the ethical leader within the abcs of ethical leadership © 2010 by bob stone [email protected] ...

The Ethical Leader WithinThe ABCs of Ethical Leadership The ABCs of Ethical Leadership

© 2010 by Bob Stone [email protected] http://bobstone.us/

The ABCs of Ethical Leadership

Bob StonePrime Ministry Ethics Committee Ankara March 22, 2011



Authenticity

• Leadership isn’t Gary Scott

• Be yourself—flaws and all



Buoyancy• Resilience• Bounce• Light heartedness• Encouragement• Unsinkable-ness• Nurturing quality

The Ethical Leader WithinThe ABCs of Ethical LeadershipThe ABCs of Ethical Leadership


Buoyancy Be bold—don’t stay out of trouble, don’t be afraid of failing

Be pleasant—you need a lot of help. Start by being pleasant

Be trusting—people who are trusted are better at their work—and more trustworthy.

Be uplifting—stir people’s passion for their work

Be positive—Look for things that went right and try to build on them



Conviction

Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;

The best lack all conviction, while the worst

Are full of passionate intensity.

-- William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) THE SECOND COMING



Conviction Be clear—Communicate what you

expect, using one-page statements of principles, wallet-size cards of rules, and 20-second speeches.

Be unreasonable—Show fanaticism in your beliefs—a “seemingly unjustifiable overcommitment.”

Be controlling—Don’t allow people to violate your “unenforceables”



Chris Adams on ethicsChris: You forget one thing:

we took a contract

Vin: It’s not the kind any court would enforce.

Chris: That’s just the kind you’ve got to keep

--Screenplay by William Roberts (1960)



Three Realms of Human Behavior

--John Fletcher Moulton, 1924



1. Free Will



2. Obedience to the Enforceable



3. Obedience to the Unenforceable



Chris Adams on ethicsChris: You forget one thing:

we took a contract

Vin: It’s not the kind any court would enforce.

Chris: That’s just the kind you’ve got to keep

--Screenplay by William Roberts



My Unenforceables• Treat people the way I’d like to be treated• Play by the rules: cheaters never win• What’s not mine is not mine • Keep my commitments• Expect more from myself than from others• Speak truth to power.• Give fair value• The most important thing in life is a clear conscience

You’ll have a different list. WRITE IT DOWN



Your Unenforceables

1. ______________________________

2. ______________________________

3 . ______________________________

4 . ______________________________

5 . ______________________________



Obey the law and code:• Follow the work rules and

perform to standards • No favoritism or prohibited

discrimination • Don’t use company stuff for

personal benefit• No conflict of interest

Organizational Ethics :the Usual View



Organizational Ethics:My View—Ethics!

Comply with the law and rules, but that’s only a start

Apply ethical principles to every decision you make

Let Burke and Niebuhr be your guides



Principles Of Ethical Conduct For City of Metropolis

I will:– Do my best at work– Avoid conflict of interest– Speak truth to power– Be a good citizen– Shun any private gain from public employment– Act impartially– Treat others the way I would like to be treated– Report waste, fraud, and corruption

When in doubt, my test is can I explain my actions to my mother



Ethics for Leaders:the Old View

Leaders contribute more, therefore paid more and pampered more with:

– Privacy– Space– Daylight– Better & cheaper food– Line-cutting privileges– Flexibility


© 2010 by Bob Stone [email protected] http.bobstone.us

Ethics for Leaders:My View

From U.S. Naval Seabee command school:– You’re there to serve, not to be

served– Command is a privilege in itself– Don’t make a big deal out of

other privileges– It’s not your outfit; it’s just in

your trust



Ethics for SubordinatesTerms of Employment: Use your head!First responsibility of an ethical

subordinate: Tell the boss the truth, especially if he’s wrong

***Some bosses won’t value this quality***

The Ethical Leader WithinThe Ethics Challenge: The Ethics Challenge: Essential Skills for Leading and LivingEssential Skills for Leading and Living

© 2011 by Bob Stone www.TheEthicsChallenge.com

Ethics for Elected Officials

Terms of Employment: Use your head!First responsibility of an elected official:

Tell the voter the truth, especially if he’s wrong

***Some voters won’t value this quality***



Ethical Dilemmas(wrong vs wrong, not right vs wrong)

• My abusive “go-to” guy• The jailed sailor



Speaking Truth to Power



Speaking Truth to Power—My Experience• Incredibly(!!!) difficult• For military, bravery under fire ≠

bravery in front of the boss—not getting promoted can be more scary than getting shot at

• “I’m putting this plane down in Dallas.”• I learned to cultivate and celebrate

truth-tellers



Pressure to conform

Work of Solomon Asch, Swarthmore College, 1951



Going with the Crowd“I was just trying to be nice to

everybody. I’m friends with everybody, and I didn’t want anybody to think I’m a bad person.”

--Confession of Army Specialist Jeremy Sivits sentenced to a year in prison for Abu Ghraib



Going Against the Crowd

Scout: If you shouldn't be defending him, then why are you doing it?

Atticus Finch: The main reason is that if I didn't, I couldn't hold my head up in town. I couldn't even tell you or Jem not to do somethin' again.



Always a 3-part agenda, e.g.,How to Lead Change1. PURPOSE: Have a simple uplifting

message that you repeat over and over

2. PROPS: Get your message across through human stories and props that are easy to understand

3. PRAISE: Praise people who are doing the right thing, and don’t waste one second going after waste, fraud, and abuse



Always a 3-part agenda :

Get-rich Advice from J. Paul Getty

• Rise early

• Work hard

• Strike oil



Always a 3-part agenda :

YOUR next steps

• Write down your own list of unenforceables and keep updating it.

• Talk about ethics every day with someone at work, at home, or at play.

• Look for the ethical issues behind every decision



Always a 3-part agenda

The ABCs of Ethical Leadership• Authenticity

• Buoyancy

• Conviction



Teşekkűr Ederim

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