Ethical Leadership

"Real leaders concentrate on doing the right thing, not on doing things right." That advice from organizational consultants comes as no surprise to school leaders, whose lives are filled with difficult ethical dilemmas. Principals experience such dilemmas on a daily basis, says William reenfield !"##"$. %aving moral obligations to society, to the profession, to the school board, and to students, they find that "it often is not clear what is right or wrong, or what one ought to do, or which perspective is right in moral terms." &nfortunately, relatively few administrators have been trained to deal with these conflicts. &ntil very recently, ethical issues were given little attention in preparation programs !'ynn (ec) and *oseph +urphy "##,$. WHAT ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITIES DO SCHOOL LEADERS HAVE? reenfield notes that school leaders face a uni-ue set of ethical demands. .chools are moral institutions, designed to promote social norms, and principals are moral agents who must often ma)e decisions that favor one moral value over another. +oreover, although schools are dedicated to the well/being of children, students have virtually no voice in what happens there. 0or all these reasons, the leader1s conduct "must be deliberately moral." 'eader1s moral duty expresses itself not only in the obvious day/to/day ethical dilemmas, but in the mundane policies and structures that may have hidden ethical implications. Robert .tarratt !"##"$ notes that every social arrangement benefits some people at the expense of others2 simply to assume that schools embody desirable standards is "ethically naive, if not culpable." Thus, the principal must not only behave responsibly as an individual, but must create an ethical institution. 3s leaders, principals have a special responsibility to exercise authority in an ethical way. reenfield points out that much of a principal1s authority is moral2 that is, teachers must be convinced that the principal1s point of view reflects values they support. 4oercion through bureaucratic authority will seldom have a positive, lasting effect. WHAT ETHICAL DILEMMAS DO PRINCIPALS FACE? 3s defined by Rushworth 5idder !"##6$, an "ethical dilemma" is not a choice between right and wrong, but a choice between two rights. 0or example, considering a bribe would be a "moral temptation"2 deciding whether scarce resources should go to a gifted curriculum or a dropout/prevention program would constitute a dilemma. 7ilemmas arise when cherished values conflict. 3 principal who values both teacher autonomy and student achievement will face a dilemma when teachers want to enact a policy that lowers expectations. This )ind of conflict is heightened because school leaders are public officials with obligations to many people who often have competing values or interests. .hould

parents be informed if a counselor learns that their daughter is considering an abortion8 .hould a student group be able to boo) an assembly spea)er whose views will offend some in the community8 .hould the principal support a teacher who has made a -uestionable grading decision8 .ome studies suggest that obligations to superiors put special pressure on ethical decision/ma)ing. 0or instance, Peggy 5irby and colleagues !"##9$ as)ed principals to estimate how "a typical colleague" would respond to hypothetical dilemmas. Respondents usually indicated that colleagues would ta)e "the path of least resistance" by deferring to superiors or ta)ing refuge in official policies. 5irby and her colleagues speculate that these hypothetical colleagues actually reflect the norm. HOW CAN LEADERS RESOLVE ETHICAL DILEMMAS? +oral philosophers generally agree there is no ethical "coo)boo)" that provides easy answers to complex dilemmas. (ut a number of thin)ers have suggested some guidelines. ". Leaders sh !ld ha"e a#d $e %illi#& t se#se ' ethical sta#dards( act # a de'i#ite

.tarratt argues that a fully informed ethical consciousness will contain themes of caring !What do our relationships demand of us8$2 :ustice !%ow can we govern ourselves fairly8$2 and criti-ue !Where do we fall short of our own ideals8$. ;. Leaders ca# e)a*i#e dile**as 'r * di''ere#t perspecti"es( 5idder describes three. <ne is to anticipate the conse-uences of each choice and attempt to identify who will be affected, and in what ways. 3nother approach uses moral rules, assuming that the world would be a better place if people always followed certain widely accepted standards !such as telling the truth$. 3 third perspective emphasizes caring, which is similar to the olden Rule= %ow would we li)e to be treated under similar circumstances8 >. Leaders ca# 'te# re'ra*e ethical iss!es( 5idder claims that many apparent dilemmas are actually "trilemmas," offering a third path that avoids the either/or thin)ing. 0or example, faced with a parent who ob:ects to a particular homewor) assignment on religious grounds, a principal may be able to negotiate an alternative assignment, thereby preserving academic integrity without trampling on parental rights. ,. Fi#all+, leaders sh !ld ha"e the ha$it ' c #sci !s re'lecti #, %here"er it *a+ lead the*( HOW DO LEADERS CREATE ETHICAL INSTIT-TIONS? (y their nature, most schools do not encourage discussion of ethical issues2

educators spend most of the day isolated from one another, and time is always at a premium. <ne means of raising ethical awareness is to form an ethics committee similar to those found in many hospitals. .uch committees would not ma)e formal rulings, but would raise awareness of ethical issues, formulate ethical codes, and advise educators grappling with ethical dilemmas !(etty .ichel "##>$. Thomas .ergiovanni !"##;$ says that truly effective schools are those with a shared covenant clearly articulating the school1s core values and providing a standard by which actions will be :udged. 'eaders must not only ta)e the lead in formulating the covenant but actively support and enforce it. When a vital standard is ignored, principals should "lead by outrage." WHAT VIRT-ES M-ST LEADERS PRACTICE? .tudents of ethics are unanimous on one point= moral leadership begins with moral leaders. %oward ardner !"##6$ says of great leaders that they embody the message they advocate2 they teach, not :ust through words, but through actions. What virtues are most important for school leaders8 .ome studies suggest that honesty is the -uality most appreciated by subordinates !+ichael Richardson and others "##;$. 3nd any principal who has launched a ris)y new program or has publicly shouldered the blame for someone else1s mista)e can testify to the importance of courage. .ome who write about ethics argue that leaders must use their power with restraint, since it always holds the potential for treating others as less than fully human. Peter (loc) !"##>$ advocates stewardship, which is the willingness to accept accountability for results without always trying to impose control over others. ?n simplest terms, stewardship as)s leaders to ac)nowledge their own human faults and limitations rather than hiding behind their status and power. Whatever virtue is desired, moral philosophers going bac) to 3ristotle have emphasized that it must become a habit. *ust as musicians develop musical ability by playing an instrument, people become virtuous by practicing virtue. @thical behavior is not something that can be held in reserve for momentous issues2 it must be a constant companion. To be an ethical school leader, then, is not a matter of following a few simple rules. The leader1s responsibility is complex and multi/dimensional, rooted less in technical expertise than in simple human integrity.
This publication was prepared with funding from the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education, under contract o. OERI RR!"##$##%. The ideas and opinions e&pressed in this Digest do not necessaril' reflect the positions or policies of OERI, ED, or the (learinghouse. ERI( Digests are in the public domain and ma' be freel' reproduced.

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