Reading this text about how a leader’s values influence the culture of a workplace reminded me a lot of my job working as a cart boy at a golf course. While it might seem like a small or simple job, I’ve seen firsthand how much leadership and values shape the experience for everyone on the team.

When I first started, our supervisor was very laid-back. He focused more on keeping everyone happy and avoided confrontation. It was an easygoing environment, but we didn’t have much structure. As a result, carts were sometimes left uncleaned, and closing took longer because no one really took responsibility. It wasn’t terrible, but it felt like we were just getting by.

Later, we got a new manager who was the complete opposite. He had very clear values, take pride in your work, respect your time and others’, and always be proactive. At first, the shift was tough, he expected a lot more from us. But over time, the culture changed. Everyone started working harder without being asked, and we even took initiative, like cleaning extra carts or organizing supplies without being told. Even though it was still just a cart boy job, it felt like we mattered more and were part of something bigger.

This experience helped me understand Dade’s idea that a leader’s values either create or destroy value. Our new manager didn’t just give us tasks, he brought a sense of purpose that made us care more. His values filtered into how we worked as a team, and that completely changed the vibe of the job. It taught me that leadership isn’t always about big titles or big decisions, it’s about how your personal values influence the people around you, even in the small things.

Lichtenstein, Scott. “The Role of Values in Leadership: How Leaders’ Values Shape Value Creation.”

The quote “Business decisions affect both stakeholders and nature; therefore, a logical conclusion is that those decisions have ethical content inherently” (p. 1) reminded me of the Volkswagen emissions scandal from a few years ago. In 2015, it was discovered that Volkswagen had programmed their diesel cars to cheat on emissions tests. The cars were made to appear environmentally friendly, but in reality, they were polluting way more than what was legally allowed. Millions of cars were affected, and so were millions of people.

What stood out to me in the reading was how Waddock says that every business decision has some kind of ethical impact. In Volkswagen’s case, their decision affected customers, the environment, public health, and even the company’s reputation. Managers at the company chose to cover up the truth in order to increase sales, and that decision led to lawsuits, fines, and a major loss of trust from the public.

This shows why ethics in leadership really matter. If the managers had thought about the long-term consequences instead of just the short-term profits, this could have been avoided. The reading makes it clear that ethics shouldn’t be treated like an add-on, they’re a core part of leadership and decision making.

The Volkswagen scandal proves Waddock’s point: whether a company wants to admit it or not, their choices have ethical weight. When companies ignore that, real people and the environment suffer. It’s a reminder that ethical leadership isn’t just about following rules, it’s about doing what’s right.

Ethical Role of the Manage encyclopedia of business ethics

The Science Learning Hub website gives a simple introduction to how people can use different ethical methods to think about right and wrong. It explains that ethics is not always about clear answers but more about discussion and reasoning. The site highlights four main frameworks: rights and responsibilities, consequentialism, autonomy, and virtue ethics. What stood out to me is that the site says the discussion itself is the most valuable part, since people may not fully agree but can learn from hearing different viewpoints. However, this site feels more like an overview than a detailed guide, since it doesn’t explain exactly how to apply the frameworks in real situations.

The Santa Clara University website is more detailed and focuses on giving people a framework they can actually use. It explains what ethics is and what it is not, then introduces six “ethical lenses” like rights, justice, utilitarianism, common good, virtue, and care ethics. It also gives step-by-step directions for making decisions, such as identifying the issue, getting facts, considering the lenses, and then reflecting afterward. I like this site because it feels more practical and could be applied to real-life ethical problems, though it can also feel overwhelming with so many lenses to consider at once.

Overall, the Science Learning Hub is a good starting point for learning the basics, while the Santa Clara site goes deeper and is more useful for actually working through a problem. Together, they balance each other out, with one helping you understand the ideas and the other helping you put them into practice.

This article made me think a lot about my own experiences working in groups. The article explains how guiding a diverse team to become productive is complicated, and it reminded me of a group project I had in college where everyone worked very differently. At first, we argued over how to divide the work and set deadlines, which felt like the storming stage described in the article. People didn’t know what their responsibilities were, and communication was messy. Over time, we started planning better, assigned roles clearly, and made a system to track progress, which helped us get organized and complete the project. Reading about how the team used a charter to stay focused and accountable made me realize how helpful structure can be in any group effort.

This also reminded me of other teamwork advice I’ve read, where unclear roles and expectations often lead to conflict. What was different about this article is that it showed a real-life example of a team going through all the stages of development, not just theory. It made me see how much planning, leadership, and communication can change the outcome of a team project.

Finally, the article connects to what happens in the real world when organizations merge or consolidate. Companies often face similar problems, like conflicting priorities and unclear roles, and strong teamwork skills are necessary to get through these challenges. Overall, this article helped me understand how important preparation, clear roles, and communication are for team success, both in school and every group setting.

Natvig, D., & Stark, N. L. (2016). A project team analysis using Tuckman’s model of small-group development.

This article made me think about times when I have worked on group projects where people had very different priorities. For example, when I served on a student committee in high school, some members focused on getting things done quickly, while others were determined to make sure every detail was perfect. These differences often created tension until we finally sat down and discussed what each of us really valued in the process. Reading about the Levi Strauss managers using “values cards” reminded me of this experience, because once people put their values on the table, the conflicts started to make more sense and became easier to manage.

The article also connects to other concepts we have studied, such as Tuckman’s model of group development. The “storming” stage, where team members clash, often happens because of unspoken differences in values. What Jaffe and Scott describe in their workshops, open conversations about personal and shared values, seems like a way for groups to move past storming into the “norming” stage. Both the article and Tuckman’s model highlight the importance of addressing these conflicts before a team can truly perform well together.

Beyond my own experiences and classroom connections, I also see this topic as very relevant to the larger world of work today. Companies like AT&T and Nordstrom demonstrate that values are not just abstract ideals but needed tools for guiding decisions and motivating employees. I also think about organizations that face scandals or low morale, often the problem comes from a lack of alignment between personal values and corporate practices. When employees feel that their values connect with those of their organization, they tend to be more engaged, optimistic, and committed. In a time when workplace culture is such a critical issue, this article shows why personal and organizational values must be seen as living and active, not just as statements or rules.

Jaffe, D. T., & Scott, C. D. (2015). How to link personal values with team values

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