Leadership Ethics and Social
Responsibility
•Leadership
- the ability to develop a vision that motivates others to
move with a passion toward a common goal.
- the process of directing the behavior of others toward the
accomplishment of some common objectives.
-the art of getting someone else to do something you want
done because he wants to do it."
•Ethics
Refer to the desirable and appropriate values and morals
according to an individual or the society at large. Ethics
deal with the purity of individuals and their intentions. Ethics
serve as guidelines for analyzing ―what is good or bad‖ in
a specific scenario.
Why ethics matter to a leader?
Ethics are the heart of any strong organization.
“Leadership formed without ethics is like a cabin built
without nails‖: no matter how solid it may appear, it will
slowly crumble. A culture of ethics is what links people to
those above, below, and beside them, connections which,
although invisible, make the whole organization
immeasurably stronger. And in this day and age of eroded
public trust, ethics are more important than ever. Trust is
no longer given freely. Once an organization has earned
the public trust, however, that connection becomes its
most valuable asset. Ethical organizations are popular,
and that translates to unwavering, long-term consumer
loyalty.
Traits and characteristics of an effective leader:
1. Dignity and respectfulness: He respects others.
An ethical leader should not use his followers as a
medium to achieve his personal goals. He should
respect their feelings, decision and values.
Respecting the followers implies listening effectively
to them, being compassionate to them, as well as
being liberal in hearing opposing viewpoints. In short,
it implies treating the followers in a manner that
authenticate their values and beliefs.
2. Serving others: He serves others. An
ethical leader should place his follower‘s
interests ahead of his interests. He should
be humane. He must act in a manner that is
always fruitful for his followers.
3. Justice: He is fair and just. An ethical
leader must treat all his followers equally.
There should be no personal bias. Wherever
some followers are treated differently, the
ground for differential treatment should be
fair, clear, and built on morality.
4. Community building: He develops community.
An ethical leader considers his own purpose as well
as his followers‘ purpose, while making efforts to
achieve the goals suitable to both of them. He is
considerate to the community interests. He does not
overlook the followers‘ intentions. He works harder
for the community goals.
5. Honesty: He is loyal and honest. Honesty is
essential to be an ethical and effective leader.
Honest leaders can be always relied upon and
depended upon. They always earn respect of their
followers. An honest leader presents the fact and
circumstances truly and completely, no matter how
critical and harmful the fact may be. He does not
misrepresent any fact.
Steps on How to Be an Ethical Leader
1. Face the complexity involved in making ethical choices:
Openly discuss the ethical gray areas and acknowledge the
complexity of work life. Involve others in more of the ethical
decisions. Be a leader who talks about the difficult ethical choices,
and help others learn to take responsibility for making ethical
decisions carefully.
2. Don't separate ethics from day-to-day business: Leaders
must make it clear to their employees that ethics is "the way we
operate" and not a training program or reference manual. Every
activity, whether it is a training program, a client meeting or an
important top management strategy session, should include
conversations about ethics.
3. Don't allow negative interpersonal behaviors to erode trust:
Make respect a load-bearing beam in your culture. Be an ethical
leader who expects it and practices it. Cultivate a respectful
environment in which people can speak up about ethics and share
the responsibility for living it. Build trust, demand open
communication and share the ownership of organizational values.
4. Don't think about ethics as just following laws and regulations: Leaders need to take action and
show consumers and other stakeholders that they are actively engaged with ethical issues that matter.
Recognize how ethics influences consumers' reasons to buy from you, and demonstrate a commitment
to go beyond mere compliance with laws and regulations. They must prove that they are committed to
ethical issues, including human rights, social justice and sustainability.
5. Don't exempt anyone from meeting ethical
expectations: Allow no excuses. Make sure that no one
is exempted from meeting the ethical standards that are
adopted. Maintain the status of ethics as a total, absolute,
"must do" in the organization. Hold everyone, particularly
senior leaders and high profile managers, accountable.
No exceptions.
6. Celebrate positive ethical moments: Be a proactive
ethical leader, championing high ethical conduct and
emphasizing prevention. Managers should talk about
what positive ethics looks like in practice as often as they
talk about what to avoid. Take time to celebrate positive
ethical choices.
7. Talk about ethics as an ongoing learning
journey, not a once-a-year training program:
Integrate ethics into every action of the organization
— everything people do, touch or influence. Talk
about ethics as an ongoing learning journey, not
something you have or don't have. Recognize that the
world changes constantly, and that ethical conduct
requires that everyone remain vigilant.
Social Responsibility
The of an organization‘s management towards the
welfare and interests of the society in which it
operates. Social responsibility is an ethical theory, in
which individuals are accountable for fulfilling their
civic duty; the actions of an individual must benefit the
whole of society. In this way, there must be a balance
between economic growth and the welfare of society
and the environment. If this equilibrium is maintained,
then social responsibility is accomplished.
What it Means to be Socially Responsible and
Ethical?
The theory of social responsibility is built on a
system of ethics, in which decisions and actions
must be ethically validated before proceeding. If the
action or decision causes harm to society or the
environment then it would be considered to be
socially irresponsible.
Moral values that are inherent in society create a
distinction between right and wrong. In this way,
social fairness is believed (by most) to be in the
―right‖, but more frequently than not this
―fairness‖ is absent. Every individual has a
responsibility to act in manner that is beneficial to
society and not solely to the individual.
When Do Social Responsibility and Ethics Apply?
The theory of social responsibility and ethics applies
in both individual and group capacities. It should be
incorporated into daily actions/decisions, particularly
ones that will have an effect on other persons and/or
the environment. In the larger, group capacity, a code
of social responsibility and ethics is applied within
said group as well as during interactions with another
group or an individual.
Businesses have developed a system of social
responsibility that is tailored to their company
environment. If social responsibility is maintained within a
company than the employees and the environment are
held equal to the company‘s economics. Maintaining
social responsibility within a company ensures the
integrity of society and the environment are protected.
Often, the ethical implications of a decision/action are
overlooked for personal gain and the benefits are usually
material. This frequently manifests itself in companies
that attempt to cheat environmental regulations. When
this happens, government interference is necessary.
