Loyalty or Integrity: What should leaders choose?

More and more, leaders are being faced with ethical dilemmas on a personal and societal level.

We're now living in hyper-connected world that's in a constant state of explosive change, where the consequences of these advances aren't always clear or immediately 'controllable'.

Amongst this increasing complexity and persistent urgency, leaders are being asked more and more to bring their authentic selves to work. People want to follow leaders they believe in, which means it's not enough for leaders to parrot the values of an organisation--they need to bring their own values and perspectives into the mix.

This is creating a high-risk environment for leaders, where there is constant scrutiny over:

• Making the 'right' decisions, always, especially if they are in senior positions.
• Standing up when important events happen locally or globally.

So, what happens when a leader finds their core personal values clashing with that of their organisation?

What is their obligation in this situation?

This is the question I posed on Monday, and your responses were (as usual) very thought-provoking.

The reality is that there is no right answer.

Because this is a value-driven question.

And each leader is going to have a different set of personal values and principles that guide their decision to stay or go.

But the point is exactly that.

In a high-risk environment like we have today, it's paramount that leaders have a strong ethical decision-making framework to guide them through their ethical dilemmas.

So, what is an ethical decision-making framework?

To put it simply, it's a structured approach to decision-making when a leader is facing an ethical or moral dilemma.

The models often guide the leader through different considerations, such as:

• Their own values and principles, and what they would be willing to compromise on.
• Impacts to other people from making any decisions or taking specific actions.
• Alternative options that can be explored and tested.

Ultimately, it provides leaders with greater confidence in making decisions because it tests them on how their actions align with their values, obligations and beliefs.

What does it typically include?

Most models will include:

• Establishing clear values, obligations and principles that will guide the decision-making.
• Gathering the facts around the ethical dilemma.
• Pinpointing the problem to be addressed.
• Exploring the dimensions of the problem.
• Consulting with relevant people who may offer better context or sound advice.
• Identifying potential options to explore.
• Testing these options against the defined values, obligations and principles.
• Putting the prioritised courses of action into practice.
• Reflecting and refining (where possible).

How could leaders put this into practice?

I used Passmore's model as part of my coaching certification and fell in love with it. It was extremely easy to follow, practical and insightful.

Here is an example where Jenny (a leadership coach) faced an ethical dilemma. She was asked by the CEO of the organisation she's contracting with to coach one of his direct reports (Pat).

So, Jenny explored this ethical dilemma to help her take the best possible course of action.

Because she's a member of the ICF (coaching professional body), she needs to make sure she isn't just thinking of her own values but also her responsibilities to the client and the ICF Code of Ethics.

She also consulted with various people before coming up with options, and putting her ethical action plan in place.

Ultimately, this framework is repeatable, consultative, iterative and self-reflective.

The aim isn't just to make the best possible decision but also learn from the experience through this reflective practice.

Because leaders facing increasing scrutiny today can demonstrate true integrity not just by holding the line on their true values, but also showing how they grow and evolve from the ethical dilemmas they come across.

xx

Reem

Leadership Coach | Founder of innergalaxy.com.au

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