Ethical Leadership

In analyzing the term “ethical leadership,” I have to dissect the term in order to provide a clear understanding of what ethical leadership means to me. The term “ethical” is part of my daily living and vernacular. “Ethical”, in my personal opinion, is having integrity, honor, good moral character, and accountability. It involves doing the right thing even when no one is looking.Unfortunately, doing the right thing is not always seen as a positive characteristic. As a leader, one must influence others in order to achieve a common goal, hence, doing the right things for the organization. 

An “ethical leader” has the ability to influence others to do what is honorable. Ethical leadership involves the leader serving as a positive role model and mentor to the people in the organization, community, and society as a whole. It is maintaining unquestionable credibility and integrity. An ethical leader has good intentions and a defined purpose. The ethical leader leads with the purpose of helping the organization succeed and creates a culture of excellence and honor in order to accomplish the organization’s realistic goals, vision, and mission. Ethical leadership involves making decisions that are not in the leader’s best interest but in the best interest of the organization. Ethical leaders have a vision and can foresee potential obstacles that may prevent the organization from moving forward. Ethical leadership involves setting goals, abiding by laws, policies, and procedures in order to set the expectations and prevent the organization from detracting from the mission at hand. Ethical leadership also involves the leader being reflective and accountable for the organization’s successes or failures. An ethical leader does not create excuses or places blame on people, situations, or circumstances. Ethical leadership involves continuously communicating with all stakeholders in order to ensure everyone is informed and understands what their role is in the organization. The ethical leader also serves as a mode of communication. It is the responsibility of the ethical leader to train everyone in the organization on what is expected and communicate the expectations through various means on a continuous basis. Ethical leaders provide on-going assessments of the organization’s progress and communicate results with members of the organization. Ethical leadership is leading with integrity. Ethical leaders are transparent and are trusted by their subordinates. They are perceived as great leaders and are able to obtain buy-in because of their character. The ethical leader leads by example. Ethical leadership also involves having a sense of conviction and commitment. Ethical leaders are disciplined and inspire others do meet their measureable goals. Ethical leadership provides opportunities to help members of the organization grow. Ethical leaders are generous and give of themselves in order to meet the needs of people and the organization. Ethical leadership is respecting individuals, their thoughts, and opinions, even if they conflict with those of the leader. Ethical leaders are humble and focus on the people in the organization. They build relationships and do not create an intimidating or threatening working environment.  

Ethical leadership is the ability to influence members of the organization to do what is morally correct regardless of what people may believe, say, or do. It is staying true to one’s convictions and sticking to one’s non-negotiables. Ethical leadership is holding oneself and others accountable for violating policies, procedures, and laws. Ethical leaders represent honor, excellence, integrity, and credibility.