Moral Leadership: Ethics and Effectiveness
Deborah Rhode provides a succinct explanation if what constitutes moral leadership. The difference between moral leadership and effective leadership is well explicated. Contemporary literature and many businesses executive have held a belief that there is no difference between effective leadership and moral leadership. Effective leadership is propped up by ethics and sound moral judgment. This is true, but it is eminent that effective leadership does not always encompass moral leadership. Corporate goals and pressure from stakeholders has significantly transformed the way in which leaders approach ethics and leadership in general (Rhode, 2006). An effective leader ought to have the ability to guide
If there is no persuasion, then it is only to say that there is no leadership. It is also apparent that for a leader to be in a position to persuade others to follow a given course of action, one must have some aspects such as integrity and integrity. Based on the definition given by Deborah Rhode, trust is a very important element in maintaining moral leadership. If a leader cannot be trusted, he or she cannot be a good leader, and people (followers) will not have enough confidence in them to the point of following what they say or want. Deborah concisely illustrates that moral leadership is quite different from effective leadership. Instead of aspiring to be followed, moral leadership endeavors to serve (Rhode, 2006). Rather than displaying their skills, moral leaders strive to develop the ability and capacity of their followers. It is important to note that moral leadership is expected from anyone in any position in the organizational hierarchy. However, moral leaders are individuals who have a deep sense of ethics, are propelled by core ideals such as fairness, honesty and integrity, and are usually motivated by
A good and effective leader must be an excellent example. History has borne this out time after time. For example, Herodotus, widely credited as the father of history, stated that “I am contented that we are less convinced by what we hear than by what we see.” (Zubko 2003, p.140 ). Deborah is challenging leaders to approach ethics from a different angle. From how the behavior and conduct displayed to the services offered and goods produced, to the customers they serve and suppliers they interact with, to the workforce and the society in general (Rhode, 2006). The whole ecosystem should reflect a character and show an element of ethics that forms the core of their decision and actions. Just as the workforce is assessed by their performance in a corporation, the workforce, stakeholders and the general public should evaluate their leaders with the benchmark being ethics. As stated in the book, a leader 's conducts ought to be impeccable (Rhode, 2006). This is due to the fact that, while in that position one is not only accountable to the employee but also to the society. The words and actions of a leader are watched by many followers, hence the impacts and implication of everything they say and do shape the view of the followers (Rhode,
The importance of ethical leadership is emphasised in theories of ethical leadership such as transformation theories which seek to raise the consciousness of followers by appealing to ideals and moral values rather than to materialistic desires or negative emotions such as fear and jealousy; Servant leadership theory which explains why the primary concern of the leaders should be to nurture, develop, and protect followers; Spiritual leadership theory which explains how leaders can enhance the spiritual meaning in the work experienced by followers; Authentic leadership theory which describes an ideal leader whose behavior is guided by strong positive values, (Yukl, 2010). In addition, all these theories emphasise the importance of leadership
Meeting the ethical challenges of leadership casting light or shadow is authored by Craig E. Johnson. This book takes an interdisciplinary approach to leadership and ethics. The first part of this book looks at the topic of the shadow side of leadership. This explores the abuse of power and privilege, mismanagement, and inconsistency in her leadership. Part two, looking inward examines the role of character development and the nature of evil, forgiveness, and spirituality. Part three looks at the ethical decision-making processes and provides theories and tactics. Part four looks at ways leaders can disseminate information in a variety of situations. The book teaches new terminology, key principles, decision-making formats, and important elements of ethical contexts.
The modern workforce is constantly evolving, and it is becoming increasingly multinational. Each culture represented in the workplace brings its own set of values, beliefs, and practices to the work environment. While this diversity can be used as a source of competitive advantage, it can also present a challenge when it comes to organizational leadership. In an effort to identify what leadership means around the world, Resick, Martin, Keating, Dickson, Kwan & Peng (2011) conducted a qualitative study of managers across six societies: The People’s Republic of China (PRC), Hong Kong, The Republic of China (Taiwan), The United States, Ireland, and Germany. These societies were selected for the study due to the significant role that each county
Looking at the first word in ethical leadership we see, as stated in the Webster-Merriam dictionary, ethical is defined as “following accepted rules of behavior: morally right and good”. When we think of someone who is ethical we, first, think of someone who ‘follows the rules’. By following the rules I mean someone who in the eyes of the majority is morally sound. Having strong morals is what I believe the key is to an ethical person. On the other side of the definition of ethical is defining it as having inside oneself the desire to do what’s right over what is wrong. When we speak about someone who is ethical this desire is one that is not dependent on external forces i.e. no one can sway an ethical person’s mindset.
