Level 8: Ethical Leadership and Collaborative Excellence
(8a) Higher-Order Thinking Question (HOTQ) Why is ethical leadership more critical than technical competence for sustainable influence in Nigerian academic and professional environments? Answer: Because without ethics, competence cannot build trust, credibility, or long-term impact, and may even damage institutional integrity.
(8b) Analytical Reasoning Question How do accountability and fair decision-making work together to strengthen institutional credibility? Answer: Accountability ensures responsibility for actions, while fair decision-making guarantees impartiality and transparency, together promoting justice and trust.
(8c) Conceptual Mastery Question Differentiate clearly between ethics and integrity in leadership practice. Answer: Ethics refers to moral principles guiding right and wrong, while integrity is the consistent practice of those principles even without supervision.
(8d) Diagnostic Reasoning Question If a leader shows favoritism, avoids responsibility, and lacks transparency, what leadership failure does this indicate? Answer: It indicates weak ethical standards, poor accountability, erosion of integrity, and compromised moral leadership.
(8e) Cognitive-Challenge Question If shared responsibility is consistently practiced in teams, predict the long-term impact on collaboration and performance. Answer: Teams will become more cohesive, innovative, accountable, and resilient, leading to sustainable collective success and reduced burnout.