Question :Charles O. Response

Respond with 150 words with 1 reference and with 1 direct question

For most of the history of leadership studies, researchers focused primarily upon empirical questions concerning the nature of leadership; the focus of ethics in leadership was mostly an afterthought (Palmer, 2009). From a historical viewpoint this is certainly fathomable. It was and still is in most circles accepted that a business or corporation exists solely to maximize profits (Arnold, Beauchamp & Bowie, 2013). It is easy to see if this was the accepted axiom that ethics in leadership would exist more on an individual level as opposed to on a general one. It is hard to imagine stakeholders or employees questioning the ethics of the leadership when a company or organization is successful and the majority affiliated are satisfied.

When Milton Friedman made the quote previously mentioned regarding maximizing profit, it was prior to the Enron and WorldCom disasters, along with the housing disaster in 2008. Since these events, much more media-driven, political, and academic attention has been paid to ethical leadership (Palmer, 2009). While it is very difficult for one to take the opportunistic political focus seriously, especially considering how much those same people benefit from these disasters, it is notable to consider what the academic world has to say due to their reputation and credibility being on the line amongst their peers.

In any event of a collapse of an organization, the attention will always remain on the leadership at the helm. Whether that leadership is innocent or oblivious is not a factor. They are in charge. This illuminates how critical it is in contemporary times for leaders to remain aware of all pertinent operations within an organization, and to maintain a sense of ethics in their role as leaders. Leadership is subjective in nature; there are hundreds of definitions (Palmer, 2009). Ethics are more in line with fundamentally accepted morals. It is unethical to lie, cheat, steal, and to treat others in a way they would not want to be treated. Unlike the nature of leadership, these are not up for debate.

So, ethical leadership is adhering to the moral standards already in place. Also, although somewhat vague, ethical leadership involves doing the right thing regardless of the consequences. Drucker described management as performing a task right, and leadership as doing the right thing (Kouzes & Posner, 2012). That definition of leadership can be tailored to fit ethical leadership by adding that leadership is doing the right thing all the time, or by putting the interests of the company or organization as a whole above the personal interest of the leadership. The importance of this is obvious when one considers the livelihood and future of those belonging under one''s leadership. An ethical leader should consider through a sense of empathy the implications and realities of decisions made when it pertains to the future of the employees and the organization.

References

Arnold, D.G., Beauchamp, T.L., & Bowie, N.E. (2013). Ethical Theory and Business, (9th edition). Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education, Inc.

Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2012). The Leadership Challenge: 5th Edition. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Palmer, D. E. (2009). Business leadership: Three levels of ethical analysis. Journal of Business Ethics, 88(3), 525-536. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-009-0117-x