Prothero 1

Alex Prothero

Professor Hoogewerf

SLS1264

September 25, 2022

Ethics and Their Role in Leadership

When most think of leadership, they might see it as an overarching individual taking

charge of a situation and handing out orders. To others, they might see it as someone stepping up

and representing the voices of their peers. While these are both true assumptions, there is far

more to an effective leader than simply taking charge, one of these being ethics. Many leaders

must face moral dilemmas on a daily basis and consider the best course of action based on how it

would affect the masses. So, in order to understand the meaning behind the actions of leaders,

one must understand the ethics of leadership.

One of the ways to understand ethics’ role in leadership is to analyze the actions of other

leaders. The case I chose to go over was that of George C. Roche III, a former president of

Hillsdale College. Although Roche was credited with building up the reputation of the college

and providing financial aid to any student that required it, the ethicality of this individual left a

lot to be desired (Northouse 242). Roche centralized his control over the college, staying in

expensive accomodations when he visited around the country, became the highest paid college

president in the U.S., and denided the right of his subordinates and fellow teachers to form a

grievance committee when they didn’t agree with his actions (Northouse 243). Furthermore,

Roche was accused of having an affair with his daughter in law, Lissa, who shot herself on

October 17, 1999, after being confronted in her father in law’s hospital room (Northouse 243).

Overall, given the massive number of negative actions in comparison to the few good things he
 Prothero 2

accomplished, Roche can be described as a very unethical leader, even though he managed to

build up Hillsdale College to such a significant degree.

Within the actions taken by Roche, there were a few giveaways as to why he should be

considered an unethical individual. Despite the many claims and, arguably, convincing evidence

that he had been having an affair with his daughter in law, Roche continued to deny the

accusations (Northouse 243). In addition to this, his denial of the formation of grievance

committees displayed through his actions that he was an unethical leader. Then, in his

resignation letter, Roche continued to push this by his statement that he still maintained his truth

and integrity, which also showed his lack of ethical character (Northouse 243). On a scale of 1-

10, George C. Roche would most likely receive a one for his ethical behavior given his attempts

to snuff out any opposition to his rule in addition to covering up the scandals surrounding him,

like when Lissa committed suicide. While he accomplished much for the college in the way of

growth, so have many dictators in history done the same for their respective countries, all the

while lacking even a single ounce of ethical leadership.

Altogether, while leaders may be effective, it doesn’t mean that they are ethical. Yes,

ethics often are behind the actions of most leaders, however, some take such an authoritarian

approach, like Roche, that there is no room or thought for ethics in their decision-making

process. From allegations to direct action and character, Roche was a prime example of an

unethical leader, who despite their aid to the growth of an entity, were still awful people at heart.

For one to truly be a good leader, they must know how to both lead effectively and apply the

principles of ethics while doing so as to always take the best course of action.
 Prothero 3

Work Cited

Northouse, G., Peter, Introduction to Leadership Concepts And Practice, second edition,

Thousand Oaks, California, Sage Publications Inc., 2012.