ETHICAL LEADERSHIP

Ethical Leadership
Alec Barnett and Emily Donnan
Trinity University

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Abstract

Building on the concept that values, ethics and morals play key roles in the process of successful
leadership, we uncovered how different elements influence these things. Through conducting a
semi- structured interview with Mark Larson of KIPP San Antonio, and utilizing previous
research, we compared real life experience with concepts to better our understanding of
leadership. In particular, we examined how these values, ethics and morals particularly
influenced obtaining the highest roles in leadership. We found that others typically stick to their
values from a young age and those who have proper ethics and morals use them as a driving
force behind their success mostly due to the fact that they are associated with characteristics of a
strong leader like taking initiative, adapting to change, and commitment.

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Ethical Leadership
Ethics describes what is right or acceptable to do given a particular situation. A leader is
someone who motivates or inspires followers to accomplish a goal. Similarly, a leader is
someone who fully embodies the values and priorities of what or who they are leading. The idea
of leadership refers to taking the initiative to those set goals and guide the process by being an
example of how to reach those goals. Therefore, ethical leadership describes a leader, or
someone who is in charge of a group, motivating their followers with the right or acceptable
mindset, or ethics.
The concepts behind the theory of ethical leadership are that change is often viewed as a
time of panic/crisis or vital to the success of an organization and a lot of how that is handled is
contingent upon the integrity of whoever the leader(s) is (are). Previous research proposes that
ethics are important in a business and overall performance. It is important to look at ethical
leadership in this context because it often causes difficult decisions to have to be made,
especially in a school setting where various problems and difficulties constantly arise. Although
not everyone may agree, perhaps if the followers feel that the leaders have good ethics/make
ethical decisions, then they will trust in them and continue on in their workplace full force.
However if they do not agree do they simply comply until they can take on a leadership role or
adjust/go with the flow? Therefore based off of the idea that ethical leadership plays a significant
role in a successful organization, it is interesting to look at it in the context of environments such
as a school that foster change.
A study conducted by Sharif and Scandura (2014), looks into why ethics matter in
leadership, especially when change is happening in any given organization. In particular when a
business or organization is either forced into change or naturally changing something about

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them. This could be something as simple as how a teacher structures the classroom or as large a
principle completely rearranging policy. Leaders who followers perceive as having good ethics
are able to enhance or make the employees behavior better (Sharif & Scandura, 2014). In terms
of job performance, high ethical leadership is positively correlated with involvement in change,
job satisfaction, performance, and Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCBs) (Sharif &
Scandura, 2014).
This ties directly into the article by Parris and Peachey (2012) that was an overview and
discussion of the merits of servant leadership. Servant leaders are defined by their character and
by demonstrating their complete commitment to serve others (Parris & Peachey, 2012, p. 379).
Since servant leadership is focused on facilitating the best possible service towards a leaders
followers, it is likely that followers will view this engagement as ethical and favorable, leading
to organizational benefits corroborated by the findings of Sharif & Scandura (2014) such as
increased trust, job satisfaction, and team effectiveness (Parris & Peachey, 2012). However,
nothing is inherently causing servant leadership or leaders in general to be perceived as ethical. It
is all predicated on the specific course of action taken by the leader that is reflected by the
reaction of both the followers and society.
These studies show the importance of ethical considerations when looking at what makes
leaders effective and what leaders can do in order to foster an ethical environment in
organizations. Clear benefits to ethical leadership practices have been recognized, although what
defines ethical practices will always vary depending on many contextual factors such as culture,
situational context, and historical precedent.
Method
The qualitative interview is a useful research tool that helps the interviewers gather
information about the interviewee and to learn from their experiences. We used an interview to

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gather information on Mark Larsons leadership and the how values came into play in his
leadership experiences. The interview was scheduled in advance on March 5th at 3:30. We used a
semi-structured interview format when talking to Mark Larson of KIPP San Antonio. Doing a
semi-structured interview meant that we prepared questions ahead of time and based off of the
answers that the interviewee gave to those questions, others arose during the interview process.
Prior to the interview we sent Mr. Larsons secretary some questions for him to look over so that
he could be prepared for the interview, but the questions that we asked him the day of differed
slightly.
One of the greatest advantages of using the semi-structured format was that it allowed us
to have a natural conversation feeling and amend the course of our interview based on the
answers that Mr. Larson gave. Another advantage to the semi-structured interview format was
that he was able to elaborate on the topics that he felt were most important, which helped to give
us direction in our interview process and our overall project. There were some disadvantages to
the qualitative interview. It was somewhat time consuming for both the participant and the the
interviewers because the questions were open ended. At times the responses that the interviewee
gave did not naturally flow into the next question that we had for him, which made the interview
a little less fluid than it could have been. Lastly, the open ended nature also changed the
direction of our project slightly, though this also could be a positive aspect of the interview
process because it gave more direction.
Results
Throughout our interview with Mr. Larson we gained a lot of insight about his leadership
style and how he has applied it to the KIPP schools in San Antonio. Mr. Larson stated on several
occasions during our interview that he was wired this way in terms of his leadership. Over the

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course of our interview, it was clear that his strong ethical background and passion for helping to
enrich students lives has affected the way that he runs his schools.
What leadership roles did you experience at Trinity?
Inter-fraternity council president because no one wanted it.
When at Trinity, Mr. Larson approached soccer and basketball players to form the Phi
Sigs Fraternity (though already a member of another fraternity) and therefore was able to
contribute to shaping the culture of those organizations. Mr. Larson described himself as being
dissatisfied with the way the fraternity values shifted so decided to create a new one that
followed more of what he valued. In addition, Mr. Larson helped to create the track team. When
he was asked if these experiences gave him the confidence to do what he does today, he
responded with, I think that Im probably wired that way but I think that it mattered which was
really powerful for me. He sought to improve his community using his core values and was
always willing to take the initiative.
So tell us a little bit about yourself and the basics of KIPP schools.
Immediately, Mr. Larson expressed his frustration regarding the quality of education to
low income families. Therefore, after five years of teaching, Mr. Larson decided to go back to
get a Masters in School Administration. He was in class when his professor told him to start his
own school because he was argumentative, he challenged authority and he always thought that
there was a better way. Mr. Larson was displeased by the fact that by the time he would have
become a high school principal a child could have gone from kindergarten to twelfth grade.
Three days later Mr. Larson learned about the opportunity to begin a KIPP school in San
Antonio. When he later started the school he didnt have a school, students or even teachers to
staff it. Mr. Larson told a story about how his great grandmother, before she had the right to vote,
went around to African American neighborhoods registering people to vote and later even started

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a recycling program in Kansas City. Mr. Larson attributes a lot of the ethical values he applies to
KIPP to situations like these where learned that leadership and helping others was a part of who
he was.
Clearly your values have been what they are forever. Did you have to adapt your
leadership style at all?
Mr. Larson was really on his own, meaning that he did not have to adjust to, conform to
or defy a previous leaders ethical judgments and values system. He created his own school
board, which gave him free range to build KIPP San Antonios own ethical framework based off
of what he valued.
Is there anything that you wanted to do that you werent able to and later
achieved?
For the first class of kids that joined the school they were promised a High School and I
wasnt able to make that happen for them. Those kids were like my children and I was extremely
struck by that failure. Mr. Larson describes that as the worst professional day of his life because
he was not able to keep his promise until two years later.
Why go from being a teacher to being a school leader?
I was angry, ignorant, and cocky. I didnt know how hard it was going to be. I was angry
in a way that Im not done being angry about what kids are getting and how bad education is. I
thought I could do anything and I made a lot of mistakes so a lot of the cocky is gone and so is a
lot of the ignorant. Although Mr. Larson did not really have to follow another leaders ethics
and values, his did change and shape into what they are now through his past experiences,
including mistakes. Mr. Larson places high value in aiding those less fortunate and his execution
of how to make a change for them has improved with time. For example, Mr. Larson teaches his

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students about success through grit and curiosity, two things Mr. Larson exemplified in past
experiences, which brought him where he is today.
The interview conducted with Mr. Larson clearly uncovers how crucial the roles of ethics
and values are in a successful organization. Mr. Larson utilized his strong ethical background and
values when creating change at Trinity University. He was then able to focus on what he truly
valued: helping those in need. Mr. Larson did whatever it took to create an environment for
students from a lower socioeconomic background and teach them how to also make good ethical
choices, like doing a minimum of 60 hours of community service a year. Mr. Larson leads by
example and his values are made clear to his students and staff. This is necessary for the students
to maintain trust Mr. Larson and the success they have been having.
Discussion
Our interview with Mr. Larson provided us with real world evidence of multiple theories
we have learned about or discussed in class. The first is the theory of servant leadership, which
Alec wrote his first paper on. Servant leadership at its core has the leader focus his energy on
providing the best possible service for his constituents. In this case, it is Mr. Larson providing the
best possible education that he can for his students. Mr. Larson is a servant leader because not
only does he work in the best interest of his students, he goes above and beyond to make sure
that they have quality education that lives up to his standards. Some of his own efforts include
filling in as the bus driver for a few months when their current one quit, serving as teacher and
principal, keeping long hours and an open ear at all times of the day for his students, and helping
them succeed even after they graduate from KIPP. The success of KIPP San Antonio also
corroborates findings from the literature review about the effectiveness of servant leadership. It
is strongly associated with both increased effectiveness of leaders as well as fostering
organizational citizenship behavior (Parris & Peachey, 2012). This can be seen through their

