Thinking for Ourselves - Ethic

Becoming a leader is fraught with challenges. The confusion over ethical behavior versus loyalty, teaching versus directing, and strategic thinking versus tactical responses, particularly when managing people is daunting for the inexperienced, untrained, or over exuberant beginning supervisor. Often, leaders are hired for loyalty before any other characteristic. Though this is understandable in the political environments we face as leaders, it is myopic when elevated beyond integrity, cooperativeness, and overall kindness.

Ironically, the message is apparent in our social culture of books and movies via heroes and antiheroes that we fall in love with. Classic point is Jason Bourne a hired “hit man” that is incredibly loyal until he begins to realize the ethical dilemmas of his assignment and is jarred by a situation of killing in the presence of children.

As administrators, we are often “preloaded” with expectations of those who have been instrumental in elevating us to our roles, sometimes overt, sometimes furtive, often confusing. We are thankful for their help and we want to return the favor … therein lies the trap. In a very healthy environment, those issues are resolvable … in an unhealthy environment they result in damaged careers, lack of productivity, and destruction of mission.

Jason Bourne’s ethical moment puts him at odds with the unscrupulous who assigned the ‘hits’ … suddenly, they understand that they are at risk of exposure and quickly move to eliminate the evidence, Jason … the hunter becomes the hunted. They are not afraid to smear his name in order to protect their own. More significantly, they are willing to destroy him to protect themselves. In the end, because it is the movies, they are vilified and lose under ‘right versus might.’ In the real world, it isn’t that clean or easy. Often careers are destroyed, reputations besmirched, and ‘good ole boys’ find political elevation.

As a leader, ask yourself … “am I doing this because of loyalty [or fear] or am I doing it because it is right?” … “will I be able to reflect on my actions and, win or lose, know that my conscience is clear?” “… am I leader or lackey?” “… am I an ethically responsible guide or a loyalist minion?”