Moral Philosophy

In every organization, there are always a variety of issues that come up on a daily basis and it is the responsibility of the leaders to ensure that the organization’s philosophy is maintained. In many occasions, the leadership philosophy is prepared in such a hurry. It also occurs often that organizational leaders handle demanding roles since their positions may shift from time to time, and may not have adequate time to conduct a genuine reflection of their individual leadership philosophy.

Many leaders usually write superficial imaginations about their positions, their beliefs and philosophy, sharing them in discussions with their fellow team members then applying the philosophy paper in the organization.

This paper is aimed at writing about moral philosophy, organizational leaders achieved through the course of leadership philosophy. Throughout the course, there is a lot discussed as pertains to ethical and moral commitment. Organizational leaders can integrate these virtues in their practices for improved performance. Ethics and moral concerns are further acquired through making subordinates put in more effort at work and enhance the relationships between them. Other factors that can also enable leaders to improve their performance include developing trust, culture and teamwork.

In writing this article, I have collected materials written about leadership philosophy since many years ago. I have conducted an analysis on them to determine the common themes that could be included in my personal leadership philosophy. As a future leader, I consider leadership virtue, duty, taking care of soldiers, families, results, diversity and a sense of humor as some of the key factors to be considered in the development of personal leadership philosophy. Even though I studied several materials on the subject, I saw that the framework highlighted above could be an ideal blueprint for changing the individual leadership philosophy for all leaders in the Army. In a nut shell, philosophy is a representation of a rational investigation of the principles behind knowledge and conduct. In discussing the values, Duncan points out the importance of personal philosophy for military leaders (6). He says that philosophy is defined as the achievement of roundabout view of a lifestyle. Personal philosophy builds a foundation for other matters, including that of an individual and also their personal behaviors. There are several things that I learnt during the personal leadership philosophy course, which have enabled me to get a better view of ethics as an Army leader.

Foremost, virtue is a critical leadership philosophy that can sometimes be confusing to many leaders. Garner is in support of one great definition of who a virtuous leader is, whereby he states that a leader must be idealistic about the future picture of the organization (78). He further says that a virtue must include appropriateness, excellence, direction, and aim. While at this course, I also learnt that virtuous leadership is critical in the development of positive moral philosophy. A virtue should be well articulated in the personality of every leader. With regards to normative ethics, virtue ethics is a key approach. Virtue ethics emphasizes on roles, deontology or consequences of actions. Compared to the utilitarian approach that is focused on maximization of well-being, a deontologist takes a look at a moral rule of treating others, as you would expect to be treated.

According to the arguments by Hartog, Deanne, and Frank, a duty is significant in making sure that the team stays focused (37). In moral philosophy, a duty is essential and all leaders should have a direct involvement in ensuring that their juniors are committed towards maintenance of the organization’s goal. If the leaders are involved in making sure that the employees understand what is required of them, the performance of the organization will be enhanced. I have had a very close relationship with my team as a leader and this has enabled me to cope with the challenges that come with the responsibilities of my subordinates. This has empowered my entire team towards meeting our objectives.

Every member is showing impeccable commitment to his or her duties, therefore making the working environment quite enjoyable. Besides, the development of a leader is another critical aspect in moral leadership philosophy that I also learned during my studies, and it entails schooling, training and empowering of the team. Leaders have so much to cover in less time, and getting adequate time is never a possibility. Therefore, Army leaders need to create sufficient time for making sure that their subordinates attend the training sessions. I have also realized as a leader that team development is critical and determines the future of the organization.

Marsh argues that change management is an important part of personal leadership philosophy, and a leader must be one who understands that change, as a critical part is not usually very easy to handle for many organizations (571). However, change cannot be avoided in the development of personal leadership since it is among the top human resource management issue. In the course of this study, I realized that the Army experiences downsizing, deployments, personnel tempo, and changes in technology.

I have noticed that results are also important aspects of leadership philosophy. The outcomes of a team are determined by the trust and commitment that is shown by the members. In order to ensure positive results, leaders must focus on making sure that the team quality is maintained and that a positive culture is bred within the team. I make sure that all members work hand in hand and none is a boss since we are committed to doing a similar task for one objective. This gives my subordinates and me great motivation, and brings us even much closer to each other in our duties. The utilitarian theory is mainly focused on the outcomes or consequences of the choices made by a leader. The theory not only emphasize on the interests of an individual but also those of others in the team. I can use this theory is creating general rules and actions in the team to make sure that we are able to perform much better.

I understand that as a leader, I have weaknesses that have to be addressed with my personal philosophy. However, I simply go by the assumption that my leadership philosophy is perfect and will be followed by my subordinates without any problems. Because the team is quite lively and we have trust for each other, I believe that the organizational culture will be enhanced and this will create a better working environment. Since I have the ability of understanding and managing the team, it has also come to my realization that my leadership philosophy is strong and the team I lead will always go by my directives. Although I have a few weaknesses in my personal philosophy, I am focused on ensuring that the team will make progress in all the circumstances. I will integrate my personal leadership philosophy in the process of leading my team.

The points that must be integrated and covered in my leadership philosophy will include virtue ethics, values, outcomes, leadership development, caring for the members of my team and their families, and formal training. I will also practically use my moral philosophy in administering discipline to my subordinates if they behave against the accepted cultural norms of the Army. Since the organization has a set of ethical codes that govern the employees and their behavior, this will make sure that employees are knowledgeable on what is expected of them in the event of challenges. My moral philosophy will further assist me in determining the kind of relationship between me and my subordinates in the organization with regards to discipline and ethical considerations.

In the process of developing a credible leadership philosophy, I realized that the following imperatives, like change, vision, values, sense of humor, leadership development and caring for the Army and their families could potentially help in building a solid foundation for understanding of the people that one is entitled to lead.

Bibliography

Duncan, Todd. 2012. “Leadership from a Cosmic Perspective[i].” Integral Leadership Review 12, no. 4: 1-6

Garner, Harry C. 2012. “Developing an Effective Command Philosophy.”Military Review 92, no. 5: 75-81

Hartog, Deanne, and Frank Belschak. 2012. “Work Engagement and Machiavellianism in the Ethical Leadership Process.” Journal Of Business Ethics 107, no. 1: 35-47

Marsh, Catherine. “Business Executives’ Perceptions of Ethical Leadership and Its Development.”Journal Of Business Ethics 114, no. 3 (May 6, 2013): 565-582.