ETHICAL

LEADERSHIP

Ethics defined
Ethics is knowing the difference
between what you have a right
to do and what is right to do.
Ethics or simple honesty is the
building blocks upon which our
whole society is based, and
business is a part of our
society, and it is integral to the
practice of being able to
conduct business, that you
have a set of honest standards.

Ethical leadership
Ethical leadership involves both
acting and leading ethically over
time all the time.
Ethical leadership is knowing your
core values and having the courage
to live them in all parts of your life
in service of the common good.
Ethical leadership is about raising
the bar, helping people to realize
their hopes and dreams, creating
value for stakeholders, and doing
these tasks with the intensity and
importance that ethics connotes.

Ethical leaders
Ethical
leaders
embody
the
purpose, vision, and values of the
organization
and
of
the
constituents,
within
an
understanding of ethical ideals.
They connect the goals of the
organization with that of the
internal employees and external
stakeholders.
It is important for leaders to tell a
compelling and morally rich story,
but ethical leaders must also
embody and live the story.

 Ethical
leaders
are
ordinary people who
are living their lives as
examples of making
the world a better
place.
Ethical leaders speak
to
us
about
our
identity, what we are
and
what
we
can
become, how we live
and how we could live
better.

Need of Ethical leadership

Ethical leadership models ethical behavior to
the organization and the community.
Ethical leadership builds trust.
Ethical leadership brings credibility and
respect, both for you and for the organization.
Ethical leadership can lead to collaboration.
Ethical leadership creates a good climate
within the organization.
If you have opposition, or are strongly
supporting a position, ethical leadership
allows you to occupy the moral high ground.
Ethical leadership is simply the right way to
go.
Ethical leadership affords self-respect.

General guidelines for practicing

ethical leadership

Ethical leadership requires a clear and

coherent ethical framework on which
the leader can draw in making
decisions and taking action.
Your ethical framework should agree
with the ethical framework, vision, and
mission of the organization or
initiative.
Ethics should be a topic of discussion.
Ethics should be out in the open.
Ethical thought must be connected to
action.
Ethical leadership is a shared process.

Components of ethical leadership

Put the good of the organization and the
general good before your own interests and
ego.
Encourage the discussion of ethics in general
and of the ethical choices involved in specific
situations and decisions as an ongoing feature
of the organizational culture.
Institutionalize ways for people to question
your authority.
Dont take yourself too seriously.
Consider the consequences to others of your
decisions, and look for ways to minimize harm.
Treat everyone with fairness, honesty, and
respect all the time.

 Treat other organizations in the same way you

treat other people with fairness, honesty,
and respect.
Collaborate inside and outside the
organization.
Communicate.
Work to become increasingly culturally and
interpersonally competent.
Take cultural sensitivity and cultural
competence seriously.
Work to be inclusive.
Take your leadership responsibility seriously,
and be accountable for fulfilling it.
Constantly strive to increase your competence.
Dont outstay your usefulness.
Never stop reexamining your ethics and your
leadership.

4-V Model of Ethical

leadership
The 4-V Model of Ethical
Leadership is a framework that
aligns the internal (beliefs and
values)
with
the
external
(behaviors and actions) for the
purpose
of
advancing
the
common good. The model was
created by Dr. Bill Grace based
on
his
formal
leadership
research and personal passions
around
faith
and
ethics.

4-V Model

 Values. Ethical leadership begins with an

understanding of and commitment to our
individual core values. By first discovering
the values at the core of our identities, we
begin the process of integrating our
unique values with our choice-making on
all levels of our personal and civic lives.
Download our self-guided
Core Values Exercise here.

 Vision- Vision refers to the category of intentions that are

broad, all-intrusive and forward-thinking. Vision is the
ability to frame our actions particularly in service to
others within a real picture of what ought to be.

 Voice. Claiming our voice is the process of

articulating our vision to others in an
authentic and convincing way that
animates and motivates them to action.
Virtue. Understanding that we become
what we practice, we foster virtue by
practicing virtuous behavior striving to
do what is right and good. In this way, we
develop the character of virtue. In
particular, virtue stands for the common
good. Ethical leaders ask, How are my
values, vision and voice in keeping with
the common good?

