leadership

Ethical Leader of the Year Award Returns to SHRM Annual Conference and Expo

The William G. McGowan Charitable Fund, a family foundation dedicated to compassionate philanthropy and ethical leadership, is proud to unveil its latest collaboration with the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM). Together, they are officially launching the second annual Ethical Leader of the Year Award.

Since its inception, the Fund has dedicated itself to impacting lives, creating sustainable change, and empowering future generations to reach their fullest potential. They achieve this through grant-making efforts in education, human services, healthcare, and medical research. Their focus is on programs with proven success, measurable outcomes, sustainability plans, and the aim to break cycles of poverty and suffering.

Driven by the belief in the power of partnerships and collaboration to maximize impact, the Fund actively seeks opportunities to work with other funders and nonprofit organizations that share their values and philosophy.

The prestigious award will be presented by the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund at the opening session of the 75th SHRM Annual Conference & Expo, taking place in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 13th.

In episode 589 of the HRchat show, Bill Banham talks with Brian Peckrill, Interim Executive Director of the McGowan Fund Fellows Program.

Listen to the HRchat Podcast

Questions include:

  • Tell us about the motivations for holding a second Ethical Leader of the Year Award and why you think the SHRM Annual Expo is an appropriate venue for it to be held
  • Tell us about the principles of Ethical Leadership established by William McGowan – How are they being taught today by the McGowan Fund?
  • How important is ethical leadership in the world of work?
  • A recent Ernst & Young study highlighted the importance of empathy, a core principle of ethical leadership, in fostering increased efficiency, creativity, job satisfaction, idea sharing, innovation, and even revenue generation. However, the study also revealed that empathy remains in short supply in 2023. Why do you think that’s the case?
  • Given the quiet quitting crisis afflicting talent retention and recruitment, are employees and candidates now in the driver’s seat and does that reinforce the need for ethical leaders?

More About the William G. McGowan Charitable Fund

Building on the success of last year’s inaugural Ethical Leader of the Year Award, which honored Charles Lowrey, Chairman and CEO at Prudential Financial, the McGowan Fund’s Board is furthering its commitment to ethical leadership by co-hosting this second edition.

The Ethical Leader of the Year Award aligns with the McGowan Fund’s thirteen-year dedication to integrating their “Principles of Ethical Leadership” into MBA and other leadership programs, in collaboration with ten leading universities across the nation.

As the world’s largest trade association of HR professionals, SHRM has long been devoted to upholding the highest principles of ethical leadership. The SHRM Expo, renowned as the largest HR solutions center globally, will explore topics such as ethical leadership, HR strategy, employee relations, employment law, global HR, and more.

Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., SHRM president and CEO, emphasizes the key attributes of a great leader, including fostering a strong workplace culture built on personal accountability and leading by example. He expressed his delight that the Ethical Leader of the Year Award recognizes a CEO at SHRM23 who embodies these qualities—a change driver who cultivates intentional workplace cultures and deeply understands the value of ethical leadership in today’s professional environment.

A recent Ernst & Young study highlighted the importance of empathy, a core principle of ethical leadership, in fostering increased efficiency, creativity, job satisfaction, idea sharing, innovation, and even revenue generation. However, the study also revealed that empathy remains in short supply in 2023.

In response to these findings and in conjunction with announcing the second Ethical Leader of the Year Award, Brian Peckrill, Interim Executive Director of the McGowan Fund Fellows Program, states that talent recruitment and retention remain significant challenges in the workforce. These issues impact consumer decision-making and underpin the importance of ethical leadership across the C-Suite and throughout modern-day businesses.

The McGowan Fund is thrilled to host the second annual Ethical Leader of the Year Award at SHRM2023 and unveil the winner alongside the SHRM Team in Las Vegas.

For more information, visit their website at https://williamgmcgowanfund.org/ and follow them on Twitter.