Leadership, Ethics And Followership

Running Head: LEADERSHIP, ETHICS AND FOLLOWERSHIP 1

Leadership Relation to Ethics and Followership: Comparison and Contrast

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LEADERSHIP, ETHICS AND FOLLOWERSHIP 2

Leadership Relation to Ethics and Followership: Comparison and Contrast

Leaders play a crucial role in the organization’s performance. The leaders’ ability to

motivate followers or workers contributes significantly to the achievement of set goals and

objectives. Similarly, ethical principles define the capabilities of a leader to direct the staff into

taking a certain direction and perform tasks competently. The following shows how leaders

relate to followership and ethics in an organization, contributing to its success or failure.

Additionally, there are some differences depicted which do not necessarily affect their

significance.

Leadership and Ethics

Leaders’ ethics highly affect the employees’ motivation, positively or negatively. Low

ethical standards by executive leaders necessitate followers’ justification of poor performance

and unacceptable behaviors. According to Ciulla (1998), leaders help define the behavior of the

staff in an organization. Similarly, “the meter and behavior established by leaders set the pattern

and establish the models of our behavior as individuals and as a group” (Ciulla, 1998, p.26).

Additionally, morals constitute the emotional part of a manager. This helps him or her to deal

with ambivalent situations individually or among the staff members. In ambivalence, leaders take

distractive tasks in avoidance of discomfort and the unwillingness to take their executive

decision-making role (Simon, 2006). Therefore, business ethics and moral principles help

explain what is required as a leader and what to avoid. Despite the significant relationship

between quality leadership and business ethics, there are some instances where leadership is not

dictated by good morals or leaders’ ethics.

LEADERSHIP, ETHICS AND FOLLOWERSHIP 3

The two contrast in definition; leadership is the ability to direct individuals in a group or

institution while ethics means the drive to distinguish between what is right and wrong. The

success of a leader is not directly dependent of the ethical principles. Worthiness of a leader is

measured only in terms of character (Ciulla, 1998). On the other hand, ethics, at individual level,

are defined by actions and results from those actions.

Leadership and Followership

Studies show that “transformational and charismatic leaders” promote optimism and

positivity in promotion focus by employees, which constitute to positive results (Kark & Dijk,

2007, p.516). Followers’ rights and roles in an organization describe the leaders' responsibilities.

Ciulla (1998) argues, “Followers’ rights require that leaders recognize their true role within the

commonwealth” (p. 33). Therefore, leaders’ decisions are highly based on the needs of their

followers. Additionally, leadership can be termed as services to others. This means that leaders

aim at satisfying the needs of their followers who are an important part of the leadership

phenomenon (Ciulla, 1998). A great leader listens to his or her followers; accept suggestions and

offer opinions and solutions. The relation between leaders and followers define the possibilities

of success in any task. Leaders should focus on motivating their followers substantially for them

to perform considerably. Communication should also be strengthened for access to relevant

information contributing to timely and accurate decisions.

In contrast, a leader aims at motivating and provide for the needs of his or her followers,

while followers aim at increasing their own satisfaction at the expense of their responsibilities.

Leaders may portray high level of business ethics and motivational skills but performance rates

fail to hike. This may be due to uncooperative followers.

LEADERSHIP, ETHICS AND FOLLOWERSHIP 4

Conclusion

Leadership, ethics and followership are inter-related and form the crucial contributing

factor to the organizations’ success. Despite some differences, the three describe an organization,

for example “stewardship responsibilities of leadership are dependent upon recognition of roles

and rights of followers” which is determined by the leaders’ ethics (Cuilla, 1998, p.33). Ethics

promote good leadership, which enhances followership relations leading to better performance at

the workplace. Competent decision makers liaise with their followers to get adequate

information for efficiency in decision-making process. Simon (2006) states that effective

decisions are based on efficiency of quality information and the ability to interpret it

competently. Making a choice between what is important and is not defines a great leader. Ciulla

(1998) argues, ethics of leadership constitute to the “ethical choices and decisions” made by the

workers at the workplace (p.26). In addition, leaders only cannot achieve success; followers need

to play a part in the realization goals and objectives. Therefore, the moral obligation should not

just be for the leader, but for the followers as well.

LEADERSHIP, ETHICS AND FOLLOWERSHIP 5

References

Gini, A. (1998). Moral Leadership and Business Ethics. In Ciulla, J. B. (Ed.). Ethics, the Heart of

Leadership (2

ed.). (pp.25-43). ABC-CLIO.

Kark, R. & Dijk, D. V. (2007). Motivation to Lead, Motivation to Follow: The Role of the Self-

regulatory Focus in Leadership Processes. Academy of Management Review, 32(2), 500–

528.

Simon, A. F. (2006). Leadership and Managing Ambivalence. Consulting Psychology Journal:

Practice and Research, 58(2), 91–105.

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