Ethical Leadership
Ethics is a very important and interesting topic to cover. I have taken Business Ethics in the past and now I would like to incorporate that subject into this one, Leadership in Organizations. So now I will be talking about Ethical Leadership and why it is important to organizations. Ethics should be learned by everyone as it is an important element in all organizations world-wide. Businesses without an ethics program in place tend to not have the best organizational culture as other businesses with ethics would have.
What is Ethical Leadership? The ethical leader understands that positive relationships are the standard for all organizational effort. Good quality relationships built on respect and trust are the single most important determinant of organizational success. The ethical leader understands that these kinds of relationships are based on the fundamental principles of trust, respect, integrity, honesty, fairness, equity, justice and compassion. Dr. Stephen Covey calls such principles the “laws of the universe.” (http://www.janushead.org/9-1/DeLue.pdf) He goes on to say that the ethical leader knows that by acting in accordance with these laws, living in harmony with these basic principles, human enterprise flourishes and is sustained.
Early last century the German philosopher and theologian, Martin Buber, described these successful relationships as “I-Thou” relationships, in which people recognize the worth and value of others and treat each other with sincerity and respect. 18th century German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, says this is the principle of always treating the other person as an end and never merely as a means to serve your own personal interests. The ethical leader moves and acts in a world of I-Thou relationships, where in any situation, the intent is to honor and respect the worth of the other person.
When thinking about the importance of ethical leadership, you must think of fostering positive...
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