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Ethical Leadership
In order to define ethical leadership I think that one must first define the words ethical and leadership. By doing so it not only makes it possible to define what ethical leadership is, but it helps in shaping your own idea of what it means.
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.
Leadership is often seen as something to look up to. People who are considered leaders are placed at a higher standard in generally and rightfully so. The word leadership includes the description of a plethora of words such as: greatness, power, above, forefront, best, example, teacher, and guide. Because one that is considered a leader has many attributes and can be described in a variety of way, mostly extremely positive, the word leadership has a powerful connotation attached to it. A leader or one who possess the attributes of leadership is naturally looked very highly looked upon.
Looking at the ideas behind what ethical and leadership mean you can easily find someone who exemplifies being ethical and one who exemplifies leadership. When choosing a ...
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...a massacre of approximately a thousand people is another example of his strong moral ethics. As a leader you must be able to lead, especially when others falter. After this event Gandhi’s stance grew even stronger. Though really proves his ethical leadership was his consistent preaching on remaining peaceful.
Ethical Leadership requires a great deal of control, social awareness, and power. It requires a balance to be formed between compassion and aggressiveness. The two words, ethical and leadership, each have their own meaning. Ethical is discerning what’s right and what is wrong and acting accordingly on that knowledge. Leadership, on the other hand, is the guidance or directing of people, and doing so by example. Mohandas Gandhi embodied both of these words through his fight for freedom and equality, his strategy in getting there, and his unwavering commitment.
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
To apply this system of moral values effectively, one must understand the structural levels at which ethical dilemmas occur, who is involved in the dilemmas, and how a particular decision will affect them. In addition, one must consider how to formulate possible courses of action. Failing in any of these three areas may lead to an ineffective decision, resulting in more pain than cure.” Ken Blanchard states, “Many leaders don’t operate ethically because they don’t understand leadership; these executives may have MBA’s from Ivey League schools or have attended leadership training; they may routinely read the best-selling management books, however, they don’t understand what it means to be a leader.” They don’t model a way of ethical behaviors.
What can we say about leadership? Leadership is a concept, way of life, and aspect of continuous evolution. Trying to narrow down or pinpoint an exact definition to be applied to this term is non-existent. Rather you can only apply certain aspects of this term to better understand it. The area which I will go into is “how situational leadership coincides with empathy as far as generating a successful or non-successful leader.”
Ethical leadership simply means the act of leading by knowing and doing what is right (Wise Geek, 2014). A leader that exhibit ethical leadership understands his or her core values, principles, and beliefs and live true to those values. An ethical leader serves as a mirror through which people view and perceive the organization they represent. Moral and ethical leaders serve as role models for others, who sets realistic, yet a high moral and ethical standards for others to follow and abide. This handbook will help managers to understand the importance and the principle of the moral and ethical leadership, the path to a better ethical decision making, and ways to create a moral and ethical organizational culture.
Leadership is derived from the Latin word laedere, which roughly translates as “to show the way” and if someone were to look it up in the dictionary, it would come up as “the position of a leader, the ability to lead, and direction.” However, for some this word can be arguable because everyone thinks differently. Leadership or leader itslef can be described or defined as someone promoting good character, a trustworthy person as well as a person who has dedication and takes responsibility for not only him or herself but also takes responsibility for the people surrounding them.
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
The type of leader someone is vital to the success of an organization, a team or a company. How they lead can differ based on many variables (i.e., group size, personality, situation, etc.,) which in return effects those involved. But, at the core of leadership should be ethics. But even then, the standards and guidelines of what is ethical vary among people. And for that reason, it is the utmost priority to keep the focal point on leadership that contains high moral character rather than the styles of Deontologist or Consequentialist.
Leadership is defined in many different ways. In the Meriam-Webster dictionary it’s defined as a position as a leader of a group, organization, etc. The time when a person holds the position to lead, and lastly the power or ability to lead other people. To me, the definition of leadership means having the confidence, integrity, and ability to lead by example and do what’s right, so others will follow.
From their analysis of the four categories of ethical leadership, Trevino and her colleagues conclude that acting ethically is not enough. Executives must also ensure that employees know that they care
It is concern about the idea of leaders' conduct, and with their virtuousness (Northouse, 2013). In any leadership decision-making circumstance, ethical issues' either implicitly or explicitly included. The decisions leaders make and how they react in a given condition are educated and coordinated by their ethics (Northouse, 2013). Leadership is a procedure whereby the leader impacts others to achieve a shared objective. Northouse (2013) found the impact measurement of leadership requires the leader to affect the lives of those being led and make improvements in other individuals conveys with it a huge ethical weight and obligation.
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...
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.
Leadership can be a hard thing to describe and define. In the textbook, Business Ethics, it defines it as, “leadership is the ability or authority to guide and direct others toward a goal (Ferrell, 2015).
“Ethics can be defined as moral principles that govern or influence a person’s behaviour and values are the context in which an organisation or society’s norms are established and justified” (buzz text book).Ethics are the guidelines helping us tell the difference between the is wrong and right. Most people are encouraged by ethics to normally do the right things. Ethics and values are based on individual beliefs and standards in society that one if from, they vary from person to person. Leadership is the authority and capability for one to lead people in an organization in order to achieve goals. They are the main role players in all the organizations and are crucial to their success. Ethics in a business means taking the precise way’
Many people believe that leadership is simply being the first, biggest or most powerful. Leadership in organizations has a different and more meaningful definition. A leader is someone who sets direction in an effort or task and influences or motivates people to follow that direction. The power point presentation explains leadership is the influence that particular individuals exert on the goal achievement of others in an organizational context.