This document discusses leadership ethics in relation to sustainability and sustainable development. It provides definitions of sustainable development and outlines how leadership ethics should consider long-term impacts and intergenerational equity. However, it notes that many leaders are not taking sustainability into account in their decisions. This can lead to issues like climate change, resource depletion, pollution, and unequal economic benefits. The document then describes an activity for participants to identify and discuss their own ethical standards regarding sustainability, times these have been challenged, and ways to thoughtfully engage in ethical decision-making around sustainable leadership.

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Dr. Philip Vaughter
Research Fellow
UNU Institute for the Advanced Study of
Sustainability (UNU-IAS)
ProSPER.Net Leadership Programme
2017 ProSPER.Net Leadership
Programme
“Building transformational leadership
towards the Sustainable Development
Goals”
Hosted by Chulalongkorn University
Leadership Activity II –
Just Do the Right Thing! –
How to work with ethics as a
leader

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Leadership Ethics and Sustainability
 Leadership ethics as they relate to sustainable development tend to be
shaped by the definition of the term itself
 “Sustainable Development is development that meets the needs of the
present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs.” (Our Common Future, 1987)
 This is often combined with ethical elements of increased equity and
prosperity between people and nations
 There is an implied understanding that leadership must secure progress
for human societies, but not at the cost of destroying the environment
 Growing wealth needs to mean we don’t do it at the cost of the planet’s
ecosystems – no one is rich on a dead planet
 There is also an implied understanding that ethical considerations must
look at long term vs. short term considerations
 Securing food and water now means we don’t sacrifice that security later –
long term vs. short term thinking
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Leadership Failings and Sustainability
 However, many leaders, be they in government, civil society, or the
private sector, are not taking sustainability into account when they
make their decisions
 The pollution we create causes changes in the atmosphere, contributing
to climate change
 We are polluting water systems, threatening future supply
 We are harvesting our seas and our forests faster than they can be
replaced
 We our degrading our natural resources with the waste we generate
 Mass number of extinctions are occurring around the planet
 Economic decisions do not benefit all people equally
 And as a population – we are still growing!
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Leadership and Sustainability
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Leadership and Sustainability
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Leadership and Sustainability
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Activity Objectives
 To identify what are values held in relation to sustainability
 To present a way to thoroughly think things out in relation to
sustainable behavior before taking action
 To demonstrate how to clarify, explore, and examine all options to
arrive at ethical decisions in regards to leadership and sustainable
development in your organization
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Activity Instructions
 Step 1: Divide into groups. Each person in the group should identify 3-5 personal
standards they try to live by in relation to a sustainable lifestyle. Take brief notes to
explain why. [5 minutes]
 Step 2: Next, each person in the group should identify a time when they felt there
ethical standards in relation to sustainability were being compromised. [5 minutes]
 Step 3: Share your answers among your group. Share both your personal standards in
regards to a sustainable lifestyle and a time when you felt these standards were being
challenged. [10 minutes]
 Step 4: Now, one person at a time will discuss their ethical dilemma with the group,
going through the model on the following slide step by step. Is the model helpful, or
are there limitations depending on the situation? [30 minutes]
 Step 5: Open Discussion [10-20 minutes]:
 Did anyone have any situations you would like to share with everyone?
 Why do you feel people usually do not talk much about ethics in relation to sustainability?
 Are there ever situations where being ethical in one context means you are betraying your
ethics in another?
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Engaging with ethical decision making
 What is an ethical dilemma you have struggled with in making
sustainable decisions?
 Are your personal standards at odds with the organizational
standards you are facing?
 Why do you want to do something about this situation? Why do you
think the situation exists? As a leader, do you have responsibility to
act?
 What are optimal ways to address this issue?
 Do you need more time to consider all of your options?
 Is there anyone who can provide input of counsel?
 What are the consequences if you decide to act? Consider both long
term and short term timeframes.
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