"How Good People Make Tough Choices"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the concepts covered in this book as they apply to individual and organizational leadership. It explains that Kidder's concepts presented in the book apply to just about every aspect of life, but especially to individual and organizational leadership. The author encourages self-reflection when making tough choices, thereby developing basic values and a core sense of right versus wrong, which are sound tools for any leader.

From the Paper:

"Kidder's arguments in this book are bound with ethics and ethical choices. He believes the best choices, even the toughest ones, are based in ethics, rather than strict "right versus wrong," or management principles. Kidder outlines four pairs of problems, and that for any given ethical dilemma; one of the pairs will be dominant. They are: truth versus loyalty, the individual versus community, short-term versus long-term, and justice versus mercy (Kidder, 1995, pg. 18). One must analyze all facets of the problem, and often, more than one, or even all, of the pairs must be considered in analysis and successful completion of the problem. The author notes, "merely to analyze a dilemma - even to fit it into the above paradigms - is not to resolve it. Resolution requires us to choose which side is the nearest right for the circumstances. And that requires some principles for decision-making" (Kidder, 1995, pg. 23). That is another important aspect of Kidder's basic premise, that decision-making must be based on principles. If it is not, it is not only not effective, but it can be damaging to the individual and/or the organization."

More papers on "How Good People Make Tough Choices":

• Analytical Essay # 43049 : "How Good People Make Tough Choices"
• Book Review # 70442 : "How Good People Make Tough Choices"
• Book Review # 46641 : "The Differing Moralities of Men and Women"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: