Maximizing productivity without regard for human consequences, the quest for profit above all else, the stifling of individual personality and creative expression, a competitive
atmosphere-these are the reigning features of the modern workplace. Although many writers have called attention to the debilitating effects of this dehumanization of the working environment,
solutions have been less in evidence. In The Anatomy of Ethical Leadership, Lyse Langlois frames the problem in terms of ethics, pointing to the fact that managers are often uncertain how to
integrate ethical considerations into their process of decision making. She explores the instrumental, often highly legalistic patterns of thought that pervade modern organizations and proposes
instead a new emphasis on dialogue and on modes of reasoning that make room for the complexity of ordinary reality. To that end, she outlines a trajectory for ethical, responsible, and
authentic decision making--the TERA model-that managers can use to evaluate workplace situations, taking into account three interrelated ethical perspectives: care, justice, and critique.
Leaders who have mastered the art of ethical thinking, she argues, can in turn foster relationships among co-workers that are not only more human but ultimately more productive.
