Personal Concept of Ethical Leadership

I believe that ethical leadership is the ability to assist others in reaching a mutually advantageous, ethical goal. Leaders are able to achieve this through five main attributes:

1. Leaders recognize and admit their own fears and shortcomings with honesty and courage.
2. Leaders demonstrate compassion towards themselves, others, and those who oppose them.
3. Leaders foster leadership in others through teaching, stewardship, and mentoring.
4. Leaders demonstrate foresight, imagination, and adaptability.
5. Leaders are committed to lifelong learning, awareness, and self-knowledge.

Reverence
Leaders must possess reverence, or humility for their fellow beings and for all life on earth. All humans have flaws, sometimes act unkind or irrational, and have fears. Leaders recognize this in themselves, and try to make ethical, thoughtful decisions about emotionally charged issues. I believe that to make ethical decisions, we must call on each of the three major forces acting within us: Mind, Body and Spirit. If any one of these forces takes precedence over the others, the imbalance can lead to poor decisions and the suffering of self and others. To behave ethically, we must listen to our mind, body and spirit in equal measure. If the mind is overly engaged, we can lose touch with our own suffering and the suffering of others (e.g., when executives make decisions to dump toxic waste near human habitation in order to save money). If our emotions are the driving force, we might make decisions based on the desire to be loved or respected, and use our intellect to rationalize decisions that have negative long-term consequences (e.g., engaging in an extramarital affair, or playing favorites with subordinates). If our bodies drive our decisions, we can make snap decisions based on our physical reaction to fear, anger or desire (e.g., physically attacking someone whom we perceive to be a threat, or verbally assaulting someone with a divergent viewpoint). If all three forces are active and aware, we stand the best chance of making good ethical decisions in the face of the complexity of the modern world. Humility is required to examine our motivations, as we may not always like what we see.

Ray Anderson, CEO of Interface, Inc, provides an excellent example of a leader who displays reverence for humanity and the environment. He has committed his flooring company to achieving a 0% ecological footprint by 2020, and has already reduced waste by one third (Wikipedia, 2006).

Compassion
A leader who is aware of his or her emotions is capable of having compassion for others. Compassion and forgiveness are cornerstones of the major religions. I believe that if we are truthful and forgiving with ourselves, then we can be compassionate with others, even in trying situations. A manager who fires an unreliable employee can do so with compassion; allowing a poor performer to continue to underachieve is not a compassionate act, as it reinforces behavior that would not be tolerated elsewhere. A leader must even have compassion for those who oppose him or her; understanding the fears and concerns of the opposition can help foster dialogue and mitigate polarity of thought. Pope John Paul II reached out to those of other faiths and helped to heal ideological divisions that had existed for hundreds of years.

Teaching
If a leader has respect and compassion for herself and others, she should feel compelled to help those around her grow, learn, and develop their own leadership potential. Leaders teach through example, mentorship, and guidance, and believe in the potential of every human. True leaders, be they civil rights activists, religious leaders, presidents, or executives, teach us that self-governance and accountability are not only possible, they are imperative. They teach us to be more awake, aware, and inquisitive about the world in which we live. Leaders find satisfaction in the growth and development of those they lead. I believe that the establishment of American system of government represents a deliberate attempt to create a nation of self-led individuals. By raising the consciousness of all citizens and encouraging them to reclaim power they had formerly relinquished to kings and priests, our forefathers taught us to actively participating in our own governance.

Imagination
Leaders are capable of imagining and communicating possible futures; they can look down multiple paths and sometimes foresee probable outcomes. They are also capable of adapting to unexpected events and outcomes. Martin Luther King Jr. demonstrated inspiring imagination in his “I have a dream” speech of August 28, 1973. He compellingly communicated his vision of a future where segregation and prejudice did not exist, and while our society has not yet eradicated these things, we tolerate far less discrimination than we did in 1973. Diversity officers, hiring policies, and anti-discrimination legislation are a testament to King’s vision and imagination.

Awareness
I believe that true leadership is grounded in a deep, honest, and ever-evolving understanding of self, others, and human nature. While many compel others to follow their lead for reasons such as gain, status, or to attain power as an end to itself, I believe real leadership creates movement towards a collectively constructive and ethical outcome, never an outcome that is selfish or destructive. A leader may only achieve this through continual self-examination, and a commitment to lifelong ethical growth.
Self-examination provides insight into the mistakes of the past, and the ability to foresee and avoid or foreshorten future mistakes. While all people may benefit from self-examination, it is crucial for leaders, as they have the potential to do great good, but also great harm. Self-awareness is not the only ability a leader must have, but it is pivotal in his or her ability to make ethical decisions.

Hitler provides an example of a charismatic pseudo-leader whose lack of ethics and self-awareness had disastrous consequences. Unaware of the repressed rage and self-loathing that lurked beneath the surface of his consciousness, he directed the mass murder of millions of people whom he deemed “unclean”-- a graphic example of the consequences of shadow projection. Hitler’s self-loathing and aggression, combined with his lack of awareness and self-examination resulted in the deaths of millions of innocents. His conviction and charisma, paired with his ability to play on the fears and prejudices of those he led, resulted in the participation of thousands in genocide.

Pema Chodron, a Buddhist nun committed to self-examination and lifelong learning, writes this about meditation as a vehicle for self-knowledge:

"You could… begin to notice whenever you find yourself blaming others or justifying yourself. If you spend the rest of your life just noticing that and letting it be a way to uncover the silliness of the human condition--the tragic yet comic drama that we all continually buy into--you could develop a lot of wisdom and a lot of kindness as well as a great sense of humor" (1991).

Chodron shows how through self-awareness we feel connected to all other beings, and can choose to move through our lives with resilience and humor.

Conclusion
To summarize, I believe leadership is a creative process that calls all involved to adhere to the highest standards of behavior, ethics and personal responsibility. Leaders must cultivate courage, humility, compassion, imagination, and demonstrate a commitment to fostering leadership in others, while maintaining their own personal growth, and awareness. Leadership, like wisdom, is a goal that we move toward knowing it can never be fully attained in life; it is a path that we can walk if we choose.

References
Chodron, P. (1991). No such thing as a true story. In (Ed.), The Wisdom of no escape (p. ). Boston: Shambala Publications.
Wikipedia. (29). Ray Anderson (entrepreneur). Retrieved October 16, 2006, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Anderson_%28entrepreneur%29