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Getty Images Moral Courage: Taking Action When Your Values Are Put to the Test
Leader’s Bookshelf

by Rushworth M. Kidder

Despite the broad diversity in the world, Rushworth • Danger. The second key to moral courage lies in
Kidder, founder and president of the Institute for accurately assessing the degree of risk. Leaders
Global Ethics, says five core principles define morality need to carefully consider what the potential nega-
everywhere: honesty, responsibility, respect, fairness, tive consequences of their actions might be and
and compassion. Many leaders agree that living by make a conscious decision that standing up for their
these values is the right thing to do, yet standing up convictions is worth the risks. In addition, leaders
for moral principles can sometimes be difficult, carry- don’t want to overestimate the risks, which could
ing the risks of humiliation, ridicule, loss of reputation, make their actions seem like mere bluster and
or even unemployment. In his thought-provoking new bravado.
book, Kidder defines moral courage as the willing- • Endurance. This is where the rubber meets the
ness to uphold these core values even when doing road. A leader can understand what key values are
so involves significant personal risk. He wrote Moral at stake, assess the risks involved, and believe in
Courage: Taking Action When Your Values Are Put to upholding moral principles, yet still lack the cour-
the Test to give people a structure they can use to age to act. Leaders need confidence to move from
better identify and exemplify moral courage. contemplation to action, to be willing to endure the
hardships that moral courage requires. They can find
THE THREE CIRCLES OF MORAL COURAGE this confidence in several areas: their experience
Moral courage exists at the intersection of three domains: and skills; their character and the values and virtues
a commitment to moral principles, an awareness of the that sustain them emotionally; spiritual insight or
dangers involved in supporting those principles, and a faith in a higher power; and their gut feelings about
willingness to endure the risks. what is the right thing to do.
• Principles. When faced with a choice, leaders can
assess the situation to determine whether it requires CHECKPOINTS FOR FINDING MORAL COURAGE
moral courage, and then determine the specific values Throughout the book, Kidder illustrates how the three ele-
that need to be upheld. The first step in behaving with ments of moral courage intersect, using numerous mod-
moral courage, Kidder says, is to focus on one or two ern and historical examples (of both courage and the lack
key values that fit the situation. He uses the example of it) from business, politics, sports, and other aspects of
of a human resources manager at a manufacturing life. These stories make the book interesting to read at
company in a small rural town, who noticed some odd the same time they provide a solid grounding in what it
expenditures while working on the annual budget and means to act with moral courage. In addition, each
discovered that the boss had charged champagne for chapter ends with a “Moral Courage Checklist” that
his daughter’s wedding to the company. The manager offers practical advice and guidelines.
knew her job would be on the line if she brought her
concerns into the open, but her commitment to princi-
Moral Courage: Taking Action When Your Values Are Put to the Test,
ples of fairness and honestly compelled her to act. by Rushworth M. Kidder, is published by William Morrow.

Preconventional level
Preconventional level of personal moral development. At the preconventional level, individuals are ego-
the level of personal moral centric and concerned with receiving external rewards and avoiding punishments.
the level of personal moral
development in which individuals
development in which individuals
are egocentric and concerned
are egocentric and concerned They obey authority and follow rules to avoid detrimental personal consequences
with receiving external rewards
with receiving external rewards or satisfy immediate self-interests. The basic orientation toward the world is one
and avoiding punishments
and avoiding punishments of taking what one can get. Someone with this orientation in a leadership posi-
tion would tend to be autocratic toward others and use the position for personal
advancement.
At level two, the conventional level, people learn to conform to the expectations
of good behavior as defined by colleagues, family, friends, and society. People at

this level follow the rules, norms, and values in the corporate culture. If the rules
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