Importance of Ethical and Moral values on the behavior of leaders and their effects on the surrounding people
It is very important for the leaders to possess ethical values for the well being of an organization as without these values it could be devastating for the entire membership of the organization. As mentioned in the article of Aviolio and Gardner (2005) by [George B. (2003), who succinctly states that: “we need leaders who lead with purpose, values, and integrity; leaders who build enduring organizations, motivate their employees to provide superior customer service and create long-term value for shareholders” (p. 9)].These should be the implications a leader should possess for the upliftment of the organization. An example of Donald Trump proves how worse it would be if a leader has no ethical values and moral implications. He has no transparency in his actions and his false statements not only harming the people living there but also affecting other nations.
Both the video and article tell us what a leader should possess and how can he be able to manage that. The authenticity of leader is explained in the article by Avolio, Luthans, and Walumbwa (2004, p. 4) who defines authentic leaders as “those who are deeply aware of how they think and behave and are perceived by others as being aware of their own and others’ values/moral perspectives, knowledge, and strengths; aware of the context in which they operate; and who are confident, hopeful, optimistic, resilient, and of high moral character” (as cited in Avolio, Gardner et al., 2004). As referenced from the article of Aviolio and Gardner (2005), It is mentioned by Shamir and Eilam (2005) about the following four characteristics of authentic leaders:
“(1) rather than faking their leadership, authentic leaders are true to themselves (rather than conforming to the expectations of others)
(2) authentic leaders are motivated by personal convictions, rather than to attain status, honors, or other personal benefits
(3) “authentic leaders are originals, not copies” (pp. xx); that is, they lead from their own personal point of view.
(4) the actions of authentic leaders are based on their personal values and convictions”.
These characteristics clearly explain what a leader should possess.
If I am a leader of an organization, I can help them grow and flourish in the following ways;
- Role Model– It is important for a leader to become a role model for other people. So, that they started following you and gain trust in you. An example of washing a cup of coffee by our self as described in the video can help people understand the grounds of a leader and working more than them by putting more efforts and supporting them in every now and then can help in the growth of people too.
- Transparency in actions – Whatever a leader does should be explained to the workers clearly, as action speaks louder than words, people always have the right to know what is going on, what is the work they are doing and for whom and for what purpose, if a leader takes any action it should explain why and for what he takes so. This transparency could a reason for a great leadership.
- Communication – It is an important aspect which usually been ignored in many organizations. A method to communicate on ethical values and creating an ethical culture is always beneficial, as in my profession it is necessary to communicate with workers, keep on encouraging them, giving a gesture of smiling face to boost their confidence.
So, these are the ways I think I should possess being a leader for having a healthy environment of ethical and moral values.
References:
Aviolio, B, Gardner W. (2005). Authentic leadership development: Getting to the root of positive forms of leadership. Leadership Quarterly, 16, 315-338.
Van Buren, J. (2013, March 29). What is Ethical Leadership? Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks2QGoIq5nA