Leadership Ethicsby Chad Stoskopf

EthicsIs a derivative of the Greek word ethos,

meaning customs, conduct, or characterIs concerned with the kinds of values and

moralsIs concerned with the virtuousness of

individuals

Definitions of Ethical Leadership“Is the influence of a moral person who

moves others to do the right thing in the right way for the right reasons – Ciulla, 2003

Is a process by which a good person rightly influences others to accomplish a common good: to make the world a better, fairer, and more humane.

Ethical TheoriesTwo major domains

Conduct – actions (respect, service, justice) The way a leader goes about his/her work “do the ends justify the means” Abu Ghraib - Iraq

Character – who you are Refers to a person that is seen as a good and

honorable person Aristotle – moral person demonstrates the virtues of

courage, generosity, self-control, honesty, sociability, modesty, fairness, and justice.

Teleological TheoriesDerived from telos – meaning “ends” or

“purposes”, try to answer ?’s ab0ut right or wrong by focusing on whether a persons conduct will produce desirable consequences

3 different teleological approaches:Ethical EgoismUtilitarianismAltruism

Deontological TheoryDeos – “duty” – not only looks at the

consequences (teleological) but also whether the action itself is good.

Example – Bill Clinton

Virtue based Theoriesabout leader’s character

Focus on who people are as people Rather than tell people what to do, tell people what

to be Help people become more virtuous through training

and development Examples: courage, honesty, fairness, justice,

integrity, humility

Servant LeadershipRobert Greenleaf developed in the 70’s

Strong altruistic overtonesThese leaders are attentive to the needs of

their followers.Example – mythical travelers

5 Principles of Leadership

Respect ServiceTreat other people’s

values and decisions with respect

Allow others to be themselves with creative wants and desires

Approach others with a sense of unconditional worth and value individual differences

Leaders who show respect treat others as worthy human beings

A duty to help others pursue their own legitimate interests and goals

To be stewards of the organization’s vision; in serving others they: clarify, nurture, and integrate the vision with, not for, organization members

An ethical responsibility to make decisions that are beneficial to their followers’ welfare

Build Community HonestInfluence the group

toward a common goal– Takes into account purposes

of everyone in the group

– Is attentive to interests of the community and culture

– Does not force others or ignore intentions of others

Central to the theory of transformational leadership

AuthenticTell the truth with a

balance of openness and candor while monitoring what is appropriate to disclose in a particular situationExample – Job in

ChicagoDon’t promise if you

can’t deliver.

JustPlace issues of fairness at the center of

their decision makingTreat people equally – coaching exampleNo favorites“Do unto others as you would have them do

unto you”

The Principle of Distributive Justice

StrengthsThe research is timely – moral leadership is

in high demand!Ethics is a integral part of leadership,

leadership is not amoral.Highlights principles and virtues that are

important in ethical leadership.

WeaknessesIt is an area of research in its early stage of

developmentRelies on very few people and their

essay/texts are influenced by personal opinion

ApplicationCan be applied to people at all levelsBecause leadership is moral, being a leader

demands awareness of how are ethics define our leadership

We can learn how these ethics principles affect us and improve our leadership