Wsu Ethical Leadership February 2007

Bobbing for Superintendents

Believe this! DO NOT BREAK THE CHAIN or you will have very bad luck. One school in King County broke the chain and got its old superintendent back.

Need a New Superintendent

Does your school need a new superintendent? If so, simply send a copy of this letter to six other schools which are tired of their superintendent. Then bundle up your superintendent and send him or her to the school at the top of the list. Add the name of your school to the bottom of the list. In one month you will receive 16,436 superintendents. One of them should be a dandy!

EthicalLeadership: It Does Matter

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Ethical Leadership

“You can stand tall without standing on someone.

You can be a victor without having

victims.”Harriett Woods

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent

about things that matter.”

Martin Luther King Jr.

Until lions have their historians, tales of the hunt

shall always glorify the hunter.

African Proverb

“Ethics is the study of how best to live.”

Nicholas D. Smith,Professor of HumanitiesLewis & Clark College

• Americans value ethical leadership.

• A strong, personal sense of ethics is one of the most desirable characteristics of a leader.

• People want to follow somebody they believe in and trust.

• Ethical leaders know trust is the glue that bonds people and leads to meaningful change.

• Leadership is hard work.

• The public expects a great deal from their leaders.

• They watch the leader’s every action.

• They look to the leader to set the standard.

• There are no timeouts for leaders.

• Personal behavior counts – in fact, it counts a great deal.

• Citizens admire leaders they can trust and emulate.

• The admire leaders of character, leaders who are ethical and demonstrate integrity.

“In addition to integrity, people value leaders who model commitment and

inspire a strong sense of purpose within an organization. These are the

elements of character.”Green(2005)

“Character is a crucial element in leadership”

Lashway, Mazzarell & Grunday (2004)

Character

It develops over time.It is the disposition of a person.It consists of beliefs, values, skills, and

traits.It builds trust and loyalty.It fosters a sense of hope and optimism.It generates commitment to achieve goals.

WSU Superintendent’s Certification Program Standards

Standard Eight

Ethical Leadership

“The candidate is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by acting with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner.”

USA TODAY 2006 Gallup Poll

According to the December 2006 USA TODAY Gallup Poll, which of the following

occupations were rated as the “most ethical” in a nationwide study?

Occupations Advertising practitioners BankersBusiness executives Car salespersonsClergy Members of CongressPharmacists LawyersMedical doctors NursesPolice officers ChiropractorsCollege teachers DentistsEngineers HMO managersInsurance salespersons JournalistsPsychiatrists SenatorsState governors VeterinariansStockbrokers

Top Ten from USA TODAY Gallup Poll

1. Nursing2. Pharmacists3. Veterinarians4. Medical doctors5. Dentists6. Engineers7. Clergy8. College Teachers 9. Police officers10. Psychiatrists

What words, phrases or people come to your mind when you hear

the words ethical leader?

Categories of Ethical Behavior

Trustworthiness

Worthy of trust, honor and confidence

Honesty

Integrity

Reliability

Loyalty


Respect

Regard for the dignity and worth of others

Treating others with courtesy

Respecting the beliefs of others

Accepting differences as assets


Responsibility

Acknowledgement and performance of duties to others and self

Accountability

Pursuit of self-improvement

Self-discipline

Categories of Ethical BehaviorJustice and Fairness

Making decisions on appropriate factorsImpartialityAvoidance of conflict of interestCommitment to equity and equalityOpenness to information and ideasReasonablenessProvides due processConsistency


CaringRegard for the well-being of others

KindnessCompassionConsiderationUnselfishnessCharity


Civic Virtue and CitizenshipRecognition of civic value and living

up to obligations of citizenship

Upholding democratic principlesLaw abidingCommunity service

ethics:the principles of conduct governing an individual or profession, standards of social or professional behavior.

Ethics & Values Definitions

morals:the social principles, goals or standards held or accepted by an individual, class or society.

values:principles or standards or habits with respect to right or wrong in conduct.

Definitions from Webster’s New World College Dictionary Fourth Edition

• The word “ethics” is a derivative of two Greek words meaning morals and character.

• Moral values provide an internal compass and establish direction.

• In the ideal world, the words “ethical” and “leadership” would be synonymous.

Ramsey (1999)

Five resources available to us as we look at ethical behavior:

Our own value system, principles, beliefs.

Our desire to work together – as a team.

Our ability to organize others toward a common good.

Our personal accountability to our position – people are counting on you to do the right thing.

Our personal regard for the law. Doing the “right” thing does matter. Laws provide structure and offer security and stability.

