Ethical Decisions in Leadership - Essay Example

Instructions: Fill out this document and return this document on the Assignment section of On by November 4, 11:55 pm. Worksheet (use this sheet) PERSONAL ETHICAL DEVELOPMENT EXERCISE (PEDE) Due to Assignment Section by Friday, November 5, 2010, 11:55pm PERSONAL MISSION AND LIFE BALANCE GOALS What is your ultimate vision of excellence? Through the years achievement motivated leaders have written a clear-cut, concise statement that creates a burning desire within them to find fulfillment in their work. These statements are referred to as purpose, charter, destiny, calling, or mission statements. They enable people to think beyond what they do in their careers. These statements enable people to discover who they are and what they most desire to become. We call these Mission Statements. A Mission Statement helps you to: *establish focus *create a desire to take action *stir the gift of greatness within *more fully realize your enormous potential *make a greater difference *see yourself as who you ultimately desire to be OLS 263 – Ethical Decisions in Leadership is the perfect place to begin the creation of your Personal Mission Statement and Life Balance Goals. Ethical decision making is the very cornerstone of the Professional Mission Statement and may very well be the guiding principles of the entire document. As you progress through the OLS program of study, you will increase your knowledge, crystallize your beliefs and expand your skills. Therefore, you will keep modifying and perfecting your mission statement during the next few months and years. A mission statement should enable you to attain unsurpassed excellence, inspire you to lifelong honesty and ethical behavior, and serve as your continuous guidepost during difficult personal and professional times. Many leaders put their mission statement on their business cards, display it in their offices and/or keep a copy in their homes. The first step in writing your mission statement is to do some reflecting, soul searching, and imagining. This is often called harnessing the potential of your creative imagination and mobilizing allied forces of concentration. The sequence is: *Illumination *Fascination *Imagination *Discrimination *Destination *Determination *Domination *Culmination PREPARING YOUR PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT The first step in the process of developing a Personal Mission Statement is to outline your various roles in life and describe how you desire to be in each of those roles. You have roles in maintaining total well-being, in your family, at work, with friends, in the faith community, in lifelong learning, and in your community. It is important to maintain “life balance” in these areas. How you define each of your roles is up to you. The life roles are in the left hand column and the question about how you would like to be described in each role is in the right hand column. Please complete this worksheet: My Life Roles In Seven Areas: How Would You Like To Be Described In This Role? 1. Spiritual Well Being 2. Mental Well Being 3. Physical Well Being 4. Relationships/Family 5. Education/Career 6. Finances/Stewardship 7. Service/Philanthropy PERSONAL MISSION WORKSHEET After defining your roles in the seven areas, it is time to expand on your personal and professional role. The answers to the following questions may serve as the basis for the development of your mission statement: Who do I desire to become as an organizational leader? I want to become supportive and at the same time a participative kind of organizational leader. Supportive because I want to show my concern for my employees’ well-being and needs while I try to create a pleasant work atmosphere by being a participative leader. I want to invite my employees to provide inputs or ideas about our organization before I make my final decisions. What do I desire for the members of my organization? I would only want the best for the members of my organization. I will always show concern for their welfare but I will also need their support and cooperation. I need them to participate whenever I ask for their ideas because if not, I won’t be able to address their concerns. How would I like to serve as an agent of change in my professional role? I will keep my eyes and mind open for change. I want to be the leader if the change is for the better. I will not stop studying about my work so I can improve my performance. However, I will lend my ears for suggestions and new ideas. PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT WORKSHEET Some mission statements are as short as a sentence or two. The average mission statement is three to five sentences. The key is for you to rally own, be inspired by, and be excited about your mission. Remember that your mission statement will change as you change; grow as you grow, both professionally and personally. Draft Number One: I will live my life to the fullest. I will make each day a learning experience and always share it with the people I care for. I have the power to change things. Draft Number Two: The power to change things is on my head. I will to live a peaceful and fulfilled life. I will make time and effort to help other people. Draft Number Three: I am in charge of my own life. I will take responsibility for my own actions. I have the power to change things if I want to. I will live each day more fulfilling and exciting. I will allow my spirit to soar. LIFE BALANCE GOALS “Life balance” goals are immediate or short-range goals that enable you to make steady progress toward your professional mission. You must balance your personal, spiritual, family and recreational roles with your professional roles. During your life journey there will be on-going career goals to balance with the aforementioned goals. Answering