Analyze and discuss the following statement in the manner demonstrated in chapte

Question

Analyze and discuss the following statement in the manner demonstrated in chapter 13. Be sure to get beyond your first impressions, and avoid the errors in thinking summarized in Chapter 13. Statement: It is commonly accepted that the best way to improve the world and relations among its people is for everyone to curb his or her own self-interest and think of others. HINT: Refer to this summary for the above assignment. The critical thinking strategy presented in chapter 13 and the four preceding chapters may be summarized as follows: 1.  Know yourself and remain mindful of the ways in which your habits of mind undermine your treatment of issues. 2.  Be observant and reflect on what you see and hear. 3.  When you identify an issue, clarify it by listing its aspects and raising probing questions about each. 4.  Conduct a thorough inquiry, obtaining all relevant facts and informed opinions. 5.  Evaluate your findings, and then form and express your judgment. This summary is a convenient checklist.

Explanation / Answer

Consider a dilemma: You’re the director of a community-based human services organization that includes sites in several towns. A state budget crisis is threatening to reduce your funding by 30%. The head of the state funding agency suggests to you that you simply close down a site. That means both laying off dedicated staff members and denying services to a community and a group of people that has come to rely on you. Perhaps more important, it means deciding among several communities, to all of which you’ve made a commitment. How do you handle the situation?

Or think about this: You get wind from a contact at a foundation about a grant possibility that would be perfect for a collaboration with another organization. At the same time, you realize that your organization could probably successfully apply alone, and end up with a much larger amount of money than if you applied with a partner. In that case, the service you’d provide would be somewhat narrower, but still helpful to the people you work with, and the funding would help with your administrative expenses. On the other hand, the other organization, with which you have a good working relationship, is in financial difficulty, and a grant like this would do a great deal to help it survive. What will you do?

These are ethical questions. Leaders of organizations, initiatives, and institutions – not to mention politicians – face them nearly every day, and have to make decisions. The decisions they make, as well as the ways by which they make those decisions, determine whether or not they are ethical leaders. Whether you direct a small organization, are in charge of a group in a larger organization, head a large agency or institution, or simply sometimes take an informal leadership role in your daily life, the issue of ethical leadership is one you can’t avoid. This section is about ethical leadership: what it is, why it’s important, and how to practice it.

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY ETHICAL LEADERSHIP?
We can’t really discuss ethical leadership without looking first at ethics. Ask 100 people – or 100 philosophers, for that matter – what they mean by ethics, and you might get 100 different answers. The struggle to define ethical behavior probably goes back to prehistory, and serves as a cornerstone of both ancient Greek philosophy and most major world religions.

Ethical behavior, in its simplest terms, is knowing and doing what is right. The difficulty is in defining “right.” Different individuals, different cultures, and different religions define it in different ways. The accepted treatment of women and attitudes toward slavery in different cultures and at different times in history provide prime examples of how what’s “right” can vary.

Many people would define ethics and morality as identical, but it is helpful to view them somewhat differently. Ethics are based on a set of social norms and/or logically coherent philosophical principles; morality is based on a (usually broader) set of beliefs, religious and cultural values, and other principles which may or may not be logically coherent. Morality can, however, form the basis for an ethical syste

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