Ethical Leadership Definition

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.