it challenged.” I

was a little surprised by this response because I had assumed all employees working on a

political campaign were expected to share and support the same opinions. However, Hamilton

explained how everyone can have their own opinions, but being able to defend and support your

opinions is important.

Graham is another leader who stayed away from discussing the big issues in the religious

setting. He shared the importance of trusting in God and your morals to guide you. I was not

surprised by this statement since religion seems to stay separate from politics and opinions.

When I asked how to handle a staff member that is refusing to comply, Steve pointed out

the importance of patience and peer pressure.

“If I expect all staff to be at their door greeting students 5 out of the 8 periods every day,

and Bob is continually not doing that but his neighbors are, eventually he’ll figure it out

and start standing by the door. Sometimes teachers expect you to jump right in and

reprimand Bob, but very rarely does that end positively. Most of the time Bob will see his

colleagues doing the expectation and start doing it on his own. However, at some point

you need compliance to get fidelity and that’s when I would step in.”

I had not thought about this idea of compliance and fidelity and waiting it out before stepping in

to redirect a staff member. As I thought about it further, it makes sense to try and let colleagues
influence the rogue staff member and see if peer pressure will encourage the more defiant

colleagues.

Surprises

One of my biggest surprises was when Hamilton explained how most conflicts arise from

misunderstanding. We need to be open to all viewpoints and opinions so that we are

well-rounded and understanding of different ideas. We should be able to have diverging opinions

from our colleagues and maintain respect for one another. I have always been under the

impression that religion and politics are not to be discussed with others because it will only cause

issues. However, being able to discuss and engage in conversations around these issues can help

build a strong community and understanding in the workplace.

Another conversation that surprised me was when I was talking with Steve Jones about

how to handle a teacher that makes an ethical violation. He said, “I went into the ‘Teacher in

Need of Assistance Plan’ with the mindset that the teacher needed to be fired. I should have gone

in with a mindset of ‘I’m going to do everything I can to allow you to be successful’”. Often

times we hear that the assistance plans are a stepping stone to firing a teacher, but Steve had to

work to change his mindset around those plans. Once he did that, he was able to support the

teacher and work with her to graduate from the plan.

Takeaways

One of my biggest takeaways was from my discussion with the politician. We were

discussing how to handle diverging opinions and he discussed how civil discourse has

disappeared from society today. There seems to be a decrease in the ability to have a discussion

around a challenging topic without getting mad or personal. It is important to discuss problems
or opinion while remaining respectful and open to other ideas. This is especially relevant in

teaching when a “new” instructional strategy is introduced and shown to improve student

learning. Teachers and administrators need to be able to have direct and honest conversations

about current strategies and how to incorporate new strategies to increase student learning.

I have never thought about how being an administrator can be lonely until Steve Jones

brought it to my attention. He discussed how important it is to surround yourself with other

administrators so you are not isolated. As a teacher, you are constantly collaborating and

working with other educators. However, as an administrator, you are frequently working alone.

Having a support system to speak with when facing an ethical dilemma, staff issue, or when

needing to talk through a situation is vital.

The final takeaway came when Steve told me, “It’s easier said than done - think about

your moral compass, that’s what got you where you are, and you have to check it at the door,

which isn’t always easy.”

Overall, I felt a sense of encouragement as I begin my leadership path that there is a light

at the end of the tunnel and leadership is a rewarding path. I look forward to reuniting with these

three leaders in a few years to see if any of their responses have changed or how their responses

have impacted my first years as an educational leader.