Leadership Ethics
Adapted from:
Northouse, 5th edition
Chapter 15
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Leadership Ethics Perspective
Ethical Theories
Principles of Ethical Leadership
Diverse Ethical Perspectives
How Does the Leadership Ethical Perspective Work?
Overview
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Leadership Ethics Description
Ethics
Is a derivative of the Greek word ethos, meaning customs, conduct, or character
Is concerned with the kinds of values and morals an individual or society ascribes as desirable or appropriate
Focuses on the virtuousness of individuals and their motives
Ethical Theory
Provides a system of rules or principles as a guide in making decisions about what is right/wrong and good/bad in a specific situation
Provides a basis for understanding what it means to be a morally decent human being
Definition & Theory
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Development of ethical theory goes back to Plato and Aristotle. Aristotle first used the term "ethics" to name a field of study developed by his predecessors Socrates and Plato.
Leadership Ethics Description
Ethics & Leadership
Has to do with what leaders do and who leaders are
It is concerned with the nature of the leaders’ behavior and their virtuousness
In any decision-making situation, ethical issues are either implicitly or explicitly involved
What choices leaders make and how they respond in a particular circumstance are informed and directed by their ethics
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Research suggested that the ethical theory (Northouse, 2001) provides a system of rules or principles that guide us in making decisions about what are “right or wrong” and “good or bad” in a particular situation. It provides a basis for understanding what it means to be a morally decent human being. Ethics has to do with what (Northhouse, 2001) leaders do and who they are. It is concerned with the nature of leaders’ behavior and their virtuousness. In any decision-making situation, ethical issues are either implicitly or explicitly involved.
Ethical Theories
Two Broad Domains: Theories about leaders’ conduct and about leaders’ character
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Ethical theory (Northouse, 2001) provides a set of principles that guides leaders in making decisions about how to act and how to be a morally decent person. In the Western tradition, ethical theories are typically divided into two kinds: theories about conduct and character. Theories about conduct emphasize the consequences of leader behavior (teleological approach) or the rules that govern their behavior (deontological approach). Virtue-based theories focus on the character of leaders, and they stress qualities such as courage, honesty, fairness, and fidelity.
Ethical Theories
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Ethical Egoism – An individual should act to create the greatest good for themselves. A leaders should take a career that they would selfishly enjoy (Avolio & Locke, 2002). This is closely related to transactional leadership theories. For example, a middle-level manager who wants their team to be the best in the company is acting out of ethical egoism.
Utilitarianism – We should act to create he greatest good for the greatest number. Maximize the social benefits while minimizing the social costs (Shumann, 2001). Example: when the US government allocates a large portion of the federal budget to the health care instead of catastrophic illness, it is acting out of the utilitarian ethics.
Altruism – This is the opposite of Ethical Egoism and is concerned with showing the best interest for others even when it runs contrary to self-interest. Authentic transformational leadership is based on altruistic behavior (Bass, Steidlmeier, 1999).
Ethical Theories
Teleological Theories: focus on consequences of leaders’ actions, results
Three different approaches to making decisions regarding moral conduct –
Ethical egoism (create greatest good for the leader)
Closely related to transactional leadership theories
Example: leader takes a political stand on an issue for no other reason than to get re-elected
CONDUCT
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Consequences (Theological theories) – Focus on what is right and what is wrong.
Ethical Theories
Teleological Theories, cont’d.
Three different approaches to making decisions regarding moral conduct –
Utilitarianism (create greatest good for greatest number)
Example: leader distributes scarce resources so as to maximize benefit to everyone, while hurting the fewest; preventive healthcare vs. catastrophic illnesses
Altruism (show concern for best interests of others)
Authentic transformational leadership is based on altruistic principles
Example: the work of Mother Theresa, who gave her entire life to help the poor
CONDUCT
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Ethical Theories
Deontological Theories: duty driven, for example, relates not only to consequences but also to whether action itself is good
Focuses on the actions of the leader and his/her moral obligation and responsibilities to do the right thing
Example: telling the truth, keeping promises, being fair
CONDUCT
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Duty (Deontological Theories)
This is telling the truth, keeping promises, being fair, independent of the consequences.
Actions should not infringe on others' rights and should not further the moral rights of others.