these questions might help you find focus as you explore your life balance goals. How can I make the right decisions? How can I prioritize big tasks? How can I divide labor? How can I maintain health, fitness, and peace of mind? What can I delegate? What can I table or suspend for now? Who can help me attain life balance? Answering these questions and others will help “trigger” life balance goals. Remember, goals enable you to do more for yourself and others! Life balance Goals Worksheet: Start all Personal and Professional Life Balance Goals with the phrase I will………….. Personal Goals (jot list) Professional Goals (jot list) You have now completed the worksheets for the Personal/Professional Mission Statement and the Personal/Professional Life Balance Goals. Please examine these worksheets and create the final version of: PERSONAL/PROFESSIONAL MISSION STATEMENT: (This should be no longer than paragraph ….some students create a separate personal and professional mission statement and that is fine) I will live and work that my potentials are realized to the fullest. Other people form part of my life and as such deserve to be included in my decisions. I will bring out the best in myself in all I do as I expect others to follow my lead. Nothing will be too difficult to handle if much contemplation and consideration was enforced. I will live and work with ardent passion to achieve my goals as they are also of the organization. PERSONAL/PROFESSIONAL LIFE BALANCE GOALS: (This should be no more than 7-10 life balance goals that all begin with the words “I will….”) 1. I will be the best version of myself 2. I will not only work hard, I will work smart 3. I will think of how my actions reflect not only myself but all that I represent 4. I will not compromise for petty goals 5. I will not look down on others 6. I will put my family in high priority 7. I will always go for what is right over what is easy PERSONAL DEFINITIONS During our OLS 263 course, we have articles that deal with the concepts of Leadership, Ethics, Service and Character. The question is, what do these terms mean to you? To other leaders? It is now time for you to personally define these four terms. Write at least a four sentence descriptive definition for each word (in your own words). In addition include, at least one citation/quotation from our text, and/or other resources to go with your definition. Don’t forget to include a reference at the end of the page. Use APA style. Leadership: Leadership is the factor that sets a person apart from all other members of the organization. It is the ability to go for bold actions when others would rather stick to what is comfortable. It is about being unsatisfied with the status quo and taking things to greater heights. Leadership is the talent to move people without forcing them to will your way but does so out of their belief in your vision. John Maxwell best describes it by saying that “Leadership is influence. That’s it. Nothing more; nothing less…He who thinketh he leadeth and hath no one following him is only taking a walk” (1993). Ethics: “Ethics is a philosophical discipline that focuses on right and wrong….ethics connotes a way of thinking or reasoning. It is about how we get to the right behavior. More importantly, it is about we ought to do when faced with ethical dilemmas evaluated from a perspective of reason and objectivity” (Odom, 2010). Ethics is the amalgamation of a person’s life decisions during moral dilemmas. It is subjective during the decision stage subject to scrutiny of the people affected or aware of it. This tackles of the courage to choose the right path when other options are rather simple. Ethics is the notion of being incorruptible. This starts from a time when we had the positive influences that instilled in us the disposition to choose right over wrong. Character: “Character is developed by going through the existential crisis, which means to allow anxiety to come to full flowering. Do not fear anxiety. Instead, allow yourself to feel it fully. You come out at the other end of the process strong and resilient, wise and mature” (Koestenbaum, 2002). Character is having the dignity to stand up with you head held high. It being through enough obstacles to be able to say you came out unscathed. In this process, a person gathers wisdom that he is able to have answers. Character is the process of developing the complete potential that one is destined to become. Service: Service is transcending “self-interest to serve others and the organization” (Daft, 2010). Service leaders are identified as being stewards or custodians. “It is a service performed for others. It is not about ownership or control. It is not a technique. It is who the leader is. It is an attitude—a state of being—a way of looking at the world” (McKinney, 2000). Service is the transformational ability to be selfless. Through this, a leader thinks of the growth of the members of the organization over himself. He sees this as the ultimate realization of his goals. It enables him to actually feel exalted in instances that would normally be resenting to others. The notion of service as a leadership style is one that is relatively difficult to practice than others because it requires the abandonment of common personal emotions that are self-seeking. References: Daft, R. L. (2010). Management. Ohio: South-Western Cengage Learning. Koestenbaum, e. (2002). Leadership: the inner side of greatness. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Maxwell, J. C. (1993). Developing the leader within you. Nashville: Thomas Nelson. McKinney, M. (2000). Choosing service over self-interest: the focus of leadership. Retrieved November 2, 2010, from LeadershipNow: http://www.leadershipnow.com/service.html Odom, L. (2010). Leadership Ethics. United States: Xlibris Corporation. Read More