Please respond to your classmates posts.
Donna: Ethics are the moral principles that govern a person’s actions. It refers to standards of what is right and wrong in terms of justices, obligations and benefits to society. Trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, and caring are some of the virtues of an ethical person. Leaders exercise power by influencing the behavior of others, and it is important that the leader exercises that power ethically. An organization that supports an ethical leader and ethical practices will increase chances of success and trust from their employees and customers. Leaders inspire and set examples for their staff and organization. If one is an ethical leader, they can influence others in a positive way, and present a set of ethical actions that employees can adopt. An ethical leader leads by example and when the leader aligns their ethical principles with the organizational values then job satisfaction increases. There is an increased sense of belonging, better morale which lead to loyal and highly motivated employees. However, when it comes to negotiations, being ethical is more difficult as everyone is acting for their own self-interest. Although there is no standard of conduct with negotiations, parties are confronted by raw conflict with participants not acting rationally. The article, “Swindlers, Dealmakers, and Mediators: A Brief History of Ethics in Negotiations,” suggests four codes of behaviors to protect the parties and integrity of negotiations – disclosing conflict of interest, clarifying roles, protecting the parties’ right of termination, and confidentiality. However, the article ends with a quote that suggest how difficult it is to be ethically during negotiations. “The best mediators need to have a soul of a humanist, the mind of a strategic analyst, and the heart of a dealmaker, with a pinch of larceny thrown in, just for good measure.” Now that’s a funny ending!
Ignacio: Last week’s lesson defined vulnerability as a leader in a business sense that I feel was new to me and that I can use while being a leader. An ethical leader is to aspire, produce change, and contribute to the growth of others (Gallagher & Tschudin,2010). If we can show that we are human, even though we may have a hierarchical title, we will gain the trust of our co-workers. The power to lead and resolve conflicts involves connections between co-workers. I have reflected on the relationships at work where I am my authentic self, I am less private and more communicative, and those relationships have a level of trust that my other relationships do not have.
I reflect on my past learnings and know my leadership skills can only improve. Leadership is a group of behaviors continually enhanced and developed through processes such as negotiation and communication; without trust, it is challenging to have followers ( Makhdom,2013). Although this seems like common sense, it hasn’t always been something I concerned myself with. But now that I am in a leadership role, I know that trust and empathy lead to being a better leader. Regarding ethics, I would hope that better relationships would allow for more trustful ethical communications because of trust.
Ken: “The essence of Ethics (core of ethics) is to understand those philosophies which guide us in determining what is right or wrong” (A. A. George, 2018). I believe that knowing what is right from wrong is not only important in business but in personal lives as well.
Villirilli (2021) states that ethical leadership means that individuals behave according to a set of principles and values that are recognized by the majority as a sound basis for the common good. These include integrity, respect, trust, fairness, transparency, and honesty. As with many organizations, there is a vision and mission where all the individuals in the organization can work towards the common goal. When leaders perform their responsibilities ethically, they can inspire their teams and those around them to behave ethically as well. In return, the organization benefits from increased productivity, efficiency, and less conflict.
I believe leaders should lead by positive example. What I mean is, if you want a productive team, give them productive feedback. If you want respect, give them respect. Teams need a leader they can trust. The stronger the connection between the team and leader can vastly improve outcomes, goals, and overall morale. I experience this now in my current organization and can say having a servant leader as my superior has identified some of my flaws to help me be a better leader in the future.
In my opinion, being ethical isn’t just for business leaders, it’s a way of life.