Ethical Theories
Virtue-based Theories: about 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
Virtues present within person’s disposition, and practice makes good values habitual
Examples: courage, honesty, fairness, justice, integrity, humility
CHARACTER
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Leader's character (Who they are)
Virtue-based theories –
• These are not innate, but can be acquired.
• They are rooted in heart of the individual and in their disposition.
• It focuses on telling people "what to be" as opposed of "what to do"
Examples include courage, temperance, generosity, self-control, honesty, sociability, modesty, fairness, and justice.
This theory is about being and becoming a worthy human being.
Centrality of Ethics to Leadership
Influence dimension of leadership requires the leader to have an impact on the lives of followers
Power and control differences create enormous ethical responsibility for leader’s
Respect for persons – sensitive to followers’ own interests, and needs
Leaders help to establish and reinforce organizational values – an ethical climate
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Ethics plays a central role in the leadership process.
Diverse Perspectives of Leadership
Heifetz’s Perspective
Emphasizes how leaders help followers to confront conflicting values & to effect change from conflict
Ethical perspective that speaks directly to –
Values of workers
Values of organizations and the communities in which they work
Leaders use authority to mobilize followers to
Get people focused on issues
Act as a reality test regarding information
Manage and frame issues
Orchestrate conflicting perspectives
Facilitate the decision-making process
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Several prominent scholars – Heifetz, Burns and Greenleaf – they’ve made unique contributions to our understanding of ethical leadership –
The theme that is common to all 3 – is an ethic of caring – which pays attention to followers needs and the importance of leader-follower relationships.
Heifetz’ – A psychiatrist who observed world leaders.
His approach emphasizes how leaders help followers confront conflict and effect changes from conflict. It’s about helping followers deal with conflicting values that emerge in rapidly changing work environments and social cultures.
His approach deals with values. Leaders must utilize authority to immobilize people to face tough issues.
The leader provides the holding environment in which there is trust, nurturance, and empathy.
The leader's duty is to assist followers in struggling with change and personal growth.
Diverse Perspectives of Leadership
Heifetz’s Perspective
Emphasizes how, cont’d.
Leaders use authority to mobilize followers to
Get people focused on issues
Act as a reality test regarding information
Manage and frame issues
Orchestrate conflicting perspectives
Facilitate the decision-making process
Leader provides a holding environment, a supportive context in which there is –
Trust, nurturance & empathy
Leaders duties –
Assist the follower in struggling with change and personal growth
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Diverse Perspectives of Leadership
Burn’s Perspective
Theory of Transformational Leadership
Strong emphasis on followers’ needs, values & morals
Leaders help followers in their personal struggles concerning conflicting values
Stressing values such as:
Liberty
Justice
Equality
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Transformational leadership places a strong emphasis on followers' needs, values, and morals.
It involves attempts by leaders to move followers to higher standards of responsibility.
It is the responsibility of the leader to help followers assess their own values and needs in order to raise them to a higher level of functioning, to a level that will stress values such a liberty, justice, and equality
Diverse Perspectives of Leadership
Burn’s Perspective
Theory of Transformational Leadership, cont’d.
Connection between leader & follower
Raises level of morality of both
Leader’s Role
Assist followers in assessing their values & needs
Help followers to rise to a higher level of functioning
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Diverse Perspectives of Leadership
Greenleaf’s Perspective
Servant Leadership – has strong altruistic ethical overtones
Leaders –
focus on & attentive to needs of followers
empathize with followers
take care of and nurture followers
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Leadership has a moral dimension
Greenleaf developed a paradoxical approach to leadership called "Servant leadership" in 1970s
It gained increased popularity in recent years.
It has a strong altruistic ethical overtone and emphasizes that leaders should be attentive to concerns or their followers.
He argued that leadership was bestowed on a person who is by nature a servant. The way an individual becomes a leader is by first being a servant.
A servant leader focuses on the needs of the followers and helps them become more knowledgeable, more free, more autonomous and more like servants themselves.
Servant leader has a social responsibility to be concerned with the have-nots and to recognize them as equal stakeholders in the organization.
Greenleaf places a great deal of emphasis on listening, empathy, and unconditional acceptance of others.
Many of these ethical theories emphasis that the relationship between leader-follower is an "ethical" one and it’s related to the "caring principle"(Gilligan, 1982).
