Take a moment to recall a leader with whom you have shared values. As you likely realize from your personal experience, values are an important component of leader-follower compatibility. Values suggest qualities that you consider important. For many, it is ideal to be led by someone who shares your values.

Morals, on the other hand, guide you to differentiate between right and wrong. A leader’s level of morality is one of the most vital dimensions of leadership in determining whether people will trust, respect, and follow their leaders. It is the leader that asks themselves “What is the right thing to do?” that is often held in most high regard.

In this Assignment, you will examine the role of values and morals in effective leadership.

To prepare for this Assignment:

• Review Chapter 6 in your course text. Pay particular attention to moral development and Kohlberg’s six stages of moral development covered in Table 6-1 found on page 96 of chapter 6.
• Review Chapter 7 in your course text. Focus on leadership and values.
• In Exercise 6–1, Moral Dilemmas, select one moral dilemma (the citizen, the salesperson, the administrative assistant, the parent, the firefighter, the friend, or the supervisor) and determine how you would address the dilemma.
• Review Table 6–1, Levels, Stages, and Examples of Moral Development. Think about which stage of moral development is most consistent with your response to the dilemma.
• Complete Exercise 7–1, Personal Values—What Is Important to You?, and Figure 7–1, Your Personal Value Orientation. Reflect on what the exercises say about your personal values.
• Consider how your culture shapes your personal values.
• Consider how your personal morals and values could influence your role as a leader.

The Assignment: (3–4 pages)

• In one page or less, explain how you would address the moral dilemma you selected in Exercise 6–1.
• Analyze which stage of moral development is the most consistent with your response to the dilemma and explain why.
• Summarize your personal values based on Exercise 7–1 and Figure 7–1.

• Explain how your culture shapes your personal values.
• Explain the conclusions you can draw about your own morals and values and how you believe they could influence your role as a leader.