Getting back to ethics when leadership theories devolve
I remember how startled I was when I first heard my grandparents casually blurt out phrases that were ‘out of step’ with my current views on topics (think racism). I was just coming to that age where I understood that different generations bring different perspectives on the world, and that we are collection of generations, genders and cultures all perceiving the same ideas, but from very diverse perspectives. This phenomenon is what helped me to frame Annabel Beerel’s analysis of a number of active theories of leadership, which have what she characterizes as “shortcomings” for today’s complexities [1].
Rethinking Leadership : A Critique of Contemporary Theories was written by Beerel during the COVID-19 pandemic, not only to explain the leadership theories at play, but to mine them for qualities and capacities that underpin them [2]. Beerel is a South African-born American consultant and educator, as well as a former business executive, who holds degrees in philosophy and leadership. She is well versed in the theories of leadership. I will focus on her emphasis on ethics in leadership, to which she devotes a whole chapter [3].
For Beerel, morality is being concerned with maintaining rules and norms, while ethics is about making wise choices for the wellbeing of many. Her claim that “we want leaders to be ethical”[4] not merely moral, seems far from a universally held ideal. However, I want it to be true.
Beerel’s point is that “Ethical thinking draws a person into greater cognitive maturity” [5]. She is building on the schema developed by Lawrence Kohlberg (1927–1987), a Harvard psychologist. In Kohlberg’s stages of moral development, reasoning for right and wrong involves higher levels of complexity [6]. Beerel also weaves in Abraham Maslow’s “transcendent pull towards “greater self-actualization”, indicating that these higher levels of ethical thinking become more concerned about being values rather than doing values – such as wholeness, justice, beauty, goodness, and truth (Maslow, 2014, p.75) [7]. Eve Poole in her work, Leadersmithing, aligns this with character, in which she builds on the Aristotelian idea of person-centred, not just action-centred “virtue ethics” [8]. From this, it becomes clear that ethical thinking draws leaders into practices of self-reflection, and higher levels of consciousness.
In spiritual leadership terms, leaders are invited not simply to enforce the Law, given through Moses (Exodus 20), but to deal with the deeper ethical matters raised by Jesus Christ in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Here, Lee Bolman and Terrance Deal explain that the intersection of ethics and spiritual leadership is where [leaders]
help people find meaning, hope, and faith in work and help them answer fundamental questions that have confronted humans of every time and place: Who am I as an individual? Who are we as a people? What is the purpose of my life, of our collective existence? What ethical principles should we follow? What legacy will we leave? [9]
Applying some hybrid of adaptive leadership, neuroleadership, transpersonal leadership is good, but without ethical thinking, it can easily become fixated with a new kind of doing, criticizing former methods or schemas, and miss the deeper wholeness of persons, systems, and our world. And I am not likely to get it all right. Now that I am the grandparent, I wonder about how my children and grandchildren will process the values and ideas I uphold, and how foreign they possibly feel to them. I simply hope that by embedding the capacity of ethical thinking, it will offer a leadership example that will enable others to, in Beerel’s words, “lead with both head and heart and who will help shape a more sustainable world – a world of balance and harmony and a world filled with meaning and hope” [10].
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[1] Annabel Beerel, Rethinking Leadership: A Critique of Contemporary Theories (1st ed.), Routledge, 2021), 374-375.
[2] Beerel gives this fulsome outline in the intro: “Chapters 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 lay out the foundational themes of the text. Chapters 8-14 describe specific leadership theories and critique their effectiveness. It is important to note that many leadership theories overlap. They are not as self-standing as presented. Chapters 15 and 16 discuss the ethical aspects of leadership, while Chapters 17 and 18 review gender and leading a multigenerational workforce. The final chapter synthesizes the themes and the capacities needed to be an effective leader” Rethinking, 6.
[3] Rethinking, Chapter 16.
[4] Rethinking, 326.
[5] Rethinking, 326.
[6] Rethinking, 327.
[7] Rethinking, 386.
[8] Eve Poole, Leadersmithing: An Apprenticeship Approach to Making Great Leaders (London ; New York, NY: Bloomsbury Business, 2017), 51.
[9] Lee G. Bolman, and Terrence E Deal. How Great Leaders Think: The Art of Reframing. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, A Wiley Brand, 2014, 184.
[10] Rethinking, 387.
About the Author
Joel Zantingh
Joel Zantingh is a catalyst for peacemaking and intercultural teams, speaker, theologian and consultant. He is the Canadian Coordinator of the World Evangelical Alliance's Peace and Reconciliation Network, and the Director of Engagement with Lausanne Movement Canada. He has served in local and national roles within the Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada, and led their global mission arm. He has experience teaching in formal and informal settings with Bible college students and leaders from various cultures and generations. Joel and Christie are parents to adult children, as well as grandparents. They reside in Guelph, Ont., situated on the treaty lands and territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, and home to many past, present and future First Nations peoples, including the Anishinnabe and Hodinöhsö:ni'.8 responses to “Getting back to ethics when leadership theories devolve”
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Hi Joel, I appreciate your post. I too spent some time on Beerel’s chapter on ethics and morals. Because it is already in my thinking I went a different direction in my post but how you recognize that the perspective of different generations may bring up significant differences rings a new chord. In some ways I think what you spoke to might also connect with Furedi’s read for this week. My actual question for you, as well as myself is, as your children and grands grow, do you see a way to keep what you see as important current? I am thinking – storytelling? example? Thanks for a thought provoking post.
Diane. I love how you took a post about morals/ethics and created a connection to the generations. I’ve learned that asking questions and seeking to pass on wisdom out of deep listening defines a role I aspire to fulfill as an ‘elder / grandfather’. This invariably leans towards ethics. Your thoughts.
Hi Joel,
Thank you for your post.
How do you define the distinction between morality and ethics in the context of leadership, and why do you believe it’s important for leaders to be ethical rather than merely moral?
Hey Joel. Thank you for this insightful post. From your lens, how do you see the balance between ethical thinking and moral rule-following playing out in leadership today?
Hi Joel,
I appreciate your post! How have you seen tension between well-intentioned ‘moralists’ and better-for-all ethicists in your peace and reconciliation work? I know I’m making this simplistic and dualistic, but I hope you get the sense of the question.
Hi Joel, thanks for your post. I’m curious if you have made any connections between this week’s reading and Poole’s other work on AI. What are some differences between morality and ethics that you see when it comes to AI?
Hey Buddy. You discuss Beerel’s distinction between morality and ethics, emphasising the need for leaders to engage in ethical thinking. How can leaders cultivate this higher level of ethical reasoning in organisations where rules and norms have traditionally been prioritised over values-driven decision-making?
Joel, I did not spend much time on Beerel’s chapter on ethics, but I am grateful you did. You highlight Beerel’s distinction between morality and ethics, arguing that ethical thinking requires greater cognitive maturity and self-reflection. Given the rapid changes in leadership challenges, especially post-pandemic, how can leaders practically cultivate and embed ethical thinking in their decision-making processes, particularly in environments prioritizing short-term results over long-term ethical considerations?