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
According to Northouse 2010, Leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. By this definition, a leader is a person who rules or guides or inspires or influences others. A leader is someone other people are willing to follow, almost without question. A leader may not always make the right decision, but are confident in the decisions that they make. Leaders are not afraid to admit when they are wrong, they accepts responsibility and a leader know when to change direction when a wrong choice has been made. For, even after a few mistakes, a true leader will not lose the confidence of his or her followers; he will rally the followers to move together while creating opportunities for doing the right thing.
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 is a process by which an individual influences others to accomplish a mutual objective and most scholars can agree that leadership can be defined as the nature of the influencing process. Leaders carry out this process by applying their leadership attributes, such as beliefs, values, ethics, character, knowledge, and ski...
Ms. Barrett’s positive attribute that makes her the exemplar ethical leader is her use of the altruistic approach to leadership (Wharton School, 2008). She credits her altruistic approach to leadership as inspired by her mother who was of the opinion that work was about making a positive difference in the lives of others. It was all about empowering others and creating a positive work environment. She follows the principle of treating everybody equally and in the way that she would want to be treated. Her opinion is that leadership is not only about the title, but is inclusive of every staff member. According to Mihelic, Lipicnik & Tekavcic (2010), being ethical is about playing fair, thinking about welfare of others and thinking about consequences
A leader is one of the main component of an organization. There is no organization without a leader. A leader is a person who have the power or authority to lead, guide, or command other individual, a team, or an organization. As an organization is a tool to achieve an objective, there is a need of a leader to lead everyone in the organization to achieve the objective.
Moral leadership is based, to a greater extent, on the authority, not on power, the sources of which is coercion and punishment and its strength depends on the magnitude of these parameters. If we talk about the power, there is always the opportunity to buy or inherit it, but the authority is rather an intrapersonal entity, and the only way to get it is to earn by demonstrating the values being proclaimed in your behavior. The main mechanism of the influence of a moral leader is identification. Receiving a "credit of trust," the leader becomes an object of imitation for the subordinates who actually copy his behavior, launching an identification mechanism that takes the form of the desire to be like his leader. The influence of the moral leader lies in the ability to create, set and broadcast the standards of highly moral behavior. The identification with such a leader allows the subordinates to internalize his values ( i.e. to absorb social norms and assessments). The uniqueness of a moral leader lies in his ability to convey the values to employees at emotional and behavioral levels, to "materialize" these values.
Leadership is defined as a process by which an individual influences others to obtain goals. There are three aspects that should be addressed when explaining leadership. One aspect is that leadership is a social influence process; leadership could not exist without a leader and one or more followers. Another leadership aspect is compliance; all of the leader’s directions must be complied with voluntarily. Compliance is what separates leadership from other influence-based formal authority. Finally, leadership results in the followers’ behavior, that is purposeful and goal-directed which must be in some organized setting (Leadership Theories and Studies, 2009).
From an ethical point of view, it is essential for leaders to make ethical choices and create an ethical work environment. It is the responsibility of leaders to respond to the demands of society to make the right decisions. It is the leader 's beliefs, values, vision and action that set the tone and standard for any group. It is important to see the role of leadership in making the right ethical choices according to an article by Donaldson (1988). The ethics of leadership, whether they are good or bad, positive or negative, affect the attitude of the group and help form the ethical choices and decisions of the group in the work environment. What is important is that leaders must realize that it must consider the impact of every action made. It has to consider whether the action is going to promote the good or the bad to contribute to his or her strength according to Burns (1978). The ethical or right thing to do is figure out which best serves the idea of best management practice. There should be little dispute that ethical behavior within a group depends on the ethical quality of its leadership. This is because all employees look to leadership for
Ethical leadership organizational ethics and socially responsibility are inseparable (Johnson). Leadership is not a inherited gift or family heritage; it is not a degree from an ivy league graduate school. Becoming a leader is an intentional process of growth that must be lived out experientially (Mullane). Ethical leaders demonstrate three distinctive characteristics, knowledge, action and character. Leaders have to have the ability to say “yes” or even “no” to a never ending series of challenges. A leader needs to be able to define their values, character and leadership style. When accepting the role of leadership you become encumbered by ethical issues and concerns. .
What do Kenneth Lay, Bernard Ebbers, Conrad Black, Dennis Kozlowski, and Scott Thompson have in common? Yes, they were all in high ranking leadership positions, worked for very large companies, and were men. Unfortunately for the companies they worked for, they also lacked any sense of ethical leadership. Ethics are very important in the business world, and managers need to do all they can to hire and retain ethical people.