You may use no more than three (3) references from the company’s website but at least five (5) references must be peer-reviewed articles from the Webster Library. The textbook is also a peer reviewed

Running head: ETHICAL LEADERSHIP 0

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Ethical Leadership

As stated by Northouse (2007) “Ethics is concerned with the kinds of values and morals an individual or society finds desirable or appropriate” (p. 342). In business or any other professional setting, values and morals are how leaders are measured. According to Brown and Trevino (2002, cited in Alahmad, 2010), “ethical leadership is the demonstration of normatively appropriate conduct through personal actions and interpersonal relationships, and promotion of such conduct among followers through two-way communication, reinforcement, and decision-making processes” (p 32). The author has identified Colin Powell as a leader that achieves and exceeds the five principles of ethical leadership.

Colin Powell, in the author’s perspective, set the bar on leadership in the military and in public service. Powell said an effective leader does not settle for work that’s considered acceptable, but asks people to perform at a level that may seem at the outset to exceed their abilities (Anonymous, 2007).

Respect

Respect, for people in leadership positions, is crucial to maintain, or attain, motivation for followers. Yukl (1989, cited in Levine, Muenchen, & Brooks 2010 ) suggested that followers must feel trust and respect toward their leader and, these followers should be motivated to accomplish more than what was asked of them” (p. 577). Colin Powell, as Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, displayed respect to other General Officers down to the lowest ranking person. While deployed for Operation Desert Storm, I had the opportunity to give a briefing to then General Powell. After my briefing the General shook my hand and told me he respected the job I do and to keep up the good work. Two weeks later, I saw General Powell and walked up to me and said he remembers my briefing and asked if I had considered making the military a career. His actions, as the top military leader, showed me that he has respect for all personnel, not just the senior military leaders. According to Northouse (2007) “When a leader exhibits respect to subordinates, subordinates can feel competent about their work” (p. 351).

Service

Senge (1990, cited in Northouse 2007) “contended that one of the most important task of leaders in learning organization is to be the steward (servant) of the vision within the organization (p. 352). Service to others (followers) is the responsibility of the leader. McAleer, (2003) stated that leaders throughout the organization serve as linking pins to connect the organization (p. 320). Colin Powell career is based on service; from military to public service, he has placed his follower’s welfare ahead of his own. Colin Powell (as cited in Harari 2002) stated, “Help people to accomplish the goals that emanate from the vision” (p.6).

Justice

Leaders must be fair and provide equal justice to all employees. According to Northouse (2007), “no one should receive special treatment or special consideration except when their particular situation demands it” (p. 352). Colin Powell had over 30 years of military service and providing special treatment to his personnel would be a detractor towards his command and his ability to become an effective leader. Providing fairness and justice must be conducted for reward and punishment equally. If a leader rewards unworthy personnel or administer lenient punishment for major infractions, he will lose the respect throughout his organization.

Honesty

Honesty in leadership may not become a popular choice but deception will destroy your ability to lead. It is the quality that can most enhance or most damage our own personal reputation (Kouzes & Posner, 2007). Being honesty means not only telling the truth but also being open with others. The challenge for leaders (Northouse, 2007) is to strike a balance between being open and candid while monitoring what is appropriate to disclose in a particular situation (p. 355).

Colin Powell provided honesty to all from feedback and guidance to subordinates to counsel to the President of the United States. We want our leaders to be honest because their honesty is also a reflection upon our own honesty (Kouzes & Posner, 2007). If your leaders are not honesty and forthright with you as a follower will you be honesty to your peers and leaders?

Community

Good leaders must consider the best fit for their own and follower’s purpose to be effective. Colin Powell recognized that providing a good service meant providing for his followers…his community. People must do the job but must also have a life outside of work. He (Colin Powell) insisted that his people get involved with other things besides work. As stated in Harari (2002), Powell further advises leaders to extend this philosophy to those for whom they are responsible: “As a leader, you need to recognize that people need balance in their lives, have outside interests, have families and need to spend time with them. Unless absolutely unavoidable, you should not infringe on off-duty time.” (p. 46).

In the author’s opinion, Colin Powell closely resembles Greenleaf’s perspective of ethical leadership. Powell’s approach is servant leadership. A servant leader (Northouse, 2007) focuses on the needs of followers and helps them to become more knowledgeable, more free, more autonomous, and more like servants themselves (p. 349). Powell is also concerned with social responsibility for all people. At the beginning of Powell’s military career, he was a follower and in the author’s viewpoint, a good leader must be a good follower.

References

Alahmad, A. (2010). To Be Ethical Or Not To Be: An International Code Of Ethics For Leadership. Journal of Diversity Management, 5(1), 31-35. 

Anonymous (2007). Soldier and Statesman: Colin Powell on Leadership. John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public health. Retrieved from http://www.jhsph.edu/publichealthnews/articles/2007/Colin_Powell_leadership.html

Harari, O. Powell Principles: 24 Lessons from Colin Powell, a Legendary Leader.

Blacklick, OH, USA: McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing, 2002.

Hartley, D. (2010). The management of education and the social theory of the firm: from distributed leadership to collaborative community. Journal of Educational Administration and History, 42(4), 345-361. doi:10.1080/00220620.2010.492958

Hunt, J., Osborn, R., & Boal, K. (2009). The architecture of managerial leadership: Stimulation and channeling of organizational emergence. Leadership Quarterly, 20(4), 503.  Retrieved May 7, 2010, from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 1778409621).

Kouzes, J., & Posner, B. (2007). The leadership challenge (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA US: Jossey-Bass. Retrieved from PsycINFO database.

Levine, K. J., Muenchen, R. A. & Brooks, A. M. (2010). Measuring Transformational and Charismatic Leadership: Why isn't Charisma Measured? Communication Monographs, 77(4), 576-591. doi:10.1080/03637751.2010.499368

McAleer, G. (2003). Leaders in Transition: Advice from Colin Powell and Other Strategic Thinkers. Military Psychology, 15(4), 309-322. doi:10.1207/S15327876MP1504_4

Northouse, P. G. (2007).   Leadership: Theory and practice. (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA:   Sage Publications.   ISBN: 141294161X  

ALL case papers must have three sources that are peered reviewed. Your book is a source