7/27/2019 1508-07-DirtyHands

1/12

Psychology 1508:

Dirty Hands

Knowing is not enough, we must apply.

Willing is not enough we must do.

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

7/27/2019 1508-07-DirtyHands

2/12

Leading With Dirty Hands?

The inevitability of errors

The inevitability of wrongdoing

How you cling to your purity, young man! How afraid

you are to soil your hands! All right, stay pure! Whatgood will it do? Why did you join us? Purity is an idea

for a yogi or a monk To do nothing, to remain

motionless, arms at your side, wearing kid gloves. Well,

I have dirty hands. Right up to the elbows. Ive plunged

them in filth and blood. But what do you hope? Do you

think you can govern innocently?

Jean Paul Sartre

7/27/2019 1508-07-DirtyHands

3/12

Choosing Between Right and RightThe inspirational approach [to ethics] offers little help

with serious conflicts of responsibility.... What to dowhen one clear right thing must be left undone in order

to do another or when doing the right thing requires

doing something wrong?

Joseph Badaracco

An ethical decision typically involves choosing between

two options: one we know to be right and another we

know to be wrong. A defining moment, however,challenges us in a deeper way by asking us to choose

between two or more ideals in which we deeply believe.

Such challenges rarely have a correct response.

Joseph Badaracco

7/27/2019 1508-07-DirtyHands

4/12

The Case of Honest Abe

7/27/2019 1508-07-DirtyHands

5/12

Choices leaders MUST make

Delivering bad news

layoffs criticism

Remaining competitive

local manufacturing

how much to pay and to whom?

Political leadership

defining life (Terry Schiavo, abortion, etc)

just war?

Exit or Voice? (Stone, 1994)

7/27/2019 1508-07-DirtyHands

6/12

Making Right Versus Right Decisions

Hierarchy of Values

Principled AND Flexible (Janusian)

Life and liberty as highest values (axiomatic)

If freedom is lost,

there will not even be

equality among the

unfree.

Karl Popper

7/27/2019 1508-07-DirtyHands

7/12

Making the Right Decision

Clarify personal hierarchy of values

Take time to reflect (Batson and Darley, 1973)

If there is a hallmark characteristic of authentic

and exemplary leaders, it is that they

continuously reflect back to move forward.

Bruce Avolio

7/27/2019 1508-07-DirtyHands

8/12

7/27/2019 1508-07-DirtyHands

9/12

Making the Right Decision

Clarify personal hierarchy of values

Take time to reflect (Batson and Darley, 1973)

Ask questions (of self and others)

Empathize

Seek beautiful enemies

Think systemically

Courage to face the truth and pay the price

7/27/2019 1508-07-DirtyHands

10/12

The Inevitable Price of Leadership

The pain of wrongdoing

The pain of making mistakes

The pain of suffering rejection

7/27/2019 1508-07-DirtyHands

11/12

So why do it?

The desire to make a difference!

7/27/2019 1508-07-DirtyHands

12/12

It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points

out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of

deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to

the man who is actually in the arena, whose face ismarred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives

valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and

again, because there is no effort without error or

shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms,

the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy

cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the

triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, ifhe fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that

his place shall never be with those cold and timid

souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.

Theodore Roosevelt (courtesy of Vikram)