Courage to take moral action

1
Courage to take moral action

• When/why to take moral action
• Leaving
• Growth
• Group optimization
• Principled action if we have failed to serve the
  common purpose in some important way, we must be
  willing to resign the position given us in trust.
  Followers may need to resign if a leader is
  failing.

2

• Difficulty of separation
• Maintain relationships and interests outside of
  the organization
• Financial contingencies
• Courage may be offset by responsibilities
• Offering to resign because of our own breach of
  trust or in protest of the leaders.
• Query (request for clarification) and appeal
  (explicit request to cancel or alter or delay
  implementation of an order or policy) to a higher
  authority in the organization
• Duty to disobey policies or orders destructive to
  the common purpose. Even if the whole group
  obeys.
• Threatening to resign. Warning of impending
  resignation, if not used lightly, is one of the
  legitimate ways to voice the depth of our concern.

3

• Dilemma of the unreasonable leader (e.g.
  Rumsfeld)
• Values review are leaders walking the talk?
• Follower self-examination
• Examine ourselves before acting
• Seek guidance of peers.
• Decision to withdraw support
• Responsibility to blow the whistle. When the
  leaders actions seriously endanger the
  organization, silent withdrawal is inappropriate.
• Protecting yourself. Best protection for abusive
  leaders is darkness and secrecy, our protection
  is light and documentation.
• Opposing the leader
• Evil behavior. Better to contain it early than
  to wait until it is out of control.
• If we decide to stay.