Applying Ethical Leadership Principles - Assignment Example

Answer Leadership is much more an art, a belief, a condition of the heart, than a set of things to do. The visible signs of artful leadership are expressed, ultimately, in its practice. ~ Max Depree Ethical leadership is about doing the right thing at the right time rather than advocating the right to do things. Given the complexities of the modern world, ethical leadership is indeed a challenging proposition. Most of us think ethical leadership is synonymous with having a good character and having right values. However, that is a very simplistic view to take of a solemn duty that each leader has to accomplish. Ethical leadership is about envisioning goals for the organisation that is aligned to the interests of both external and internal stakeholders. It is invariably true that every leader wants to be efficient and effective and create a positive impact on their organisations. In this essay, we will discuss the implications of ethical leadership and what strategies I will employ as an ethical leader myself. To begin with I would like to pose certain questions to myself: What do I want to achieve in this role? Is my vision aligned to the values of the organisation? How can I achieve the goals I have set before me and by when? How can I collaborate effectively to achieve these goals? My strategy will be to find a balance between task and people. I will focus my energies towards addressing concerns by, first, accurately identifying and analysing problems and then resolving them in a timely and impactful way. I believe as an ethical leader I must also be an effective communicator and keep all stakeholders informed at all times. I must be sensitive to other peoples’ needs and communicate in a way that will demonstrate empathy appropriately. ‘Walking-the-talk’ is another approach that I will employ to establish myself as an ethical leader. I will need to establish credibility, consistency and competence through my behaviour and be a trusted advisor to my colleagues and stakeholders. I must practice self-confidence and self-reliance to be able to foster an environment of self-respect and self-worth. This can be done by taking interest, expressing sincere concern when necessary and remaining engaged with my co-workers and clients at all times to ensure their growth and welfare. I believe that as an ethical leader I must develop a keen analytical understanding of the key strengths and areas of improvement for my own performance and that of others in my organisation. Being able to recognise and appreciate the strengths and contributions of others will help in delegating the right responsibilities and duties to the right people. Along with this recognising the weaknesses of the organisation will help me invest time and resources in building capabilities that will strengthen the organisation. Being open to feedback and inviting ideas from colleagues, stakeholders and the organisational leaders is another strategy that will help an ethical leader achieve the organisational goals and help frame developmental policies. Going back to the drawing board every now and relooking at objectives can help the leader stay focussed over a longer period of time. This will also ensure validity of actions taken and maintain stakeholder/client engagement. As a leader, encouraging and appreciating diversity of ideas and practises helps create a richer work environment. This adds varied perspectives and gives the leader the opportunity to observe projects/tasks from a 360 degree view. An open and transparent mechanism for feedback and opinion polls should be encouraged. It will ensure that the values and ideas stay current and effective and that people can take pride and feel a sense of ownership of the organisation’s success. Having meaningful conversations with stakeholders and clients, reiterating the organisation’s core values and tying back achievements to these values and competencies can add value to the leadership skills that an ethical leader needs to display. This will also help build a culture of accountability and shared responsibility within the organisation. Empowering people to achieve their fullest potential is something that an ethical leader should strive for. As an ethical leader it will be one of my primary objectives to keep focussing and channelizing people’s energies towards the shared goals. Being able to recognize the strengths of co-workers and being flexible and open to developing and nurturing the right kind of talent goes a long way in creating stakeholder and client loyalty. In addition this strategy is sure to ensure organisational development and growth. Answer 2: Something that I realised as I was completing this module was that most managers and executives want to be effective in order to positively affect their own business and the interests of everyone else they interact with: clients, stakeholders, peers and subordinates. As an ethical manager in the hospitality sector, I would like to be able to create values that will have a positive impact on the business and organisation, as well as on human relations. I would like to foster an environment of respect at my work place and empower my colleagues and encourage them to refine their skills. This will not only ensure the success of my hotel but also create a model code of behaviour and ethics for others to emulate. My life’s ambition is to become a hotel manager and be able to uphold the values of integrity, customer service, and maintain strict adherence to industry norms. I know that I would be a cog in the wheel in the service industry, and although my ultimate goal of personal excellence will remain undiminished, I know for the success of my organisation I would need to develop talent within the organisation and provide unfazed support to my staff. Also my ego would be secondary to the success of the business. An atmosphere of fairness and respect will ensure loyalty of staff and bring about excellence. Besides these, clear communication between employees and stakeholders is a must. There have to be open channels of communication both upstream and downstream and I will need to be the mediator. Another quality that an ethical leader must possess is be able to stand up for his or her decisions and I need to be responsible and foresee the effect my decisions will have on others. I have to be flexible and open-minded about process changes and ask for continuous feedback from clients and employees to streamline process and ensure rapid growth without disrespecting the law. This will help me be supportive of innovation and bring about advancement in technologies, and ultimately, ensure growth of the organisation. Something that I learned as part of this course was that ethics are not the soft, flexible part in a business environment, but instead the guidelines which determine every decision at any point. This has to be enforced even with the stakeholders and clients. I have also realised that taking responsibility is a prerequisite to be an ethical leader. I would like to employ these values in all my dealings with the staff and stakeholders. This module has inspired me to pursue morally-driven plans and goals. Reference: 1. Freeman, RE & Stewart, L 2006, ‘Developing Ethical Leadership’, Business Roundtable Institute for Corporate Ethics, pp. 2-9. Available from Corporate-Ethics.org. [2 May 2014]. Read More