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The Ethical Leader

Christopher Dreisbach

This aims primarily at post-baccalaureate students interested in leadership theory and ethical leadership.

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This aims primarily at post-baccalaureate students interested in leadership theory and ethical leadership.

The first part of this course introduces students to the classical literature in philosophical ethics, including consequentialist, regularian, deontological, and virtue theory approaches. This includes exploration of the ethical responsibilities leaders have toward themselves, corporations, the government, and the public. In the second part of the course, students apply decision- making frameworks, drawing from theories of leadership, and gain experience in decision-making surrounding ethical issues. Finally, students will consider the moral challenges that artificial intelligence poses to ethical leaders.

This is one course in the Coursera specialization, Leadership: An Introduction. It examines the latest trends in leadership theory invoking several disciplines, including business, sociology, philosophy, history, and psychology.

To complete this course successfully students should be able to analyze college-level readings and audio/visual presentations into understandable parts, including premises and conclusions; synthesize the results of the analysis into coherent and accurate summaries; and evaluate the results for accuracy and practical applicability.

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to

• Identify ethical principles for leadership practices

• Compare theories of leadership in terms of their ethical strengths and weaknesses

• Apply ethical principles for leadership practices

• Compare and contrast industry standards and techniques of ethical leadership practices

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What's inside

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.
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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

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Activities

Coming soon We're preparing activities for The Ethical Leader. These are activities you can do either before, during, or after a course.

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Reading list

We've selected 12 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in The Ethical Leader.
Provides a comprehensive overview of business ethics, including the major theories, concepts, and issues. It valuable resource for students and professionals interested in learning more about this field.
Classic work on the ethics of leadership. It provides a philosophical and historical overview of the topic, and it offers practical advice for leaders on how to make ethical decisions.
Provides an overview of the ethical issues raised by artificial intelligence. It explores the potential benefits and risks of AI, and it offers recommendations for how to develop AI in a way that is consistent with human values.
Provides a framework for understanding why large organizations often fail to innovate. It argues that large organizations are often too focused on their existing products and customers, and they are not able to see the potential of new technologies.
Provides a practical guide to building a successful startup. It offers a step-by-step process for developing and testing new products and services.
Provides a framework for understanding the challenges of bringing new products to market. It argues that there chasm between early adopters and mainstream customers, and that companies need to have a different strategy for each group.
Provides a simple framework for developing good strategies. It argues that good strategies are clear, focused, and aligned with an organization's capabilities.
This ancient Chinese military treatise provides insights into the nature of strategy and leadership. It valuable resource for anyone interested in learning more about these topics.
This ancient Indian scripture provides insights into the nature of dharma and leadership. It valuable resource for anyone interested in learning more about these topics.
This ancient Chinese text provides insights into the nature of leadership, "te" in Chinese. It valuable resource for anyone interested in learning more about these topics.

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