Ethics is the constitution for effective leadership
Ethics is the constitution for effective leadership Abstract The purpose of this paper is to provide a theory on the use of ethics in providing effective leadership. ... Introduction Effective leadership is bound by the ethical standards of the leader or organization. This leadership is characterized by the ability to coerce followers to follow willingly. This type of leadership can only be created if there is an ethical standard agreed on by the leader and followers. This agreed upon rules can be constructed in the form of a system of rules or constitution that governs leadership. The character of these rules takes the form of ethics or as defined by Clawson, “established and accepted guidelines of behavior for groups or institutions.” Why is there a need for ethics in decision making? ... Therefore there is a need for a system of rules that guide the decisions that followers demand from effective leadership. ... Many organizations and schools have accepted and adopted the fact that ethics are an important piece in effective leadership. Without even knowing it some authors on leadership have suggested a constitution of ethical standards. ... The ideals described above can be identified by a model of ethics in leadership. The eastern philosophy of Taoism is a good example of the relationship between decision making and leadership behavior. ... , this guide to ethical leadership can be summarized by the following points. • exerts minimal influence in the lives of followers • encourages followers to take ownership of tasks • employs "soft tactics" (persuasion, empowerment, modeling, teamwork, collaboration, service) • rejects the use of violence • demonstrates creativity and flexibility • promotes harmony with nature and others • lives simply and humbly • rejects the trappings of status and promotes equality • recognizes the underlying spiritual dimension of reality This represents the latest trend in leadership behavior and the ethical standards represent a system that leaders can make decisions by. Case study- the following is a student’s diary that describes the ethical issues that everyone faces and another reason for using one when making decisions: “For instance the question we got tonight was “are ethics always relevant”.