Overview
Case Study Presentation: Forgiveness in Leadership (100 points)
Ethical leadership is often tested during moments of conflict, failure, or betrayal. One of the most difficult leadership decisions involves determining how organizations respond when trust has been broken. Forgiveness is not simply a personal virtue—it can influence organizational culture, relationships, accountability, and long-term leadership effectiveness.
For this assignment, examine a real or fictional case in which forgiveness (or the absence of forgiveness) influenced leadership or an organization.
Your case may come from a variety of sources, including:
- news articles
- business cases
- books
- films or documentaries
- television episodes
- podcasts
- TED Talks
- biographies or memoirs
- historical events
- organizational case studies
Organization:
Organize your presentation around the following elements.
Source
Identify the source of your case and explain why you selected it.
Organizational Context
Briefly describe the organization, individuals involved, and the ethical dilemma or conflict that occurred.
Ethical Evaluation
Using concepts from Meeting the Ethical Challenges of Leadership, identify the "Face of Evil" (e.g., Sanctioned Destruction, Dreadful Pleasure, etc.) or other relevant ethical concepts that help explain the situation.
Discuss why these concepts provide an appropriate framework for understanding the case.
Leadership Analysis
Analyze the psychological, ethical, and organizational factors that influenced forgiveness (or the decision not to forgive).
Consider questions such as:
- What motivated the individuals involved?
- How did leadership shape the outcome?
- How did forgiveness—or the absence of forgiveness—affect trust, accountability, culture, or organizational effectiveness?
- Which leadership theories or concepts help explain what occurred?
Support your analysis with course concepts and scholarly sources.
Reflection
Conclude with your own leadership insights.
Reflect on questions such as:
- What did this case teach you about ethical leadership?
- Under what circumstances should leaders extend forgiveness?
- Can forgiveness coexist with accountability?
- How might this case influence your own leadership philosophy?
Presentation Format Options
You may present their case using one of the following formats:
- PowerPoint presentation (approximately 8–10 slides with speaker notes or narration)
- Narrated presentation (PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Canva)
- Recorded video presentation