Elements of ethical leadership development

Ethical leadership is crucial for the realization of socially responsible goals benefiting society.  Good business leaders are concerned about more than profit.  They are equally concerned about the impact of the business on stakeholders and the environment.  What are the key components of ethical leadership development?  Integrity, compassion and communication are important characteristics of ethical leaders.

Ethical leadership includes integrity.  Integrity is derived from the Latin and means whole or complete.  An individual with integrity does the right thing because it’s the right thing to do – not because the boss or clients are watching.  A culture of intergrity is a game-changer for any organization.  After the initial training and the corporate value statements are distant memories, employees do what they see.  If the manager decides to bend the rules, the rest of the team is likely to follow.  In the wake of the 9/11 tragedy, with the airline industry reeling, few would have blamed Southwest Airlines if they decided to abandon their no lay-offs policy.  The company stuck together during the tough stretch.  As CEO James Parker stated, "We are willing to suffer some damage, even to our stock price, to protect the jobs of our people."

Ethical leadership includes compassion.  Employees and even soldiers are willing to follow a leader who cares for them into the great unknown.  I’ve heard several times lately – and this rings true – that people don’t care about what you know until they know you care.  Employees are people first.  Although we've all heard the clichés about treating customers/students/employees (fill in the blank) like humans and not numbers, it takes diligence and effort to execute.  It is easy for any leader to consider those in their charge as commodities, but the discerning ones understand the power of compassion.  Roman historian Curtius described a sliver of time with Alexander the Great thusly, “Riding to the front line he named the soldiers and they responded from spot to spot where they were lined up.  The Macedonians who had won so many battles in Europe and set off to invade Asia…got encouragement from him – he reminded them of their permanent values.”

Ethical leadership includes communication.  It’s impossible to be an ethical leader without mastering the art of effective communication.  Skilful speech is just one aspect of communication; arguably, the more important part is listening which helps develop insight and understanding.  Leaders are in contact with various stakeholders on a regular basis: Communication is vital to the role.  James Humes states, “Every time you have to speak, you are auditioning for leadership.”  A leader’s speech establishes the vision which is used to motivate and inspire the team.  When energy levels wane, a leader’s words encourage and help keep things on the right path. 

Ethical leaders exude integrity, compassion and effective communication.  I've certainly learned a great deal about leading through my professional life as entrepreneur and educator.  A promising business idea may bring success if executed properly, but it speaks nothing of the moral fibre of corporate leadership.  Ethical leadership development is a journey, not a destination.  As with every journey, steps must be taken everyday to ensure progress.