"Your decision to study ethical leadership couldn't have come at a better time. The need for ethical leaders appears greater than ever, with attacks on U.S. democracy; the flood of conspiracy theories and disinformation; the lingering effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic; the disruption caused by climate change; the rise of authoritarianism in India, China, Poland, Hungary, and elsewhere; war in Europe; and the displacement of over 100 million people around the world (an all-time high) through violence, human rights violations, and persecution. Fortunately, you have a rapidly growing body of knowledge to draw from in your efforts to become a more ethical leader and follower. Academic interest in the topic is greater than ever, generating a constant stream of new books, articles, and research studies as well as the creation of new leadership ethics units and courses. We are learning much more about the factors that make up ethical (and unethical) leadership, how leaders make moral choices, how leaders create ethical groups and organizations, how leaders can behave more ethically in a global society, and so on. This edition of Meeting the Ethical Challenges of Leadership incorporates the latest developments in the field but, like previous versions, is guided by seven principles. First, there are few topics as important as leadership ethics. To highlight that fact, I've adopted Parker Palmer's metaphor of light and shadow as the book's central metaphor. Palmer reminds us that leaders have the power to do significant benefit or substantial harm. In extreme cases, leaders literally make the difference between life and death for their followers. Second, we need to recognize the reality of bad leadership. Understanding why and how leaders cast shadows can help us prevent destructive behaviors and promote positive leadership. At the same time, we can learn a great deal from the example of good leaders. Models of ethical and unethical leadership are found throughout the text"--
