The Ethical Leader from Coursera

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Syllabus

Course Introduction; Moral Agency I: Introduction and the Logic of Moral Decision-Making

This module introduces you to the course, the concept of moral agency, and the logic of moral decision-making. It consists of this introduction and two lessons: Moral Agency and The Logic of Moral Judgments. Module 1-Moral Agency I-- includes a video introduction to the course and two lessons. Lesson 1-Moral Agency-Challenges and Tools--includes two readings and one lecture. Lesson 2-The Logic of Ethics--includes one reading and five lectures. The work you will do for this module includes watching the course introduction and six lecture videos; reading two book chapters and one article; and taking brief quizzes on each lecture, and a longer assessment at the end of the module.

Moral Agency II: The Tools in the Moral Toolbox--Moral Theories and Moral Responsibility

This is the second module of this course and the second to consider moral agency. It covers tools in the moral toolbox. The three theories of moral conduct: consequentialism, regularianism, and deontology. And the theory of moral character- Virtue theory—the tool-o-matic in our moral box of tools. It consists of four lessons, each devoted to one of the tools in the moral toolbox. Module 2 - Moral Agency II: includes a video introduction to the module and four lessons. Lesson 1-Consequentialism --includes one required reading, five recommended readings, and three lectures. Lesson 2 – Regularianism-- has one reading and one lecture. Lesson 3 – Deontology --has one required reading, one recommended reading, and four lectures. Lesson 4-Virtue and Responsibility-An Aristotelian Approach—has one required reading, eight recommended readings, and five lectures. The work you will do for this module includes watching the module introduction and 13 videos; reading four book chapters (not counting the recommended readings); and taking brief quizzes on each lecture, and a longer assessment at the end of the module.

Leadership Theories I: Three approaches to Leadership Traits, Skills, and Behaviors; Three Theories of Leadership

We spend the first part of this module on the traits, skills, and behaviors of the leader. In doing so, we follow the historical path of scholarship on leadership. The second part of this module looks at three theories about the leader-follower relationship, with each theory increasing the followers’ responsibilities for a successful relationship: situational leadership, path-goal theory, and leader member exchange. In this module there are five lessons (1) Defining Leadership; (2) Trait, Skill, and Behavioral Approaches to Leadership; (3)Situational leadership; (4) Path-Goal Theory; and (5) Leader-Member Exchange Theory. Module 3 - Leadership Theories I –includes a video introduction to the module and five lessons. Lesson 1-Defining Leadership—includes three required readings, three recommended readings, and two lectures. Lesson 2-Three Approaches to Leadership: Traits, Skills, and Behaviors—includes seven primary readings, three recommended readings, three recommended videos, and six lectures. Lesson 3-Situational Leadership—includes two primary readings, two recommended readings, one recommended video, and one lecture. Lesson 4-Path-Goal Theory—includes two primary readings, one recommended reading, one recommended video, and one lecture. Lesson 5-Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory—includes two primary readings, one recommended reading, one recommended video, and one lecture. The work you will do for this module includes watching the module introduction and 11 lectures; reading 16 essays (not counting the recommended readings or videos); and taking brief quizzes after each lecture, and a longer assessment at the end of the module.

Leadership Theories II: Transformational and Authentic Leadership; Servant and Adaptive leadership; Followership; Team Leadership; and Inclusive Leadership

Current scholarship gives prominence to four theories of leadership: transformational, authentic, servant, and adaptive. PART ONE of this this module looks at these. As we progress through the theories of leadership, we see increasing attention being paid to the followers and PART TWO of this module takes the next logical step in this direction: a study of followership. We will also consider team leadership. Up to this point it appears as if the leaders and followers were uniform in their demographics, talents, and needs. In this age of globalization, nothing could be farther from the truth. Similarly, much of the research into leadership ethics seems biased toward Western thinking. The research would be richer and more informative if it took into account all cultures, and different subcultures within the western world. Thus, PART THREE of this module looks at inclusive leadership. In this module there are four lessons: Transformational and Authentic Leadership; Servant and Adaptive Leadership; Followership and Team Leadership; and Inclusive Leadership Module 4 - Leadership Theories II—includes a video introduction to the module and four lessons. Lesson 1-Transformational and Authentic Leadership-- includes four primary readings, four recommended readings, two recommended videos, and two lectures. Lesson 2-Servant and Adaptive Leadership—includes four primary readings, two recommended readings, two recommended videos, and three lectures. Lesson 3-Followership and Team Leadership—include four primary readings, four recommended readings, two recommended videos, and four lectures. Lesson 4-Inclusive leadership includes four primary readings, four recommended readings, two recommended videos, and three lectures. The work you will do for this module includes watching the module introduction and 12 lectures; reading 12 essays (not counting the recommended readings or videos); and taking brief quizzes after each lecture, and a longer assessment at the end of the module.

