Ethical Leadership: Moving to the Committed Stage
You mention the words “unethical behavior” in most environments and some people immediately start to feel uncomfortable. From an employee’s perspective, they feel uncomfortable because most of them can point to numerous examples where leaders didn’t fulfill their obligation to act ethically. From a leader’s perspective, the words “unethical behavior” immediately conjure up feelings of being judged or drives some to do a quick self-assessment of their ethical standards (just in case they are asked). The truth is most people are convinced ethical leadership is crucial to any environment. They can tell you the shortcomings of leaders involved in some of our most recent highly publicized scandals: Governor of New York, Enron, and WorldCom to name a few. Those closely associated with the events can tell you without hesitation the importance of ethical leadership. In short, they are convinced of the importance.
However, being convinced means little. It is often a feeling accompanied by no action. Some overweight people are convinced that overeating or poor diet is detrimental to their health, but it means nothing if the individuals take no corrective action. Most high school students are convinced good grades can lead to admission to better colleges and lead to better jobs, but some of them take no action to apply themselves academically.
Becoming an ethical leader is no different. Simply being “convinced” of the importance of ethical leadership is not enough. It takes “commitment”. Commitment requires action or a series of actions. Leaders need to learn from the very beginning the importance of committing themselves to ethical leadership and how to do it.
Exploring how to move from the “convinced” stage to the “committed” stage is a critical component of Ethical Leadership Seminars.
Ethical Leadership: Consider Things From Different Angles
Remember how the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was treated soon after the Katrina disaster? He wasn’t treated well at all. Few people, if anyone, gave him the benefit of the doubt when he stated he had clearly communicated the possible degree of the destruction before the hurricane hit.
We all learned some five months later from videotapes that the Director of FEMA had indeed communicated the potential danger to the highest levels of our government. Though the Director of FEMA, like countless others, made errors (blaming others, etc), the real lesson here as ethical leaders is we must avoid the “ready, fire, aim” mentality. We must consider things from different angles and resist the temptation to make snap judgments about people and situations.
Understand Yourself in Order to Better Understand Others
The Johari Window is a great tool for helping you gain a better understanding of yourself. The Theory has existed since the 1950’s. In listening to some of the recent news reports of leaders in the public and private sectors who have taken unethical turns, I wonder if this staple of a college course really resonated with them.
In short, the Theory says you have four areas: (1) Public Area – things you know about yourself that others also know – example, you’re a little overweight; (2) Unknown Area – things you don’t know about yourself and others don’t know either – example, how you might react during a fire; (3) Private Area – things you know about yourself but others don’t know – example, you have a fear of heights; and, (4) Blindspot Area – things others know about you but you don’t know about yourself – example, you talk too much. The key to the Johari Window is to learn as much about yourself as possible and to ultimately reduce the Blindspot Area. As you seek to become a leader known for his ethical standards and one who avoids unethical situations, honestly ask yourself the following questions: Read More…
Zero in on Unethical Behavior and Remove it from the Workplace
My favorite movie is the “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.” Clint Eastwood is an awesome actor. I’ve seen the movie so many times that when my family hears the famous theme “whistle” for the movie they run for cover. They know the movie is coming on TV and I’m going to try to find someone to spend the next 166 minutes with me watching the movie.The movie contains a lot of twists, turns, and characters who are good, bad, and ugly.
As ethical leaders, you encounter situations with twists and turns. You find yourself dealing with individuals who are mostly good, but some who are bad and ugly. No matter the circumstances, you must always work to create a positive and ethical work environment. Read More…
Ethical Leadership While Under Fire
“I’m responsible for everything that the patients and staff there [Building 18 at Walter Reed Army Medical Center] have to deal with. I felt that as a command we shouldn’t have allowed this to happen.”
In uttering these words during an exclusive interview with Tom Philpott of Military.com on March 6, five days after being relieved of command of the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command (which includes Walter Reed), Major General George W. Weightman did something that so few leaders in high-profile cases have done recently – he immediately took responsibility.
General Weightman’s ethical leadership is refreshing given the lack of responsibility expressed by leaders involved in unfortunate situations such as Enron, WorldCom, Abu Ghraib, HealthSouth, and more recent higher profile events. Read More…