How do leaders behave when personal gain collides with the

“common good?”

How do they respond to ethical dilemmas?

Ethical Dilemmas

Ethical leaders build strong organizations by paying attention to some of the following character fundamentals:

• Respect for self, others, the organization, and the mission of the organization and its work

• Loyalty to the organization and the team

• Commitment to serve others

• Honesty and integrity

• Humility and kindness

• Courage and persistence.

Quick Tests of Ethical Behavior If everyone acted this way, would it be good for my family, for my

community?

If you always acted this way, what kind of person would you become?

If your children or parents read about this in the newspaper, what would they think of you?

If you were treated this way, how would you feel?

Are you making special exemptions for yourself or your interests which you would not apply to all others in the same situation?

• Ethical leaders work to earn respect.

• They set the tone.

• They must not just “talk the talk,” but “walk the talk.”

• When confronted with ethical dilemmas, ethical leaders ask:

• Is it legal?

• Is it balanced?

• How will I feel about myself?

• Leadership requires discipline, perseverance, and ethical behavior.

Guidelines for ethical questions

Evaluate the information.

What happened?

Who was involved?

Is the information reliable?

Do you have all the facts?


Consider everyone involved.

How might your decision affect relevant stakeholders?

Think of the employees involved, their coworkers, the organization, and the community.

Are the issues important enough to everyone who will be touched by what you do?


Think about the values involved.

Does the situation conflict with a clear- cut ethical value prized by your

organization?

Do any values conflict with each other?


Make your decision.

Take into account both the interests of all the relevant stakeholders and the important values involved.

Act on your decision. Follow up and hold yourself accountable for implementation and evaluation.

Ethical leaders watch carefully comments such as:

“Well, maybe just this once…

No one will ever know…

It doesn’t matter how it gets done as long as it gets done…

Everyone does it…

No one will get hurt, unless you tell…

What’s in it for me?

We didn’t have this conversation.”

Maxims of Ethical Leaders

1. You are what you do.

2. The means are the ends.

3. Consistency is important.

4. Promises are the lifeblood of integrity.

5. All accountability starts with self.

6. Effective decision-making requires deliberation.

7. Competence and trust must be developed.

8. The truth matters.

9. Getting it right means listening well to others.

10. Humility is essential.

Maxims of Ethical Leadership

You are what you do.

People read your actions.

They do as you do.

They look to you to set the example.

They see what you value and reward.


The means are the ends.

Ethical behavior is a process.You cannot have ethical outcomes

unless you have an ethical process.Every process we set up is a means

to an end.People want respect in the process even if they do not get their way in

the outcome.


Consistency is important.

What you demand of others you must be willing to give of yourself.

We must strive for fairness.

Working hard to do the “right” thing is essential to being viewed as an ethical leader.


Promises are the lifeblood of integrity.

Your word is your bond with others.All trust is predicated on your ability to keep your promises.Others rely upon us.When we break promises we betray others in the deepest sense.Betrayal of trust hurts and lingers long after all else because it cuts so deeply into others who rely

upon us and our ability to act with integrity.


All accountability starts with self.

Without personal accountability, no amount of planning and system

measurement matters.

When we do what we say, we are accountable.


Effective decision-making requires deliberation.

Successful outcomes require thoughtful analysis and weighing the

consequences of our actions.


Competence and trust must be developed.

Leaders must deliver on outcomes to gain the support and trust of the public.Leadership is action, not position.Honesty and respect for others will

gain loyalty and trust.


The truth matters.

You cannot build trust without the truth.

If we lie or mislead, we take away other freedoms we enjoy. We sever accountability; we destroy the credibility of the institution when we are dishonest.

Respect from others requires telling the truth.


Getting it right means listening well.

Listening is the ultimate act of respect for another person.

You must listen well to be an ethical leader.


Humility is essential for ethical leadership.

Humility is the capacity to realize leadership is not about the leader; it is about the people and what they need.

Humble leaders step back when credit is due and forward when criticism is forthcoming.

• Ethical leadership is hard work.

• It takes a great deal of courage, integrity, and character development.

• These leaders lead from within – with temperament, intellect, and integrity.

• They know that without trust, they cannot lead effectively.

• Ethical leaders focus on people, fostering relationships and sharing responsibility.

• They display courage and accept conflict while leading from the front, not from behind.

• These leaders keep hope alive and build capacity within the organization.

• Ethical leaders know the work is hard, but the rewards are worth the effort.

“Waste no time arguing what a good man should be.

Be one.”

Marcus Aurelius

COLLABORATION IS KEY!

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