Solution Manual For Meeting the Ethical Challenges of Leadership Casting Light or Shadow 8e Craig E. Johnson Lecture Notes Chapter 1-21
Chapter 1: The Leader’s Light or Shadow Learning Objectives 1-1 Defend the importance of examining the dark side of leadership. 1-2 Explain how leaders cast shadows when they fail to meet the six ethical challenges of leadership.
Annotated Chapter Outline I.
A Dramatic Difference/The Dark Side of Leadership i. Limited understanding of leadership: a. Parker Palmer asserts that the difference between moral and immoral leaders is as sharp as light and darkness, or heaven and hell. b. While most people have experienced a positive connotation of leadership, political figures, parents, clergy, and business executives cast as much shadow as they do light. c. As the position gets higher, there is a greater latitude for leaders to do harm. d. Abuses are more likely to occur if leaders refuse to face the dark side of leadership. e. According to Kellerman, limited understanding of leadership overlooks the reality that a great many leaders engage in destructive behaviors. ii. Dark side of leadership: a. Most researchers describe the dark side of leadership using the term “destructive” while others use terms like “toxic,” “bad,” “poor,” “abusive,” “despotic,” and “tyrannical.” b. Destructive leadership includes a wide variety of negative behaviors that range from playing favorites, manipulation, and deception to hostile words to bullying and physical violence.
c. Such prolonged actions can harm the organization and/or followers. d. They subvert organizational goals and damage the well-being and effectiveness of subordinates. iii. Destructive leadership is widespread: a. Every type of group, organization, and society involves negative leadership. b. Both prominent and ordinary leaders can be destructive. iv. Destructive leadership is costly. a. Destructive leaders make their followers and organizations pay a high price. b. Destructive leadership can result in negative outcomes in terms of both work and personal life. v. A little destructive leadership goes a long way: A small increase in the level of destructive leadership may significantly increase deviant behavior among followers. vi. Destructive leadership is passive as well as active. a. Like activity, passivity can also be damaging. b. Passive leaders fail to exercise leadership, and such behavior leads to increased stress levels and conflicts among followers. vii.The harm caused by destructive leadership can be minimized. a. Steps can be taken to reduce its frequency and severity. b. Some of these steps include setting up systems that deter destructive behavior, detecting the occurrence of harmful behavior, and addressing the damage caused by destructive leaders. II. The Leader’s Shadows i. Functions as leaders: Along with a set of expectations and tasks, leaders take on a unique set of ethical burdens, involving issues of power, privilege, information, consistency, loyalty, and responsibility. ii. Challenges of leadership:
a. The way leaders handle the challenges of leadership determines whether they cause more harm than good. b. Unless being careful, leaders are likely to cast shadow(s). A. The Shadow of Power i. Foundation for influence attempts: a. Power is the foundation for influence attempts and hence it is central to leadership. b. Some Americans are uncomfortable with the fact that leadership cannot exist without power. c. People become more vulnerable to the shadow side of leadership when they refuse to face up to the reality of power. ii. Sources of power: a. Hard power: use of inducements and threats to get people to go along. b. Soft power: attracting others rather than forcing them or inducing them to comply. c. Soft power is used by leaders when they set a worthy example, create an inspiring vision, and build positive relationships with subordinates. d. Effective leaders achieve their goals by combining hard and soft power into smart power. iii. Coercive power: based on penalties or punishments such as physical force, salary reductions, student suspensions, or embargoes against national enemies. iv. Reward power: depends on being able to deliver something of value to others, whether tangible or intangible. v. Legitimate power: resides in the position, not the person. vi. Expert power: based on the characteristics of the individual regardless of that person’s official position. vii.Referent (role model) power: rests on the admiration one person has for another. viii.
Using multiple power sources: a. Leaders can use more than one source of power.
b. For instance, the manager appointed to lead a task force is granted legitimate power to reward or punish, but to be successful, they must demonstrate their knowledge of the topic, skillfully direct the group process, and earn the respect of task force members through hard work and commitment. c. Leaders may also use a variety of power sources to harm their followers. ix. Limitations of power: a. While Western culture widely accepts the dispensing of rewards, they can be counterproductive if the rewards promote the wrong behaviors or go to the wrong people. b. Positional power is more susceptible to abuse. c. Coercive tactics can potentially damage people, threatening the dignity and the physical and mental health of followers. x. Motivation and dangers of power: a. Leaders must examine their motivation for seeking power and recognize the dangers of wielding power. b. Some leaders seek power for selfish reasons and are corrupted before gaining power. c. Such leaders pose the greatest threat when they move into those roles. xi. Power paradox: a. It describes how people gain power by focusing on others’ needs and advancing the good of the group but lose sight of that fact when they move into leadership roles. b. The power makes them less dependent on others, lose their ability to empathize, focus on meeting their own needs, and engage in more unethical, selfish impulsive behavior, resulting in abuse of power. xii.Cost of tyranny: a. The cost of the tyranny of bad leaders is high. b. Victims suffer low self-esteem, psychological distress, and poorer health. c. They are less satisfied with their jobs and lives.
d. They are less productive and are more likely to quit. e. The work unit becomes less trusting and cohesive, reducing collective performance. f.
xiii.
Workers surrender their personal beliefs, keep a low profile, engage in revenge fantasies, take indirect revenge, challenge the supervisor directly, or bring in outsiders to deal with the abusive leader. Giving up power:
a. Having power feels good and makes it hard to give up. b. Powerful people attack those they perceive as threats in order to protect their positions. c. They make biased judgments and act on faulty stereotypes. d. They are convinced that they deserve their high status and are more likely to believe that others like them. xiv.
Potential for abuse: a. Greater leadership power results in greater potential for abuse. b. This can be seen in censorship, repression, torture, imprisonment, murder, and starvation. c. Organizations promote centralization of power through top-down structures. d. Such structures emphasize status differences, loyalty, dependence, fear, and obedience while glorifying “tough” bosses and business practices.
xv. Power deprivation: a. Lack of power can lead to a corrupting influence as individuals with limited authority tend to become overly focused on their small sphere of influence, often becoming cautious, defensive, and critical of others and new concepts. b. In severe instances, this frustration can escalate to destructive actions, as exemplified by a group of fast-food workers who tainted drinks served to customers in an act of sabotage. xvi.
Wielding power wisely: