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Book Nook
Reclaiming the Ethical High Ground: Developing
Organizations of Character
by John Di
Frances
Reliance Books, Wales, WI, 2002
ISBN: 0-9709908-1-2
Hardcover, 160 pages.
Price $24.95
Overall Rating: * * * Snail Mail
It
 Building Moral Intelligence:
The Seven Essential Virtues That Teach Kids to Do the
Right Thing
by Michele Borba
Jossey-Bass, 2001
ISBN: 0-7879-5357-1
Hardcover, 336 pages.
Price $24.95
Overall Rating: * * * * * Pick It Up
Today
How is ethical behavior instilled into the life of
a person or a group of people? What does it take to
turn moral principles into everyday actions? These
are the underlying questions addressed by two very
different books—one focusing on the formal
organization, and the other on the family.
Our first book this month, Reclaiming the
Ethical High Ground by John Di Frances, is a
relatively short book targeted at leaders. The author
defines “ethical high ground” as “a
place where the air is clear and the view of
surrounding activity is unobstructed…a vantage
point from which one can see above the smoke, noise,
and clutter…to make wise decisions.” (p.
21) He uses the military strategy of taking the high
ground as part of an extended metaphor for ethical
behavior—giving examples and extrapolating
tactics and benefits.
Di Frances builds the case for change on the moral
wreckage of companies that have taken the phrase
“greed is good” at face value. He
contrasts this with organizations “of
character” and places the responsibility for
developing this character directly on the shoulders
of leaders: "An organization’s leaders must
first clearly set the standards for all to know and
then model them for all to see. It’s that
simple, and also that difficult.” (p. 94) In
the last chapter, he identifies the keys to
maintaining high ethical standards:
- Moral clarity—a commitment to
uncompromising ethical standards, a reconstruction
of the organization to reflect those standards, and
a celebration of ethical behavior taken in the face
of temptation.
- Strategic clarity—10 “intangible
imperatives” (ethical outcomes) to be added
to the usual mix of tangible organizational
goals.
- Moral imperative—ethical leadership from
the top of the organization.
Unfortunately for the reader, the list of
intangible imperatives is not fleshed out with
practical definitions, specific examples, or ideas
for action. This renders the book ultimately
unsatisfying—an ethical appetizer rather than
the main course.
If a leader doesn’t already possess the
character and ethical qualities to “reclaim the
ethical high ground,” how are they to be
obtained? Di Frances doesn’t think much of
business school efforts to instill ethical principles
in students, claiming “they have in general
shown little interest in seriously addressing the
issue of ethics in business.” (p. 100) Rather,
he says: “How are leaders trained? Ideally it
begins in early childhood by loving parents who
clearly understand, model, and teach good character.
This emphasis on instilling moral virtue should then
be reinforced by churches, schools and the community
at large.” (p. 99)
This
brings us to our second book, Building Moral
Intelligence by Michele Borba. Although targeted
at parents and teachers, every adult concerned about
where our society seems to be headed should read this
book.
Borba identifies seven virtues that she sees as
essential to ethical behavior: empathy, conscience,
self-control, respect, kindness, tolerance, and
fairness. (See the sidebar for her definitions
of these virtues.) A full chapter is devoted to each
virtue, providing a wealth of detail: definitions,
self-tests, real-life stories, discussion questions,
stages of moral development, practical ways to
enhance each virtue, and much more. For each virtue,
the reader is given specific examples of both
positive and negative behavior—as well as a
better understanding of obstacles to youthful
learning of the positive behaviors. Additionally, at
the end of the book there are 22 pages of resource
materials (books, videos, and Web sites targeted to
each of the seven virtues and identified for
appropriate ages), a book discussion guide, 12 pages
of notes and citations, and an index.
She states that the most powerful method for
teaching moral intelligence is to model the desired
behaviors. To this end, she gives many examples of
each virtue—putting up a mirror through which
we can recognize our own lapses of behavior;
discovering alternate behaviors to practice until
they become automatic; and identifying the desired
future state for ourselves, our families, and all
others with whom we have contact. Borba challenges us
to honestly ask ourselves this question at the end of
each day, “If I were the only example my child
has from whom to learn right from wrong, what would
she have learned today?” (p. 63) This is a
worthy question for all of us to ask, whether or not
we regularly interact with children.
She points out the importance of what she calls
the “core virtues”—empathy,
conscience, and self-control. Without them
“kids become time bombs just waiting to
explode. Lacking an ability to feel for others, an
inner voice to guide them to do right, and the
strength to control their destructive impulses, they
are left defenseless against toxic influences coming
their way. And of the trio, many experts feel
self-control is the one most sorely lacking.”
p. 83) As children without these essential virtues
grow to adulthood, their inability to act ethically
becomes a concern for organizational leaders, who may
themselves have some of the same deficiencies.
For adults without a solid personal grounding in
ethical principles—such as those from
dysfunctional families—the book helps build the
foundation necessary for leading others to these
virtues and provides tools for teaching ethical
behavior to children, or to people of any age. For
leaders struggling to refocus organizational
behavior, the book can also be a useful source for
ethics training or creating an ethical code of
conduct.
Building Moral Intelligence is a book that
I highly recommend. It will stick in your mind and
your heart long after you have finished reading
it.
 CHRISTINE ROBINSON has more
than 25 years of leadership experience in quality
systems for the process industries. She has a
master’s degree in quality, values, and
leadership from Marian College. An avid reader, she
spends a significant amount of her time with her nose
in books and her body at the library.
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