Deontology is the study of moral duty. This module evaluates why it is wrong to make an exception for yourself that you are not willing to grant to others. We also cover the reasons why people have intrinsic value and should never be used solely as a means to an end.

Study Aristotle’s major ethical framework and its view of virtues and the golden mean. Evaluate the core of what makes an action a virtue or a vice and how to live a virtuous life. In the end, Virtue Ethics is an ideal way for people to develop their character in a consistent and effective manner.

Evaluate and synthesize the qualities of a values-based leader under the concept of “Becoming A Leader You Would Follow.” Learn about how to move the bell curve in your organization to the right, how to deal with your best and worst-performing people, and how to improve organizational morale.

Stress is omnipresent. It need not take over our lives or our organizational culture, however. Take a stress test and then learn the best ways to reduce your minor stressors so you can focus on your major stressors. The goal is to reduce stress to the point where you can focus on making your life and work more sustainable and prosperous.

Juxtapose the ethical frameworks you just learned with what the law allows. We will take special note of when and why ethics and law often dovetail and whether judges have any obligation to vote based on their ethical predispositions.

All Ethics Master Class slides are carefully crafted to better allow you to grasp this tough material. Instead of page after page of boring, bullet-pointed material, these slides are tired to specific lectures and present key information in a memorable manner. EMC slide decks are downloadable for your review as well.

You must pass certain assessments to gain your Ethics Master Class certificate. But please don’t fret. These modules are designed to make sure you pass easily. To that end, you are able to take and retake quizzes as needed to really grasp the material.

Work through this tough material using examples that build in complexity and depth. These are the types of worksheets that you will want to keep around and reference.

Work through real life legal cases to see where the law aligns or conflicts with the material you learned in the Ethics Master Class. For example, when does free speech push ethical boundaries too far? How should religious business owners navigate state and federal laws that seem to contradict their religious principles? When should an organization avoid a restrictive, yet legal, non-compete agreements? How do managers walk the line between maximizing employee performance and maximizing employee morale? The realm of such cases is endless. Enjoy!

The Ethics Master Class is filled with homework assignments that you can take on at your own pace. Some will require you to write your thoughts or list your priorities. Others will have you wrestle through the theories and their strengths and weaknesses. There are no grades; this homework is done out of personal pride . . . yours.

This is a critical starting point to any life journey worth taking. It’s time to take a look at the following questions: (1) Who am I? (2) Who do I want to be? (3) What traits do those who resemble the person I’d like to be possess? (4) What has to change in my life to get there? (5) Is it worth it? Enjoy the mental exercise of figuring out who you really want to be.

Spend some time pondering the priorities your heart desires and then comparing the way you live your life to those priorities. Are you properly prioritizing your work, family, faith, friends, health, hobbies? The idea is to find out what your heart wants and how often it gets what it wants. This might be the most important exercise you do all year!

Ralph Waldo Emerson said that you leave a legacy through “a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed soical condition.” This exercise asks you to identify your legacy and then tie it to one of Emerson’s guideposts. Be ready to get some goosebumps here.