Leadership and Ethics

Essay by nitcholey47University, Bachelor'sA, May 2007

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Leadership and ethics seems like such a broad topic to take on in a paper. In this paper I will attempt to pin down my personal thoughts on how ethics influence leadership both in the business world and in my personal life. I will look at other people views on this subject and I will write about how ethics influence me and my career. I think throughout this paper you will find that I believe ethics influence every aspect of leadership.

Whether or not a leader is ethical has a huge effect on every aspect of a leader's job and on all of a leaders decisions. In the book "Supervision" (2006) Author Samuel C. Certo talks about the benefits of ethical behavior. He writes,"Besides being morally right, ethical behavior offers some potential advantages to the organization. To be known as an ethical individual or organization is a satisfying way to maintain a reputation for high standards…Ethical behavior is part of a range of behaviors that ensure an organization's long term health and success."(Pg

95-96)What I believe Certo is saying is that ethical organizations reap the benefit of having a good reputation. This means respect from the community and a likelihood of long term success. Certo goes on to discuss the costs of unethical behavior. He writes,"In contrast, the costs of unethical behavior can be high. Organizations whose employees are unethical may lose respect, customers, and qualified employees who are uncomfortable working in an environment that compromises their moral standards. Unethical and illegal behavior caused the downfall of many companies in recent years, including Enron and Arthur Andersen." (Pg. 96)Here what Certo is saying is that unethical behavior can result in many negative things which ultimately lead to failure. In an article in HR magazine titled "Ethical Leaders Needed" Ann Pomeroy...