BEST PRACTICE
Are you an ETHICAL LEADER ? asks Olivia May , Programme Director , William J Clinton Leadership Institute
thical leadership is a term that can be hard to define . We can be hazy about
Eexactly what it means . But if someone was to ask you – are you an ethical leader ?
I ’ m sure all of us would reply yes . But are we ? Can we be sure we are ? It ’ s a bit like that statistic that says that , when asked , 90 per cent of us consider ourselves to be “ above average ” drivers , a result that is statistically impossible .
It ’ s probably easier to recognise unethical leadership – and there ’ s certainly been no shortage of examples in recent years : Enron , bankers during the credit crunch , closer to home some misdemeanours of local politicians and property developers .
What do these examples of egregious actions by leaders have in common ?
Well a starting point is that they were focused on selfinterest , and on the short term . So that begins to show us that when we are demonstrating ethical leadership our focus is on others rather than ourselves , and we prioritise longterm benefits in the future over shortterm gains .
Ethical leadership also implies certain personality traits . Ethical leaders have a strong “ moral compass ” – they have a clear set of values and their behaviours and actions are consistent with those values .
They are honest , tell the truth however uncomfortable that may be , and their actions are always in lockstep with their words .
Ethical leaders do not make statements designed to attract maximum publicity and commotion and then disavow these statements once they are in a position of accountability and responsibility – sound familiar ?
Leaders do not work in isolation . The best organisations recognise that leaders face daily ethical dilemmas . These dilemmas are never black and white – they involve leaders making complex decisions and tradeoffs , often trying to work out the least evil of two bad options .
Writers on management call these “ wicked ” problems : there is no one right answer and either course chosen may have unintended consequences down the line .
This is why organisations need clearly articulated values and they need to be more than just a slogan on a mouse mat .
They have real benefit when they provide guiding principles for people as they make daily decisions .
It is no accident that the most respected professions have codes of ethics going back , in the case of medicine ’ s Hippocratic oath , 25 centuries . Similarly , civil servants follow the “ Nolan principles ” ( no , not Stephen ) which clarify the responsibilities of those in public office .
Private companies need to provide similar guidance to their leaders and , more importantly , be consistent in demonstrating the values in action .
In ethical decisions , actions always speak louder than words and we take our cue from what our leaders do , not what they say . Businesses need to support those who raise concerns and should have clear policies and procedures for whistleblowers .
So how can we make sure that we are demonstrating ethical leadership ?
Leadership starts from within : so the first thing is to be clear on our own values – what is most important to us ? When we are clearly define and prioritise our most important values , making decisions is easier – they provide an internal “ road map ” for us .
They help us get back on track when we are
lost . Leadership is about interacting and engaging with others , so another question to ask yourself is how consistent is your behaviour with these values ?
Could your colleagues and subordinates guess what your values are from the way you behave with them ?
When we are being an ethical leader , we are not just acting ethically ourselves – we are actively promoting and supporting our people as they tussle with dilemmas , providing guidance on how to interpret values or codes of conduct .
This includes creating the climate and mechanisms for people to question and push back against our authority .
We need to encourage and listen to dissenting voices , to views that our different to our own , and different to the prevailing wisdom .
Finally , ethical leadership is about being accountable and taking action . This means speaking up and speaking out when we see or experience unethical behaviour .
As ethical leaders we do something about it , however difficult that may be and however we personally may suffer by doing so . We swim against the current .
So back to the first question : are you an ethical leader ?
As with the question about our driving skills , we tend to rate ourselves as more ethical than the rest of the population .
The ethical leader recognises this fundamental human fallibility and might reply to this question that we are asking the wrong person – ethical leadership is best judged through the eyes of those being led .
22 www . businessfirstonline . co . uk