Leadership Ethics: An Introduction Ronald F. White, Ph.D. Professor of Philosophy College of Mount St. Joseph

Topics Ontology of Organizational Leadership The Great Man Theory of Leadership Enduring Bias Within the Great Man Tradition Prescriptive Moral Theories Discussion Questions

Ontology of “Leadership Theory” Key Concepts in Leadership Theory – Organizations – Leaders – Followers – Relationships

Organizations What is an Organization? (Facts) – Organizations as cooperative/competitive communities Political, Business, Public (governmental), Military, Private (non-governmental), Athletic, Musical etc… What is a “Good Organization.” (Values) – Organizational Ends-worthiness of goals What does the organization attempt to do? (Descriptive) Are these ends good? (Prescriptive ) – Organizational Means-efficiency Are the means of achieving that end ethical? At what cost?

Leaders What is a leader? (Descriptive) – How do you become a leader? Natural Leadership – Biology » emergence – Social Science How do you lose leadership? What is a good/bad leader? (Prescriptive) – How do you become a good (or bad) leader?

Followers What is a follower? (Descriptive) – How do you become a follower? Biology- Social Science What is a good/bad follower? (Prescriptive) – How do you become a “good” (or bad) follower?

Relationships Descriptive Relationships: – How do leaders and followers relate to one another in the “real world?” (is) – How should leaders and followers relate to one another? (ought)

History of Great Man Theory of Leadership Great Man Theory – origins Refinements to Great Man Theory – Trait Theory – Behavior Theory – Relational Theory Transformative Leadership Theory Social Psychology – Contextual Theory Complexity Theory Evolutionary Leadership Theory

Enduring Biases Within the Great Man Tradition DESCRIPTIVE BIASES – LEADER BIAS: Followers are only “passive” responders to effective leadership, therefore, leadership ethics trumps followership ethics. Blame the leaders not the followers – HUMAN BIAS: Only human beings organize themselves, naturally, based on leadership and followership. – NATURE OR NURTURE BIAS: Leaders are either “born not made” (Nature) or “made not born.” (Nurture) – MALE BIAS: Leaders are always men. – HEROIC BIAS: Great leaders are “active” and accomplish “heroic acts.” – MACRO BIAS: Bring about macro-level, revolutionary social change Lower-level leadership is less important PRESCRIPTIVE BIASES – ETHICAL LEADERSHIP BIAS: Immoral and/or ineffective leaders are not “real leaders” “ The Hitler Problem” – MORAL ABSOLUTES BIAS: Ethical Leadership involves conformity to universal moral rules, even at the expense of efficacy and efficiency No “Dirty Hands” – INTERNAL MENTAL STATES BIAS: Ethical leadership is about internal states such as motives, intents, beliefs etc. Ethical leaders morally “transform” malleable internal states of followers. Rejection of “transactional leadership” (needs more research on incentives and disincentives) “Nudge” – ALTRUISTIC MOTIVATION BIAS: Altruistic motivation is necessary and sufficient for ethical leadership Altruistic motives always trump efficacy Moral absolutes

Prescriptive Moral Theories Cognitive Moral Theories – Virtue-Based Theories- » Good Leaders/followers are virtuous – Teleological Theories- » Good Leaders/followers are effective – Duty-Based Theories- » Good Leaders/followers follow rules Non-Cognitive Moral Theories – Emotivism – Constructivism – Feminist Ethics Subjectivist Theories – Cultural relativism » There are no universal standards for ethical leadership » Good Leaders/Followers are contextually sensitive

Discussion Questions Are there at least some universal facts of leadership that transcend context, or is leadership entirely contextual? – Are these universal facts embedded in human nature that transcend context, or is leadership contextual? Are those facts shaped by biological determinants, cultural determinants, or both? Are leaders born, made, or both? Are there universal values of leadership that transcend context, or is leadership ethics contextual? – Are “good leaders” virtuous, effective, or dutiful? – Are “good leaders” born, made, or both? Are prescriptive moral values descriptive biological facts? Are values discovered via scientific research? Are all prescriptive moral values descriptive cultural facts? – Are values invented and transmitted via cultural evolution? Is there a difference between large-group morality and small group morality, or are the product of one single set of biological facts?