Leading With Values : Strategies for Making Ethical Decisions in Business and Life

One of the hardest parts of being a leader is handling legitimate disagreements about values. This book discusses the human psychology that drives these conflicts as well as the philosophical frameworks that have guided people for millennia. The authors provide readers with strategies for implementing their values in their lives and organizations.

As societies become more polarized, there is increasing pressure for business leaders to have a sense of purpose and to make moral decisions. Being a good leader requires both a keen understanding of the realities of human decision making as well as an analysis of what is right and wrong. This book integrates lessons from three intellectual traditions – psychology, philosophy, and political economy – to guide readers on a journey to rigorously explore their values and decision making. The authors begin by examining people''s intuitions about right and wrong. They then clarify principles that embody these intuitions and help readers engage with others whose intuitions or principles differ from their own. Ultimately, this book teaches readers how to be strategic as they lead with their values: as individuals, as designers of organizations, and as businesspeople interacting with societal institutions.