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outstanding test scores (a close second city-wide following Alamo Heights) as well as the
numerous awards they have garnered and their rapid expansion since their founding.
Additionally, there is a strong focus with both teachers and students on character development
and community service, which falls into the fostering organizational citizenship. We believe
that Mr. Larson is an outstanding example of a servant leader with a proven track record of the
utmost dedication to those he serves.
The second theory that is relevant to our interview with Mr. Larson is the Great Man
Theory that has been discussed several times in class. This theory states that there are certain
qualities that make people great leaders, and that these are innate qualities that some people
have. Examples of these qualities can be found under the description of transformational leaders
that we learned about, which are creativity, interactive, visionary, empowering, and passionate.
From our interview it was clear that Mr. Larson had always possessed these qualities and rather
than developing them over time, he was able to refine and strengthen them. First, he has a long
family history going back to (at least) his grandparents of initiating important and impactful
projects that help to improve the public good, specifically targeting underprivileged and
underserved populations. He also has a personal history of influencing and adopting leadership
positions that precedes any involvement with KIPP and before he had any training or experience
in leadership. Multiple times he talked about how he felt that he needed to be in charge of his
own enterprise and make his own way because it is a core aspect of his identity. His passion had
its source in a fundamental ethical drive to promote educational equality and serve the
underserved, with his visionary and creative aspects always working towards his end goal of
bettering the lives of those around him.
We believe that there are important implications resulting from these insights about Mr.
Larson and communication theory about the concept of leadership as a talent or a skill and of the

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effectiveness of servant leadership. Over time the concept of leadership has moved away from it
being primarily a talent (something one is born with) to that of it being a skill (something that is
learned and mastered). However, it seems clear that those such as Mr. Larson have a strong
propensity for leadership even without any prior experience or training, and that with experience
and training they become exceptional leaders. Therefore, while leadership potential is not
something that is limited by birthright, and while people can and do train to become strong and
effective leaders, we believe that are born with a higher proficiency for leadership and can more
easily learn and become great leaders. Additionally, Mr. Larsons time at KIPP has helped
validate the usefulness and strength of servant leadership in organizational settings. This may be
because servant leadership automatically includes some aspects of transformational leadership
(interactivity and empowerment) since the goals are follower-centric and followers are often
included in things such as the decision making process. With his motivations being based in
personal ethics and his primary focus on student well being, Mr. Larson made sacrifices and
furthered KIPP where others may have seen it falter. This drive and dedication as well as the
feeling of fulfilling an obligation to the followers helps leaders stay true to the core mission of an
organization as well as persevere through tough times, which also contributes to the effectiveness
of his leadership. These insights help to strengthen the claims about the benefits of
transformational leadership and a focus on follower well-being that we have discussed, and we
support those claims. This interview has further shown that transformational leadership not only
leads to positive organizational success but to a positive culture as well. Finally, it is also
important to recognize and foster inherent leadership talent in individuals, yet also to not be
discouraged by that talent in others if they seem to be naturally fit for these roles.
While we are confident in our findings, there are limitations in our study that make it
necessary to qualify our claims. Due to the fact that we only interviewed a single person, while

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his insights are valuable, they are not wholly representative of any leadership theory and thus can
only act as evidence that supports our claims rather than confirms them. Interviews with people
such as the students and teachers in KIPP would help to create a fuller understanding and a
clearer picture of the impact of the leadership techniques Mr. Larson has chosen to implement.
The method of our study, a qualitative interview, has its own limitations as well. One of the main
shortcomings is a lack of data to substantiate findings from the interview, however this is
mitigated somewhat by Mr. Larsons provision of some statistics about KIPPs success, which
can also be found on their website. Despite these limitations on the generalization of our
findings, we believe they still offer significant support to specific theories and practices already
discussed.

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References
Parris, D. L., & Peachey, J. W. (2012). A systematic literature review of servant leadership theory
in organizational contexts. Journal of Business Ethics, 113(3), 377-393.
doi:10.1007/s10551-012-1322-6
Sharif, M., & Scandura, T. (2014). Do Perceptions of Ethical Conduct Matter During
Organizational Change? Ethical Leadership and Employee Involvement. Journal
Of

Business Ethics, 124(2), 185-196. doi:10.1007/s10551-013-1869-x