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what are the importance of ethical leadership
Relationships between ethics n leadership
the importance of ethics in leadership
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The personal ethics positively affect leadership and when made a priority for leaders will produce ethical and effective leadership to the organization. With so many definitions of leadership, the question evolved from “what is the definition of leadership?” to “what is good leadership” (Ciulla, 2004, p. 13). The system of values one must compile a list of the most important instrumental values and terminal values. The morals and values are unique to every individual because they are determined by personal importance. Instrumental values, such as honest, helpful, ambitious, responsible, etc. should reinforce terminal values. Once a leader’s means are consistent with desired goals with the organization, their value system is unified. Although
Morals act as simple ideals that set apart right and wrong set of values. They also act as a “rule of thumb when appraising a situation” (Cooper,1998 p. 10). This principle acquired through socialization act as references when analyzing possible decisions. Instead of people acting purely on obligations or expectations, morals ensure actions with respect to knowledge of right and wrong ethical values. However most values are acquired through socialization, this step requires one to examine his or her set of values. It is a good idea to list any “rules of thumb” you associate with daily life. Some morals possibly obtained through life experience include “always be a good team player” or “it is easier to ask forgiveness than to ask permission” (Cooper, 1998, p. 9). Whichever values you write down should be compared and incorporated with your morals and principles. As you continue upward the stairwell, it is important to make sure all steps are unified. This will guarantee the most solid formulation of good ethical foundation. Without ideals to help a person conform to the rules of right conduct, they cannot climb past level of morals. Once morals have been analyzed and are in line with values and principles, the journey can continue to the fourth
Ethics give people this sense of truth and positively affect people’s behavior. A basic analysis of this for an organization instills good values when personal ethics are developed and used by a leader; they will become a good leader. Understanding the importance of ethics will increase the likelihood of leaders to adopt ethical leadership. People are more likely to accept and use a concept they believe in. When the leaders understand that the ethics development process that would make them an effective leader, an increasing number of leaders would have a personal ethics system. Understanding the importance of ethics is crucial because leaders will consciously work to develop and use ethics, which makes them more effective. This acceptance will result in ethical decision making and the ability to put theory into practice as well as create ethical organizations. This will lead to good leadership are further discussed in the following sections. What seems so minor on a personal level can actually affect the entire society. The personal ethics produce good leadership, which help create better organizations and societies. Similar to other theories, good leadership is much easier to think and talk about than actually
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
Specifically, six themes regarding ethical leadership emerged from the study. Survey respondents from all societies prioritized these six traits as necessary for ethical leadership. First, ethical leaders are accountable. They abide by rules and regulations and take personal responsibility while holding others accountable. Second, ethical leaders have consideration and respect for others. They are approachable, treat others with respect, and demonstrate empathy. Third, ethical leaders are fair. They make objective decisions and do not show favoritism. Fourth, ethical leaders have a strong character. They are sincere and they lead by example, demonstrating integrity and courage. Fifth, ethical leaders have a collective orientation. They promote teamwork and collaboration while protecting the interests of the company. Finally, ethical leaders are open and flexible. They share information, communicate effectively, and are open to diversity (Resick et al, 2011). Though cultural dimensions affect leadership practices and expectations, these attributes and behaviors emerged consistently as the requisite traits for ethical
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
Moral and ethical leaders are essential for any successful business because these leaders are the essential links between the organization’s objectives and its stakeholders. Leaders are the face of any organization, and their actions reflect the values and the ethics the organization they represent. Therefore, if a leader’s action and decision is ethical, the stakeholders and other organizations will respect the leader and the organization. Recent history has shown that ethical behaviors are important in sustaining businesses; large corporations such as Enron, Chevron, and Worldcom, destroyed people’s lives through unethical business behaviors (Josephson, M., 2013). If these corporations and its executives have operated morally and ethically, they would have been able to avoid bankruptcy and escaped going to prison (The Economist, 2002). Having ethical leadership in organizations will help to eliminate the negative impact executive’s gre...
Ethics are the principles and values used by an individual to govern his or her actions and decisions and it is very important in an organization. The code of ethics within an organization must be developed to help guide the organization in its decisions, programs, and policies. Having an ethical organizational culture that consists of leaders and employees adhering to ethical standards can guide leaders in determining organizational procedures and outline acceptable behavior among staff. Ethical leaders can also help employees meet standards of good quality work, accomplish organizational goals, adhere to policies and rules within the organization, and enhances the organization reputation within the community.
