Infusing Ethical Principles into Our Understanding of Complexity: Putting Values at the Center of Global Leadership

Global leadership research, like general leadership studies, is conceptually agnostic and amoral. This tendency can result in a limited understanding of how followers are affected by global leadership behavior and processes, ultimately restricting scholarly rigor and relevance. We identify two contemporary leadership theories that adopt a relational perspective: system leadership and complexity leadership. From these, we derive what leaders should do to enable system solutions to complex challenges. Interpreting both theories through a normative lens, we put forth that some of the key ethical principles underpinning system leaders are truth, care, and trust, incorporated within cycles of action and reflection. Principles of diversity, respect, dignity, compassion, and voice underpin the process of emergence relevant from the perspective of complexity leadership. Based on our deliberations, we suggest implications for global leadership research.