Ethical Leadership its importance and a framework for understanding its complexity in organisations is presented.

1. Ethical Leadership in Chaotic
Times
Overview

2. Ethical Leadership
• Leadership is about making a difference to
others.
• Ethical leadership is making a difference to
others by drawing on ethical principles and
values.
• Leaders who inspire and have ethical
principles and values
– Nelson Mandela
– Mahatma Gandhi

3. Ethical Leaders are Authentic
Ethical leaders who are authentic are honest,
project harmony, cooperation, are positive
mentors, share a deep reverence for life, embrace
diversity and contributions of individuals in their
organisation.
Nigel Bairstow, B2B Whiteboard Sydney, Australia
It's not so important to play so many notes, as to
mean the ones that you do play.
Warren Haynes, guitarist, Allman Brothers Band

4. Problems with Values and Ethics
• We don’t always know our own values.
• Business is seen as not set up to handle
ethical issues.
• Business decision making is complex
• Satisfying the needs of diverse shareholders
is difficult.

5. We live in Chaotic Times
• It is an understatement to say we live in
chaotic times.
• The impact of the financial crisis is seeing
ethics taking front stage in business.
• Ethics is no longer an optional extra it is a
vital part of any businesses DNA today.
• Many of our ideas about how to be
successful in a particular industry must be
rethought: from airlines to computers.

6. The Ethics and Values Conversation
• In chaotic times, business leaders need to
have a conversation about ethics and
values.
• They need to answer the questions of
purpose and values.
• They need to make it possible for ethical
leadership to step forward at all levels of the
organization.

7. Ethical Leadership traits:
• Self awareness
• Discerning
• Minimize bias
• Respect for others
• Open dialogue
• Authentic / Honest
• Apply an Ethical Framework

8. Ethical Leadership Framework
• Self awareness
• Discerning
•Conflicts of interest • Minimize Bias
•Gifts & Entertainment Employer Rights •Respect for others
•Trade Secrets & • Open dialogue
Patents • Authentic / Honest
•Employee monitoring • Apply an Ethical
Management Framework
•Downsizing
Principles
the Consumer
Business and
Environment
•Product Safety
Convictions
Owners & Leader Community •Advertising
Beliefs
Suppliers & Customers •Selling
Values
•Hiring
•Global Warming Employees
•Discrimination
•Sustainable business
•Diversity
•Embracing “Green”
thinking •Discharge
Employee •Privacy
• Less polluting energy
Rights
•Worker safety
Source: Nigel Bairstow May 2007 •Whistle blowing

9. The Bottom Line On Values and Ethics
• Values and ethics help us to focus on the
right questions—the hard questions—if we
are honest with ourselves.
• In chaotic times we need a conception of
business leadership that puts values and
ethics front and center.

10. The Bottom Line of Ethical Leadership:
• The ethical leader considers all elements at once
in searching for an outcome that considers the
values and ethics of the leader, followers, and
society as a whole.
• The ethical leader is inclusive, and seeks to
include others and to minimize “us” vs. “them”.
• The ethical leader tries to get the right things done
the right way, and fosters an open and honest
“ethics/values” conversation in the organization.

11. The Bottom Line of the Ethics and
Values Conversation
• You only get one chance. You have to mean
it.
• You have to know yourself, as an ethical
leader.
What are your own values?
What is your purpose?

12. Summary
• We need to understand the forces at work in
chaotic times.
• We need to apply an ethical leadership framework.
• We need a new commitment to ethics and values
as central to business.
• We need to become and foster others becoming
ethical leaders.
• We need a new conversation about the role of
ethics and values in our organizations.

13. You are welcome to contact Nigel Bairstow at B2B
Whiteboard your source of B2B Asia / Pacific
marketing advice
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/nigel-bairstow/6/41b/726
http://twitter.com/#!/b2bwhiteboard