Module 3 Standing Up for Ethical Values

Module3Ethics and Me: Individual Frameworks

Reflection Blog: Standing up for Ethical Values

Prompt

In The Importance of Being an Ethical Leader (Northeastern University),  author Les Stein talks about how ethics are the foundation of great leadership. Stein indicates that one could not identify oneself as a type of leader without an ethical mindset. 

Reflect on your ethical mindset and discuss what drives you. 

Address the following questions:

  • What ethical values are critical and make you, you? 
  • What are some situations (personally or professionally) where you had to draw a line in the sand and take a stand against something because it violated your ethical principles?

Standing Up for Ethical Values


Prompt 1

    According to Stein (2020), there is no one perfect model for effective leadership, but “every leader must behave ethically,” and be the centerpiece of any leadership foundation. Something unique about ethics, however, is that every person has a different take. There are arguably some universal morals and virtues, such as do not kill, but others are debatable depending on someone’s background like cultural norms. Regardless, ethical dilemmas, “when two values are in conflict,” are an aspect of life every leader will inevitably face (Stein, 2020). How one handles an ethical dilemma is important. Many leaders “rely on emotion rather than an objective framework that could help them consider their options” which leads to poor decision-making as “each situation needs to be evaluated objectively and…emotions need to be kept under control” (Stein, 2020). Objectivity is essential due to the variety in individual ethics, as are expectations that go along with objectivity, in order to be fair and virtuous.

    An ethical mindset requires an understanding of what is morally right versus wrong and acting on those principles to correct one's behavior in one's own life while also becoming more aware of situations where ethical boundaries are crossed and ethical dilemmas lie. Self-reflection and critical thinking skills are essential in developing a robust ethical mindset. A question I like to ask myself when I make a decision involving others is: What are the impacts to those around me and am I doing something that could impact them negatively or appear as unethical to someone else? By evaluating myself in these circumstances, I become more aware of my actions and how I can best help others in an objective manner.

    One of my strongest ethical values is to be transparent in my values and beliefs, and to stay true to them even when faced with adversity. Issa (2009) explains that self-identity must be fortified through "balance, truth seeking, making a difference, and demonstrating professionalism, deriving from the strength rooted in individual's inner-self." Examples of integrity checks occur quite frequently in my office because teams typically work in groups to accomplish projects. Each member of the team has their strengths and weaknesses such that each excels in differing areas from one another. Recently, one of the group members who I was supervising took the lead on a project involving data analysis of military members within a certain geographic location. One person completed 90% of the work but the project had everyone's name on it once it was turned in. When I went to the team leader to give feedback about the project and congratulate the team on a job well done, it was to my surprise that the leader accepted all the compliments, kudos, and accolades for their self and did not express any gratitude towards the contributions of the rest of the group, especially to the person who completed most of the work. 

    In my opinion, this action, although not life or death, is not the most virtuous way to act as part of team. Regardless of the levels of contributions of each team member, each person plays a role, and above-and-beyond effort should be recognized. In this situation, the actions of the team leader induced lasting effects on the team in a way that promoted a culture of dishonesty and injustice. Shamir et al. (1993) compounds on this lesson by stating, "Ethical leaders motivate followers to internalize ethics-related values of the organization and that through this internalization they engage follower ethics-related identities." Ultimately, I spoke to the lead and explained that followers watch what their leaders do and will develop habits based on their example; this can permeate through the organization and foster weak relationships, lessened work ethics, and poor leadership.

    Ethical voice encourages people to speak up about one's concerns, to state one's ethical beliefs, and to stick to them. If people are willing to stand up for what they believe, then they are less likely to sway their beliefs when someone or somethings challenges them. By strengthening one's core beliefs, they will develop genuine tendencies that will be apparent when examining one's ethical mindset and voice. Ultimately, leaders should be willing to draw a line in the sand for objective ethical reasons. 

-Chad


References:

Issa, T. (2009). Ethical mindsets, aesthetics and spirituality: A mixed-methods approach analysis of the Australian services sector. Curtin University of Technology. http://espace.library. curtin.edu.au/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=131986&local_base=GEN01-ERA02
 
Shamir, B., House, R. J., & Arthur, M. B. (1993). The motivational effects of charismatic leadership: A self-concept based theory. Organization Science, 4(1), 577-594.

Stein, L. (2020, March 24). The importance of being an ethical leader. Northeastern University. https://graduate.northeastern.edu/resources/ethics-and-leadership/

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