Why Is It Important To Measure A Friend's Integrity?

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.

Integrity is more than being honest. Integrity is one of the values employers look for when selecting employees; a person with integrity carries their values with them in everything they do. To act in a manner that is morally and legally right is being a leader or person of integrity. This type of leader is consistent in doing what is right, legally and morally (Dees, 2014). One a person loses their integrity, it is almost impossible to get it back. Linnartz (2012) said integrity can be understood by how well we live and meaningfully connect our values into our daily life and work. Having integrity and having a leadership philosophy in line with good personal values will improve the relationship a leader has with colleagues. Having a leader that lacks integrity is a recipe for workplace chaos or conflict. According to Schachter (2013), a leader with integrity will walk the talk; their deeds match their words. The leader will be honest, moral, and

Leaders who are ethical are people-oriented, and also aware of how their decisions impact others, and use their social power to serve the greater good instead of self-serving interests.

Ethics are principles that are kept throughout one’s life so that he/she maintains a respectable level of honest value. Based on my moral outlook on life, my view of ethics may differ to that of many in this class. The reason for that is ethics partially depends on the individual feelings of a given situation. For example, some cultures believe that it’s unethical to have multiple partners, but in other cultures, you find that this is the norm. Morals and values are the framework to having and understanding ethics. Morals and values are the drivers

Leaders are expected to act consistently with their vision and the values they advocate to their team. If a leader’s words or actions are contrary to the values they expect in others, they will be faced with cynicism and contempt. Followers expect their leader to act in their best interests, putting their welfare before their own. An ethical leader is honest, open and truthful to their followers. When leaders lose this trust, their followers will quickly disregard them.

1. Bauman, David C., Leadership and the three faces of integrity, The Leadership Quarterly, Volume 24, Issue 3, June 2013, Pages 414-426, ISSN 1048-9843, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2013.01.005.

Character is the sum of what makes the attributes of a leader. It is who you are; how you act and the choices you will decide to make in life. This will determine the direction that you head in life.. Although integrity is part of character it is considered part of the foundation. For this paper I have decided to cover integrity and do some examination of how it affects Character.

Now I feel that integrity is a very hard characteristic to keep whole due to the verity of every aspect that is needed to exploit it. The quality of integrity is not a trait that we are born with; rather it is “learned” as we go through life. Not all good leaders have backgrounds that would indicate their level of integrity either. Instead, during the process of learning, integrity of the person is developed. As with fingerprints, no two people have the exact value

The most productive way for a leader to deal with an ethical dilemma is to constantly scrutinize their own feelings and thoughts and to exercise negotiation skills with those who abide by differing values. To practice like this demonstrates to others that the leader is open to listening to others and is agreeable to working together despite diversity.

Integrity is an essential character quality that defines an effective leader. Integrity is a unifying element; it means more than telling the truth. Integrity is concerned with right and wrong, and adherence to a set of values (Satterlee, 2013, p. 7). In that, integrity speaks on the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles – moral uprightness. A resilient leader should hold steady to their morals when faced with an ethical dilemma. “Leader integrity matters because it plays a significant role in the decision process used by followers when determining who they will follow, who they will trust, to whom they will be loyal and committed, and ultimately for whom they will perform” (Moorman & Grover, 2009, p.107). A leader’s integrity goes beyond their personal character make-up, subordinates will feel a sense of connection to a leader who acts with

Integrity is defined as following your moral or ethical convictions and doing the right thing in all circumstances, even if no one is watching you. Having integrity means you are true to yourself and would do nothing that demeans or dishonors you. When employees are asked what they want from leaders it is integrity. Qualities change across culture and time, but what people say they want most in American society is integrity. When people are asked to define integrity, the word they mention most frequently is honesty. The leader with integrity always tells the truth as he or she believes it to be. Think about the best leader you have ever had; she or he probably had integrity. First and foremost, people want a leader they can trust. Ask yourself whether you have a reputation for integrity. (Manning 6) Integrity can be broken down into sub components:

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.

Leaders who are ethical are people-oriented, and also aware of how their decisions impact others, and use their social power to serve the greater good instead of self-serving interests.

The maintenance of ethical behavior when in a leadership situation becomes difficult when leaders are operating in a weak or non-existent value system. Brown (2005) exposes various reasons which make leaders behave unethically. According to him, leaders are expected to lead by example since all subordinates have to follow what the leaders prospect. However, there are instances where these leaders behave in an unethical manner because of various reasons. As the author argues, it is clear for leaders with strong, virtuous values to act ethically because their values define their character. Conversely, if the leaders are operating in a weak or non-existent value system, they tend to act unethically. Therefore, the author asserts the organization to be leading in destabilizing factors that make leaders to behave dishonorably. If the organization does not actively promote the universally accepted values such as wisdom, self-control, justice, and kindness, most leaders who are also weak in values follow suit and embrace unethical behavior. These are the kind of leaders likely not to enhance honesty, fairness, equality, and dignity for personal gains.

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).