Moral Leadership

The Enron scandal . . . lobbyists bribing members of Congress . . . the torture of prisoners at Abu Ghraib-the news is filled with stories about the lack of ethics in our most high-placed leaders. Moral Leadership brings together in one comprehensive volume essays from leading scholars in law, leadership, psychology, political science, and ethics to provide practical, theoretical, and policy guidance. The authors explore key questions about moral leadership: How do leaders form, sustain, and transmit moral commitments? Under what conditions are those processes most effective? What is the impact of ethics officers, codes, training programs, and similar initiatives? How do standards and practices vary across context and culture? What can we do at the individual, organizational, and societal level to foster moral leadership? Throughout the book, the contributors identify what people know, and only think they know, about the role of ethics in key decision-making positions. The essays focus on issues such as the definition and importance of moral leadership and the factors that influence its exercise, along with practical strategies for promoting ethical behavior. Moral Leadership addresses the?dynamics of moral leadership, with particular emphasis on major obstacles that stand in its way:?impaired judgment, self-interest, and power.? Finally, the book?explores moral leadership in?a variety of contexts-business and the professions, nonprofit organizations, and the international arena. As recent scandals make clear, society has a fundamental interest in strengthening the ethical capacities and commitments of its leaders.