In a short essay, define and describe ethical leadership.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

a. Ethical leadership is the demonstration of normatively appropriate conduct through personal actions and interpersonal relationships and the promotion of such conduct to followers through two-way communication, reinforcement, and decision making. Ethical leadership is the driving force for a firm to have a positive ethical climate with its employees. With a positive ethical climate, employees have a supportive work environment, which leads to higher commitment and job satisfaction of the employees. Ethical leadership reinforces the beliefs of social learning theory that suggests that when the firm has role models for the employees, the employees will try to copy the behavior of the role models. Ethical leadership is demonstrated in the leader’s various actions. The ethical commitment of the leader affects the leader’s character, which influences the leader’s motives and influences strategies.
b. Ethical leaders are effective, credible, and legitimate role models to their subordinates. In addition, ethical leaders present a powerful and salient ethical message to subordinates through effective communication and reinforcement. Leaders influence the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of employees through either the transactional or the transformational leadership style.