Purpose

To prompt discussion about the need for leaders to provide evidence of an ethical foundation on which their platforms are constructed.

Group Size

Any number of individuals can participate, ideally divided into groups of four or five.

Room Arrangement

If possible, provide tables accomodating four or five participants each.

Materials

Projector for transparencies or for PowerPoint slides

Transparency 1.1, “The Surest Sign”

Transparency 1.2, “The Surest Sign”

Transparency 1.3, “Sure Signs of Ethical Leadership”

Transparency 1.4, “My Own Ethical Leadership”

Procedure

1.Begin by asking how many read the cartoon strip “Calvin and Hobbes.” (Note: If possible, cut out several “Calvin and Hobbes” cartoons from the newspaper or a book and distribute one to each table. Allow a few minutes for the cartoon to be read.)

2.State that the cartoon’s originator, Bill Watterson, has a line that you find amusing. Put Transparency 1.1 on the projector for transparencies or for PowerPoint slides and read aloud: “The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is . . .”

3.Ask groups to come up with two or three completions for this sentence opening. Allow no more than 5 minutes for the assignment.

4.Have a spokesperson from each group share the group’s favorite line.

5.Next, show Transparency 1.2 revealing Bill Watterson’s punch line: “that it has never tried to contact us!”

6.Show Transparency 1.3 and ask small groups to decide on a leader whose actions they can analyze. This could be an organizational leader in their own firm or a different organization; it could be a state leader, a national leader, or an international leader. Once they’ve determined what leader to consider, have them find three specific attributes they believe manifest ethical behavior in that leader. This portion of the exercise will take about 10 minutes.

7.Ask a spokesperson from each group to make a brief presentation regarding the leader who was selected and the ethical behaviors exhibited by that person.

8.Have participants work alone to complete Transparency 1.4, which asks them to think about ways they demonstrate adherence to ethical standards.

9.Finally, ask them to work in pairs or triads to discuss their thoughts.

Variation

Ask for volunteers to write an article for a management publication (or their own organizational newsletters) based on the vitally important connections between leadership and ethical behavior.

In courses dealing with conflicts in the workplace, the trainer is bound to cite the need for developing and maintaining mutual respect. That respect is often dependent on ethical behaviors; the erosion of that respect and of trust is often related to the absence of ethical behaviors or—worse yet—the manifestation of unethical behaviors.

Discussion

Is it ethical for a leader deliberately to find ways to demonstrate his or her ethics?

Is it possible for a given action to be viewed as both ethical and unethical by two different people or groups? If so, what examples can you think of?

Is there a danger for a leader who makes his or her intents and intentions known?

Quotation

“I have learnt silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet strange, I am ungrateful to these teachers.”

—Kahlil Gibran

Points of Interest

One of the most flagrant examples of unethical behavior is the violation of federal copyright laws. Duplicating software violates Section 17 of that law. Advise others that the only legal reason for copying a program is for an individual’s reliance on a backup disk. Individuals who break this law could be fined $25,000, imprisoned, or both.

TRANSPARENCY 1.1

TRANSPARENCY 1.2

TRANSPARENCY 1.3

TRANSPARENCY 1.4