Many of today’s leaders suffer from a crisis of conscience. Ayers (2006) observes that the moral and ethical void present in many leaders results in lack of vision, confidence and purpose. Experiencing declining effectiveness in their roles and positions, they tend to blame inadequate training and insufficient overall preparation to lead an organization, a department or division. This crisis of conscience is actually a crisis of ethics!

Nouwen (1989) cautions leaders against the temptations of being popular, being spectacular and being powerful. He advises them instead to be thoughtful, to be service  – minded and completely vulnerable, yielding to inner virtues and principles of collaboration.

Leaders must be clear about their own ethics and what they value. Each leader has values which are deeply engrained in their being and are readily reflected in how they respond to their roles in life. Hultman (2002) maintains that values perform the three key actions of: 1) preventing exposure to perceived threats 2) orienting to society and 3) spurring growth. Shared values foster feelings of personal achievement, encourage ethical behavior, foster teamwork and promote high levels of company loyalty (Kouzes and Posner, 2012).

By being clear and transparent about who they are and what they value, leaders can alleviate any confusion or sense of ambivalence about what is considered standard ethical behavior.

References:

Ayers, M (2006.) Towards a Theology of Leadership. Journal of Biblical Perspectives in Leadership. Volume 1, Number 1, pp.3-27.

Hultman, K. (2002). Balancing Individual and Organizational Values: Walking the tightrope to success. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.

Kouzes, J. & Posner, B. (2012). The Leadership Challenge: How to Make Extraordinary Things Happen in Organizations. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. 5th edition.

Nouwen, H. (1989). In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership. New York: The Crossroads Publishing Company.