The examples on the Threads Culture page really highlight how core values only matter when they’re actually lived out, and that’s what stood out to me from an ethical-leadership perspective. It’s easy for organizations to pick impressive-sounding words like integrity, accountability, or teamwork, but the real work is translating those values into daily behavior. Ethical leadership means modeling those values consistently, not just referencing them during meetings or performance reviews, but using them to guide tough decisions, honest conversations, and how people are treated when no one’s watching. I like how the site emphasizes defining values clearly so everyone understands what they look like in practice; it eliminates those vague, feel-good statements that don’t actually change anything. When values are woven into hiring, feedback, recognition, and the way people collaborate, they stop being slogans and become part of the culture. To me, that’s the core of ethical leadership: being transparent about what you stand for and holding yourself accountable to it, even when it’s inconvenient. It sets a tone that encourages others to do the same and creates a workplace where trust, fairness, and respect become the norm rather than the exception.

“Core Values Examples.” Threads Culture, https://www.threadsculture.com/core-values-examples.

One interesting idea I learned from reading “Needed: Leaders Who Inspire, Listen” is that authentic and inspired leadership begins from within. It’s not just about giving motivational speeches or creating big strategic plans. What stood out to me most was the idea that true leadership is an inside-out process grounded in self-awareness, core values, and genuine care for others. As a college student preparing to enter the professional world, I often imagine leadership as a skill you demonstrate externally, through confidence, communication, or decision-making. However, this reading helped me realize that meaningful leadership actually depends on who you are as a person, not just what you do.

I was especially moved by the example of Ken Chenault after 9/11, showing vulnerability and empathy rather than hiding behind a corporate image. It demonstrated that great leaders don’t just manage, they connect. They create environments where people feel safe, valued, and inspired to contribute. The list of qualities, honoring people, building trust, and listening deeply, challenged me to think differently about leadership. It’s not about authority but about authenticity and shared purpose. This reading reminded me that being a good leader starts with being a good human, and that emotional honesty can be just as powerful as professional competence.

2016. Needed: Leaders Who Inspire, Listen. [PDF] Triangle Business Journal.

What I found most interesting about the “Value Based Leadership Paradigm” reading is how value-based leadership balances organizational goals with the individuality of team members. Leaders don’t need to change people’s cultural values or personal priorities; instead, they can create a shared set of organizational values that guide behavior while still respecting differences. The idea of a “value covenant” really stood out. It shows how leaders can align people toward common goals without forcing uniformity.

I was also struck by how value-based leadership emphasizes both productivity and the well-being of personnel. Clear communication, consistency, and fostering trust, fairness, and encouragement aren’t just nice, they actively shape organizational culture and effectiveness. This made me reflect on how important it is for leaders to act intentionally and lead with integrity.

I found it eye-opening how globalization, technology, and social change are shaping leadership today. Leaders face paradoxes, like guiding versus participating or respecting personnel while maintaining structure, but shared values provide a strong way to navigate these challenges.

This reading reinforced my belief that leadership isn’t just about managing tasks. It’s about aligning people, purpose, and values.

Shatalebi, B., & Yarmohammadian, M. H. Value-based leadership paradigm [PDF]

One of the most interesting things I learned from “Decision Making” from Principles of Management” is how structured and intentional the creative process actually is. I had always thought of creativity as something spontaneous or purely based on inspiration, but the five steps outlined (problem identification, immersion, incubation, illumination, and verification) show that creativity follows a process similar to rational decision making. Crazy!

The idea of incubation was also interesting. Which is where a person steps away from the problem and lets their unconscious mind work on it. The story about the NASA scientist discovering his solution while sitting outside a McDonald’s is a perfect example of how insights often come when we least expect them. It reminded me that giving your mind time to rest can actually enhance creativity rather than hinder it. I also found it fascinating how creativity can be measured through fluency, flexibility, and originality. This framework gives a concrete way to evaluate what makes an idea truly creative. For instance, the example of Reed Hastings, the founder of Netflix, shows how having diverse and unique ideas across different industries demonstrates both flexibility and originality. His journey from developing software tools to transforming the entertainment industry highlights how creative thinking can lead to innovation that changes entire markets.

“Decision Making” from Principles of Management. [PDF]Moodle. https://moodle-courses2527.wolfware.ncsu.edu/pluginfile.php/476511/mod_resource/content/2/Decision%20Making_Chap11_Principles%20of%20Managment.pdf

One of the most interesting things I learned from UC San Diego’s Ethics Awareness page is how clearly it connects ethical behavior to the university’s overall mission and reputation. The page explains that ethics at UC San Diego are not just about following rules, but about maintaining the public’s trust and demonstrating accountability to everyone the university serves like the students, parents, donors, and taxpayers. It was nice to see that UC San Diego defines ethics through six core values, trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, and citizenship, because these values provide a foundation for decision-making that goes beyond compliance.

What stood out to me most was the idea that unethical actions don’t only lead to disciplinary or legal consequences, they can also harm morale, damage the university’s reputation, and undermine its ability to attract top students and faculty. This made me realize how interconnected personal integrity and institutional success really are.

I also liked the “Character-Based Decision-Making Model” from the Josephson Institute of Ethics, which the page highlights as a framework for resolving ethical dilemmas. It encourages people to pause, gather facts, consider stakeholders, and evaluate possible outcomes before making a choice. That process feels especially valuable in a complex environment like a university, where decisions often involve competing values and limited information. Overall, I came away with a deeper appreciation of how ethics form the backbone of trust and excellence at UC San Diego, shaping not only individual choices but the university’s culture and reputation as a whole.

University of California, San Diego. (2025, October 3). Ethics Awareness. UC San Diego. https://blink.ucsd.edu/finance/accountability/ethics-awareness.html#why-are-business-ethics-important-to-uc-san-diego

While reading “Uber’s Key CEO Candidate Backs Out”, I learned how complex and politically charged leadership transitions can be in high-profile tech companies. It surprised me that even someone as experienced and respected as the former CEO of GE could step away from a major opportunity like leading Uber, especially when he was considered a frontrunner. What stood out was not just his decision to withdraw, but the manner in which he did it by publicly announcing his exit before Uber had made anything official.

The article also hinted at internal power struggles within Uber’s board, especially involving major investors like Benchmark Capital. That tension likely played a key role in Immelt’s decision, suggesting that leadership isn’t just about having the qualifications, it’s also about being able to navigate company politics and fractured governance. Another aspect that caught my attention was how this leadership uncertainty came at a time when Uber was already facing reputational damage and cultural problems, following the resignation of its co-founder Travis Kalanick. The company’s board needed someone who could rebuild trust and stabilize the brand, yet the chaotic environment may have made the position unattractive to top candidates. Learning about this moment in Uber’s history gave me a deeper appreciation for the behind-the-scenes challenges involved in corporate leadership and how much politics can influence major business decisions.

“GE Chief Withdraws as Uber CEO Candidate.” Engadget, 27 Aug. 2017, https://www.engadget.com/2017-08-27-ge-chief-withdraws-as-uber-ceo-candidate.html.

From the article, “Transparency and Authenticity: The Value of Open Communications”, it was interesting to learn how deeply the KIND brand integrates its values of transparency, authenticity, and simplicity into not just its product but every single customer touchpoint. From things like naming and packaging to marketing and internal company culture. While I was already familiar with the brand’s reputation for healthy snacks, I had no idea how intentional their design choices were. For example, their commitment to using only straight lines in their packaging, is not just a stylistic preference, but a deliberate reflection of their “straightforward” branding philosophy. This makes me realize how design can serve as a language for brand values, not just an aesthetic tool.

Even more surprising was how they extend this concept of honesty to their internal operations by owning up to mistakes, avoiding abrupt firings, and encouraging open communication. This kind of transparency is rare in corporate environments, where image often outweighs integrity. Another standout insight was their marketing approach. KIND avoids idealized or heavily stylized product imagery, choosing instead to show products exactly as they are, often still in their wrappers. They go to great lengths to ensure that what the consumer sees is what they actually get. This challenges the norm in advertising, where products are often made to look better than reality. I hadn’t considered how conditioned consumers have become to being misled by packaging, so it’s refreshing to learn about a brand actively pushing against that trend. Additionally, their use of straightforward naming was a bold move at the time. This might seem normal now, but I learned that in 2004, it was a radical departure from the norm. They also openly acknowledge that their names are easier to copy and harder to trademark, showing that sticking to your values isn’t always the easiest or most profitable path, but it can build a stronger, more trustworthy brand in the long run.

Lubetzky, Daniel. Transparency and Authenticity: The Value of Open Communications. Moodle Course Link.

What I found particularly interesting in “It’s how leaders behave that matters, not where they are from”, is the nuanced balance between universal leadership principles and cultural context. The idea that leadership processes are fundamentally universal, even if their applications vary culturally, challenges the common assumption that leadership styles must drastically change across different regions. For example, the perspectives shared by global leaders Caroline Wang and Rajeev Peshawaria highlight that effective leadership behavior transcends geography and culture, emphasizing consistent leadership behaviors rather than localized personality traits or motivation techniques. This insight was new to me because I had previously assumed that leadership was highly culture-dependent, with leaders needing to adjust their style significantly to each unique environment.