German Philosopher, Immanuel Kant once said, “In law a man is guilty when he violates the rights of others. In ethics he is guilty if he only thinks of doing so” (1800). The word ethics refers to “character” and “conduct” (Northouse, 2015, p. 330). It is deeply “concerned with the virtuousness of individuals and their motives” and “the kinds of values and morals an individual or a society finds desirable or appropriate” (Northouse, 2015, p. 330). Thus, “in regards to leadership, ethics is concerned with what leaders do and who leaders are” (Northouse, 2015, p. 330). Ethics in leadership allows leaders to make decisions regarding what is virtuous or not in a situation. All throughout the history of American government, difficult decisions have been made and the fight for ethics has always been “implicitly or explicitly involved” (Northouse, 2015, p. 330).
Every individual has certain values and ethics that he/she stands by. Values give us a sense of what is important while ethics gives us a sense of what is right and wrong. Together, these qualities help guide us through our everyday life: what actions to take and what decision to make. Sticking to ethical standards allows you to stay clear of trouble; therefore, strengthening people’s trust in you. In return, this leads to gaining people’s respect and cooperation, which may result in leadership responsibilities. Therefore, we believe that personal values and ethics will affect a person’s career success. However, there are times where individuals will make unethical choices--some situations might question your resolve. This can be caused by
Ethical leadership is the implementation of leadership that has an ethical manner in the process of the implementation. Leadership is actually an activity of leading an organization or a group of people or the ability to do that thing. A good leadership can be applied by a good leader that has a good ethical manner inside them. The ethical leadership will be run effectively if the leader really make ethic as the foundation of the leadership process. The correlation between ethical leadership and organization is the organization need the ethical leadership in the process of the organization. Organization is a group of people that lead by one people
My personal code of ethics is constructed by a set of ideas and standards that are guided through the use of knowledge and personal beliefs. Each individual is raised with unique values and experiences that internalize personal identity. Our identity is guided and shaped through the interactions from parents, community, teachers, and peers. Leadership identity is no different. Educational leaders should be given the opportunity to take the time to develop their own personal codes of ethics based on life stories and critical incidents. (Shapiro & Stefkovich, 2011, p. 23) Understanding our values and beliefs are the basis for successful leadership. As Shapiro and Stefkovich (2011) state, “a professional ethical code cannot be established without
...d rules that are managed and reinforced can make a difference in the organization. Senior leaders must be aware of the influential impact that immediate leaders play in the daily duties of the workplace. Then the immediate leaders can emphasize and support the ethical character of their workers. Civility demands that a person must be self-disciplined for the sake of others. “By putting ethics into practice in our day-to-day encounters, civility is that moral glue without which our society would come apart” (Brannigan, 2008, para. 13). It is more important than ever for companies to act responsibly, as customers are buying products and services from the companies that they trust. Ethical values can be incorporated into an organization’s culture. Ethics plays an important role in the company and can have beneficial and profitable results on the corporation.
Morals are often defined by religions and cultures, and even more so by individuals themselves. Based on upbringing and prior experiences, people form an understanding of right vs. wrong and of good vs. evil. As children, we are inexperienced and mostly told what to do by our parents. “Always say please and thank you, don’t hit your brother, stop drawing on the wall,” are things parents will say to keep their children in line. Through adults, we can begin to develop our own moral compasses. Eventually, every person has to decide for themselves where to draw the line between right and wrong. We use our morals to make all decisions, and the outcome of those decisions depend on the quality of one’s morals.
Although I have many core values, including diligence, happiness, helpfulness, true friendship, freedom, and intelligence, the most significant in my life are love, morality, honesty, and forgivingness. Throughout my life, these particular values have proved key to becoming the person I wished to be. “The term leadership involves our self-images and moral codes” (Values in Leadership). In order to lead and to be someone who upholds their values, one must be fully aware of what is important to them and what drives them.
In this paper I am going to be discussing my values and morals in life that helps me be successful with knowing what is right and wrong in personally and professionally everyday life. There are many things that go on in the world today and it is extremely important to have values and morals set in place. Also going to be discussing how cultural heritage has shaped my values and what ethical behaviors I see in myself.
Ethics is the heart of leadership, the power that comes with being a leader can be used for good as well as evil. Ethics is the internal intangible that drives us, it is the value system or lack of thereof, that guides us when we make decisions in our day to day actions (Bucaro). Ethics is about your individual values, you either have ethics or you don’t. To be ethical is to focus on values, character, principles, etc.; these are the personality traits that will give you the groundwork to make tough
Good, strong, ethical people can have an immeasurable impact on a company as well. “Ethical leadership creates an ethical culture. Top managers provide a blueprint for a firm’s corporate culture. If these leaders fail to express desired ethical behaviors and goals, a corporate culture evolves on its own to reflect the values and norms of the company” (Ferrell, 2015). “Leadership has a significant impact on ethical decision making because leaders have the power to motivate others and enforce the organization’s norms, policies, and viewpoints” (Ferrell, 2015). Often employees will look to management and top leadership for clues as to what is acceptable and what is not. It is not only important to have good role models in those top positions, but to have a culture where they can fully express their ethical