Ethical leadership is the demonstration of appropriate conduct through personal actions and relationships and the promotion of such conduct to others through communication, reinforcement and decision making.
The National Policy Board for Educational Administration (NPBEA) Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (formerly the ISLLC Standards) has defined ethical leadership under Standard 2: Ethics and Professional Norms, as:
Effective educational leaders act ethically and according to professional norms to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.”
NPBEA, 2015
This course module focuses on the behaviors and attitudes that define ethical leadership. It contains scenarios that help learners discriminate among a variety of behaviors in identifying the ethical ideal, including identifying moral issues and ethical dilemmas. Elements within this dimension include understanding the core principles, how a leader gains credibility and authenticity with staff and the learning community, and how a leader is perceived as a role model. Professional and ethical behavior crosses through all of the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders.