Leadership Models And Organizational Culture

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.

Ethical leadership is an important aspect that should be practiced by all individuals in leadership positions despite of whether the leadership is intentional or unintentional, or formal or informal. However, practicing ethical leadership is difficult in some cases, especially when there are tough decisions to be made while the appropriate choice is unpleasant though it's clear. Notably, ethical leadership is quite important during these times of tough, unpleasant decisions since the stakes are high. The stakes in ethical leadership tend to vary significantly based on the responsibilities and levels of the leadership in question. Since being an ethical leader is regarded as a full-time job, ethical leadership is a vital part of the definition of good leadership. Good leadership involves developing a personal model of ethical leadership that is in line with personal values and morals, evaluates ethical decision making, accomplishes relevant policies, laws, and guidelines, utilizes contemporary models of leadership, and works within the organizational environment.

In brief, authentic leadership is defined as a “leadership that emphasizes building the leader 's legitimacy through honest relationships with followers which value their input and are built on an ethical foundation” (Authentic Leadership, n.d.). As leaders, they create close, trusting bonds with their followers through their transparency and their drive to serve their followers (Northouse, 2016). Practical approaches to authentic leadership are linked to a set of five initial characteristics that individuals need to possess. These include motivation, well developed values, strong relational connections, self-control and passion (Northouse,

Dion, M. (2012). Are ethical theories relevant for ethical leadership? Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 33(1), 4-24. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/01437731211193098

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.

As made evident in the readings, it is clear that a leader must be authentic in order to succeed. As an individual attempts to enhance their leadership ability, it is essential for them to answer the question: what is authenticity?

According to Thornton (2009), businesses are constantly evolving through globalization which makes it difficult for leaders to keep up with the issues associated with leadership ethics. Prior to globalization, leadership ethics was about trust, honesty, equality, obeying the law, and following rules and regulations. However, as businesses continue to evolve, so too does the issues associated with leadership ethics. With globalization comes new laws, new cultural values, new rules, and new regulations for businesses to adhere to. Therefore, leaders must also find new ways to not only explain leadership ethics but

Every organization must strive to attain the highest level of excellence without breaking ethical principles. This requires a strong participative culture of tolerance and respect for diversity. Leaders cannot be autocratic but inspirational in their relationship with subordinates.

This week I chose to focus on ethical leadership within a company. Most people may already have their own ideas as to what ethical leadership already is, however not everyone will be on the same page as to what it is. Ethical leadership has been defined as the practice of behaviors that are deemed normal through personal actions and interpersonal relationships (Neves and Story, 2013). Because of this what might seem ethical to someone from China, may not be viewed in the same light here in the U.S. The article I read suggests that there are several factors when it comes to ethical leadership within a company. Work environment being one of the factors, as well as job characteristics and trust in leader (Neves and Story, 2013).

The importance of ethics and the effect it has on leadership cannot be overstated. When I began my studies at Southwestern, I believed that I had a strong grasp on the concept of ethics, however, there was more to learn than I expected. I was challenged to look at the concept from various perspectives, and discover the root of individual ethics and morals. I learned that culture and religion are key elements in the development of understood ethical behaviors and beliefs and not all cultures share the same ethics. It is clear to me that culture is a central factor that determines how we perceive morals and values and how those elements are critical to the perceptions that we have of right and wrong.

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.”

Herminia Ibarra’s article in the Harvard Business review titled “The Authenticity Paradox” presents an interesting perspective on leadership. She emphasizes the importance of authenticity as an effective leadership tool but cautions against an oversimplified understanding of the term. Authenticity is often associated with integrity and being honest and true to oneself, which according to Ibarra, should not be interpreted as such in the workplace. The author defines an authentic managers as one who, while remaining true to his values, is able to adapt to various situations, is able to balance closeness and distance with his employee. The authentic manager is someone who steps outside of his comfort zone, is willing to try different ideas, admit his mistakes and move on to the next project or activity.

The article is about authentic leadership and about being an authentic person so that authentic leadership can come about. The authors also refer to authentic living as behavioral integrity. Behavioral integrity by the authors' definition means to be true to oneself to be honest with oneself internally as well as for one's thoughts, actions, and words to be united in intent and content. Behavioral integrity additionally refers to behaving with integrity, that is to practice integrity through the demonstration and playing out of one's behavior. These traits and practices, the authors argue, make for the foundation of authentic leadership. The authors write about authentic leadership as a way to say that there is a great need in the workplace across all fields and industries for a great deal more authentic leadership.

During commercial presentations, it happens quite often to see the commercial director explaining to a client what the company does, what kind of services provided, who are the potential customers and the best results recorded. Rarely, it is possible to assist to a presentation on who the company is. In fact, we tend to focus on the characteristics of a product or service; we leave out what drives us to produce, what choices we made, what we (leaders, managers and entrepreneurs) can inspire to the employees. Moreover, the vision that we have of our work and of our customers has left

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).