Leaders make critical decisions between right, wrong, and the lesser of two evils every day. These decisions can affect the person making the decision, their employees, and goals of the organization. There are many readings that describe ethics and leadership, but ethical leadership is basically knowing your inner values and having the courage to steadfastly live by them for the purpose of the common good. Southwestern College's Master of Science in Leadership program has given me a firm understanding of how important ethical reasoning is and how it impacts, good and bad, an organization.
My first artifact, LEAD505 Leadership and Ethics Assignment explains that there's a strong relationship between good leadership and ethics. Since many organizational leadership decisions are inherently difficult to make, it is impossible to have effective leaders without an ethical underpinning. As noted by Ciulla (2004) there's been examples in which corporate leadership has had a number of ethical short-comings in recent years, ranging from Enron to WorldCom. My opportunity to learn the lessons of these ethical failures has allowed me to witness how devastating of an affect they have on an organization. Although I will always try to lean on my core values to guide me to the best possible decision, I know that there will be times I will be forced to choose between two unfavorable choices.
In the course of my duties I'm certain I will be forced to choose between alternatives that are both unfavorable in some way, which is referred to as an ethical dilemma (Ferrerll et al., 2008). When this occurs, I know I must first identify what the ethical dilemma actually is before I can proceed to a sound decision. Once I've firmly interpreted wh...
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...results at all costs, they may be at a higher risk for questionable ethical decision making. The primary differences in ethical leadership between various leaders can be contributed to the inner values of the respective leader and them having the courage to live by them for the purpose of the common good. Also, there may be times when no clear-cut right answer is present; which is why ethical values are critical for leaders to have. Finally, when inappropriate ethical values are not upheld by leaders, it can spread to their employees and ultimately result in devastating outcomes like Enron and WorldCom failures.
Works Cited
Ciulla, Joanne B. (2004). Ethics, The Heart of Leadership. Westport , CT: Praeger Publishers
Ferrell, O, Fraedrich, J., Ferrell, L. (2004). Business Ethics: Ethical decision making and cases. Houghton Mifflin Company.
Boston, MA.
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
Throughout the course of day-to-day business life, the business professionals come in contact with quite a sum of ethical dilemmas. There are various ways to handle these ethical dilemmas, but failure to follow the appropriate manner could result in an unethical outcome. The ethical guides related to the book definitely help students develop an ethical character that is sure to stand out for highly ethical companies. In addition, there are companies that test how ethical applicants are before hiring them, this in turn makes getting the job more difficult and costly. However, despite the high cost and difficulty said companies stay firm to ethics, guaranteeing they get top-of-the-line employees who will act in an ethical manner. Ethics is defined
Nelson, K., & Trevino, L. (2004). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right (3rd ed.). New York: Wiley
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.
Strong Ethics is a Critical Quality of Leadership. Verschoor, Curtis C., Strategic Finance, January, 2006, Vol. 87, Issue 7, P. 19-20.
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...
Mullane, Susan P. "Ethics and Leadership." Ethics and Leadership (2009): n. pag. Web. 17 June 2014.
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
Great leaders effectively and efficiently direct, advise and motivate their followers. They confront many ethical problems and the choices they make in these circumstances reveal their moral duties and adherence to ethical standards (Module 6, Summary,
Everyone in this world has experienced an ethical dilemma in different situations and this may arise between one or more individuals. Ethical dilemma is a situation where people have to make complex decisions and are influenced based on personal interest, social environment or norms, and religious beliefs (“Strategic Leadership”, n.d.). The leaders and managers in the company should set guidelines to ensure employees are aware and have a better chance to solve and make ethical decisions. Employees are also responsible in understanding their ethical obligations in order to maintain a positive work environment. The purpose of this case study is to identify the dilemma and analyze different decisions to find ways on how a person should act
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.
I now recognize that after I have established “one principle then the other principles will naturally fall into place” (Spencer-Brown, 2016). I think that it is important to fully understand what it means to be a leader in an effort to effectively lead others. According to Northhouse (2013) “leaders play a major role in establishing the ethical climate in their organization” (2013, p. 448). Learning about ethical theory is essential because it offers me “a set of principles that guide me in making decisions” (Northhouse, 2013, p.448).
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. .
“Ethical leaders within an organization cannot make every ethical decision by themselves” (Ferrell, 2015). In centralized management, the top people make all of the decisions. There are still however many opportunities for lower level employees to make unethical decisions. Management can promote ethical behavior at every level by being a good example and following its own code of conduct. The ethical environment should also be closely monitored. When someone makes a really great ethical decision, that person should be recognized. By rewarding good behavior, others will naturally want to receive these rewards as
The purpose of this report is in order to analyze that how important the effective leadership, decision making and ethical management are for leaders making the ethical decisions and ensuring the organizational decisions are made ethically.