Leadership Articles and Books

Leadership Articles and Books

The Moral Foundations of Ethical Leadership - Journal of ...

www.valuesbasedleadershipjournal.com/issues/.../ethical_leadership.php

by JP Hester and Don R. Killian

Volume 4, Issue 1 - Journal of Values Based Leadership ...

www.valuesbasedleadershipjournal.com/issues/vol4issue1/

The Leader as Moral Agent: Praise, Blame, and the Artificial Person, Joseph P. Hester, PH.D., Claremont, North Carolina Don R. Killian, M.A., Mount Holly, North Carolina - 2011 

Values-Based Leadership: A Shift in Attitude

scholar.valpo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1038&context=jvbl

by J Hester  - 2012

Value Shifts: Redefining Leadership a Narrative

scholar.valpo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1019&context=jvbl

by J Hester - ‎2012

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership - Digital Commons ...

network.bepress.com/.../business/?...Journal...Values-Based+Leadership%22 Full-Text Articles in Business. Building From Within: Designing A Values-Based Cultural Template, Joseph P. Hester, H. Darrell Young Aug 2013  

Mentoring: Adding Value to Organizational Culture

scholar.valpo.edu › Business › JVBL › Vol. 6 › Iss. 1 (2013), by JP Hester ,

Setzer, Rick (2013)

Science, Religion, and Ethics, Joseph P. Hester (2015)

Full-text-pdf - FSSH Scholarly Journals

fssh-journal.org/images/...3.../006-Vol%203%20No%203%202015.pdf

Cited in:

Civility is an Ethical Issue | Leading in Context

leadingincontext.com/2012/08/08/civility-is-an-ethical-issue/

Aug 8, 2012 - In their article, “The Moral Foundations of Ethical Leadership” in theJournal of Values Based Leadership, Joseph P. Hester and Don R. Killian  

Decision-Making and the Leadership Conundrum - Centre ...

www.claws.in/.../journals.../1394685608Dhruv%20C%20Katoch%20%2...

by DC Katoch

Books:

Creating Pathways for Leadership Development

https://www.buybooksontheweb.com/peek.aspx?id=7480

H.D. Young and the ethical concepts developed by Dr. Joseph P. Hester

Leadership Under Construction: Creating Paths Toward ...

www.amazon.com/Leadership-Under-Construction.../B0...

Amazon.com, Inc. by Young, Darrell H., Hester, Joseph P. (2004) Paperback [Darrell H., Hester, Joseph P.

Ethical Leadership for School Administrators and Teachers ...

www.amazon.com › ... › Education › Administration

Amazon.com, Inc. = Joseph P. Hester

Selfishness: An Analysis

It is an everyday happening that we call some people “selfish” and others “unselfish.” But what are we saying when using these words? Let’s take a closer look and try to unravel their meaning. In my work in ethics these past forty years I have found four meanings of “self-behavior” that I believe clarifies these differences. Consider:

SELFISH BEHAVIOR – Selfish behavior puts ME first and doesn’t consider your feelings, points of view, or interest at all unless what you are doing magnifies MY INTERESTS. In the words of Kant, a selfish person treats others as a MEAN to his or her own personal goals and purposes. In philosophy this is called “egoism” and most believe it an unsound behavior upon which to erect a moral theory; as a matter of fact, most deem it impossible.

SELF-CENTERED BEHAVIOR – This is a tricky one. A person who is self-centered could possibly be selfish as well; but not necessarily. To separate the selfish from the self-centered I offer this definition: “A self-centered person will consider his or her own needs first and your (or the other person’s) needs and wishes second.” I think this is what Jesus had in mind when he noted that we are to love others as we love ourselves. He knew that most of us are self-centered so he asked us to inspect our behavior and transfer INTEREST FOR THE SELF TO OTHERS. In philosophy this is called “rational ethical egoism” and one of its main proponents was Adam Smith.

UNSELFISH BEHAVIOR – The unselfish person puts others first and themselves second. This is an admiral quality, but unrealistic. Many believe this the heart and soul of ethical behavior; perhaps it is, but who among us are unselfish all the time? In philosophy unselfishness is recommended – that, as Kant said, we should treat others not as means to our selfish goals, but as individuals with goals, lifestyles, purposes, etc. that should be respected and honored. Noting that we should not promote dishonesty, killing, stealing, etc., Kant amended this idea by saying that we should not do anything to others that we are not willing recommend that all can and should do. In philosophy this is called the principle of “universalizability.”

