The article “How to Live with Purpose, Identify Your Values and Improve Your Leadership,” by Ann Loehr, presents valuable advice for leaders looking to uncover their core values and purpose. To begin, the author recommends that leaders take the time to contemplate what truly matters to them and what they care about most. This may involve reflecting on past experiences that have shaped them, the legacy they aim to leave, or the subjects that ignite or frustrate them (Loehr, 2014). Such introspection can unveil one’s priorities and passions.

The author advises leaders to carefully consider what they would be willing to sacrifice or uphold. Leaders’ non-negotiable aspects often reveal their deepest values (Loehr, 2014). For instance, leaders may recognize that they would maintain integrity and transparency in pursuing career advancement.

The author recommends that leaders reflect on what gives them meaning and motivation (Loehr, 2014). Typically, the activities and areas of work that leaders find most meaningful align with their values and purpose. For example, if leading innovation energizes a leader, it may indicate a core value related to progress.

The author advises leaders to discuss their values and purpose with people who know them well (Loehr, 2014). Seeking input from colleagues, mentors, or coaches can help leaders clarify their values and priorities and identify values they may not have realized they had.

The article suggests that leaders should use strategies such as reflection, identifying their willingness to sacrifice or stand up for certain values, determining sources of meaning, and engaging in discussions with others to ascertain their core values and greater purpose (Loehr, 2014). When leaders know what truly matters, they are better equipped to lead with conviction and intention. The article emphasizes how self-awareness and purpose are vital in inspiring principled leadership.

Loehr, A. (2014, May 6). How to live with purpose, identify your values and improve your leadership. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/anne loehr/2014/05/06/how-to-live-with-purpose-identify-your-values-and-improve-your-leadership/#3dfb7c5f4fe9

In the article “Why Ethical People Make Unethical Choices,” Ron Carucci posits that individuals with strong ethical principles may succumb to unethical decision-making in certain circumstances. Carucci asserts that external pressures and conditions, rather than inherent moral character, often precipitate unethical choices.

Carucci explains why good people might act unethically. First, they might face unreal expectations from their organizations, which pressure them to compromise their values to get results. For example, employees might feel forced to lie to customers or cut corners to meet unrealistic sales targets set by their companies. Second, ethical people can make bad choices in unfamiliar situations that make them uncomfortable. When people face unfamiliar problems, they are likelier to make poor decisions and less likely to recognize moral issues.

Ethical people sometimes ignore moral issues that get in the way of their goals and interests. They might overlook the unethical nature of their actions because they are focused on achieving specific outcomes. Also, people often make unethical choices when their peers do because they want to fit in or follow authority figures. They may ignore their moral values to be part of a group.

The article suggests that ethical people may sometimes make unethical choices not due to a lack of morals but because of external pressures and influences leading to compromised decision-making and “motivated blindness.” However, the author contends that people can bolster their moral courage through exercises that cultivate awareness and critical thinking. We can establish circumstances that facilitate ethical decision-making by comprehending the reasons behind occasional ethical lapses in moral individuals.

Carucci, R. (2016, December 16). Why ethical people make unethical choices. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2016/12/why-ethical-people-make-unethical-choices

Jasmine McRae- test