Ethics and Leadership final paper Literature & Language Essay

Ethics and Leadership Final Paper
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Ethics and Leadership Final Paper
Ethical leadership is when the leader strives to always do the right thing. Ethical leadership, as Ciulla et al. (12) pointed out, expands beyond merely increasing the profits and production for a company. It entails taking ethics into account when setting boundaries and making decisions in the company. It is also taken into account when developing ideas. One notable moral framework that ethical leaders use is utilitarianism. In normative ethics, utilitarianism stems from the eighteenth and nineteenth century British economists and philosophers John Stuart Mill and Jeremy Bentham. The theory holds that a given action is wrong if it produces the reverse happiness and right if it promotes happiness. Happiness in this case includes not just the happiness of the person or entity that performs the action, but also the happiness of every person who is affected by that particular action (Gustafsson 88). This paper discusses ethics and leadership focusing on utilitarianism.
Ethics is understood as a system of moral standards and affects the way individuals lead their lives and make decisions. Also described as moral philosophy, ethics focuses on what is good for the society and for individuals. It encompasses several dilemmas including moral decisions such as what is bad and good; the language of wrong and right; people’s responsibility and rights; and how to lead a good life (Mendonca and Kanungo 13). Leadership entails being able to motivate a group of individuals to act toward attaining a certain shared goal. People in leadership positions often lead an organization or a grouping of people. Overall, a leader establishes an explicit vision; shares the vision with other people for them to follow it freely; provides the methods, knowledge and information for the realization of that particular vision; and coordinates and balances the differing interests of the affected or involved stakeholders and members (Avella 43).
Therefore, ethical leadership is when a person in a leadership position exhibits values and morals. It is a kind of leadership wherein the leader demonstrates conduct for the common good which is both appropriate and acceptable in all aspects of his/her life. It comprises being an example in which the ethical leader leads by example and champions the significance of ethics and ethical standards within the organization and teaches others about ethics (Mendonca and Kanungo 15). Ethical leadership goes beyond only increasing the company’s production and profitability. Applying ethical principles to leadership styles requires the leader to always consider ethics whenever he sets boundaries and makes decisions in the company. The leader should also take ethics into account when he develops new ideas (Avella 44). This is important considering that making decisions basing upon an organization’s code of ethics or based on the core values helps to inspire workers to do the same, which in turn creates a positive and productive environment.
Following an ethical path creates a positive experience for everybody who is involved in the company and improves the functioning of the firm. Eth...