Discussion replies:
Burkman
“No matter what our circumstances, our greatest limitation isn’t the leader above us—it’s the spirit within us” (Maxwell, 2011, p. 40). We all have been in a situation when our inner conscience has questioned the reasoning or morals of a leader. For some, we can trace this feeling back to childhood and how we were parented. I can remember frequently standing up against getting whipped with a belt for not finishing my dinner, regardless of being full or not. This act instilled a fear in me for challenging leadership throughout my life. This concept is annotated by Carsten et al. (2016) as a passive follower (p. 175). Around the mid-2000s is where I embraced that challenging things I found unethical or wrong were indeed the correct and reasonable thing to do. However, sometimes I am too crass when addressing unethical and immoral issues, but this is something that I am working on throughout this course.
During research, the article I found was an article that involved a whistleblower who found faults in the quality of materials sold to the U.S. government defense department (Phillips and Cohen, 2009). The case follows Northrop Grumman and states they were required to pay an amount of $325 million to the government and $48.7 million to the whistleblower Robert Ferro. Like many followers, Ferro was conflicted by something that challenged his moral compass. Because of a non-disclosure agreement, Ferro could not proceed with the case (Phillips and Cohen, 2009, para. 6). What finally pushed Ferro to find a loophole to the non-disclosure agreement was continued issues with systems, causing the government to scramble to address while not knowing what part was causing the failures. “Ferro then went directly to the government with his information and later hired Phillips & Cohen, which filed a “qui tam” (whistleblower) lawsuit in federal district court in Los Angeles to make sure his disclosures were properly investigated“ (Phillips and Cohen, 2009, para. 10). The challenging of a whistleblower reminds me of Proverbs 3:27-28; “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act. Do not say to your neighbor, “Come back tomorrow, and I’ll give it to you”—when you already have it with you.”
References
Carsten, M. K., Koonce, R., Bligh, M. C., & Hurwitz, M. (2016). Chapter 20: To follow or not to follow? A tale of corrupt power and unethical leadership. In Followership in action : Cases and commentaries (1st ed., pp. 171–177). Emerald Group Publishing Limited.
Maxwell, J. C. (2011). The 360° leader developing your influence from ANYWHERE in the ORGANIZATION. Harper Collins Leadership.
The Maxwell Leadership Bible, New International Version. (2018). Thomas Nelson.
Phillips and Cohen. (2009, April 2). Largest defense contractor whistleblower case: Northrop Grumman pays $325M to settle. Phillips and Cohen. https://www.phillipsandcohen.com/scientist-blew-whistle-faulty-military-satellite-parts-northrop-grumman-pays-325-million-settle-case/
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Mary
Harvey Weinstein was a Hollywood producer that was accused of sexual harassment by an anonymous victim in 2017 sparking a large outpouring of other victims in the industry and their own accusations. The list of accusers and accusations led to the downfall of the famous movie producer and his conviction for rape and sexual assault resulting in a 23-year prison sentence.
Weinstein was wielding his power in the movie industry to manipulate women into providing sexual favors to him in exchange for roles in his movies. Harassment reporting rates are generally low because of the adverse consequences to those reporting the harassment and worse outcomes from the reporting than a resolution to the issue (Siuta & Bergman, 2019). The Weinstein scandal became a vital component of the #Me Too movement where women across the country held their employers accountable for sexual harassment and discrimination.
It was only the courage of one anonymous woman that was necessary for starting a means for others to come forward and report their own experiences. This kind of courage empowers followers and solicits support from other followers in their cause. The list of victims in the Weinstein case was more than 20 names long (Harvey Weinstein Timeline: How the Scandal Unfolded, 2021).
The fall of Harvey Weinstein is an example of how one courageous follower could solicit support from other courageous followers in holding a high-ranking executive in Hollywood accountable for this unethical and criminal behavior.
References
Harvey Weinstein timeline: How the scandal unfolded. (2021, April 7). BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-41594672
Siuta, R., & Bergman, M. (2019, June 25). Sexual Harassment in the Workplace. https://oxfordre.com/business/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190224851.001.0001/acrefore-9780190224851-e-191
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