For the Common Good: The Ethics of Leadership in the 21st Century

(Hardback)

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Against the all-too-familiar backdrop of corporate malfeasance, scandal in our religious institutions, political chicanery to serve ulterior motives, and constant reminders of the corruptive influence of power, For the Common Good showcases the insights, reflections, and recommendations of some of today's most forward-thinking and inspiring leaders, applying their expertise in fields such as ecology, education, and conflict resolution. Today's challenges test leaders to their very core, and require a fundamentally new kind of leadership committed to the greater good of society. From Nobel Prize winner, John Hume, to Leader-to-Leader Institute Chair, Frances Hesselbein, Harvard University's Howard Gardner to President Jimmy Carter, the contributors argue that because individuals, institutions, and societies are now so profoundly connected and inter-related, every decision of consequence has a ripple effect. Leaders of all stripes, including corporate executives, politicians, social activists, scientists, and educators, must display courage, integrity, humility, and the wherewithal to consider the long-term impact of their decisions and actions; most importantly, they must engage in dialogue and recognize that creative solutions to complex problems require collaboration. The result is a provocative and multi-dimensional exploration of leadership in troubled and troubling timesbut with a hopeful note that individuals and organizations will rise to the challenges.

Reviews

Contributors from business, education, religion, and politics set out the ethical requirements of leadership in the 21st century the obligations of leaders to promote justice, fairness, trust, and the conditions necessary for people to promote communities that flourish. They focus on practical matters, leaving theory to others. * Reference & Research Book News *
[A] very refreshing work. * Business Digest *
Knapp has compiled a stellar collection that brings together reflections on the ethics of leadership by 11 academic and societal heavyweights such as John Hume, Howard Gardner, and Arun Gandhi.Knapp divides the essays into three sections, in which contributors consider the new climate in which leadership must be practiced; explicate leadership challenges in a global context; and examine how higher education can foster a sense of responsibility for the common good among college students who will become the new generation of leaders in this complex, fast-paced society. Focusing on the practice of ethical leadership, each contributor makes the case with moral authority that ethical leadership is as much about the personhood of the leader as it is about understanding the context in which leadership is practiced. Overall, a valuable addition to the literature on leadership and business ethics. Recommended. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals. * Choice *

Author Bio

John C. Knapp is University Professor and Mann Family Professor of Ethics at Samford University. He is also the Leadership Director, Frances Marlin Mann Center for Ethics and Leadership, at Samford. He has also been visiting lecturer at the University of Wales and Adjunct Professor of Ethics at Columbia Theological Seminary. Knapp is the editor of For the Common Good: The Ethics of Leadership in the 21st Century (Praeger, 2007).