Ethical Leadership

Ethical Leadership

Navigate the scenario

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Introduction

You and your friend Alex are finalists for a leadership promotion at your part-time job.

This opportunity is critical for your career, but during the process, you discover Alex has been taking shortcuts to meet deadlines. At the same time, your employer approaches you for insight into Alex's commitment. How will you navigate this situation? See how your choices affect the outcome.

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Alex confides in you that they’re torn about staying with the company or pursuing a leadership promotion. What do you say?

Encourage Alex to focus more on their long-term goals.

Advise Alex to stay loyal to the company. (Even though it hurts your chances at the position)

Suggest Alex take more time to evaluate their options.

You encouraged Alex to focus on their long-term goals. They appreciate your support and seem more confident in their decision. Your employer now approaches you, asking for your insight into Alex’s leadership potential. How do you respond?

Be transparent about Alex's potential and their recent challenges they have been having.

Focus on Alex’s strengths without mentioning challenges since he is your friend.

Encourage the employer to speak directly with Alex. That way you don't have to say one way or another

You chose to be transparent with the employer, sharing both Alex’s strengths and their recent shortcuts. The employer appreciates your honesty but seems concerned about Alex’s readiness.

Suggest cross-training to prepare the team for leadership changes. (Maybe that will show the boss you're promoting your coworkers)

Propose that Alex focus on professional development before taking on more responsibilities. (You don't think he's ready and it opens the opportunity to you)

Alex stepped into the probationary leadership role, giving them the chance to demonstrate their readiness while the team adapted to the change. Your decision to champion Alex’s development (rather than pursuing the position yourself) showed confidence in your ability to lead through others. By prioritizing growth over control, you created space for both Alex and the team to strengthen their skills and resilience under your guidance. Reflection: Choosing to invest in Alex’s leadership potential, even when stepping into the role yourself might have been easier, reflects a mature and forward-thinking approach. You modeled what it means to empower others while maintaining team stability. In doing so, you cultivated trust, continuity, and a stronger foundation for future leadership within the team.

Start over?

You highlighted Alex’s strengths without mentioning their challenges. The employer seems reassured but asks if there are areas for improvement.

Recommend giving Alex leadership training opportunities.

Reassure the employer that Alex’s potential outweighs any concerns.

You proposed giving Alex specific leadership responsibilities, like managing a small team or overseeing a project. The employer agrees this is a good way to evaluate Alex’s potential. How do you support Alex in this new role?

Suggest a formal check-in process to evaluate Alex’s progress.

Suggest a formal check-in process to evaluate Alex’s progress.

Offer to mentor Alex as they take on these responsibilities.

Suggest a formal check-in process to evaluate Alex’s progress.

Suggest a formal check-in process to evaluate Alex’s progress.

Suggest a formal check-in process to evaluate Alex’s progress.

You offered to mentor Alex, helping them navigate their new responsibilities. Alex thrives with your support, and the employer appreciates your leadership in fostering team growth.

CONTINUE

Alex shadowed you in your role, observing how you handled team priorities, communication challenges, and problem-solving in real time. You provided space for Alex to ask questions, make decisions, and gradually take on more responsibility. Your steady presence helped the team stay grounded throughout the transition, and your willingness to share your experience built confidence on all sides. Reflection: Sometimes leadership means stepping back just enough for someone else to step forward. By choosing to mentor Alex instead of competing for the role, you showed that investing in others strengthens the entire team. Maintaining a calm, supportive attitude through the transition proved that influence isn’t defined by a title—it’s built through trust, consistency, and helping others succeed.

Start over?

Your employer thanks you for your opinion and suggestions. The employer wants to make sure this is a smooth transition and wants your input on what would work best. How would you suggest ensuring this collaboration is successful?

Organize a meeting to align on expectations and responsibilities.

Create a team development plan to support leadership transitions.

You organized a meeting where Alex, the employer, and the team aligned on responsibilities and expectations. This created a strong foundation for leadership transitions and ensured clarity for everyone involved.

CONTINUE

You created a team development plan to support leadership transitions and improve collaboration. This proactive approach strengthened trust among the team and positioned Alex for success.

CONTINUE

The team development plan you helped design laid the groundwork for a smooth leadership transition and stronger collaboration. By mentoring Alex and guiding the team through change, you helped them grow into their roles with confidence and cohesion. Your ability to balance accountability with encouragement did not go unnoticed, your supervisor recognized your leadership potential and offered you a similar opportunity to step into a leadership role yourself. Reflection: This experience highlighted that leadership isn’t always about taking the spotlight—it’s about helping others succeed. By maintaining a positive attitude and focusing on what you could do to support the team, you demonstrated that true leadership grows from optimism, trust, and the consistent effort to bring out the best in others.

Start over?

You suggested that the employer speak directly with Alex to better understand their perspective. The employer agrees and thanks you for your professionalism.

Follow up with Alex to ensure they’re prepared for the conversation.

Let Alex and the employer handle the discussion independently.

You followed up with Alex to help them solidify their decision. Alex feels supported but wants clarity on the expectations of the leadership role. How do you clarify expectations?

Propose a collaborative meeting with Alex and the employer to outline goals.

Let Alex take the lead on defining their expectations.

You decide to take a hands off approach at this. After all, if the employer thinks that Alex is ready for the leadership role, this is a good opportunity for him to demonstrate his abilities.

CONTINUE

After Alex officially stepped into the leadership position, you intentionally adopted a more hands-off approach, allowing them to take full ownership while remaining available as a resource when needed. You focused on maintaining team stability and doing your part with professionalism and consistency. By giving Alex space to lead, you showed respect for the transition and trust in the process, even when stepping back wasn’t easy. Reflection: It can be challenging to shift from leading to observing, but recognizing when to step back is an important leadership skill in itself. This experience highlighted that offering quiet support—without overstepping—helps others grow while still contributing to the team’s success. Professionally, it’s also a reminder that staying open and collaborative can lead to new opportunities down the road. True leadership sometimes means letting things unfold naturally and lending help only where it adds value.

Start over?

You advised Alex to stay loyal to the company, emphasizing the importance of their current team. They seem conflicted but are considering your perspective. Your employer now approaches you, asking for your opinion on Alex. How do you respond?

Highlight Alex’s dedication and teamwork.

Downplay Alex’s challenges to protect their reputation.

Encourage the employer to offer Alex more support.

You emphasized Alex’s loyalty and teamwork, painting a positive picture for the employer (because he is your friend). They seem impressed but note that leadership also requires initiative.

Propose ways Alex could take on new responsibilities to prove their leadership skills.

Suggest developing Alex’s confidence through mentorship opportunities.

You suggested Alex take more time to evaluate their options carefully. They appreciate your balanced perspective and agree to think it over. Your employer now approaches you, asking for your opinion on Alex’s leadership readiness. How do you respond?

Share that Alex is still reflecting on their next steps.

Reassure the employer of Alex’s potential but urge patience.

Encourage the employer to give Alex space to decide.

Navigate through the scenario to find out how your choices affect the outcome of the story.

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