Promoting Eco-Responsible Leadership When Coaching: The Ethical Predicaments of Doing the Right Thing

The environmental crisis demands that business leaders play an eco-responsible leadership role. Leadership coaching can promote leaders’ eco-responsible awareness. However, promoting a sustainability agenda could present ethical predicaments if not aligned with clients’ expressed objectives. This study explored the appropriateness of coaches promoting eco-responsible leadership behaviors if it was not requested by the client, and the ethical difficulties when doing so. The findings suggest that coaches with eco-sustainability values experience ethical tensions in this context, irrespective of whether they are promoting eco-responsible behaviors or not. In contrast, promoting eco-responsible behaviors may fall within the ethical parameters of the coaching profession and can be ethical if done authentically and respectfully.