How to Be an Ethical Leader: 4 Tips for Success
Originally published in Business Daily News.
As a manager, there is a clear difference between being just a boss and being a leader. Where a boss orders, a leader guides; a boss manages, a leader inspires. The difference lies in how you make your employees feel and how you view your relationship with them. A good leader sees it as their responsibility to inspire, guide, and nurture their employees to help them improve; they lead by example.
“In today’s transparent social-media-driven world, senior executives, especially those with a high profile, will be tested and called to task over their morals and ethics in how they do business,” said Shane Green, author of Culture Hacker (Wiley, 2017). “This used to be more focused on business practices but is now shifting [to] leadership practices. Businesses, and their leaders, are under a microscope. How they act and interact with those around them professionally will have a significant impact on their ability to attract new talent and, ultimately, their bottom lines.”
Ethical leadership is defined as “leadership that is directed by respect for ethical beliefs and values and for the dignity and rights of others.” It is mainly concerned with moral development and virtuous behavior.