Ethical Leadership Styles As Tools For Influencing Organizational Culture

There has been increasing numbers of concerns with the ethical leadership of organizations due to historical problems with company’s downfalls due to management. The unethical conduct of leadership is typically found when the organization does not enforce the ethical climate once determined as important. The paper focuses on different approaches for strengthening the leadership for the organization and enforcing the ethical climate. In addition, the important factors for a strong ethical climate are derived based on a solid foundation for an the organization’s policies and procedures and code of conduct. Organizations can accomplish ethical leadership and behaviors by enforcing and practicing the code of conduct and having a high level or integrity in the leaders that run the organization.

This paper will first discuss briefly what ethics are and provide the definition for an ethical issue. An ethical leadership issue is identified and explained for this author’s practice area. We will then identify and discuss key strategies for leadership that are pertinent to the ethical issue. Next, empirical evidence which supports the strategies discussed will be analyzed. Then, the impact and importance of the strategies will be stated. The final step will be to provide a conclusion to the reader that summarizes the content and strategies.

Leadership ethics by Lamar Odom that basically examines whether doing the right thing is enough in leadership. The author examines this issue given that the behavior of leaders has been one of the most intriguing issues in today’s society and in order to provide insights on ethics in leadership. The title of the book provokes deeper thoughts in the minds of leaders even before they open the book to commence reading. The author of this book is a leadership and ethic consultant who has not only taught numerous courses but also carried out several trainings on this intriguing topic. Professor Odom developed interest in examining this issue following the cliché answers he received from time to time on the question of what ethics is. Actually, Odom’s work in examining ethics in leadership was fueled by the concerns he had regarding the cliché answers he received from students and corporate executives.

As individuals gain power, their higher authority often strives for an easily controlled and often manipulated

Compliance to power is instilled in every one of us from the way we are raised. Individuals have a tendency to obey orders from other individuals on the off chance that they perceive their power as ethically right and/or lawfully based. This reaction to authentic power is found out in a mixture of circumstances, for instance in the family, school, and work environment.

In this book, author Robert Starratt provides a framework for building a foundation of ethical leadership based on responsibility, authenticity, and presence. Readers should understand that this book is not how to transform schools, but how to think about affecting change in our teachers, staff, and students.

The purpose of this paper is to reflect on my thoughts on how I can utilize certain methods that will help shape the vision of the organization. I will explain how ethics play a role in leadership and decision making. This week I encountered multiple dilemmas which affected my actions at work, home, and school; in this paper I will exploit those dilemmas and how they are considered weakness that I incorporated in my IDP. Using last week 's assignment to start an IDP, I came up with certain actions (part 3) to take to further advance myself as a leader. The reasoning behind these actions will show how proper ethical actions define a leader, and the influence it holds with the organization’s culture.

The effective leader is an inquiry-based practitioner who shapes their role, and the direction of the organization, through informed decisions from valid and reliable data.

As a leader of a U.S. firm with operations in foreign countries, I would need to learn about the local cultures where my firm is operating. It is very important for my company to have a model code of ethics. With the company’s mission and vision in as the center, I will establish cores values that can be tailored for application in diverse workplace environment. Everyone in the company would need to comply with quarterly trainings and stay familiar with our company’s culture and values. I also know that geographic and cultural diversity management is not the same across the board. Ethical dilemma takes different implication and perception depending on the cultural environment. “When dealing with unethical behavior overseas, companies need to consider the ethical concept.” (The Role of Ethics and National Culture).

I believe that as a part of the role and authority as an ethical leader in the community of faith, a pastor is called to be a guide, namely to provide information on current ethical issues of note in society, offer her view of how the gospel’s teaching and model of Christ intersect with these issues, and advocate that time and safe space be created in the congregation to discuss and debate these issues.

Ciulla (1995), suggests that an ethical leader refers to an effective leader. However, in practice, there are both effective and unethical leaders. Furthermore, Yukl (2006), assert that, the relevant criteria for judging the ethical behaviour of a leader include individual values, conscious intentions, freedom of choice, stage of moral development, types of influence used, and use of ethical as well as unethical behaviour. In addition, Table 1 adopted from Yukl and Yukl, (2002), provides the criteria for evaluation of ethical leadership.

This broader concept of ethical leadership empowers leaders to incorporate and be explicit about their own values and ethics. The following list provides a framework for developing ethical leadership. It is based on the observations of and conversations with a host of executives and students over the past 25 years, and on readings of both popular and scholarly business literature. Written from the perspective of the leader, these ten facets of ethical leaders offer a way to understand ethical leadership that is more complex and more useful than just a matter of “good character and values.”

Some of the different leadership styles and approaches that have been discussed, as far as ethical content, are servant leadership, spiritual leadership, and transformational leadership. Servant leadership in known for drawing on the leader’s self- awareness, authentic behavior, positive modeling, conceptual skills, empowering, behaving

There are five principles that build the foundation for ethical leadership: respects others, serves others, shows justice, manifests honesty, and builds community (Northouse, 2016, p. 341). Treating others with respect means treating each person as if they are your goal, rather than just a means for a leader to achieve their goal (Northouse, 2016, p. 342). Respect also means allowing others to do what they do best; they are part of the company for a reason, trying to pigeonhole them into doing something they are not good at or do not believe in is setting them up for failure. Northouse (2016) ultimately says that, “a leader listens closely to followers, is ampathic, and is tolerant of opposing points of view...allowing them to feel competent about their work” (p. 342).

A leader isn’t always a manager, but can be a manager in an organization. When you combine the two into ethical leadership you have a strong dynamic. According to Yukl (2010) in cross-cultural research on the essential traits for effective leadership, integrity is near the top of the list in all cultures that have been studied. Most scholars consider integrity to be an important aspect of ethical leadership” (p. 409).