ABSTRACT
Conflicts of interest are likely to be one of the main ethical dilemmas that face faculty who are in the leadership roles. Codes of ethics exist in many professional organizations, but are aimed at the general membership rather than the leadership. A conflict of interest (COI) occurs when that trust might conflict with the leader's personal interest. A leader responsible for allocating funds between two members for two organizational projects might allocate more money to a member based on a personal relationship rather than based on criteria set down in organizational by-laws. The good news is that we almost all bring to our work energy, good will, and good sense that the organization's interests matter first and last. The bad news is that many of us bring little previous experience in dealing with COIs. Professionalism as well as professional codes can help bridge the experience gap and help us do our work for professional organizations more effectively and enjoyably.
