Introduction to Leadership
Concepts and Practice
Peter G. Northouse
Chapter 10:
Addressing Ethics in Leadership
© 2009 SAGE
Discussion Questions
Are there times when “the ends justify
the means” in leadership?
Have you experienced times when
someone’s leadership has been
questionable?
How did it make you feel?
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Ethical Leadership
Leadership has a moral dimension because
leaders influence the lives of others
There is an obligation to work for the common
good
Despite this there have been a number of
scandals in the business and the public sector
As a result we are becoming suspicious of our
leaders, yet still seek moral leadership
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Factors of Ethical Leadership
Factors include:
The character of the leader
The actions of the leader
The goals of the leader
The honesty of the leader
The power of the leader,and
The values of the leader
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Factors Related to Ethical Leadership
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Character of the Leader
A leader with strong character is seen
as a good & honorable human being
Character refers to the disposition &
core values of the leader
Aristotle argued that a moral person
demonstrates the virtues of courage,
generosity, self-control, honesty,
sociability, modesty, fairness, & justice
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Character of the Leader
Character is something that is
developed
Schools are including character
education in curricula
There is a focus on training
students to be good citizens
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Character of the Leader
The Josephson Institute (2008) has
identified 6 dimensions of character:
Trustworthiness
Respect
Responsibility
Fairness
Caring
Citizenship
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Actions of the Leader
The way a leader goes about his or her
work determines whether or not he or
she is an ethical leader
We must ask, “Do the ends justify the
means?”
Ethical leadership involves using
morally appropriate actions to
achieve goals
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Actions of the Leader
Almost everything a leader does has
ethical overtones
A leader rewarding some people & not
others raises questions of fairness
Ignoring health problems & demanding
that a job be done quickly raises
questions about the leader’s
compassion
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Actions of the Leader
Three ethical standards emerge from the
research into ethical leadership
Showing respect
Respect requires valuing others’ ideas and affirming
them as unique human beings
Serving others
The leader places others’ interests foremost in his or
her work, & acts in ways that will benefit all
Showing justice
Justice demands that a leader place the issue of
fairness at the center of decision making
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Goals of the Leader
Identifying & pursuing just & worthy goals are
the most important steps an ethical leader will
undertake
The goals incorporate many perspectives:
The interests of others in the group or
organization
The interests of the community
The larger culture in which they work
An ethical leader tries to establish goals on
which all parties can mutually agree
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Goals of the Leader
Effective leaders need to reward group members
for achieving results
Rewarding results is a very practical,
straightforward process & it is something that every
leader can do
This includes paying attention to group members,
offering encouragement & giving them personalized
appreciation
This can be dramatic (e.g., a dinner celebration) or
simple actions (e.g. a short email)
Members feel valued & there is a greater sense of
group identity & community spirit
© 2009 SAGE
Honesty of the Leader
More than any other quality, people want their
leaders to be honest
Being honest is synonymous with being ethical
Dishonesty has a negative effect on a leader’s
interpersonal relationships
Dishonesty, even when used with good
intentions, contributes to the breakdown of
relationships
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Honesty of the Leader
There are times when telling the complete
truth can be destructive or
counterproductive
The challenge for a leader includes:
striking a balance between being open
& being candid
at the same time, monitoring what is
appropriate to disclose in a particular
situations
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Power of the Leader
Power is the capacity to influence or
affect others
A leader has power because of the
ability to affect others’ beliefs,
attitudes, and courses of action
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Power of the Leader
French and Raven (1959) identified five
common and important bases of power:
Referent power
Expert power
Legitimate power
Reward power
Coercive power
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Power of the Leader
Referent power is based on follower’s
identification and liking for the leader
ex. A college professor who is highly
admired by students
Expert power is based on the
followers’ perceptions of the leader’s
competence
ex. A person with strong knowledge about
a software program
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Power of the Leader
Legitimate power is associated with
having status or formal job authority
ex. A judge presiding over a court case
Reward power is derived from having
the capacity to provide benefits to
others
ex. A supervisor who can give bonuses to
employees
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Power of the Leader
Coercive power is derived from
being able to punish or penalize
others
ex. A professor who can lower a
student’s grade for missing class
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Values of the Leader
Values are the ideas, beliefs, and modes of
action that people find worthwhile or
desirable
James MacGregor Burns suggested that
there are three kinds of leadership values:
Ethical values – such as kindness and altruism
Modal values – such as responsibility &
accountability
End values – such as justice and community
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Summary
There is high demand for ethical leadership
today
Ethical leadership is comprised of the
character, actions, goals, honesty, power
& values of the leader
Ethical leadership has many dimensions
To be an ethical leader, you need to pay
attention to who you are, what you do,
what goals you seek, your honesty, the
way you use power & your values
© 2009 SAGE