Artificial Intelligence and the Ethical Leader

In this module we pick one current topic, Artificial Intelligence, identify its general moral challenges, and then consider what this means for the ethical leader. This should give us insight into a topic that is interesting in its own right, while demonstrating how one might address in a similar fashion other topics challenging today’s ethical leader and the leader of the future. This module has two lessons. Lesson1 identifies moral challenges that current and future AI pose. Lesson 2 addresses the need for ethical AI leaders in the face of such challenges, as well as the characteristics required of such leaders. Module 5 - Artificial Intelligence and the Ethical Leader—includes a video introduction to the module and two lessons. Lesson 1 – The Ethics of AI—includes two primary readings, one primary video, and five lectures. Lesson 2 – Leadership and AI—includes four primary readings and two lectures. The work you will do for this module includes watching the module introduction and seven lectures; reading six essays; watching one video; and taking brief quizzes after each lecture, and a longer assessment at the end of the module.

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Explores ethical responsibilities of leaders across various societal roles

Develops theoretical and practical understanding of ethical decision-making in leadership

Compares different leadership theories, analyzing their ethical strengths and weaknesses

Examines moral challenges posed by artificial intelligence to ethical leaders

Suitable for post-baccalaureate students seeking a theoretical foundation in leadership ethics

Requires students to analyze andsynthesize college-level materials, which may be challenging for those new to academic study

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in The Ethical Leader with these activities:

Participate in Ethical Leadership Discussion Forum

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Engaging with peers in an ethical leadership discussion forum will provide diverse perspectives and deepen your understanding.

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Join an online discussion forum on ethical leadership
Participate in discussions and share your insights
Reflect on the perspectives of others

Learn AI Ethics Best Practices

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Explore ethical considerations in AI by following online tutorials.

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Take a Coursera course on AI Ethics
Watch YouTube videos on AI ethics best practices
Read articles and blog posts on AI ethics

Compile Bibliography on AI Ethics

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Organizing resources will reinforce the key concepts from ethical leadership theories and artificial intelligence ethics.

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Search for scholarly articles and books on AI ethics
Create a bibliography using a reference manager
Annotate the bibliography with brief summaries of each source

Three other activities

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Apply Decision-Making Frameworks

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This activity will help you develop proficiency in applying decision-making frameworks to ethical issues in leadership.

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Complete the exercises in the textbook chapter on decision-making
Take online quizzes on ethical decision-making
Work through case studies

Participate in AI Ethics Hackathon

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Develop AI ethics solutions in a competitive setting.

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Find an AI ethics hackathon
Form a team
Develop an AI ethics solution
Submit your solution to the hackathon

Develop AI Ethics Guidelines

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By drafting guidelines for ethical AI, you will demonstrate your understanding of the course material and be able to apply it to real world scenarios.

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Research existing AI ethics frameworks
Identify ethical challenges in AI
Formulate principles for ethical AI
Draft a set of AI ethics guidelines

Career center

Learners who complete The Ethical Leader will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Corporate Lawyer

Corporate Lawyers provide legal advice to businesses and organizations on a variety of topics, including ethics and compliance. They may be called upon to help organizations with ethical dilemmas or to develop and implement ethical policies. The Ethical Leader may be helpful to this kind of role because it provides a framework for ethical decision-making and analysis of ethical responsibilities.

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Sustainability Manager

Sustainability Managers oversee the sustainability initiatives of businesses and organizations. They will need to make ethical decisions, especially when it comes to the environmental and social impact of the organization's operations. The Ethical Leader may be helpful to this kind of role because it provides a framework for ethical decision-making and analysis of ethical responsibilities.

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Social Worker

Social Workers provide support and services to individuals and families in need. They will often have to consider ethical implications of their work, especially when it comes to the privacy and confidentiality of their clients. The Ethical Leader may be helpful to this kind of role because it provides a framework for ethical decision-making and analysis of ethical responsibilities.

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Public Administrator

Public Administrators oversee the operations of government agencies and other public organizations. They will need to make ethical decisions, especially when it comes to the allocation of resources and the implementation of programs. The Ethical Leader may be helpful to this kind of role because it provides a framework for ethical decision-making and analysis of ethical responsibilities.

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Risk Manager

Risk Managers identify and assess risks for businesses and organizations. They may be called upon to help organizations with ethical dilemmas or to develop and implement ethical policies. The Ethical Leader may be helpful to this kind of role because it provides a framework for ethical decision-making and analysis of ethical responsibilities.

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Policy Analyst

Policy Analysts research, analyze, and develop policies for government agencies and other organizations. They may be called upon to help organizations with ethical dilemmas or to develop and implement ethical policies. The Ethical Leader may be helpful to this kind of role because it provides a framework for ethical decision-making and analysis of ethical responsibilities.

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Urban Planner

Urban Planners develop plans for the development and use of land in urban areas. They will often have to consider ethical implications of their work, especially when it comes to the impact of development on the environment and the community. The Ethical Leader may be helpful to this kind of role because it provides a framework for ethical decision-making and analysis of ethical responsibilities.

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Public relations manager

Public Relations Managers oversee the public image of businesses and organizations. They may be called upon to help organizations with ethical dilemmas or to develop and implement ethical policies. The Ethical Leader may be helpful to this kind of role because it provides a framework for ethical decision-making and analysis of ethical responsibilities.

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Nonprofit Manager

Nonprofit Managers oversee the operations of nonprofit organizations, which often have a mission to serve the public good. They will need to make ethical decisions, especially when it comes to the allocation of resources and the implementation of programs. The Ethical Leader may be helpful to this kind of role because it provides a framework for ethical decision-making and analysis of ethical responsibilities.

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Consultant

Consultants provide expert advice to businesses and organizations on a variety of topics, including ethics and leadership. They may be called upon to help organizations with ethical dilemmas or to develop and implement ethical policies. The Ethical Leader may be helpful to this kind of role because it provides a framework for ethical decision-making and analysis of ethical responsibilities.

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Chief Operating Officer

A Chief Operating Officer is second in command to the CEO and typically manages the day-to-day operations of the business. A COO will help lead divisions of the company and will be responsible for ethical decision-making, especially when it comes to the company's conduct and operations. The Ethical Leader may be helpful to this kind of role because it provides a framework for ethical decision-making and analysis of ethical responsibilities.

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Product Manager

Product Managers are responsible for the lifecycle of a product, from inception to launch. They will often have to consider ethical implications of a product, especially when it comes to the usage of new technologies, such as AI. The Ethical Leader may be helpful to this kind of role because it provides a framework for ethical decision-making and analysis of ethical responsibilities, such as those presented by AI.

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Program Manager

Program Managers oversee the implementation of programs and initiatives for businesses and organizations. They will often have to consider ethical implications of the program's work, especially when it comes to the usage of new technologies, such as AI. The Ethical Leader may be helpful to this kind of role because it provides a framework for ethical decision-making and analysis of ethical responsibilities, such as those presented by AI.

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Chief Executive Officer

Chief Executive Officers are in charge of managing high-level executives and overseeing the operations of the business. They set and execute the organization's vision and mission, which requires decision-making regarding the ethics and responsibilities to stakeholders. The Ethical Leader may be helpful to this kind of role because it provides a framework for ethical decision-making and analysis of ethical responsibilities.

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Project Manager

Project Managers oversee the completion of projects, ensuring they are completed on time, within scope, and within budget. They will often have to consider ethical implications of the project's work, especially when it comes to the usage of new technologies, such as AI. The Ethical Leader may be helpful to this kind of role because it provides a framework for ethical decision-making and analysis of ethical responsibilities, such as those presented by AI.

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