Page 10 - Leadership Basics 4
P. 10
The Ethical Dimension
The issue of Ethical Leadership is a major concern for school leaders. In this booklet we will only
briefly touch on the ethics of influencing behaviours.
In a democratic organisation, ethical leadership is exercised "through the consent of the governed."
The imperatives of this kind of leadership are:
The appreciation and protection of democratic principles.
The protection and extension of basic human rights.
The adherence to ethics, equity, fairness and justice.
The knowledge of best practices and educational research.
The principle to serve as a role model to emerging leaders.
As a basis for reflecting on what constitutes ethical influence, consider the following
“Five Freedoms” (adapted from Satir, 1988).
1. The freedom to see and hear what is here...
2. The freedom to say what one feels and thinks...
3. The freedom to feel what one feels, instead of what one ought
4. The freedom to ask for what one wants, instead of always waiting for permission
5. The freedom to take risks, instead of choosing to be "secure" and not
rocking the boat
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