Ethical Leadership
Leaders influence lives of others. Leadership therefore carries some elements of ethical responsibility that should be reflected in decision making (Mendoncaand Rabindra 77). Ethical leaders provide leadership through understanding and underscoring the positive relationships between followers and organizational activities (Mendoncaand Rabindra 80). Cordial relationships are built on respect, trust and ensuring that people work together towards realization of organizational goals. It is the responsibility of an ethical leader to maintain relationships and successfully integrate them into business activities for overall success.
According to ethical experts, an ethical leader must know how to and act according to the principles of trust, respect, integrity, honesty, fairness, equity, justice and compassion which are instrumental in the success of an organization. In addition, it is important for an ethical leader to act as a servant, not in any sense of inferiority, but as the one who empowers others to achieve success by focusing on right actions (Starratt 48).
In order for a person to become an ethical leader, he or she must always perform as per the expectations of an organization; she or he must ensure the set objectives are achieved in the most ethical way. The individual must set good values that are important drivers of behavior. Ethical leaders play a critical role in raising awareness that certain decisions have ethical components and must also behave in line with such values. To become an ethical leader, an individual must find a mantra and develop tools to keep their moral compass working at all times. Finally, a leader must avoid self-serving snags, especially when making strategic decisions touching on other people and organizational activities. Examples of successful ethical leaders include James Burke, former chief executive officer of Johnson and Johnson, as well as Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks.
Works Cited
Mendonca, Manuel, and Rabindra N. Kanungo. Ethical Leadership. Maidenhead [u.a.: Open
Univ. Press, 2006. Print.
Starratt, Robert J. Ethical Leadership. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2004. Print.