Power, responsibility and wisdom: exploring the issues at the core of ethical decision-making. (2012)

“At the core of all decision-making is the need to balance Power with Responsibility, Why is that so difficult? Power makes things happen, while our sense of Responsibility determines the trade-offs we make between

Editorial, Constellations – Vol. 3, No. 2, July – September 2012 (Sha‘bān – Dhū al-Qa‘dah 1433) 

Dr Bruce Lloyd, Emeritus Professor of Strategic Management, London South Bank University.

The objective is simple: better decision-making. The only issue is that there are so many different views over what we mean by ‘better’.

At the core of all decision-making is the need to balance Power with Responsibility, as the vehicle for resolving the ‘better’ question. Why is that so difficult? Power makes things happen, while our sense of Responsibility determines the trade-offs we make between our perception of our self- interests and our perspective of the wider interests of others. Our values are essentially reflected in the way we use Power.

Not all change is progress, and there are, inevitably, differences in how different people interpret what they mean by progress, and these differences are at the heart of most of our decision-making difficulties.

Exploring the concept of Wisdom can provide invaluable insights into how to achieve the most effective balance between Power and Responsibility; it is central to what our values mean in practice, as well as how we incorporate ethics into our decision-making.

Access the full editorial here: Bruce Lloyd on Power, Responsibility and Wisdom2

Some of the issues identified in Dr Lloyd’s editorial are explored in more detail in:

Power, Responsibility & Wisdom: Exploring the Issues at the Core of Ethical Decision-Making, Constellations, IMASE Quarterly Newsletter and Journal, Vol 3, No2, July ­ September 2012, p59-71.

Access this article here: Power, Responsibility & Wisdom: Constellations article