Module 4-Ethical Leadership
What Is • “Ethics must begin at the top of an
organization. It is a leadership issue and
Ethical the chief executive must set the example.”
Leadership? – Edward Hennessy
What it should be and What it should not be???
Ethical leadership demonstrates a high regard for
values. The principles of ethical leadership include
honesty, justice, respect, community and integrity.
Ethical leadership is leadership centered around
appropriate conduct through respect for ethics and
values and the rights and dignity of others.
Five Key
Principles
For
Ethical
Leadership
Image Courtesy: Google Images
Responsibilities
Responsibilities
Leading Through Examples
Leading by Example
• Lead by example – Gandhi in Chauri Chaura (1922) and in case of
Noakhali, Delhi and Kolkata riots in 1947, he led by example. Did not
compromise on his principles of nonviolence, went on a fast-unto-death, and
in Noakhali and other riot stricken places, he walked barefoot to spread the
message of communal harmony and non-violence, risking his life.
• Jon Snow from Game of Thrones is a fantastic example of a leader leading
by example. (Everyone is much more willing to follow someone who is out
on the battlefield with them.)
How to improve your ethical leadership skills ?
How to improve your ethical 1. Identify potential 2. Deal with ethical 3. Demonstrate courage
leadership skills? “trigger” situations dilemmas when they arise
How to improve your ethical leadership
skills ?
• 1. Identify potential “trigger” situations
Identify situations such as hiring, firing,
purchasing or promoting that seem to attract
ethical dilemmas at your company or
elsewhere. Recognizing when ethical
dilemmas are likely to arise can help you be
more attuned to the risk and to think carefully
about how to behave with integrity.
How to improve your ethical leadership
skills ?
2. Deal with ethical dilemmas when they arise
There are a few steps you can take to deal with such
dilemmas:
• 2.1. Prepare in advance: Visualize how you might
respond to theoretical scenarios so you can think
about the ethics of such instances ahead of time. In
a crisis, you may have less time to make a
decision, so this kind of rehearsal can be helpful.
How to improve your ethical leadership
skills ?
2.2. Assess the evidence: Whenever possible, take
time to carefully weigh all of the information you
receive about a situation. Assess whether someone
has definitely taken an unethical action before you
react.
2.3. Get advice: It is often helpful to talk through an
ethical dilemma with a friend, mentor or even a
spiritual advisor. Assessing advice rationally can
help you to make important ethical decisions.
How to improve your ethical leadership
skills ?
3. Demonstrate courage
Sometimes you will need to make a
decision that will leave you wondering
afterward whether you did the right thing.
Even when you do know that you made the
right choice, you or your team could suffer
unpleasant effects as a result even of an
ethical decision.
How to improve your ethical leadership
skills ?
. example, if you learn of irregular accounting in
For
your firm and inform an auditor, this could lead to
someone being fired. Even though you know that the
decision you made was correct, it might be painful to
see someone lose their job.
However, this type of situation can help you to learn
to trust your instincts, release your anxiety and assess
each situation logically rather than emotionally.
The 4 V Model of Ethical Leadership
Source: https://www.villanovau.com/resources/leadership/what-is-ethical-leadership/
The 4-V model helps
• Align the internal beliefs and values with the external behaviors and
actions for the purpose of the common good.
• The four v’s stand for values, vision, voice and virtue, the
characteristics that help create a strong ethical leader.
• In the end, the main goal of an ethical leader is to create a world in
which the future is positive, inclusive and allows the potential for all
individuals to pursue and fulfill their needs and meet their highest
potential.
The Scope of Ethical Leadership
At the individual level: Ethical leadership
Ethical leadership
Ethical leadership can help importance to the
importance to the team
maintain a positive work organization.
environment for each Ethical leadership can also
Finally, the overall health and
individual. Ethical leaders can improve team dynamics and
well-being of an organization
inspire employees to follow overall morale within the unit.
can be deeply affected by
their example. Ethical leaders help team
ethical leadership. The leaders
members to communicate and
Positive communication should foster an environment
get along with one another,
among co-workers as a result of collaboration and mutual
which in turn affects the
of ethical leadership can in respect, one that allows
team’s performance. Strong
turn influence productivity individuals to grow and
ethical leaders set an example
and improve each individual’s contribute to the
for their team.
attitude in the workplace. organization’s overall goals.
Good examples of leadership.
• Sam is a restaurant manager who helps her wait
staff when they are busy. The staff appreciates the
fact that Lisa notices and is willing to help them
out.
• Kerry is going through some issues with her
family at home, making her feel stressed. She
takes five minutes to herself when she gets to her
office every morning to help her leave the stress at
home and get through the day. Her staff is very
appreciative that she is kind and calm during
work.
Good examples of leadership.
Mithun is leading his team through a merger with another
organization. Many of his employees are stressed, but he is a
confident and positive model of how to do work well without
being overly anxious. His staff feels more confident and at
ease because Mithun is so relaxed and positive.
James E. Burke/ Johnson &Johnson (famous ethical leader)
In an interview for a 2004 book Lasting Leadership, Burke said,
“You tell me any human relationship that works without trust, whether it
is a marriage or a friendship or a social interaction; in the long run, the
same thing is true about business.”
**recommended reading
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/james-e-burke-johnson-and-johnson-ceo-during-ty
lenol-poisonings-30-years-ago-dies-at-87/2012/10/01/9ad4be06-0be1-11e2-bd1a-b868e65d57eb_sto
ry.html
• James Burke is often one of the first examples of ethical leader people
give and when you understand the story, you understand why. Burke’s
ethical leadership highlights the difficulties of the corporate world and
the need of creating a trust-based relationship with the organization’s
customers.
• Burke’s ethical leadership became evident during a Tylenol Crisis his
company J&J faced in the fall of 1982. Burke took immediate action
to have all the company’s Tylenol capsules removed across the
country, although this created a large financial loss for the
organization. He went even further than that. He allowed the media to
follow company meetings, he spoke on several occasions on TV, and
he introduced new protections to the way the organization packaged its
products. The costs weren’t added to the price but were absorbed by
the organization.
Aristotle on Leadership and Virtue
Plato's most influential student, Aristotle, lived in
Greece from 384 to 322 BCE. Aristotle expanded on
Plato's thoughts about justice, wisdom (prudence),
temperance, and courage, especially when he
described how to practice good leadership. Both Plato
and Aristotle believed the virtues guide strong ethical
leaders.
For Aristotle, excellent leaders have phronesis, which
means they can expertly apply their knowledge, skill,
and wisdom (prudence) to various situations. Ethical
leaders are experts in explaining the purpose of living
and flourishing. They can locate the correct amount
(or golden mean) of moral virtue in any given
situation. They also encourage others to be excellent
leaders.
According to Aristotle, excellent leaders:
• are concerned about eudaimonia (human flourishing);
• seek to locate and perceive just actions;
• value the knowledge appropriate for ethical actions; and
• deliberate and weigh virtuous actions.
• The central issue for Aristotle is the question of character or personality – what
does it take for an individual human being to be a good person?
• A happy person will exhibit a personality appropriately balanced between reasons
and desires, with moderation characterizing all. In this sense, at least, "virtue is its
own reward". True happiness can therefore be attained only through the cultivation
of the virtues that make a human life complete.
Ethical Leadership examples
There are several types of ethical leadership behaviors you can practice to develop this
soft skill in different settings:
• Set an example
• Publicly champion the importance of ethics
• Communicate ethics
• Make decisions based on values
• Be aware of values
• Establish zero tolerance for ethical violations
• Practice justice and respect
• Hire ethical employees
• Let us be ethical leaders
the world is looking
towards.
