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Essay / Ethical Leadership in the Master of Science Leadership...
Leaders make critical decisions every day between right, wrong, and the lesser of two evils. These decisions can affect the person making the decision, their employees, and the organization's goals. There are many readings that describe ethics and leadership, but ethical leadership is essentially about knowing one's inner values and having the courage to resolutely live them for the sake of the common good. The Master of Science in Leadership program at Southwestern College gave me a solid understanding of the importance of ethical reasoning and its impact, good and bad, on an organization. My first artifact, LEAD505 Leadership and Ethics Assignment, explains that there is a close relationship between good leadership and ethics. Since many organizational leadership decisions are inherently difficult to make, it is impossible to have effective leaders without an ethical foundation. As noted by Ciulla (2004), there are examples in which corporate executives have experienced a number of ethical lapses in recent years, ranging from Enron to WorldCom. The opportunity to learn from these ethical failures allowed me to see just how devastating an impact they have on an organization. Although I will always try to rely on my core values to guide me toward the best possible decision, I know that there will be times when I will be forced to choose between two unfavorable choices. As part of my duties, I am certain that I will do so. being forced to choose between alternatives that are both unfavorable in one way or another, known as an ethical dilemma (Ferrerll et al., 2008). When this happens, I know that I must first identify what the ethical dilemma really is before I can make a wise decision. Once I firmly interpret what gets results at all costs middle of paper, they may be at higher risk of questionable ethical decision making. The main differences in ethical leadership between different leaders may be due to the inner values of the respective leader and whether he or she has the courage to live them for the common good. Additionally, it may happen that no clear right answer is present; this is why ethical values are essential for leaders. Finally, when inappropriate ethical values are not upheld by leaders, it can spread to their employees and ultimately lead to devastating results like the failures of Enron and WorldCom. Works Ciulla, Joanne B. (2004). Ethics, the heart of leadership. Westport, CT: Praeger PublishersFerrell, O, Fraedrich, J., Ferrell, L. (2004). Business ethics: decision making and ethical cases. Houghton Mifflin Company. Boston, MA.