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Running head: ETHICS AND LEADERSHIP
Ethics and Leadership
Jennifer Glass
BUS 300: Leadership and Supervision
Christine Tokonitz
Warner Pacific College
October 2, 2014
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ETHICS AND LEADERSHIP
Ethics and Leadership
The qualities of a good leader are often debated. Some say that dynamic personality,
good management skills and a notable finesse in everything he or she does is enough to make a
good leader. However, in addition to this, I believe a great leader also shows empathy towards
his subordinates and encouragement for their skills and talent. A leader shows the way to a group
but has to always remain humble and rooted. This is where a leaders’ ethics truly come in to play
and with great power also come a great responsibility to use that power for good and not bad.
A code of ethics is a set of moral principles acts as a moral compass that guide a person’s
behavior to do the right thing. Ethical leadership is knowing those core moral principles and
having the courage to lead people through them. It is made up of a framework that aligns the
internal beliefs and values with external behavior and actions (Grace, 2013). Examples of moral
principles that make up a strong code of ethics are: integrity, professionalism, caring, teamwork,
loyalty, honor, honesty and stewardship (and many more). Leaders can use their code of ethics in
making decisions, instilling trust in their followers and creating an ethical model for others to
follow.
In the article by Susan Mullane, Ph.D. (2009), she states there are “six pillars of
character” that can be applied by a leader in almost any setting. (1) Trustworthiness which
includes reliability, loyalty, keeping promises and not deceiving others. (2) Respect to others and
treating people as with the Golden Rule, listening to others and accepting of individual
differences. (3) Responsibility along with accountability and a consideration of the consequences
of our actions. (4) Fairness when it comes to playing by the rules, making informed judgments
without favoritism or prejudice, and not blaming others. (5) Caring for others and acting with
kindness, compassion and helping others whenever possible. And (6) Citizenship which is being
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a steward in terms of protecting the environment, operating within the law and working to make
one’s community a better place to be.
I believe it is important to have these guidelines as a foundation because sometimes our
moral compass can get lost as in the Bernie Madoff case where he knew what he was doing was
wrong, but chose to continue to take other’s money for himself. When these ethical situations
occur, it is because a person let non-ethical values such as short term gain or greed take
precedence over our code of ethics such as in winning at all costs (Berghofer & Schwart, 2013).
And also, we may find ourselves in an ethical dilemma where we discover unlawful behavior is
occurring in our company and choosing to do the right thing may contradict loyalty. This is what
usually occurs in a “whistle blowing” case and it takes moral courage to stand up for the law and
go against those who you feel a loyalty towards. Even small, seemingly harmless acts of
dishonesty can convey message to subordinates that unethical practices are the norm. I think also
of leaders in many other aspects of our lives: sports, politicians, business leaders, church leaders.
We think that these figures should encompass all good aspects of leader and none of the bad. We
become disillusioned when we are let down by a leader who fails to follow a moral compass and
we ultimately lose faith in them.
I have chosen to grow personally and become a leader in my profession. The
characteristics that are important for me are similar to what Mullane stated above as the six
pillars of character. I do believe that integrity and trustworthiness as a leader go hand in hand in
any profession you are in, but particularly in mine. I work in a hospital medical laboratory and I
pride myself in the accuracy of the results that we give to the physicians to guide in diagnosis
and treatment of a patient. If I were to knowingly run patient samples while an instrument is not
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functioning properly, I would be acting in an unethical manner. Being a quality subordinate will
only enhance me respected and accepted as a competent leader in the laboratory.
I would like to be a leader that people choose to follow. In order to be that leader, I must
lead from a position of ethics. I will use my code of ethics to provide a guideline for me to
follow and make day to day decisions that impact others for good. I want to be a leader who uses
the power for good and not simply for my own personal gain. I want to be a leader who is
trustworthy, caring, fair, responsible, who respect others and works to better my community
around me. That is a leader I am looking to become and that is a leader I would follow.
Therefore, if a leader is not already consciously leading ethically, they must do so or risk those
who follow to also perpetuate the unethical behavior.
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References:
Berghofer, D., & Schwart, G. (2013). Ethical Leadership: Right Relationships and the Emotional
Bottom Line The Gold Standard for Success. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from Institute of
Ethical Leadership: http://www.ethicalleadership.com/BusinessArticle.htm
Grace, B. (2013). Ethical Leadership Definition and the 4-V Model of Ethical Leadership.
Retrieved September 30, 2014, from Center for Ethical Leadership:
http://ethicalleadership.org/about-us/philosophies-definitions/ethical-leadership
Klottke, J., & Pelletier, K. (2012, April 07). Measuring and Differentiating Perceptions of
Supervisor and Top Leader Ethics. Journal of Business Ethics, 113(3), 415-428.
Retrieved September 28, 2014
Mullane, S. (2009). Ethics and Leadership. University of Miami, The Johnson A. Edosomwan
Leadership Institute. White Paper Series. Retrieved September 28, 2014, from
https://www.bus.miami.edu/_assets/files/executive-education/leadership-institute/ethicsand-leadership.pdf