“Because leaders usually have more power and control than followers, they also have more responsibility to be sensitive to how their leadership affects followers’ lives.” (Northouse, 2016, P 337) Leaders have a strong influence on their followers and because of this, they are obligated to do what is morally right. (Northouse, 2016). These obligations include treating staff fairly, creating policies and abiding to them, and knowing the difference between right and wrong. Van Buren suggests that a staff that is treated morally, will have higher efficacy which in turn creates a happier work environment that produces higher quality work.
In my career, I often think about my actions as a leader. As highlighted in the video, What is Ethical Leadership? as the teacher, I set the moral tone of the classroom. I believe that my students are always looking up to me to see my actions. If they witness me doing something that is morally sound, they will watch to see what my actions are and will be more likely to respond in similar ways. I try to instil good values in my students, especially during the Christmas season. Currently the school is trying to collect items for the foodbank. One day this week, I happened to forget my lunch at my house. A student asked me, “why don’t you go and get something from the food bank and eat it?” I explained to my students that this food is for people who are less fortunate than us and that the students who are donating it, didn’t intend for it to be used for people who have food but just forgot it at home. Had I taken the food, my students wouldn’t have learned a lesson about what is morally right or wrong. Van Buren says that being a role model is one of our moral implications as leaders. (Van Buren, 2013). To lead by example, there must be consistency between what I do and what I say (Avolio and Gardner, 2005, p. 326). I believe that this example is one of many examples that come up in a classroom setting throughout the year. These moments provide us with the opportunity to teach morals and values, and to lead by example. They build community within a classroom and teach students the importance of respect. Northouse, 2016, states that these are also moral implications of a leader. (Northouse, 2016). In my own classroom, I always refer to The Golden Rule, which is to treat others the way that you would like to be treated. Although it may seem cliche, it is easy for young people to understand and easy for them to try and follow.
In previous years, there was a separation amongst our staff. Many of the more senior teachers had different privileges than staff who were newer. For example, they had the inside supervisions picked first so they wouldn’t have to go outside, they didn’t have to work with any of the students who needed Non-Violent-Crisis-Intervention, etc.. The new staff often felt burnt out but never complained because it seemed as though there were no other options as the work had to be done by someone. The new administration is working diligently to assist us in being a team. They are not letting more senior staff have the first pick at things. They are helping us to all work together to create a team environment. In the video, Van Buren tells us that communication and transparency are two values of organizations. She states, “an ethical leader models those values by treating all staff fairly and equitably and providing all staff with the information they need to make decisions.
It is important for an ethical leader to treat people the way that he/she would like to be treated, to follow moral standards and focus on the pathway towards the goal, not just the end goal. “How you get there is just as important as where you end up.” (Van Buren, 2013).
In summary, an organization that leads by example, promotes fairness amongst staff, that instils positive morals and values, helps to create a strong ethical culture, which will result in a positive impact on its community and employees. (Van Buren, 2013).
References:
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
Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership – theory and practice – seventh edition. Los Angeles: Sage.
Van Buren, J. A. [Building Capacity]. (2013, March, 29). What is ethical leadership? [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ks2QGoIq5nA
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