In his post, Norm asks how I have responded to unethical behaviour in my context.  I suppose that there is the unethical behaviour that I am aware of and that which I am not aware of.  I am pleased and thankful that there are not many instances of unethical behaviour which come to mind as I consider your question.  As I reflect on the few instances I have dealt with, I know that it has been important for me to work together with the individual to see a positive outcome.  I have leveraged the great relationship I have with the team that I work with to guide, coach, mentor and direct an individual to an outcome which is favourable for both the individual and our organization.  I think it is important to note that if a leader is not ethical themselves then they do not have a foundation for addressing unethical behaviour in others.  This underscores the importance of the ethical leadership behaviours described by Avolio and Gardner (2005).

 

Avolio, B. & Gardner, W. (2005). Authentic leadership development: Getting to the root of positive forms of leadership. Leadership Quarterly, 16, 315-338.