Ethical Leadership Essay

IntroductionThe topic Ethical Leadership is more(prenominal) complex than meets the eye. It means lead that knows what is right and acting based on those guidelines. The question that should be asked because is what is right? Once the respect commensurate prey of action is determined the leader must(prenominal) then mother the uprightness and fortitude to proceed with that course of action. In addition to decision reservation good leadership also implies that a leader must be honorable in their attitudes and interactions. This essay seeks to inform about the example of ethical leadership and its value to an organizationThe Practice of Ethical LeadershipIn order to understand the practice of Ethical Leadership it must be broken down to its constituent terms Leadership and Ethics. Leadership is specify as a process of social influence in which a person support enlist the aid and support of others to accomplish a common task (Chemers, 1997). Ethical leadership is when the leader demonstrates fairness and trustworthiness to convince employees to buy his vision (Dirks & Ferrin, 2002). In order to demonstrate his integrity and trustworthiness the ethical leader is a people-oriented person (Resick, et. al, 2006) who motivates people towards accomplishing the goals of the chemical group instead of personal benefit. Ethical leader must look in spite of appearance himself and upon reliable sources for guidance in determining what is ethical. Laws, Culture, Religion, and even personal raising can be sources of the framework for ethical leadership. The reason why the sources atomic number 18 so varied is because the right in doing what is right is not everlastingly fixed in stone. While some ethics are immutable, such(prenominal) as lying to a business partner or thievery guild materials, other are less so.For example, dissent or talk back to superiors is strictly taboo inOriental cultures but it settle disagreement is tolerated in western organizati ons. In order to have a clear set of ethical guidelines it is often preferable to have well-known company ethical standards. These standards can often be gleaned from a companys mission vision statement. But it would be best practice if they were clearly spelled out and publicly available. Means of publication can allow in printing with the company handbook and / or placing copies of company ethics in frequented areas such as the pantry or reception.By making the ethical standards clear and ubiquitous it will be difficult for leaders to denigrate from them without consequences. The practice of ethical leadership requires that the leader adheres to the ethical standards of the company at all times even when no one is looking. If the leader is otiose to follow ethical practices and his subordinates learn of this he will be viewed as a hypocrite and his attempts to impose ethical leadership will settle down on deaf ears. A leaders integrity must be beyond reproach if he is to expe ct his subordinates to follow his example. look upon of Ethical Leadership to an OrganizationRecent events like the Enron scandal, the Sub-prime mortgage crisis, and the pecuniary meltdown that followed are just a few examples of what happens in the absence seizure of ethical leadership. In those circumstances the desire for profits overpowered ethical considerations. Of picky noteworthiness was that during the sub-prime crisis people who were likely not responsible enough to make lodging loans were pressured to contract such loans by predatory leaders who were merely move to meet their quota. Then the Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs) were sold to a public that was not modern enough to understand what the CDOs really were. Enron was scandalized beyond repair. The largest banks in America delay to bear the stigma of the subprime crisis. Their discolorations have been permanently afflicted.Had their leadership been ethical then they would not have consented to such actions . A disposition for integrity and ethical leadership can only build up an organizations brand. Known ethical acts can also increase the popularity of a brand in the eyes of the public such as when Costco pays its workers better than tokenish wages. On a more down to earth level an ethical leader is respected by his subordinates and will be better able to coax performance from them. Subordinates are less likely to do unethical acts if theirleaders are ethical. Hence, even just one ethical leader in the chain of command can have a swagger effect upon his fellow workers.ConclusionIn conclusion ethical leadership is difficult because knowing the right and ethical course of action is difficult. Worse, the enticement to take the expedient or easy path that is unethical can be very strong. The lucrative and unethical is always an attractive cream for anyone engaged in business. But an ethical leader can have a multiplier effect upon his organization and help build its reputation to th ose around it.ReferencesChemers M. (1997) An integrative theory of leadership.Dirks, K. T., & Ferrin, D. L. (2002). Trust in leadership Meta-analytic findings and implications for investigate and practice. In Journal of Applied Psychology, 87, 611- 628. Resick, C. J., Hanges, P. J., Dickson, M. W., & Mitchelson, J. K. (2006). A cross-cultural examination of the sanction of ethical leadership in Journal of Business Ethics, 63, 345-359.