Wsu Ethical Leadership February 2007

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Ethical Leadership: It Does Matter [email_address]

Ethical Leadership
“ You can stand tall without standing on someone.
You can be a victor without having
victims.”
Harriett Woods

“ Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Martin Luther King Jr.

Until lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunter. African Proverb

“ Ethics is the study of how best to live.” Nicholas D. Smith, Professor of Humanities Lewis & Clark College

Americans value ethical leadership.
A strong, personal sense of ethics is one of the most desirable characteristics of a leader.
People want to follow somebody they believe in and trust.
Ethical leaders know trust is the glue that bonds people and leads to meaningful change.

Leadership is hard work.
The public expects a great deal from their leaders.
They watch the leader’s every action.
They look to the leader to set the standard.
There are no timeouts for leaders.
Personal behavior counts – in fact, it counts a great deal.
Citizens admire leaders they can trust and emulate.
The admire leaders of character, leaders who are ethical and demonstrate integrity.

“ In addition to integrity, people value leaders who model commitment and inspire a strong sense of purpose within an organization. These are the elements of character.” Green(2005)
“ Character is a crucial element in leadership”
Lashway, Mazzarell & Grunday (2004)

Character
It develops over time.
It is the disposition of a person.
It consists of beliefs, values, skills, and traits.
It builds trust and loyalty.
It fosters a sense of hope and optimism.
It generates commitment to achieve goals.

WSU Superintendent’s Certification Program Standards Standard Eight Ethical Leadership
“The candidate is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by acting with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner.”

USA TODAY 2006 Gallup Poll
According to the December 2006 USA TODAY Gallup Poll, which of the following occupations were rated as the “most ethical” in a nationwide study?

Occupations
Advertising practitioners Bankers
Business executives Car salespersons
Clergy Members of Congress
Pharmacists Lawyers
Medical doctors Nurses
Police officers Chiropractors
College teachers Dentists
Engineers HMO managers
Insurance salespersons Journalists
Psychiatrists Senators
State governors Veterinarians
Stockbrokers

Top Ten from USA TODAY Gallup Poll
Nursing
Pharmacists
Veterinarians
Medical doctors
Dentists
Engineers
Clergy
College Teachers
Police officers
Psychiatrists

What words, phrases or people come to your mind when you hear the words ethical leader?

Categories of Ethical Behavior
Trustworthiness
Worthy of trust, honor and confidence
Honesty
Integrity
Reliability
Loyalty

Respect
Regard for the dignity and worth of others
Treating others with courtesy
Respecting the beliefs of others
Accepting differences as assets

Responsibility
Acknowledgement and performance of duties to others and self
Accountability
Pursuit of self-improvement
Self-discipline

Justice and Fairness
Making decisions on appropriate factors
Impartiality
Avoidance of conflict of interest
Commitment to equity and equality
Openness to information and ideas
Reasonableness
Provides due process
Consistency

Caring
Regard for the well-being of others
Kindness
Compassion
Consideration
Unselfishness
Charity

Civic Virtue and Citizenship
Recognition of civic value and living up to obligations of citizenship
Upholding democratic principles
Law abiding
Community service

ethics: the principles of conduct governing an individual or profession, standards of social or professional behavior. Ethics & Values Definitions morals: the social principles, goals or standards held or accepted by an individual, class or society. values: principles or standards or habits with respect to right or wrong in conduct. Definitions from Webster’s New World College Dictionary Fourth Edition

The word “ethics” is a derivative of two Greek words meaning morals and character.
Moral values provide an internal compass and establish direction.
In the ideal world, the words “ethical” and “leadership” would be synonymous.
Ramsey (1999)

Five resources available to us as we look at ethical behavior:
Our own value system, principles, beliefs.
Our desire to work together – as a team.
Our ability to organize others toward a common good.
Our personal accountability to our position – people are counting on you to do the right thing.
Our personal regard for the law. Doing the “right” thing does matter. Laws provide structure and offer security and stability.

How do leaders behave when personal gain collides with the “common good?” How do they respond to ethical dilemmas? Ethical Dilemmas

Ethical leaders build strong organizations by paying attention to some of the following character fundamentals:
Respect for self, others, the organization, and the mission of the organization and its work
Loyalty to the organization and the team
Commitment to serve others
Honesty and integrity
Humility and kindness
Courage and persistence.