SELFLESS BEHAVIOR – This is a rare phenomena which puts others first and doesn’t consider one’s “self” at all. We find a soldier doing this in time or war or a fireman or policeman doing this as well. Selflessness is a commendable behavior and people ought to be praised for being so selfless, but it’s so rare that we can’t consider it a universal behavior upon which to build a moral theory.

My personal candidates for behaviors that are moral are numbers 2 and 3. Somewhere in these behaviors we find the substance of morality that can be universally recommended.

Another "I"

April 6, 2016

ANOTHER “I”

I sometimes wonder if it’s me or those around me who are confused or insane. Life seems so inconsequential and shallow. We talk a meaningless language but no one really listens. Most would rather engage in twiddling blather than listen to our babbling. Do we even listen to ourselves?

As I look around at others, I wonder what they are thinking when they look back at me. Could be nothing, but do I wish to be like them and them me?

I am told that we humans are built for relationships and the religious tell me to get right with Jesus, but what the hell does all this mean? How does one get wrong with Jesus and which Jesus are they talking about—the Jesus of Matthew, of Mark, of Luke; surely not the mystic John; perhaps it’s the Jesus of Paul—oops, Paul never met Jesus.

I never understood the Baptists—even after six years of seminary training in a Baptist seminary—and the Methodists were even more confusing with their appeals to following John Wesley. I’m sure that if Wesley had farted three times while delivering a sermon, the Methodist would have turned this into some kind of religious symbolic practice. They put ashes on foreheads, on caskets, wear robes and elaborate stoles to assure us of their connection to God. They change colors in the sanctuary following the so-called Christian calendar. They bless animals as if my dog could give a shit. Institutionalized religion keeps reinventing itself IN ITS OWN IMAGE! Do they think we’re idiots or something?

Standing in my garden, the street lights are blinking and the lights of the local bar seem to be calling. Who is in there? What can they offer a troubled soul and inquiring mind? Is relief to be found with them or in the bottle that sits before me?

Self-reflection I am told is for the brave or the crazy and I don’t consider myself either; yet, as I peer hesitantly into the future, I see nothing—no purpose to life, no real friends—just people scrambling to make life bearable and doable. Are they the crazies or is it I? But who instructs us in the meaningfulness of life? How is meaning to be discovered: in friendships, doctrines, beliefs, or is meaning just another crock of bullshit we are told is important to our self-concept—whatever the hell that means?

So, in my garden I pause for a few moments, look around, take a deep breath, and dread further human contact. What do people think about all day long? Why do they hurry and scurry around buying things they’re told they need, but really don’t? Why is clothing with visible labels important? Why has material life grown so important? Is this where meaning is found? What about what’s inside our heads and hearts; is there something in there crying to be tilled and cultivated. My garden anticipates

In time we learn that our lives are largely built on a scaffolding of relationships. Understanding this takes many years as most of us learn this lesson late in life. Relationships—good and bad—create the web of our lives. Finding purpose in our web is difficult for much that happens to us is either incidental or accidental. Purpose is intentional and a difficult and foreboding task. When we discover our purpose we are able to maneuver through life in more productive ways.—Joe Hester

International Journal of Religious Studies
Vol. 3, No. 3, June – August 2015.
Joe Hester
ISSN 1352-4624
http://fssh-journal.org
SCIENCE, RELIGION, AND ETHICS
JOE HESTER*

In our time ethics has been subjected to scientific analysis, a religious call to

arms, and political maneuvering all of which have caused a blurring of the

edges of right and wrong. This confusion has also made ethics dominantly

pragmatic (practical) and issue-oriented as we emotionally respond to concerns

such as abortion, gun control, and same-sex marriage, etc. Responding to issues

is one thing; understanding the values involved is another. If ethics and morals

seem complex and convoluted concepts, it’s because our values overlap and

continue to rub against each other in uneasy affiliations. The struggle to

understand these shifting moral currents poses a difficulty that is sometimes

unrecognized. Dialogue is imperative for understanding and moral clarity. To

accomplish this task we must place personal values in a larger context of

morality and everyday ethics with the goal of developing more civil families,

institutions, and communities. Understanding and respect will provide a

foundation for moral reasoning that encourages discussion and about

what we deem important in our lives, nation, and world. Read entire article:

 http://fssh-journal.org/images/IJRS/Vol_3_3_2015/006-Vol%203%20No%203%202015.pdf