Lecture Leadership: Enhancing the lessons of experience (4/e) – Chapter 6

Chapter 6 - Leadership and values. This chapter reviews evidence regarding the relationship between values and leadership. Values are constructs that represent general sets of behaviors or states of affairs that individuals consider to be important, and they are a central part of a leader''s psychological makeup.

C HAPTER   S IX

Leadership and Values

Place On Values

An exciting life Being courageous

A sense of accomplishment Being helpful

Family security Being honest

Inner harmony Being imaginative

Social recognition Being logical

Friendship Being responsible

Some Influences On the Development 

Of Personal Values

Personal  

Value  System Parents

Media Technology

Religion

Education Peers

Intelligence Personality  Traits and 

Preferences

The Building Blocks Of Skills

Values  Interests  Motives/Goals

Knowledge Experience

Skills/ 

Competencies

Developmental Levels Of Moral 

Reasoning

• Preconventional  ­ the level in which a person’s 

criteria for moral behavior are based primarily on  self­interest

• Conventional  ­ the level the criteria for moral 

behavior are based primarily on gaining others’ 

approval 

• Postconventional  ­ the level in which the criteria 

are based on universal, abstract principles that  may even transcend the laws of a particular  society

• Preconventional Level

• Stage 1: “Bad” behavior is that which is punished.

• Stage 2: “Good” behavior is that which is concretely 

rewarded.

• Conventional Level

• Stage 3: “Good” behavior is that which is approved by 

others; “bad” behavior is that which is disapproved by  others.

Stages Of Moral Reasoning continued

• Conventional Level

• Stage 4: “Good” behavior conforms to standards set 

by social institutions; transgressions lead to feelings of  guilt or dishonor.

• Postconventional 

• Stage 5: “Good” behavior conforms  to community 

standards set through democratic participation; 

concern with maintaining self­respect and the respect 

of equals

• Stage 6: “Good” behavior is a matter of individual 

conscience based on responsibly chosen commitments 

to ethical principles.

Practices

Percent of people expressing belief business would

48%

62%

42%

44%

Harm the environment public health Endanger Sell unsafe products Knowingly sell inferior

products

Deliberately charge inflated prices

Risk employee health and safety

Actions That May Be Legal But 

Unethical

• Scapegoating personal failures.

• Shirking unpleasant responsibilities.

• Knowingly making unreasonable demands 

of others.

• Breaking promises.

• Slacking off.

• Favoring friends for desirable assignments 

when others are more qualified. 

Bad Things

• Moral justification

• Euphemistic labeling

• Advantageous comparison

• Displacement of responsibility

How Good People Justify Doing Bad Things, 

continued

• Diffusion of responsibility

• Disregard or distortion of 

consequences

• Dehumanization

• Attribution of blame

Behavior

Traditional  feminine  behavior

Traditional  masculine  behavior

My  characteristics 

as a leader

This  organization’s  stereotype of  effective  leadership

Narrow Bands of Acceptable Behavior