Quick Tests of Ethical Behavior
If everyone acted this way, would it be good for my family, for my community?
If you always acted this way, what kind of person would you become?
If your children or parents read about this in the newspaper, what would they think of you?
If you were treated this way, how would you feel?
Are you making special exemptions for yourself or your interests which you would not apply to all others in the same situation?

Ethical leaders work to earn respect.
They set the tone.
They must not just “talk the talk,” but “walk the talk.”
When confronted with ethical dilemmas, ethical leaders ask:
Is it legal?
Is it balanced?
How will I feel about myself?
Leadership requires discipline, perseverance, and ethical behavior.

Guidelines for ethical questions
Evaluate the information.
What happened?
Who was involved?
Is the information reliable?
Do you have all the facts?

Consider everyone involved.
How might your decision affect relevant stakeholders?
Think of the employees involved, their coworkers, the organization, and the community.
Are the issues important enough to everyone who will be touched by what you do?

Think about the values involved.
Does the situation conflict with a clear- cut ethical value prized by your organization?
Do any values conflict with each other?

Make your decision.
Take into account both the interests of all the relevant stakeholders and the important values involved.
Act on your decision. Follow up and hold yourself accountable for implementation and evaluation.

Ethical leaders watch carefully comments such as: “ Well, maybe just this once… No one will ever know… It doesn’t matter how it gets done as long as it gets done… Everyone does it… No one will get hurt, unless you tell… What’s in it for me? We didn’t have this conversation.”

Maxims of Ethical Leaders
You are what you do.
The means are the ends.
Consistency is important.
Promises are the lifeblood of integrity.
All accountability starts with self.
Effective decision-making requires deliberation.
Competence and trust must be developed.
The truth matters.
Getting it right means listening well to others.
Humility is essential.

Maxims of Ethical Leadership
You are what you do.
People read your actions.
They do as you do.
They look to you to set the example.
They see what you value and reward.

The means are the ends.
Ethical behavior is a process.
You cannot have ethical outcomes unless you have an ethical process.
Every process we set up is a means to an end.
People want respect in the process even if they do not get their way in the outcome.

Consistency is important.
What you demand of others you must be willing to give of yourself.
We must strive for fairness.
Working hard to do the “right” thing is essential to being viewed as an ethical leader.

Promises are the lifeblood of integrity.
Your word is your bond with others.
All trust is predicated on your ability to keep your promises.
Others rely upon us.
When we break promises we betray others in the deepest sense.
Betrayal of trust hurts and lingers long after all else because it cuts so deeply into others who rely upon us and our ability to act with integrity.

All accountability starts with self.
Without personal accountability, no amount of planning and system measurement matters.
When we do what we say, we are accountable.

Effective decision-making requires deliberation.
Successful outcomes require thoughtful analysis and weighing the consequences of our actions.

Competence and trust must be developed.
Leaders must deliver on outcomes to gain the support and trust of the public.
Leadership is action, not position.
Honesty and respect for others will gain loyalty and trust.

The truth matters.
You cannot build trust without the truth.
If we lie or mislead, we take away other freedoms we enjoy. We sever accountability; we destroy the credibility of the institution when we are dishonest.
Respect from others requires telling the truth.

Getting it right means listening well.
Listening is the ultimate act of respect for another person.
You must listen well to be an ethical leader.

Humility is essential for ethical leadership.
Humility is the capacity to realize leadership is not about the leader; it is about the people and what they need.
Humble leaders step back when credit is due and forward when criticism is forthcoming.

Ethical leadership is hard work.
It takes a great deal of courage, integrity, and character development.
These leaders lead from within – with temperament, intellect, and integrity.
They know that without trust, they cannot lead effectively.
Ethical leaders focus on people, fostering relationships and sharing responsibility.
They display courage and accept conflict while leading from the front, not from behind.
These leaders keep hope alive and build capacity within the organization.
Ethical leaders know the work is hard, but the rewards are worth the effort.

“Waste no time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.” Marcus Aurelius

COLLABORATION IS KEY!

Wsu Ethical Leadership February 2007

by WSU Cougars on Mar 20, 2010

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Wsu Ethical Leadership February 2007 — Presentation Transcript