Introduction
Defining moral leadership is quite simple and varied dependent upon the situation or context requiring leadership. Carrying out moral and ethical leadership is much more complex when carried out in the day to day operations in life. This is particularly poignant when righting a wrong, or redeeming a situation to help in a process of improvement.
Dineen, Lewicki and Tomlinson (2006 p. 430 in Yukl) state a case that it is up to the leadership to lead by example regarding both ethical and moral behaviour. It is also imperative for the leader to set clear goals, standards and objectives and ensure the maintenance throughout the performance of their work (Yukl p. 430 – 431).
One of the issues not addressed due to lack of research is the cultural aspects of leadership in various cultures. I will attempt to address this from my own cultural perspective from the oral history I grew up with.
During this research, two scenarios came up of what an ethical and non-ethical leadership situation looks like. Further research brought me to seek out other situations for comparison. The overall need for leaders to lead well is to pay attention to everything around you.
Discussion
Researchers have developed a variety of definitions regarding leadership and seem simple to visualize but in reality very difficult to carry out in day to day operations of a business, school or life in general. Rost (p.165) expresses the dismay and disgust when scholars, and others who study leadership, see the unethical and immoral (my emphasis) conduct of people in authoritative or power roles. They, the scholars’ et al, want to make ethical conduct a moral imperative for leaders and leadership. Bennis and Nanus (2003 p. 4) identified 850 def...
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...g Keilburger’s of the world keep us all enlightened, we will be on constant watch to see that the moral and ethical work environment for all global employees are safe and healthy.
Works Cited
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Nike website: www.nikebix.com/resonsibility/cr_recognition.html. Corporate Social Responsibility and Code of Ethics and Conduct.
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Yukl, G. (7th ed.) (2010). Leadership in Organizations. New Jersey. Prentice Hall.
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Ethical leadership is hard to define according to research cited by Yukl, (2013). Ethics depends on time, culture, and laws. We can attempt to define ethical leadership by looking at the leader’s behavior, values and how he or she influences followers (Yukl, 2013). Every organization has ethical and moral guidelines stipulated through their policies, rules and regulations. A leader who is honest and trustworthy can be said as an ethical leader. But it depends on how the behavior is reflected in the organization and the employees. Ethical leadership can also be defined as to whether the behaviors violate cultural customs and laws of the society. Personal morals and ethics may be in conflict with managing the organization
Currently, leadership is generally understood as a person with insight and wisdom of guidance, which expected to be efficient in management responsibilities like planning organizing, and monitoring performance (Kandola, 2004, p. 144). In addition, making ethical decision is important to individuals who value and take seriously institutional...
‘’Leadership consists not in degrees of technique but in traits of character; it requires moral
Ethical leadership is a term that has become very commonplace today. It is a concept that many have come to see as important as leaders do have a very big role to play when it comes to driving teams in the right direction. Choices and decisions made by leaders/managers impact the team heavily. Leaders must have high ethical standards to be able to manage and work effectively. Ethical leadership is the core of a great organization; a leader bears the greatest responsibility in the overall direction of an organization and that applies to ethics as well. An ethical leader must first and foremost be ethical; the five principles of an ethical leader should inform all levels of an organization to create an ethical culture for all parties. Maintaining ethical standards can make or break an organization and that depends greatly on the leadership that is practiced. Working at Sigmund Cohn, I have seen how ethics take priority over anything. Production will be stopped until certain questions are answered.
According to Bolman and Deal (2008), the idea of leadership is not quite straightforward, and there is a debate as to what effective leadership is. However, the authors offer a few elements that define leadership from different viewpoints. Just like many elements within the symbolic frame, leadership is not something tangible nor can it be simply assigned (Bolman & Deal, 2008). Unlike authorities, leaders are not necessarily appointed and do not have to hold an official managerial position (Bolman & Deal, 2008). Instead, leaders are created through relationships with people and their perceptions of the person as a leader (Bolman & Deal, 2008). However, not only leaders could be in the authority
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Northouse, P. (2010). Leadership: Theory and practice (5th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, Inc.
There were many conceptions in the past that have described the leadership. To many people, a person that could change the world by inscribing that world with his/her own human action and an imagination fraught with struggle of the inner voices is considered “leader” (Boje, 2001). For a deep understand of leadership, I present some viewpoints of Dr. James R. Bean from the Lock Haven University. Dr. Bean discusses four conceptions of leaders and leadership in his book, “Leadership Theories and Skills”, that was published in 2001. Those four concepts are: 1/ Hero theory; 2/ Puppet of Historical Forces; 3/ Cultural Symbol or Totem; and 4/ Cybernetic. According to Dr. Bean, these concepts are considered the historical definitions of leadership. The four concepts are briefly discussed in the next paragraph.
Lussier, R.N. & Achua, C.F. (2010). Leadership: Theory, application, skill development (5th ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western.
Ethical leadership is having an understanding of who you are, what your core values are, having the courage to live them all, in your personal life as well as your work life. Ethical leadership involves leading in a manner that respects the rights and dignity of others. Ethical decision making and leadership are the basis of ethical organizations. Leadership is a relationship between leaders and followers. The foundation of this relationship is trust. The leaders themselves must be ethical in their decisions and actions in order to influence others to behave accordingly. Ethical leadership is to know one’s core values and having the courage to live them through one’s life. Ethics and leaders go hand in hand; ethics is the heart of leadership.
Bennis, W. & Nanus, B. (1985). Leaders: The Strategies for taking charge. New York: Harper Row.