The people who were recognized yesterday - and the organizations they represent - are all very powerful. Each of us has the ability to have (or take) power on a regular basis, whether it be a result of our position or our demeanor...and let me just say that I would encourage you to take that power. With great power does come great responsibility...a responsibility to make things happen for the common good...and to do so in an ethical manner.
So what does ethical leadership look like? How does one know that they are actually leading in a way that is ethical? While I would never hold myself out as an expert on ethics (I will leave that to my friend and colleague Dr. Carl Trovall), let me offer these few thoughts:
- ethical leadership considers the quiet or oppressed voice when making decisions
- ethical leadership asks more questions than has answers
- ethical leadership is never ashamed of its decisions
- ethical leadership is consistent - and when it does not look consistent is willing to explain why
- ethical leadership is transparent in a way that allows others to trust the decision making process
- ethical leadership does not allow unethical behavior among others
- ethical leadership asks the question of how decisions might impact those who are closest to the living out of those decisions (aka subsidiarity)
- ethical leadership is often described as caring and compassionate (even when an action might not seem so)
- ethical leadership is always balancing the good of the organization with the good of the individual
- ethical leadership will consistently provide a WHY for its decisions
- ethical leadership looks around the rooms and asks the question of who is not present that should be
- ethical leadership ensures that values are stated, talked about, upheld, and used in the decision making process
- ethical leadership invites all voices to the table - and listens closely to those voices that are different and seemingly negative
- ethical leadership upholds those act in an ethical manner to others, and raises them to levels of leadership so that the organization continues to think and behave in an ethical manner
That's my take on the day after being immersed in ethical discussions (both at the lunch and in other settings). My advice is to think deeply about this and then read on the topic, beginning with a great anthology entitled Ethics: The Essential Writings, a compendium of great minds considering this important topic, especially among those of us who are known as and called leaders.
2 comments:
glad to see things continue to move along with the EIB....
Personality assessments are questionnaires designed to reveal aspects of an individual's psychological makeup. The first personality assessments were developed in the 1920s, primarily to ease the process of personnel selection in the armed forces. Since then, though, many personality type assessments have been developed, including the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), True Colors, the Kiersey Temperament Sorter, the Kirton Adaption Innovation Inventory, and the Personality and Preference Inventory. Due to the large number of personality type assessments available, this publication series will focus on a small number of assessments. Several of the more informal assessments are available for free online. For a more formal assessment, typically a certified professional administers the assessment and helps interpret the results.
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