 Service. Service connects Vision to Values,

indicating that when our values are tested and
tried through service to others, the latent vision
within them is often revealed.
Polis. Polis is the Greek word for city, and the
root of the English word, politics. As we learn to
give voice to our vision in the context of a public
act, we are engaged in the art of politics.
Renewal. As Voice returns to Values, the territory
of our work changes to renewal. As we express
our voice in multiple ways, we need to break from
the action on a regular basis to consider if our
actions are congruent with our values and vision.

Ethical Leadership Kohlbergs

Framework

Liberty
Equality
Dignity
Justice
Human Rights
Ethical Leadership must learn to apply these
concepts to followers

Framework for developing ethical

leadership

Articulate and embody the purpose and values of

the organization- It is important for leaders to tell a
compelling and morally rich story, but ethical leaders
must also embody and live the story. This is a difficult
task in todays business environment where everyone
lives in a fishbowlon public display.
Focus on organizational success rather than on
personal ego- Ethical leaders understand their place
within the larger network of constituents and
stakeholders. It is not about the leader as an individual,
it is about something biggerthe goals and dreams of
the organization. Ethical leaders also recognize that
value is in the success of people in the organization.

 Find the best people and develop them- Ethical

leaders pay special attention to finding and developing
the best people precisely because they see it as a moral
imperativehelping them to lead better lives that
create more value for themselves and for others.
Finding the best people involves taking ethics and
character into account in the selection process.
Create a living conversation about ethics, values
and the creation of value for stakeholders- The
basics of value creation, stakeholder principles and
societal expectations should be routinely discussed and
debated. Having such conversations means that people
have knowledge of alternatives that they must choose
every day to stay with the organization and its purpose
because it is important and inspires them

Create mechanisms of dissent- Many of the

current corporate scandals could have been
prevented if only there were more creative ways
for people to express their dissatisfaction with the
actions of some of their leaders and others in the
companies. The process of developing these
mechanisms of dissent will vary by company, by
leadership style, and by culture, but it is a crucial
leadership task for value creation in todays
business world.
Take a charitable understanding of others
values-Ethical leaders can understand why
different people make different choices, but still
have a strong grasp on what they would do and
why.

 Make tough calls while being imaginative-Ethical

leaders do not attempt to avoid difficult decisions by
using an excuse of Im doing this for the business.
The ethical leader consistently unites doing the right
thing and doing the right thing for the business.
Know the limits of the values and ethical
principles they live- Ethical leaders have an acute
sense of the limits of the values they live and are
prepared with solid reasons to defend their chosen
course of action. Problems can arise when managers
do not understand the limits of certain values. All
values have limits, particular spheres in which they
do not work as well as others.

Frame actions in ethical terms-Ethical

leaders see their leadership as a fully
ethical task. This entails taking seriously
the rights claims of others, considering
the effects of ones actions on others
(stakeholders), and understanding how
acting or leading in a certain way will
have effects on ones character and the
character of others.
Connect the basic value proposition
to stakeholder support and societal
legitimacyThe ethical leader must think in terms of
enterprise strategy, not separating the
business from the ethics.

The Ten Commandments of

Ethical Leadership
1. People are illogical, unreasonable and selfcentered. Love and trust them anyway.
2. If you do good, people will accuse you of
selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.
3. If you are successful, you will win some
false friends and true enemies. Do good
anyway.
4. The good you do today will be forgotten
tomorrow. Do good anyway.
5. Honesty and frankness will make you
vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.

6. The biggest people with the biggest ideas

can be shot down by the smallest people
with the smallest ideas. Think big anyway.
7. People favor underdogs, but follow top
dogs. Fight for the underdog anyway.
8. What you spend years building may be
destroyed overnight. Build anyway!
9. People really need help, but may attack
you if you do help. Help people anyway.
10. Give the world the best you got and you
may get kicked in the teeth. Give the world
the best you have anyway.