Defining and Discovering Values - Essay Example

Reflection Reflection Defining and Discovering Values Part The values that evoke the most feelings in me from the list are honesty, commitment, exercising professionalism, knowledge, independence, generosity, independence, timeliness, peace and tolerance. Others include caring, work ethic, freedom and loyalty. Of the values, the important to me is honesty followed by commitment, timeliness, exercising professionalism and knowledge in order of importance. The most important value to me is honesty. Having these values is vital to me as an ethical leader. Considering the values exhibited by leaders, honest is very important especially to an ethical leader. As one such leader, practicing honesty in all aspects of my role is paramount. My communication and actions should show honesty. Trust is finds its base on honesty. Honest ethical leader bases his argument on facts and this facilitates employees to depend and rely on him. A leader is about a better position to practice integrity if he is honest. Integrating honesty in my leadership style entails effective reasoning through facts. Claiming that you are honest without actual practice the virtue amounts to poor leadership. Every action of an ethical leadership requires transparency and truthfulness (Reilly, Sirgy & Gorman, 2012). Transparency and accountability are indications of honesty in ethical leadership. Incorporating honesty in decision making for an ethical leader entails using the facts as the basis of reasoning. Communication of the facts to the affected parties should be through truthfulness. The action of the leader during making of such decisions should clearly point toward honesty. This makes it easier for the people on the receiving end to appreciate the decision. The second important value for me as an ethical leader is commitment. It is the dedication of an ethical leader to the organization. Commitment entails not giving up or losing focus when the situation becomes unmanageable. Commitment by an ethical leader calls for perseverance throughout the course of leadership. It is a solemn promise that you will stick to the course even during trying moments. A committed leader invests fully in the organization. The investment is in terms of emotional, mental and physical dedication. Focusing full attention and energy make exemplary committed ethical leaders. Another aspect of commitment, which is important involves being ready to sacrifice personal interests in pursuit of the organizational objectives. To instill commitment among employees in an organization, a demonstration through action by the leader is vital. In decision-making, commitment in the goals of an organization has influence. It leads to right decisions that will not bar the achievement of the organization goals. Another value that forms the basis of ethical leadership is timeliness. All programs in the organization should have time limits. The goals and objectives must be time bound. As an ethical leader, being time conscious will go a long way to ensure accomplishment of targets set in the organization with the specified time limit. Punctuality of the leader in terms of completing tasks and arrival to work by an ethical leader set good example to the employees to follow. Leading by example wins the trust of the juniors and makes it easier for to explain to them the need to be punctual in everything they do within the organization. When making decisions in the organization, especially the ones that relate to goals, the deadline for achievement is set. As an ethical leader, practicing professionalism in the course of work is an important value. It entails carrying out duties as stipulated in the work guidelines. No going outside what is required except in situations where exceeding your mandate is for the best interest of the organization. Professionalism helps create boundaries between the leader and the employees in cases where parties involved are friends or have associations outside the organization. When it is time for work, it should be strictly that. No personal businesses should hinder the operations of the organization. When leaders adhere to professionalism in carrying out their duties, the employees are obliged to copy the good mannerism. This creates mutual respect between the leaders and the employees resulting in overall improvement of output in the organization. It is vital that all the decisions made in the organization fall within the professional limits to escape compromise in their achievement. Ethical leaders need to have vast knowledge in both leadership and their professions. Having adequate knowledge help in assisting junior staff members who may not yet well acquainted with the dynamics of the organization. It is the role of the leader to give directions to employees in instances where deep knowledge of a given subject is mandatory. It is impossible to lead an organization ethically with limited knowledge of the organization. Passing the knowledge to employees within the organization is an ethical act that ensures continuity in case one moves on to other responsibility. Having the necessary knowledge about an aspect of the organization is vital in decision-making. Sound decisions arise from proper understanding of the issue. Wrong decisions affect the organization negatively in terms of achievement of objectives. A knowledgeable ethical leader inspires the employees to imitate him and expand their awareness in preparation for advancement within the organization. In my work as an ethical leader, there are strengths I possess that enables me to go about my duties without major problems. One such strength that keeps me going is good communication skills. Others are strong interpersonal skill, hard work and ability to solve problems creatively. I am also confident. I came to realize these strengths from the feedback received from other people. At earlier stages, it was for interviews. The ones that stood out clearly were good communication skills and confidence. The other strengths came out during my work as an ethical leader. The above strengths help me in my work as an ethical leader to communicate effectively and ensure the accomplishment of goals of the organization within the specified period. Values and Beliefs most important to me: 1. Honesty 2. Trustworthiness 3. Independence 4. Timeliness 5. Knowledge 6. Practicing professionalism Defining and discovering values part 2 Values that are currently ruling my life: 1. Honesty 2. Commitment 3. Timeliness 4. Exercising professionalism 5. Knowledge 1. A value that I would prioritize in my life: Generosity 2. A value that is currently in dis-alignment for my life: Flexibility 3. A value that I would like to share with others that is important to me: Caring 4 I find myself compromising my values when: I tell lies 5. What three things can I do in my life that will prioritize my values? 1. To focus on practicing the values 2. To consult whenever in doubt 3. To be truthful at all times References Reilly, N. P., Sirgy, M. J., & Gorman, C. A. (2012). Work and quality of life: Ethical practices in organizations. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. Read More