Seven habits of strong ethical leaders

The objective of this essay is to proffer five of the seven habits of ethical leaders as written by Ferrell, Fraedrich & Ferrell. The seven habits of strong ethical leaders as summed briefly as possessing a strong personal character, having a passion to do right, are proactive, consider interests of stakeholders, are role models, are transparent and actively involved in decision-making, and are competent in taking a holistic view of the ethical culture of the organization.
Business Ethics: Seven Habits of Strong Ethical Leaders
The study of ethics has intrigued the faculties of scholars since the early philosophers and ethicists during the times of Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle, to name a few. Ethical standards govern the existence of human life and encompass the realm of business entities. The seven habits of strong ethical leaders are presented by Ferrell, Fraedrich & Ferrell is applicable in personal scenarios as well as in business organizations. Business problems are solved by utilizing collaborative and participative approaches to decision making with ingrained habits of strong ethical leaders. From among the seven habits, five are hereby proffered.
Ethical leaders possess strong personal character. Leaders are concerned with the creation of an environment for performance. They integrate tasks, structure, technology, resources, and people into a productive configuration. They achieve goals through the efforts of other people. They have to influence the behavior of other people in order to get things done.
They have the passion to do right. Ethical leaders value honesty and integrity. Honest and integrity means being straightforward and firm in adherence to an ethical code of conduct. Honesty is specifically critical in terms of conforming to truthfulness in financial matters and in doing one’s responsibilities, as expected in the organization. Ethical leaders have the integrity to adhere to the policy of financial accuracy in disclosing the truth in financial reporting. Both values must be deeply ingrained in one’s personality to form part of the individual’s philosophy in life.
Ethical leaders do not hide anything and are transparent in their actions. They are also actively involved in the decision-making process. Equipped with values of honesty and integrity, ethical leaders are knowledgeable of the steps in decision making but that there is no assurance that the decision-maker would choose the most appropriate alternative in all circumstances. It only serves as a guide for decision-makers to consider all relevant factors before coming up with the most appropriate choice. The most important lesson one must be aware of is that ethical leaders learn from the experiences that they encounter. Scenarios requiring solving problems should be taken as opportunities to enhance one’s skills and strengthen one’s abilities to face whatever challenges the future brings.
Culture influences leadership philosophy and practices mainly through motivation. The idea that leadership works though people, however tautological, is vital for leaders in a culture that differs from their own. Culture affects people – their needs, wants, aspirations, all of which the strong ethical leader must tap.
Conclusion
Leadership is a significant dimension in any organization. The success of an organization depends much on the quality of its leadership. With the behaviors and values identified as critical in ensuring organizational success, a close evaluation of the seven habits of strong ethical leaders would definitely assist in the achievement, not only of organizational goals but of addressing the needs of the followers, the community and society, which they serve.