The study’s use of empirical data from multiple countries, like India, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Ethiopia, further illustrates this point. Although there were some statistical differences in specific leadership practices such as Modeling and Encouraging, the overall leadership patterns and their impact on employee engagement and leader effectiveness showed remarkable consistency across cultures. This suggests that while culture influences some leadership behaviors, there are foundational leadership actions valued globally. I found this affirmation of universal leadership behaviors insightful, especially in a world increasingly interconnected by globalization and technology.

Another new aspect for me was the positive correlation between leaders’ engagement in key leadership practices and positive workplace attitudes regardless of culture. The fact that leaders who frequently modeled behaviors, inspired, and challenged their teams fostered stronger team spirit and higher productivity is powerful evidence that certain leadership qualities resonate across cultures. This finding aligns with ethical frameworks like the Rights and Responsibilities lens, where respecting and supporting others is a core duty, and with Consequentialism, since leadership behaviors that generate positive workplace outcomes benefit the whole organization.

Barry Z. Posner, (2013),”It’s how leaders behave that matters, not where they are from”, Leadership &
Organization Development Journal, Vol. 34 Iss 6 pp. 573 – 587

One of the most interesting things I learned from “Ethical Role of the Manager”, is how deeply intertwined ethics are with the role of a manager. Even though some people see business as inherently amoral or claim that ethics and business don’t mix, this reading clearly shows that every managerial decision carries ethical weight, whether it involves people, the environment, or broader societal impacts. What stood out most is that managing isn’t just about performance or profit; it’s about making decisions that are fair, responsible, and considerate of multiple stakeholders, not just shareholders.

The idea that managers must be both moral persons and moral managers adds another layer of responsibility. It’s not enough to be honest or trustworthy privately, you must also model ethical behavior publicly, set expectations for others, and create systems of accountability. This dual role reinforces how important personal integrity is, and how much impact a leader’s character has on shaping an organization’s ethical culture.

I also found the ethical decision-making framework incredibly valuable. Breaking down complex dilemmas using principles like rights and duties, utilitarianism, justice, and care gives managers a structured way to think through difficult choices. It’s especially useful in situations where there’s no clear “right” answer, like choosing between layoffs or cutting salaries. These frameworks don’t provide a magic solution, but they help ensure decisions are thoughtful, balanced, and principled.

Another interesting point was about moral development. Only about 20% of adults reach the postconventional stage of moral reasoning, where they make decisions based on core ethical principles rather than just rules or peer pressure. This highlights why ethical leadership is so rare but also so critical. Organizations need leaders who can reason at this higher level, especially in today’s complex, globalized business environment.

Waddock, Sandra. “Ethical Role of the Manager.” Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society. Ed. . Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE,

786-91. SAGE Reference Online. Web. 30 Jan. 2012

One of the most interesting things I learned from this collection of blogs and websites is just how diverse and widespread the conversation around ethics has become across different industries and sectors. I was struck by how many professionals, lawyers, professors, CEOs, researchers, and even whistleblowers, have dedicated time and energy to exploring and discussing ethical issues in their fields.

For example, the blog Overlawyered sheds light on how the American legal system can sometimes be abused, turning litigation into a tool for profit rather than justice. This shows how ethics isn’t just about doing what’s right, it’s also about identifying where systems are broken and calling for reform. Similarly, Walmart Watch and Tescopoly are compelling because they demonstrate how powerful corporations can negatively affect workers, local economies, and the environment, and how public pressure and awareness can drive change.

I was also intrigued by the Responsible Marketing Blog and the Anti-Advertising Agency, both of which examine how marketing influences consumer behavior and public space. These blogs made me think more critically about the ads we see every day and the messages they send. Another standout was the Research Ethics Blog, which explores the complex ethical questions involved in studies with human subjects.

There are also several blogs that delve into bioethics and neuroethics, like Secondhand Smoke, Neuroethics & Law Blog, and PredictER Blog, which examine topics such as assisted suicide, gene editing, and brain science from a legal and moral perspective. These areas raise difficult questions about what it means to be human and how far we should go in manipulating life. I also appreciated the emphasis on whistleblowing, with sites like the Whistleblower Lawyer Blog and Jane Turner’s FBI Whistleblower Blog showing the risks individuals take to expose wrongdoing. Overall, I learned that ethics isn’t just a theoretical concept but deeply practical and influences nearly every aspect of society, from healthcare and education to marketing, business, and government. These blogs show that while unethical behavior is still common, there are many people working hard to bring about transparency, accountability, and responsible practices in their respective fields.

Monte, M. (2012, February 26). 50 Best Business Ethics Blogs. ActiveRain. https://activerain.com/blogsview/2937234/50-best-business-ethics-blogs