Diverse Perspectives of Leadership
Greenleaf’s Perspective
Leader has a social responsibility to be concerned with “have-nots” in the organization and:
Remove inequalities & social injustices
Uses less institutional power
Uses less control
Shifts authority to followers
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Diverse Perspectives of Leadership
Greenleaf’s Perspective
Servant Leadership Values:
Involvement
Respect
Trust
Individual strength
Follower Needs
Become more knowledgeable
More autonomous
Become more like servants
Listening
Empathy
Unconditional acceptance
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Diverse Perspectives of Leadership
Research –1999-2002
Includes wide range of concepts focused on:
Identifying attributes of service leadership
Examining conceptual frameworks of servant leadership
Developing instruments to measure servant leadership
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Leadership has a moral dimension
Ethical Leadership
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Northouse has listed five principles of ethical leadership. Actually the origins of these can be traced back to Aristotle. These principles provide a foundation for the development of sound ethical leadership. According to these principles ethical leaders respect others, serve others, are just, are honest and build community. To be an ethical leader, we must be sensitive to the needs of others, treat others in ways that are just and care for others.
Principles of Ethical Leadership
Ethics – is central to leadership because of:
The process of influence
The need to engage followers to accomplish mutual goals
The impact leaders have on establishing the organization’s values
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Three points that reinforce the impact a leader has on followers, and the responsibility leaders have to be sensitive to how their leadership affects followers lives and why Ethics is central to leadership, because of: The process of influence …..
Principles of Ethical Leadership
Respects
Others
Leader shall:
Treat 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
Leader behaviors:
– Listens closely to subordinates
– Is empathic
– Is tolerant of opposing viewpoints
Treating others as ends (their own goals)
rather than as means (to leaders’ personal goals)
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Principles of Ethical Leadership
Leader’s have –
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
Follower-centered – Based on the altruistic principle of placing followers foremost in the leader’s plans
Leader behaviors
Mentoring behaviors
Empowerment behaviors
Team building behaviors
Citizenship behaviors
Serves
Others
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Principles of Ethical Leadership
Leader’s shall –
adhere to principles of distributive justice
Leader behaviors
All subordinates are treated in an equal manner
In special treatment/special consideration situations, grounds for differential treatment are clear, reasonable, and based on sound moral values
Ethical leaders are concerned with issues of fairness and justice; they place issues of fairness at the center of their decision making
Shows
Justice
Ethical leaders are concerned (Northouse, 2001) about issues of fairness and justice. They make it a top priority to treat all of their subordinates in an equal manner. Justice demands that leaders place issues of fairness at the center of their decision making.
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Principles of Ethical Leadership
Principles of Ethical Leadership
Leaders:
Are not deceptive
Tell the truth with a balance of openness and candor while monitoring what is appropriate to disclose in a particular situation
Honest leaders are authentic but also sensitive to the feelings and attitudes of others
Leader behaviors
Don’t promise what you can’t deliver
Don’t suppress obligations
Don’t evade accountability
Don’t accept “survival of the fittest” pressures
Acknowledge and reward honest behavior in the organization
Manifests
Honesty
Principles of Ethical Leadership
Concern for common good means leaders cannot impose their will on others; they search for goals that are compatible with everyone.
Ethical Leaders & Followers
take into account purposes of everyone in the group, and
reach out beyond their own mutually defined goals to wider community
Leader behaviors
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
Builds
Community
How Does the Ethical Leadership Perspective Work?
Strengths
Criticisms
Application
Strengths
Provides a body of timely research on ethical issues
Provides direction on how to think about ethical leadership and how to practice it
Suggests that leadership is not an amoral phenomenon and that ethics should be considered as integral to the broader domain of leadership
Highlights principles and virtues that are important in ethical leadership development
Criticisms
Lacks a strong body of traditional research findings to substantiate the theoretical foundations
Relies heavily on writings of just a few individuals that are primarily descriptive and anecdotal in nature, and are strongly influenced by personal opinion and a particular worldview
Application
Can be applied to individuals at all levels of organization and in all walks of life
Because leadership has a moral dimension, being a leader demands awareness on our part of the way our ethics defines our leadership
Managers and leaders can use information on ethics to understand themselves and strengthen their own leadership
Leaders can use ethical principles as benchmarks for their own behavior
Leaders can learn that leader-follower relationship is central to ethical leadership
Questions???
