United States Fire Administration Chief Officer Training Curriculum Leadership Module 5: Concepts in Ethical Leadership

United States Fire Administration LDR 5-2 Objectives  Analyze how individual ethical behavior impacts decision-making and leadership in organizational and life settings  Recognize the risks and rewards of ethical/principled decision-making  Identify ethical dilemmas and utilize appropriate models for making effective ethical decisions  Evaluate leadership responsibility as it relates to ethics and values within the fire department

United States Fire Administration LDR 5-3 Overview  Opportunity to explore personal leadership development needs and to apply concepts of ethical leadership  Gain an understanding of the basic concepts of ethical leadership  Participate in analysis and application of the various of ethical decision-making models

United States Fire Administration LDR 5-4 Concepts in Ethical Leadership  Process used to determine correct thinking and behavior  The study of ethics grew out of philosophy, and ethics is a subset of that discipline  One studies ethical systems in the context of decision-making  You will discuss several ethical systems and apply them to decision-making

United States Fire Administration LDR 5-5 What is Morality?  Morality is concerned with the question of right and wrong  It focuses on the ability to distinguish between the two and justify those distinctions

United States Fire Administration LDR 5-6 Personal Values/Ethical Behavior  Have a profound impact on one’s ethical behavior  Invest priority time in the development of personal values assessment  Reinforce them  Make them a meaningful part of your everyday life  Since ethical behavior deals with “ought to” decisions, values form a basis of ethical decision-making

United States Fire Administration LDR 5-7 Concepts in Ethical Leadership  Michael Josephson states: –“The terms values and ethics are not interchangeable. Ethics is concerned with how a moral person should behave, whereas values simply concern the various beliefs and attitudes that determine how a person actually behaves. Some values concern ethics when they pertain to beliefs as to what is right and wrong. Most values do not.”

United States Fire Administration LDR 5-8 Josephson’s “Six Pillars of Character”  Trustworthiness  Respect  Responsibility  Fairness  Caring  Citizenship

United States Fire Administration LDR 5-9 Why Study Ethics?  Each day we are asked to make decisions  It helps us understand and communicate our rationale for moral behavior  Understand why two people faced with the same ethical dilemma can reach and justify two different decisions

United States Fire Administration LDR 5-10 Why be Ethical?  Organizations should be concerned with ethics  It is the smart thing to do  It is the right thing to do  There are advantages to being ethical  There are disadvantages to not being ethical

United States Fire Administration LDR 5-11 Advantages of Being Ethical  Competitive edge  Credibility  Efficiency  Morale  Loyalty  Personal satisfaction

United States Fire Administration LDR 5-12 Disadvantages of Being Unethical  Competitive weakness  Lack of credibility  Inefficiency  Low morale  Disloyalty  Personal dissatisfaction The ultimate test : Will you do the right thing even when it is not your self-interest?

United States Fire Administration LDR 5-13 Views on Ethical Leadership  Views on ethical leadership –Peter Drucker Management Theorist and Academician –Frances Hesselbein Former National Director of the Girl Scouts of America –John Gardner Former Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare

United States Fire Administration LDR 5-14 Statements of Ethics  Governments, companies, organizations, clubs, and individuals create a code of ethics  What to expect from you, and in return, what is expected from them  The Fire Chief Code of Ethics (International Association of Fire Chiefs, updated 1997)  International City Managers Association (ICMA), updated 1998

United States Fire Administration LDR 5-15 Activity 5.1  Recognizing Ethical Dilemmas –Look for signs that ethical dilemmas exist or are developing One method to recognize ethical dilemmas is to listen to how things are being said A second way is to the compare what is being done to what is actually being said

United States Fire Administration LDR 5-16 Your Role as a Leader  Use a moral standard for the common good to make judgment  The organization’s moral environment is as important as individual ethical qualities  Use skills with the larger society in mind  There must be a commitment to the virtues of ethical behavior  Leadership is responsible for the standards

United States Fire Administration LDR 5-17 Levels of Moral Development  Lawrence Kohlberg described three levels –Pre-conventional –Conventional –Post-conventional –They conform roughly to the following three motivations for behavior Acting because I have to Acting because I want to Acting because I should

United States Fire Administration LDR 5-18 Stages of Morality and Ethical Conduct  A more refined approach to evaluation of ethical behavior then Kohlberg’s three levels of moral development –Lowest levels are characterized by responding to authority –Middle levels are characterized by approval of others –Upper levels are characterized by rational thought or personal conviction

United States Fire Administration LDR 5-19 Kohlberg’s Stages of Morality and Ethical Conduct  Stage 1: Obedience  Stage 2: Self-interest  Stage 3: Conformity  Stage 4: Law and Order  Stage 5: Principle Centered Ethics  Stage 6: Global Ethics  Stage 7: Spiritual Enlightenment

United States Fire Administration LDR 5-20 Framework for Resolving Ethical Dilemmas  Effective ethical decision–making uses a framework from which to –Analyze the issues –Establish alternatives –Develop an effective resolution.  While there are many models of ethical decision-making, the Manual Velasquez framework is presented

United States Fire Administration LDR 5-21 Manuel Velasquez Framework  What are the relevant facts?  What are the ethical issues?  Who are the primary stakeholders?  What are the possible alternatives?  What are the ethical alternatives?  What are the practical constraints?

United States Fire Administration LDR 5-22 Ethical Test Process  Frameworks provide guidance  Effective leadership requires that the results be reviewed through an ethical test process –Blanchard and Peale Test –Front Page Newspaper Test

United States Fire Administration LDR 5-23 Ethical Test Process (continued)  Blanchard and Peale Test –Is it legal? –Is it balanced? –How does it make you feel?  Front Page Newspaper Test –How would the critical reporter report your decisions? –What would the headline read? –What if your friends and family knew?

United States Fire Administration LDR 5-24 Activity 5.2  This activity will give you a chance to apply the ethics topics discussed in this module to various ethical situations

United States Fire Administration LDR 5-25 Summary  The opportunity to explore personal leadership development needs and apply concepts of ethical leadership  Gained an understanding of the basic concepts of ethical leadership  Participated in analysis and application of the various models of ethical decision-making  Critical-thinking process associated with ethical leadership