Ethical Leadership

1. Good outcomes are those that benefit society as a whole. Examples include reducing carbon emissions, which slows down global warming, allowing man to live in cooler temperatures for longer; or reducing the production costs of medicine so that it can be sold for cheaper and hence become more accessible, especially to the poor. Even outcomes that only benefit certain groups in society can be good outcomes. Examples include when a company improves its staff welfare by building a lounge where staff can relax in their free time. So far, all outcomes discussed have been outcomes that have a permanent effect on society. However, even one-off outcomes can be considered a good outcome, so long as they benefit society. An example would be when public transport was made free in Singapore its 50th birthday. Everyone in Singapore was able to save money on public transport, which was a good outcome, albeit only for a day.

2. A major principle of deontology is to universalize one’s maxim. This principle deserves support as it ensures that every action taken by an individual will not be one that places others at a disadvantage. However, sometimes placing one’s interests and special circumstances ahead of everyone else's can lead to even greater benefits for society as a whole. An example is when an individual tries to secure funding to develop a drug to cure cancer. In doing so, he places his interests before others as limited resources mean that him getting funding would result in someone else being unable to. However, this could lead to greater benefits for mankind in terms of lives saved should the drug be successfully developed. Thus, in the interest of mankind’s progress, sometimes it might be better for one to not follow this principle.

Another major principle is to treat persons not as a means to an end but as an end in itself. This is because human beings are capable of reason, and therefore worthy of respect. This principle deserves support as it reduces conflict arising from disrespect. An example would be when a manager overworks his staff so that he can increase his team’s output and get himself a salary raise. In this case, he treats his staff as a means to an end and they would naturally feel unhappy. Instead, he should have treated his staff as an end in itself by motivating them to be more productive to increase output, making them feel motivated instead of disgruntled.