Section 8: Signature assignment The Signature Assignment should show how you: (a) demonstrate mastery of the course material, and (b) apply this knowledge to the real world. Assignment 8 Paper-...

Ethical Leadership
Ethical
Leadership
March 20

Student Name
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Table of Contents
Topic……………………………………………………………………..Page No.
1. Introduction………………………………………………………………..03
2. Problem Statement...………………………………………………………03
3. Literature Review……………………………………………………….....04
3.1: Factors in Ethical Leadership………………………………....05
3.2: Principles of Ethical Leadership……………………………....06
3.3: Ethical Leadership Traits……………………………………...08
3.4: Leadership Styles……………………………………………...09
3.5: Ethical Issues within Organizations …………………………..11
3.6: Motivation……………………………………………………..12
4. Conclusion/Recommendation...….………………………………………....15
5. Bibliography……………………………………………………………......18
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1. Introduction
"Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things" (Peter Drucker).
Ethical leadership is critical to the success of an organization. There are various common
characters that effective organizational leaders share with each others. An ethical leader can
fulfil team members need successfully. A leader is also capable of handling the challenging
group members for the benefit of organization along with individuals‟ personal growth.
One of the distinctive responses to the ethics crisis of any organization is confronted
by the ethical leadership. Many business thinkers and employees consider that ethical
leadership is a subject of leaders having good character. By possessing strong character and
by having right values an ethical leader can stand as an example for its followers and others.
Without completely denying the significance of right values and good character, the actual
ethical ethical leadership is far more complex.
2. Problem Statement
In this report we will discuss the Ethical Leadership Issue „Creating and Sustaining an
Ethical Work Environment‟. We will review the above mentioned topic against the types, and
functions of ethical leadership within organizations. The personal factors in the emergence of
personal leadership behaviour. Contrast in the ethical leadership traits in individuals and their
respective leadership positions. Ethical leadership traits and styles. Aspects of organizational
culture to enhance an organization's effectiveness. Concepts of ethical leadership. Theories
and concepts to real professional situations. Recommended ethical leadership principles to
inspire and motivate team members. Organizational effectiveness. Design and plan for
successful organizational. Thinking and communication skills involving ethics. And we will
recommend ethical principles to real professional settings.
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3. Literature Review
Michel Dion (2012), studied that can ethical theories can be connected to some
leadership approaches. In the approach around eight leadership approaches are selected
which includes directive leadership, self-leadership, authentic leadership, transactional
leadership, shared leadership, charismatic leadership, servant leadership, transformational
leadership and along with this five western ethical theories which includes philosophical
egoism, utilitarianism, Kantianism, ethics of virtue, ethics of responsibility are analysed
to understand the extent to which the basic concepts are related to each other. The study
revealed that the ethical theory like philosophical egoism can be suitable to the works of
various leadership approaches. Ethical leadership does not just imply that a given
leadership approach is reflecting just one ethical theory. Rather, the ethical leadership
implies that for different reasons, various leadership approaches could agree with the
same ethical theory. This is termed as „moral flexibility of leadership approaches‟. The
study has helped to know more about the connections between ethical leadership and
ethical theories.
Leaders need to be aware of how their proceedings are perceived by the followers
they manage (Moment, 2007). Employees sometimes duplicate the behaviour of managers.
Leaders should carve hard work for the employees (Weiss, 2000).
Good Leaders are not born, they are made. A good leader grows and develops through
continual ongoing learning process of training, education, self study, experience and good
deeds. Good leaders work regularly to improve their knowledge and qualities they have no
room for rest. Leadership can be defined as a process of influencing an individual or group to
achieve a common goal.
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Leaders follow the process by applying the skills sets and knowledge to achieve the
desired objective. This is termed as Process Leadership (Jago, 1982). And Trait Leadership
(Jago, 1982) can be defined by the traits an individual posses to influence others actions. The
traits talked in trait leadership include values, character, beliefs and ethics possessed by an
individual. The skill set and knowledge contribute to the process leadership and values and
beliefs contribute to the trait leadership.
3.1: Major factors in Ethical Leadership
Ethical leadership mainly depends upon four major factors like Leader, Follower,
Communication and Situation. Leaders must have a proper understanding of what they do,
who are they and what they know. The success of leader can be judged from the followers
only not by anybody else‟s. The main task of leader is to convince the followers. A leader
must know its people. A new joiner in the organization requires higher level of supervision
compared to the experiences employee. If followers do not trust the leaders then they will not
be inspired by the leader. A very good understanding of human nature, such as emotions,
needs, requirement, expectation and motivation is very important for a ethical leader.
Communication is also an important aspect in leader follower relationship. A regular
communication not compulsorily verbal communication is necessary for the relationship. A
follower follows the deeds of a leader by adopting the ideas initiated by the leader. For
example; the leaders set example for the followers by the decision they take and followers
also repeat the action by following the leader with blind trust. Every situation is different; it
varies from place to place and person to person. The task performed in one situation cannot
be repeated in another situation without analysing. For example, leader needs to face an
employee for wrong behaviour, but if the confrontation is very late or early the results may or
may not be effective. So in critical situations taking corrective measures at correct time is
significant in leader follower relationship with regular communication (U.S. Army, 1983).
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Ethical leaders must be positive and proactive for the work they do so that it portraits the
example for the followers. This involves the organization in which one works. The ability to
encourage loyalty and build relationships is a key element of leadership (Newcomb, 2005, p.
35). As per a study by the Hay Group (Lamb, McKee, 2004) they found that for employee
satisfaction the confidence and trust in high leadership was the most reliable predictor in an
organization.
The key for engaging organizational confidence and trust includes three critical areas:-
 Making the employees understand the business strategy of the organization.
 Making employees aware to understand their contribution in achieving critical
business objectives.
 Maintaining transparency among employees by sharing information about
organizations performance as well as employees individual contribution for achieving
the business objectives (Lamb, McKee, 2004).
“The CEO who wants to be a true leader must be the most brilliant example of the culture
at work. Only then can the CEO inspire passion in the rest of the team”(Hesselbein,
Somerville, & Goldsmith 2002, p. 124).
3.2: Principles of Ethical Leadership
 An ethical leader must articulate and exemplify the objective of the organization. It is
very significant for the leaders to tell a morally rich and compelling story to the
listeners. But this is very difficult to continue in today‟s business world as every
second day the news of scandals and scams are revealed and hence these stories and
motivational words by the leaders are becoming a focus of criticism.
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 Create an existing conversation about values, ethics and the creation of value for the
employees and stakeholders. Communication across all the levels of the business
where the basics of societal expectations, value creation and stakeholder principles
were regularly discussed. In this situation employees hold each other responsible
about living the values and ethics.
 The leaders must frame the actions in terms of ethics. They take complete
responsibility of taking sound moral judgment.
 The leaders first know one, what he is capable of doing, what he can manage and
what the knowledge boundaries he has are. Leader must focus on owns self
improvement which will...