The essential guide for ethical decision-making in the 21st century, The Power of Ethics depicts “ethical decision-making not in a nebulous philosophical space, but at the point where the rubber meets the road” (Michael Schur, producer and creator of The Good Place).

It’s not your imagination: we’re living in a time of moral decline. Publicly, we’re bombarded with reports of government leaders acting against the welfare of their constituents; companies prioritizing profits over health, safety, and our best interests; and technology posing risks to society with few or no repercussions for those responsible. Personally, we may be conflicted about how much privacy to afford our children on the internet; how to make informed choices about our purchases and the companies we buy from; or how to handle misconduct we witness at home and at work.

How do we find a way forward? Today’s ethical challenges are increasingly gray, often without a clear right or wrong solution, causing us to teeter on the edge of effective decision-making. With concentrated power structures, rapid advances in technology, and insufficient regulation to protect citizens and consumers, ethics are harder to understand than ever. But in The Power of Ethics, Susan Liautaud shows how ethics can be used to create a sea change of positive decisions that can ripple outward to our families, communities, workplaces, and the wider world—offering unprecedented opportunity for good.

Drawing on two decades as an ethics advisor guiding corporations and leaders, academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and students in her Stanford University ethics courses, Susan Liautaud provides clarity to blurry ethical questions, walking you through a straightforward, four-step process for ethical decision-making you can use every day. Liautaud also explains the six forces driving virtually every ethical choice we face. Exploring some of today’s most challenging ethics dilemmas and showing you how to develop a clear point of view, speak out with authority, make effective decisions, and contribute to a more ethical world for yourself and others, The Power of Ethics is the must-have ethics guide for the 21st century.

About The Author

Norman Seeff Productions

Susan Liautaud

Susan Liautaud is the founder and managing director of Susan Liautaud & Associates Limited, which advises clients from global corporations to NGOs on complex ethics matters. Author of The Power of Ethics and The Little Book of Big Ethical Questions, she also teaches cutting-edge ethics courses at Stanford University and serves as chair of Council of the London School of Economics and Political Science. Liautaud is the founder of the nonprofit platform The Ethics Incubator and chairs a number of global nonprofit boards. She divides her time between Palo Alto, California, and London.

Product Details

Publisher: Simon & Schuster (January 5, 2021)
Length: 304 pages
ISBN13: 9781982132217

Raves and Reviews

“Philosophy can be abstract and frustrating to read. In The Power of Ethics, Liautaud attacks ethical decision-making not in a nebulous philosophical space, but at the point where the rubber meets the road. Reading it is a pure joy.”
—Michael Schur, producer and creator of The Good Place

“Trust is the currency of ethics. Susan Liautaud distills her twenty years of experience advising companies to democratize ethics and make it accessible to all. It is inspiring. It is practical. It is more timely than ever.”
—Emmanuel Lulin, Chief Ethics Officer, L'Oréal

“Absolutely brilliant, engaging, and very timely cri de coeur. Follow Liautaud’s instructions and you will be a better decision-maker—and person.”
—Ruth Chang, chair and professor of jurisprudence, University of Oxford

"With gripping storytelling, Susan Liautaud makes ethical decision-making approachable and easy to apply. The Power of Ethics is an invaluable tool to empower individuals and businesses to make ethical decisions to build competitive and trustworthy organizations."
—Omid Kordestani, former executive chairman of Twitter and former senior VP at Google

“Actionable and ready to use by all, The Power of Ethics makes ethical dilemmas clear instead of leaving you to agonize over impossible choices. A must-read.”
—Joanne Liu, former international president, Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontiéres

“Accessible, deep, and a compelling read, Liautaud’s book explores many of today’s and tomorrow’s ethical issues . . . A useful and practical guide for individuals and organizations as they navigate their way through ethical challenges.”
—James Manyika, CEO, McKinsey Global Institute

“Brilliantly effective, truly visionary . . . an essential reminder of how each of our decisions impacts the stories of others around us. So get reading now, and don’t let ethics happen to you: Always be an actor—and never a spectator—of your own life.”
—Sébastien Bazin, chairman and CEO, Accor

“A 21st century ethics classic, The Power of Ethics delivers with stories of modern, big world integrity fails. Susan gives us a practical framework for making ethical decisions in what is an increasingly complex environment. A book for leaders to read and keep close at hand.”
—Rob Chesnut, former Airbnb General Counsel and author of Intentional Integrity

"Approachable...Readers will appreciate Liautaud's logical guidance."
—Booklist

“An easy-to-use manual for determining ethical behavior in our bewildering times... the simple-to-understand narrative encourages deliberate reflection, an ethical act in its own right.”
—Kirkus Review

"For anyone hoping to both be good personally and do good in the world, The Power of Ethics from Stanford’s Susan Liautaud is a must-read."
—Next Big Idea Club