Public Leadership Credential

Leadership and Ethics:

Moral Leadership in Organizations and Society COURSE B OUTLINE
Moral leadership happens when individuals mobilize other people to make positive change in the world. The big idea
of the course is that moral leadership is practiced within organizations and societies--where leadership interventions
might impact 10 people, 10 thousand, or 10 million. Leadership practitioners must distinguish between the goal of
promoting public value (the greater good) and the goal of respecting social justice (individual rights), then decide
which to pursue. By the end of this course, learners will be equipped to set explicit goals for mobilizing people to
work toward positive change within the implicit and explicit norms of organizations and societies.

Topic Content Assignments

Moral leadership promotes both Individual assignments

public value and social justice. • Writing assignment
Knowing when they align and when • Quiz
Week 1

Public Value and they diverge is crucial to decision- • Discussion

making. Develop your capacity for
Social Justice this moral reasoning.
Framework: the behavioral science
of emotions and decision-making
Group assignments
• Synchronous hour meeting
• Group case analysis

Moral reasoning in organizations Individual assignments

can be derailed by bias. Changing • Writing assignment
Promoting Public the choice architecture of an • Case analysis
Week 2

Value and Social organization makes it easier for • Discussion

Justice within people to make positive change.
Group assignments
Organizations Tool: behavioral nudges • Synchronous hour meeting
• Group peer consultations

Sometimes an organization meant Individual assignments

to protect people actually harms • 2 case analyses
Seeking Public Value them. Managing the negative
Week 3

emotions provoked by this injustice Group assignments

and Social Justice in is crucial. • Synchronous hour meeting
Society • Group case analysis
Use cognitive reappraisal to get
distance from negative emotions.
 Topic Content Assignments

People who will never agree must Individual assignments

find ways to work together. • Writing assignment
Week 4

Behavioral science techniques can • Quiz

Debate in Society: help opposing sides work together
Civil Disagreement to make positive change. Group assignments
• Synchronous hour meeting
Framework: civil disagreement • Group case analysis

Corruption can make positive Individual assignments

change seem impossible. Evaluate • Simulation debrief
Week 5

possible moral trade-offs so you can • Case analysis

Individual Ethics: make acceptable compromises that
Facing Corruption promote positive change. Group assignments
• Synchronous hour meeting
Framework: moral trade-offs • Group simulation

Begin your practice of moral Individual assignments

Practicing leadership in the public sphere. Get • 2 writing assignments
Week 6

final takeaways and concrete next- • Live debrief event

Leadership in steps for taking action in
Organizations and organizations and society. Group assignments
Society • Synchronous hour meeting
• Group debrief

Materials
All course materials will be provided each week, including videos, readings, and assignment templates.

Scoring
You will not receive a letter grade in this course. Instead you will receive Pass or No Pass based on your performance.
A small percentage of exceptional performers are recognized with Pass with Distinction. Scoring weights:
35% - Individual assignments 10% - Practice Quizzes
30% - Group assignments 10% - Participation
10% - Case analysis companions 5% - Community credit

Course Policies
See onlinelearning.hks.harvard.edu for full FAQs.

2019.01.14