The concept of ethical leadership infuses the purpose of the Mandela Rhodes Scholarship. The Scholarship seeks to create a critical mass of ethical, effective leaders who will in time assist in correcting the deficit of principled leadership in Africa. If one takes a rough sample of the problems facing Africa and the rest of the world, from inaction in addressing climate change to the global financial crisis, it is clear that ethical leadership is key to solving these problems.
As a result, the Conference theme of ‘Ethical Leadership: the Promise and the Practice’ seeks to provide an opportunity for the Scholars to engage with the concept of ethical leadership beyond their one-year term on the Scholarship. This also provides the unique opportunity to share their insights with members of academia, civil society and the business community.
We plan to do this by focusing on the two elements of ethical leadership: a solid basis of ethical principles combined with the practical skills required to initiate meaningful change.
In focusing on the values of ethical leadership we will primarily be exploring the deeper philosophy of ubuntu and the commitments that it requires in striving for social justice.
On the side of practical leadership skills, we will be investigating how to bridge the divide between values and practice. We hope to do this by exposing Scholars to leaders who practice ethical leadership on a daily basis as well as encouraging Scholars to identify the contribution that they can make to promoting social justice.
Looking beyond the three days of the Conference, we hope that the discussions that it sparks will contribute to the public debate on ethical leadership. We hope to disseminate the ideas produced at the Conference as widely as possible to allow others to share in the inspiration.
We look forward to welcoming you to the Conference!
Submitted by Chris McConnachie
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Sounds fantastic. Congratulations on organising such an exciting program. I wish I could be there. I look forward to reading all the updates! Best of luck and much love to all.
ReplyDeleteThanks Chris, indeed the challenge between acting ethically in the different fields us diverse scholars inhabit, and of pursuing leadership can be frustratingly long. The conference will be wonderful, and it is one step toward our goals, let us hope that it is both a patient and decisive step.
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