Developing Ethical Leadership Behaviours

Graphic showing the importance of ethical leadership in building trust, long terms success, improving employee moral, legal complaince and reputational preservation.

Ethics and ethical decision-making are crucial for authentic leaders for several reasons:

Trust and Credibility: Authentic leaders prioritize ethical behaviour, which fosters trust and credibility among their followers. Leaders who act ethically build stronger relationships and a supportive organizational culture.
Consistency with Values: Authentic leaders are true to their values and principles. Ethical decision-making ensures that their actions align with these values, reinforcing their authenticity and integrity.
Long-Term Success: Ethical decisions contribute to sustainable success. By considering the broader impact of their actions, authentic leaders can promote positive outcomes for their organizations, employees, and stakeholders.
Role Modeling: Leaders set the tone for the organization. By demonstrating ethical behaviour, they inspire others to act similarly, creating a culture of accountability and responsibility.
Resilience During Challenges: In times of crisis, ethical leaders are more likely to make decisions that reflect their core values, which can guide their teams through difficult situations and maintain morale.
Reputation Management: Ethical leadership helps protect an organization’s reputation. In today’s interconnected world, ethical lapses can lead to significant public backlash and damage to brand image.
Employee Engagement and Retention: Organizations led by ethical leaders tend to have more engaged employees. When individuals feel their leaders act with integrity, they are more likely to be committed and stay with the organization.

At its core, ethics and ethical decision-making are essential to genuine leadership. They influence not only how leaders are viewed but also their ability to genuinely inspire and guide their teams with confidence.

Ethics refers to the branch of philosophy that deals with questions of morality, values, and principles that govern human conduct.

an abstract image with yellow, blue, black and brown swirling colours

Ethics involves examining what is right and wrong, good and bad, fair and unfair, and just and unjust and seeks to determine how individuals should act in personal and social contexts and often involves the study of moral duties, rights, and obligations.

Abstract Artwork Credit: Fons Heijnsbroek, abstract art https://heijnsbroek.exto.org/

At its core, ethics explores how people ought to behave, considering factors like::

Moral principles: What standards or guidelines should guide human behaviour?

Values: What are the things people or societies deem important, such as honesty, fairness, or loyalty?

Consequences: What are the effects of our actions on others, society, or the environment?

Virtue: What qualities make someone a good or moral person?

Abstract Artwork Credit: Fons Heijnsbroek, abstract art https://heijnsbroek.exto.org

Ethics can be applied in many fields, including personal life, business, law, medicine, politics, and technology. It involves making decisions and taking actions that align with one's moral beliefs and societal expectations.

Abstract Artwork Credit: Fons Heijnsbroek, abstract art https://heijnsbroek.exto.org

Man covering his face as if in shame with six hands with index fingers pointing at him

Recent history demonstrates the importance of ethics in Leadership!

We discuss the reasons why Authentic Leaders concentrate on being the best and most ethical versions of themselves and these five cases are an example of why this is important.

Enron - The Enron scandal exemplifies catastrophic corporate fraud. Kenneth Lay, the CEO, implemented deceptive practices that ultimately led to the company’s downfall.

Worldcom—Concurrent with the Enron scandal, Worldcom, then the second-largest long-distance telecommunications company in the US, was embroiled in its crisis. CEO Bernard Ebbers concealed a massive debt of $400 million, which resulted in a significant drop in Worldcom’s stock value.

Tyco Case - Tyco, an extensive security and electronics firm, suffered significant corporate fraud when CEO Dennis Kozlowski and CFO Mark Schwartz were found guilty of siphoning funds to support their lavish lifestyles.

Hollinger International

Under CEO Conrad Black, Hollinger International grew to become one of the largest media conglomerates in the world after acquiring the Daily Telegraph, a British newspaper. Following an internal investigation in 2003, the board boarded Black regarding nearly $200 million in payments made to him and four other directors.

Yahoo Case

Scott Thompson took over as CEO of Yahoo in 2012, tasked with reviving the struggling company. However, a shareholder activist group soon alleged that Thompson had misrepresented his academic qualifications in his CV. This revealed the failure of the Board’s Appointments Committee to conduct a thorough investigation. This incident raised serious concerns regarding the fiduciary responsibilities of the involved Board members and led to potential disciplinary and legal actions from the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

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Modes of Learning and Content Delivery Strategies

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Program Delivery

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Learning Outcomes

Introduction

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Introduction to this course

About Ethics

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The Utilitarian Approach

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The Rights Based Approach

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Rights Based Approach to Ethics

The Fairness / Justice Approach

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The Justice Approach to Ethics

The Virtue Based Approach

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The Common Good Approach

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Ethical Decision Making

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Application of the Markkula Framework for Ethical Decision-Making to Common Ethical Dilemmas in Health and social care

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Additional Discretionary Reading

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Further Discretionary Reading

Choose a Pricing Option

$250

Single module purchase with 8 weeks access

This option provides access for eight (8) weeks to complete this module from the date of payment.

Single payment provides eight (8) weeks of access to the learning platform to complete this module.

2 payments of $135/month

Two payments plan

This option provides access for eight (8) weeks of access to the learning platform to complete the module with two equal payments four weeks apart.

This option requires an initial payment at the time of enrolment and then another payment four weeks later.

Other Courses required for Leading with Authenticity Certification

Be You - The importance of self-awareness and behavioural self control as a leader

This course explores self-awareness, self-confidence, emotional intelligence and other topics related to self-awareness which is fundamental principle of Authentic Leadership

Dr Richard Olley

$250

What is Your True North? Developing your moral compass as a leader

This course delves into the philosophical basis of ethics and the five essential ethical perspectives leaders use to navigate complex decision-making. Focusing on the intricacies of ethical decision-making, we demonstrate the Markkula Framework for Ethical Decision Making clearly and practically. By engaging with real-world ethical dilemmas that leaders often encounter, you’ll have the opportunity to apply the framework and hone your skills in arriving at sound moral decisions.

Dr Richard Olley

$250

It's Better Together - The relational orientation of authentic leaders

Dr Richard Olley

$250

Ethics refers to the branch of philosophy that deals with questions of morality, values, and principles that govern human conduct.

Ethics involves examining what is right and wrong, good and bad, fair and unfair, and just and unjust and seeks to determine how individuals should act in personal and social contexts and often involves the study of moral duties, rights, and obligations.

At its core, ethics explores how people ought to behave, considering factors like::

Moral principles: What standards or guidelines should guide human behaviour?

Values: What are the things people or societies deem important, such as honesty, fairness, or loyalty?

Consequences: What are the effects of our actions on others, society, or the environment?

Virtue: What qualities make someone a good or moral person?

Ethics can be applied in many fields, including personal life, business, law, medicine, politics, and technology. It involves making decisions and taking actions that align with one's moral beliefs and societal expectations.

Recent history demonstrates the importance of ethics in Leadership!

Choose a Pricing Option

Single module purchase with 8 weeks access

This option provides access for eight (8) weeks to complete this module from the date of payment.

Two payments plan

This option provides access for eight (8) weeks of access to the learning platform to complete the module with two equal payments four weeks apart.

Other Courses required for Leading with Authenticity Certification

Be You - The importance of self-awareness and behavioural self control as a leader

This course explores self-awareness, self-confidence, emotional intelligence and other topics related to self-awareness which is fundamental principle of Authentic Leadership

What is Your True North? Developing your moral compass as a leader

It's Better Together - The relational orientation of authentic leaders

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