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About The Book

The essential guide for decision-making when ethics are on the edge.

It’s not your imagination. We’re living in a time of moral decline. Publicly, government leaders are acting against the welfare of their citizens, companies are prioritising profits over our health and our safety, and technology poses risks to society with little to no repercussions for those responsible. Personally, we struggle with how much to protect our children online, how to make informed consumer choices, and how to handle misconduct at work and at home.

How do we move forward? Ethics are harder to understand than ever before. In The Power of Ethics, Susan Liautaud shows how ethics can be used to create a sea change of positive decisions than can ripple outwards to our families, communities, workplaces and the wider world, offering unprecedented opportunities for good.

Drawing on two decades as an ethics advisor to corporations, academic institutions and non-profit organisations, Liautaud provides clarity, walking you through a straightforward, four-step process for everyday decision-making and explaining the six forces driving virtually every ethical choice we face. Exploring some of today’s most challenging dilemmas, Liautaud shows us how to develop a clear point of view, speak with authority and make effective decisions. The Power of Ethics is the essential guide to creating a better world for yourself and others.

About The Authors

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. She teaches cutting-edge ethics courses at Stanford University, serves as chair of Council of the London School of Economics and Political Science, and is the founder of the nonprofit platform The Ethics Incubator. She also chairs and serves on a number of global nonprofit boards. She divides her time between Palo Alto, California, and London.

Product Details

  • Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK (February 1, 2021)
  • Length: 304 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781471188565

Raves and Reviews

'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

'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

'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

'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

'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

'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

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