Rebuilding Ethics so that we can flourish

In the leadership context, ethical leadership is more concerned about the leader’s moral position in knowing what is right from wrong. The leader is responsible to set the tone of the organization (Building capacity, 2013). Not because one is influential or famous means they are ethical. And so, leadership has always had challenges in navigating these ethical platforms of moral judgment and analyzing the issues as they are sometimes greyed area. Avolio, Gardner (2005) cites Seeman (1960) about the inauthenticity, which is viewed as plasticity on the part of an actor (leader), who seeks to only comply with perceived demands arising from public roles (pg.320). This softness can result in one taking the wrong route. This route leads to moral deterioration which carries with it, broken trust, lack of transparency, lost of support and conflict to name a few (BuildingCapacity, 2013)

In order for our organization to flourish, we want to propose a few solutions. These are not exhausted and so others can be used as well.

1. Organizations signal their behavior through several ways – ethical standards, how you hire, how you promote, fairness and respect of your staff. This is where we set the culture for us to start the process of flourishing (buildingCapacity, 2013).
2. We must make good on our commitment. As we build community, we must ensure that what we say we will do we do.
3. Communicate ethical expectation to ensure that you create an atmosphere that is supportive of all. Through this process we creating our organizational code of ethics, our values.
4. We must promote effective financial management. BuildingCapacity (2013), notes, one-third of the person surveyed, states they aren’t in support of organizations that are not transparent with the cost to support programs. We are therefore required to create awareness about resources our donors and sponsors provides to support our programs.
5. As we move the organization forward we must also provide training in the form of seminars or workshop to address the code of ethics. And to clarify acceptable practices as there are various cultural practices which can be become nuances.

Maxwell (1999), suggested that you search for the cracks and work on them, then we look for any patterns, face the music and then rebuild (pg. 6)

Avolio, B. J., & Gardner, W. L. (2005). Authentic leadership development: Getting to the root of positive forms of leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(3), 315-338. doi:10.1016/j.leaqua.2005.03.001

B. (2013, March 29). What is Ethical Leadership? Retrieved November 6, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks2QGoIq5nA

Maxwell, J. C. (1999). The 21 indispensable qualities of a leader: Becoming the person others will want to follow. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson