Part 1- Ethical Leadership Challenges of Leaders
1. The Challenge of Power. How leaders wield it; how they maintain it; whether and how they share it.
2. The Challenge of Privilege. E.g., issues of "excessive compensation", perks. Pay inequality. Do you emphasize and reinforce external status differences ... or seek ways to minimize them?
3. The Challenge of Responsibility. Accountable for the entire group, not just own actions. E.g., military officers who sanction prisoner abuse in Iraq, Afghanistan.
4. The Challenge of Information Management. Leaders typically have access to more information than followers; they are "in the know." Do they use this information for personal benefit? Do they gather information in a way which violates privacy rights? Do they fail to share critical, timely information -or share it with the wrong people? Do they insist followers withhold information others have a right to know?
5. The Challenge of Consistency. Treating all followers equally vs. adapting to individual differences; bending rules to fit circumstances or not; adjusting to reality that some followers are more competent than others (without being seen as acting unfairly or arbitrarily). Treating outsiders and opponents with respect.
6. The Challenge of Loyalty. Moral leaders put the needs of the larger community ahead of selfish interests; balance commitments to employees, suppliers, families, investors, the profession etc.; honoring the loyalty that followers and others place in them.
Part 2- Ethical Leadership Challenges of Followers
1. The Challenge of Obligation. To your employer, to external stakeholders; show up, give your best; Am I reasonably giving too little or too much?
2. The Challenge of Obedience. Deciding when to obey orders and directives, even ones you don't like and when to disobey. ("Following Orders" is no excuse.)
3. The Challenge of Cynicism. Some of it is justified (e.g., Enron, Worldcom, AIG), but it can act like acid, reducing commitment levels, destroying trust etc. Followers must walk a fine line between healthy skepticism and unhealthy cynicism, which can undermine their efforts and those of the group.
4. The Challenge of Dissent. Followers lack the power to make changes in policies, procedures, working conditions, pay etc. they disagree with. They must express their disagreement to those who can make the changes. "Pick your battles." (Silence can be immoral.) When to dissent ... and how, to whom.
5. The Challenge of Bad News Easy to tell our bosses "what they want to hear;" harder to share bad/unwelcome information and data. Leaders can't take corrective action if they don't know a problem exists. Courage is required to be the bearer of bad tidings.