Ethics and Leadership: When Social Mores Change

Watching the antics of various leaders in the news these days, it’s clear the challenges of leadership are always on display.  Leadership, ultimately is about followers, and ethical leadership is enduring. Exactly how do great leaders develop their leadership styles, and do the right things in periods of great change and much distraction?

It’s the subject of a new course in Knowledge Bureau’s Executive Business Builder Program, by experienced Executive Coach Joanne Sigurdson.

“We developed it,” says President Evelyn Jacks, “because we found that micro business owners  aspiring to grow needed to change course – from doing to leading – and that’s not always easy.
Leaders who want to attract and keep the right people, to do important and detailed work like giving tax or financial advice,  must have impeccable vision, strategy and processes. But they also must be authentic and lead by example.”

Ethical leadership can mean different things to different people, but the following five components of ethical leadership ring true for most:

• Trust
• Integrity
• Respectful relationships
• Transparency
• Quality

But how do you apply them to your own leadership style?  We asked for the feedback of the thought leaders of the Executive Business Builders Network what ethical leadership means to them.

Here’s the question we asked: “We're seeing such a large number of public personalities in the media that have been demonstrating questionable ethics, it makes the subject of ethical leadership an even more timely topic. In your businesses, how do you make a point to practice ethical leadership?”

Our members agreed that whether you own your own business, hold a leadership role in a company, or you’re striving to advance your career, practicing ethical leadership is essential. Two commenters shared  insightful thoughts:

Siobhan HarropScott said, “For me, ethical leadership is about giving everyone the opportunity to voice their opinions in a constructive way. I can make better decisions by getting input from more people. It's also about taking responsibility for my own errors. I would never blame staff for something that I didn't communicate to them effectively or plan for appropriately.”

Rhona Hughes weighed in by saying, “To me ethical leadership is about being true to yourself, being open and honest and respecting those around you. The old saying always rings true: do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect. And your actions and attitude set the bar for everyone you come in contact with, whether it is a colleague, a client.”

Dialoguing with others going through the same issues can sometimes be very useful, especially in the often-lonely role of business leadership.

Join this compelling discussion on the Executive Business Builder Network, and expand your leadership skills with our online course Business Leadership, Culture, and Continuity (a component of the Executive Business Builder Program.)

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