The School for Ethics and Global Leadership

SEGL ONLINE: Integrity 101 Unit Two

INTRODUCTION

By the end of Unit Two, you should be able to explain and apply the techniques of the negotiating classic Getting to Yes (which you should purchase).  You will also be able to connect these theories with real life ethical crises like the one you will confront in Week Eight.

WEEK FIVE ASSIGNMENT:

LEADERSHIP: AN INTRODUCTION

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Read the prompt.
  2. Complete the readings.
  3. Respond in your journal and post on the discussion page.
  4. Participate in the online session.

PROMPT: What is good leadership?  There are many responses to this question, and in the end only you can create the answer that is best for you.  Part of this course is designed to help you identify and practice the leadership traits that you value most.

We hope you will agree with us that there is no more important leadership trait than effective negotiation.  Leaders must manage disagreement every day, and they cannot often rely on brute force or power to achieve their objectives.  With this in mind, you will read Getting to Yes later in this unit.

At SEGL we also believe good leadership is ethical leadership.  As Abraham Lincoln once said: “Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.”  (Presumably, the same is true for women!)  It is not enough for us to give you knowledge of successful leadership traits, for that can be dangerous.  As the great English critic Samuel Johnson wrote,  “Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.”

So what does ethical leadership look like?  This week we will provide you with several readings that introduce you to classic and contemporary leaders.  What do you like about each of these examples?  What do you dislike?  What can you apply to your own life? What would be difficult, and why?

READINGS:

  1. Shakespeare, William.  “St. Crispin’s Day Speech” from Henry V. (For this reading, you should know that King Henry V of England is making a speech to his soldiers–including his cousin, Lord Westmoreland–just before the famous Battle of Agincourt against France in 1415.  The night before, Henry disguised himself and went to talk with his troops.  He found them nervous about the battle–the English are dramatically outnumbered and much more tired than the French–and unsure of Henry’s cause.  Just before this speech Henry has overheard Westmoreland wishing that the English had more men to fight. Start when the King enters–a few lines into the scene–and end when Salisbury re-enters–at the end of the King’s long speech.)
  2. Clinton, Hillary. “Remarks to the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women” (in Beijing, China, 1995) (For this reading, which was written by SEGL guest speaker Lissa Muscatine, you should know that Hillary Clinton–first lady at the time–is making a speech before hundreds of women from dozens of countries who are gathered for a women’s rights conference.  The conference was held in China, a country that many felt consistently violated the rights of women, but that was becoming an increasingly powerful player on the international stage.  You may wish to listen to Clinton delivering the speech as you read; to do this just click on the mp3 link below the video clip [the video clip only shows a few minutes of the speech].)
  3. Bush, George W. “9/11 Bullhorn Speech.”  (September,

(For this video, you should know that President Bush is visiting Ground Zero for the first time after the September 11th attacks.  There is a huge crowd of firefighters, police officers, and other volunteers gathered to hear him, and he has only a small bullhorn to deliver his speech.  He changes his remarks midway through in response to calls from the audience that it cannot hear him.)

ONLINE SESSION: What is good leadership?

EXTRAS: Branaugh, Kevin. “St. Crispin’s Day Speech” from Henry V.  (You may recognize Branaugh, one of England’s finest actors, from the Harry Potter movies…)

WEEKS SIX/SEVEN ASSIGNMENT:

GETTIng TO YES

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Read the prompt.
  2. Complete the reading.
  3. Participate in the online session.
  4. Respond in your journal and post on the discussion page.

PROMPT: Getting to Yes is the classic book on negotiation strategy.  Written by Harvard professors, it revolutionized the world of negotiation with clearly-written, research-based advice.

Over the next two weeks we will read this book and practice its negotiation strategies. What do you think of Getting to Yes?  Is it practical?  Realistic?  Would you follow all of its strategies, or just some?  Can you think of situations in your life where you could use them?  You should come to the first online session ready to use the first five chapters of the book.

A word of caution as you read: this book is written in a deceptively simple style.  It is almost an outline, rather than a book.  This means that EACH piece of information is important–there is nothing extraneous–if you read this with a highlighter you will end up highlighting about 80% of the book!  In short, you will not understand the techniques if you skim/read quickly.

READING: Fischer, Roger and William Ury. Getting to Yes.  (Please buy this book if at all possible. There is an online edition here, but the source is not as reliable as we would like.  You can get started with the first chapter here.)

FIRST ONLINE SESSION: Getting to Yes practicum (join having read the first five chapters)

SECOND ONLINE SESSION Getting to Yes practicum (join having read the rest of the book)

EXTRAS: “The Harvard Negotiation Project,” (which spawned GTY), part of the “Harvard Law School Program on Negotiation” (website) Ury, William.  “Helping People Get to Yes” (book website)

WEEK EIGHT ASSIGNMENT:

The BIA

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Read the prompt.
  2. Complete the reading.
  3. Write your memo.
  4. Participate in the online session.
  5. Respond in your journal and post on the discussion page.

PROMPT: This week we will put everything together with an exciting case study pulled from real life headlines.  Before we begin, it is imperative that no one do any research on this case study; if you do, you will ruin the experience for yourself and your classmates!   The point is not to get this case study “right”; it is to work on your negotiation and reasoning skills.

The reading outlines a dramatic situation that Bud Krogh encountered during his time at in White House.  As you read it, make sure you understand the names and titles of each player.  Then think through what Aristotle, Kant, and Mill might say about the case. What does the Integrity Zone suggest?  And most important, what would YOU do in this situation, and why?

Your main assignment this week is to write a memo to President Nixon outlining what you plan to do at the end of the case study, and why.  Use everything you have learned to this point (including Getting to Yes) to inform your proposal.  Be prepared to defend it in front of the class and Bud Krogh in the online session!  The memo should be 3-5 pages double-spaced and is due anytime before the online session.

READINGS: Krogh, Bud. BIA Case Study (please do NOT read anything about this case other than this overview–it will take away the fun!)

ONLINE SESSION: Egil ‘Bud’ Krogh; the BIA Case Study.

EXTRAS: C-SPAN. “Egil Krogh Oral History Interview” 2007.  (Do not view until after the case study is over!  Krogh discusses a wide range of topics in this interview, including the BIA crisis.)

END OF UNIT TWO

Click here to go to Unit Three.