Moral Muteness

There can often be situations in which people do not say what needs to be said. Especially in personal relationships, it can be perceived as being easier to keep silent and avoid conflict with a loved one. However, it is important to note that it is just as easy to do this in more professional settings - where there are a lot of pressures and complex dynamics involved. In a professional or leadership position, where ethics is an imperative part of positive change, choosing not to speak up against speech or decisions you know to be immoral, only hamper progress.

I have been guilty of keeping my mouth closed in situations that required moral fortitude on my part. At work we are required to interact with a diverse clientele, both racially and culturally. As a manager, it is extremely important to me that all people that walk through the door are treated fairly and equally by my staff. I ensure that I discuss cultural differences to try and remove some of the misunderstandings that often surround dislike of cultures dissimilar to our own. However, I have less effect on another manager that I work with. We have worked together for a long time, and while I enjoy our professional relationship, we carry different values. I have often tried to impress on her the importance of moral integrity, but I believe her personal experiences have led her to more negative reactions regarding certain cultures. There have been situations where I hear her speaking of a certain group of people in a less than flattering way, and rather than get into a disagreement at work, I will stay quiet.

This act of moral muteness only handicaps our organization. I know that my responsibility is to speak truth into existence, but in some situations, I feel helpless to change or alter someone else's perspective. I value being assertive, but only if that actions effects positive change. The acquisition of new information is a necessity to ethical leadership. However, sometimes you cannot change the opinions of others. This shows a distinct difference in management and leadership. Management does not always act ethically, because the goals are not always moral. Relationship leadership values ethics as part of the process.