A broad definition of ethical leadership is someone who is clear about their values and acts on their principles, even if this means going against the majority. Ethical leaders work towards what we might call the ‘common good’, but one of the challenges is that a definition of ‘good’ often depends on the organisation, its goals, and the challenges it is up against.
Furthermore, in a world where people’s views are increasingly polarised, this is especially difficult. A leader of a social media company, for example, may come up against tough decisions about how content should be moderated or the impact that their product has on vulnerable groups such as children, while at the same time facing pressure from shareholders to meet financial targets. There are many technically innovative businesses where leaders began as brilliant innovators but may be ill-equipped to become ethical leaders.
Is it possible to learn ethical leadership? I’d argue there are five important
behaviours identified in ethical leaders that can be developed.
wbs.ac.uk
4
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog