ABSTRACT
Chapter 11 explores the relationship between Leadership and Ethics from the vantage point of the built-environment practitioner. It gives a definitive answer to the question: “Does good leadership have to be ethical to be effective?” The chapter then goes into detail on the question of “What is good leadership in construction?” The section on Leadership and Ethics in Construction reveals that in the construction industry, there are many examples of practices that may be considered legally acceptable but ethically challenged. Several authentic cases and some self-assessment comments from an industry survey illustrate this point. Ethically challenged practices work counter to successful construction jobs. The chapter then presents many leadership-ethics topics:
Integrity in the construction process
Excellence in leadership
Trust and the ethics culture
Moral obligations and personal challenges of leaders and followers
Ethics is good business
Two case studies of young leaders (with contrasting leadership styles) point out leadership situations, where hidden ethical challenges can have career-damaging effects. The chapter concludes with a discussion of how ethical behavior and effective leadership reinforce one another, and how they result in successful projects and successful personal careers. Exercises at the end of this chapter illustrate leadership and ethics in practice.