Ethical Leader - Admission/Application Essay Example

Ethical Leaders as Exemplified by TOMS Many business thinker and executives believe that ethical leadership pertains to having good character (Freeman & Stewart, 2006). By possessing the right values, a business leader can set the pace for the subordinates. Without denying the importance of this, the reality about who is an ethical leader is far intricate and the stakes involved are much higher. There are several touchstones that can be attributed to the picture of an ethical leader. Ethical leadership pertains not only to the leader, but also to the stakeholders and followers.

It is important to note that the leader is still a member of the organization. Members of an organization share the same values, purpose and vision. Ethical leaders embody the values, purpose and vision of the organization; hence the organization constituents (Freeman & Stewart, 2006). The ethical leader that this paper seeks explore pertains to TOMS.Mycoskie Blake is the founder of TOMS. He is also a Chief shoe giver. In an addition, he is the man behind One for One movement. By April 2010, TOMS had issued out over 600,000 pairs of shoes (TOMS, 2012).

These shoes have been given to children who are in need. TOMS believe in impacting positively to the people and the environment. Each constituent of the organization has been influenced by Mycoskie Blake into performing this generous action, which is associated with restoring dignity and the rights of children around the world. Blake has used his social power in fostering decisions and influencing others. Through him, the organization has demonstrated a high level of integrity. This has stimulated a sense of trustworthiness.

TOMS was honored in 2007 with a prestigious award owing to their ethical approach to business (TOMS, 2012). The award celebrates the organization’s commitment to exemplary practices, innovation, corporate social responsibility and democratic values globally. Blake is highly instrumental in the practices of the organization. As an ethical leader, he traverses most parts of the country to disseminate his virtues. Blake is passionate about motivating and inspiring the youth to help build a better tomorrow.

He encourages young people to give in day to day decisions and everything they choose to do. Blake’s hope is to see bright future that is full of ethical businesses and consumers. Therefore, in addition to giving, he takes a further step in teaching young people the importance of being ethical.In 2006, Blake witnessed the hardships that small children faced growing up barefoot in Argentina. This was the motivating factor for his unique vision of a better tomorrow through giving. He felt obligated to help, leading to the development of the One for One movement.

He returned to Argentina the following year with over 10,000 pairs of new shoes. Ever since this moment, giving has been part and parcel of the organization. The target group is children of the third world (TOMS, 2012).All these show that Blake has used his social power, in order to serve a greater good rather than serving self interests. This is a key attribute in the definition of ethical leaders (Pickett, 2005). Another key ethical leader attribute is that Blake is people-oriented (Brown & Linda, 2006).

He focuses on the needy children around the world. He considers how his decisions impact the world. He also motivates the organization into putting the interests and the needs of the group ahead of their own. He also engages others in emotional and intellectual commitment in pursuit of a greater good. He accomplishes this by giving out talks to institutions. Through its action, TOMS illustrates a true definition of ethical leadership in the corporate society.Reference ListBrown, M., & Linda, T. (2006). Ethical leadership: A review and future directions.

The Leadership Quarterly, 17, 595-616. Retrieved from http://www.publicpolicy.umd.edu/MLI/Leadership/Ethical.%20Leadership.pdfFreeman, E., & Stewart, L. (2006). Developing ethical leadership. Accessed on June 2nd, 2012. Retrieved from http://www.corporate-ethics.org/pdf/ethical_leadership.pdfPickett, M. (2005). Understanding Ethical Leadership. ASBBS E-Journal, 1, 1, 43-48. Retrieved from http://www.asbbs.org/files/2005/PDF/Pickett.pdfTOMS. (2012). Accessed on June 2nd, 2012. Retrieved from http://www.toms.com/