Ethics
The Heart of Leadership
PLC 2007
Ethics Defined
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A system for thinking about
What we should do
What we should be
It is about right, wrong, good, and evil
The relationship of humans to each other
and to the world/cosmos
The Four Dilemma Paradigms
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Truth versus Loyalty
Individual versus Community
Short-term versus Long-term
Justice versus Mercy
Truth vs. Loyalty
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Confidentiality
Honesty
Friendship
Being true to your word
Individual vs. Community
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Honoring individual rights
Serving the community
Short-term vs. Long-term
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Immediate and important concerns
Life-long and important concerns
Justice vs. Mercy
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Legally right
Morally right
The death penalty and minors
All Real Dilemmas
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Involve real people, real situations
Whose dilemma is this?
Never Sui Generis
Each value is right
Each value appears to exclude the other
Analysis of a dilemma is not a resolution
of it
3 Principles to test the twin rights of
a dilemma
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Three ways of thinking about issues
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Ends-based
Rule-based
Care-based
Ends-based Thinking
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Utilitarianism or
Do whatever produces the greatest good
for the greatest number
Cost benefit analysis
The staple of public policy
Rule-based Thinking
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Kant’s “the categorical imperative”
Follow only the principle that you want
everyone else to follow
Create and follow a universal standard
(Duty)
Opposed to utilitarianism – can’t know the
entire consequences of our actions
Care-based Thinking
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Golden Rule “Do to others what you
would like them to do to you.”
Empathetic living / walking in another’s
shoes
How would it feel if you were the recipient
rather than the perpetrator of your
actions?
The Point
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These tests will not deliver an airtight
answer to your dilemma.
They are not a magic answer kit that
produces an infallible solution.
They are ways to exercise our moral
rationality.
They are lenses that will give us focus on
how to proceed to cope with difficult
choices.
John W. Gardner "Moral
Dimension"
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"ULTIMATELY LEADERS ARE JUDGED
WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF VALUES.“
Justice
2.
Liberty
3.
Equality of opportunity
4.
Dignity of the individual
Sanctity of private religious beliefs
1.
5.
Violations of Moral Leadership
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Leader inflicts cruelty on constituents. (Idi
Amin's 100,000 or Stalin's 10-15 million)
Leader encourages violations of norms of the
culture. (K.K.K.)
Leader utilizes violations of norms as a
source of motivation and power. (Papa Doc
Duvalier or The Ayatollah Khomeini)
Leader establishes and maintains an unhealthy
dependencies in constituents. (James Jones
or David Koresh)
Leader destroys previous processes that
generated commonly shared values and
norms. (Mussolini or Mao Tse Tung)
Adolf Hitler
The end justifies the means
 Extol the virtues of heroic war
Control reality (distortions) by all means
necessary
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Moral leadership within the
American Culture should be able to
1.
2.
3.
4.
Facilitate, encourage, and develop processes
that enable and empower others to create
possibilities above and beyond the status quo.
Balance individual and corporate needs and
purposes (the greater good vs. special interest
groups).
Defend and preserve shared laws, customs,
beliefs, and norms
Encourage active participation on the part of
others in establishing and pursuing shared
goals.
The Paradoxes of Moral
Leadership
As a culture we want
 Leaders who don’t
hunger for power
 Leaders who serve
the common good
 To dislike paternalism
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To bemoan lack of
leadership
But at the same time
 The power hungry get
the positions
 Serve our special
interests
 Love Father/mother
figures
 We do not treat our
leaders very well