The Markkula Center for Applied Ethics offers articles and cases on leadership ethics, both in the professional and private spheres. Resources include material on leadership in business, government, education, nonprofits, and other sectors.
What is Leadership Ethics?
This introduction addresses the ethical responsibilities of individuals serving organizations formally as operational or governing leaders and also of people demonstrating leadership in everyday life.
Leadership Ethics Articles
From executives in the C-suite to the private individual, everyone who has leadership responsibilities will find useful articles covering topics on corporate governance, ethical reasoning, diversity, mission and values, and culture.
Leadership Ethics Cases
How should a business leader handle downsizing? Is the CEO always responsible for the actions of subordinates? These and other ethical dilemmas are illustrated by leadership ethics case studies on organizations such as Apple, Starbucks, and Wells Fargo.
Voting for Ethics: A Guide for U.S. Voters
“Voting for Ethics” is a non-partisan, how-to guide for U.S. voters. It will help you identify the hallmarks of an ethical candidate and make a more informed decision -- whether for your local school board or a national election.
Resources for Leaders Managing Corporate Culture
A collection of articles sharing research and practical approaches to addressing the ethical challenges inherent in creating diverse, anti-racist, inclusive organizations. We help managers understand what they need to do to create the kind of culture built on values, void of toxicity, and viable for the diversity represented in today's workforce.
Evaluating Culture for Ethics
Culture Self-Assessment Practice recommends approaches to evaluating culture for ethics within companies and other types of organizations. The materials are primarily for members of an organization’s leadership team, including human resources and legal, but designed to engage a cross-section of leaders from various disciplines.
A Model for Leadership Ethics
Leadership ethics explores the relationships between leaders and followers and provides tools for those in leadership roles to bring ethics forward in organizations. Ann Skeet, senior director of leadership ethics, has developed a leadership model that encourages users to think of their leadership as a practice. It shows how leadership happens on a continuum from the personal to the formal, building from a leader’s character and including actions the leader takes, with elements combining to render the impact the leader has.
Customize Your Mission
A mission statement serves as a standard for ethical decision-making to guide individuals and organizations.
Workplace Diversity Dialogues
Diversity and inclusion problems in Silicon Valley organizations are solvable if the issues are considered as ethical dilemmas. Find resources, articles, videos, and blog posts about diversity and inclusion here.
Teaching Note: Interview of Theranos Whistleblower, Tyler Shultz
This teaching module for business ethics, leadership and management courses includes two videos, homework assignments, and class discussion, all designed to spark conversation about ethical issues associated with whistleblowers and corporate governance.
Resources for Leaders During the COVID-19 Pandemic
A collection of articles addressing the compelling ethical issues that businesses and leaders are facing today.
Leadership and Business Ethics Council
As ethical issues in business and leadership are increasingly relevant to today’s climate this team of professionals from public, private, and nonprofit sectors collaborates with the Ethics Center to identify and prioritize complex issues.
Leadership Ethics Programs
Leadership ethics crosses all of the Center's focus areas from business to education to nonprofits. Center programs target leaders as key to setting the tone for an ethical organization and by extension to more ethical behavior across many sectors.
Leadership Ethics Links
The Internet offers a wealth of of information on leadership. This curated set of articles and sites provides guidance on how leaders can create a culture of ethics in their organizations.