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Ethical Leadership

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Ethical Leadership
Ethical Leadership Influence plays a major part in leadership (Yukl, 2010). Powerful leaders can have a huge impact on the lives of followers and the organization (Yukl, 2010). Leaders will use power, but the primary issue is whether the leaders will use the power wisely (Yukl, 2010). At the expense the organization and the public, powerful leaders can move up in their careers and economic gain (Yukl, 2010). A leader can make unethical practices look legitimate and even influence the members of the organization to engage in “crimes of obedience” (Yukl, 2010). One reason why some people are so interested in the ethical aspects of leadership is the misuse of power (Yukl, 2010). Five leadership behaviors that are most unethical are: (1) charismatic leadership, (2) abusive supervision, (3) toxic leadership, (4) showing favoritism and (5) Using company time to handle personal business.
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Unethical Leadership behaviors
Charismatic leadership Charismatic leadership can affect the minds of people’s minds and coordinate their actions (Slideshare, 2012). Leaders who try to promote self-interest and manipulate their follower, are known to use unethical charismatic leadership (Slideshare, 2012). Unethical charismatic leaders will use power for their own personal gain, promote their own interests, believe in one-way communication, tend to be insensitive to the needs of the followers, and rely on external moral standards to satisfy their own self-interests (Slideshare, 2012).
Abusive leadership Power is a great motivator (Chandler, 2009). “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely” (Bowman & West, 2007). Leaders sometimes tend to use their power in a wrong manner. At times leaders may use their power to intimidate the subordinate into doing their work. An example of abusive leadership is leaders who make their subordinates do things that are not within their job description. For example, picking up their children, and



Bibliography: (201). Retrieved from Emerging Leaders of 2011: http://emergingleaders2011.blogspot.com/ Bowman, J. S., & West, J. P. (2007). Journal of Business Ethics. Lord Acton and Employment Doctrines:Absolute Power and the Spread of. Chandler, D. J. (2009). The Perfect Storm of Leaders’ Unethical Behavior: A Conceptual Framework. International Journal of Leadership Studies. Ciulla, J. B. (2002). Ethics and Leadership. Lead Change Group. (2012). Retrieved from Lead Change Group: http://leadchangegroup.com/toxic-leadership/ Michael Hyatt Intentional Leadership. (2012). Retrieved from Eight Leadership Lessons from Martin Luther King, Jr: http://michaelhyatt.com/ NBCNews.com. (2012). Retrieved from Ethics investigation finds Palin abused power: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27105917/ns/politics-decision_08/t/ethics-investigation-finds-palin-abused-power/ Slideshare. (2012). Retrieved from CHARASMATIC LEADERS: Ethical vs Unethical Leadership: http://www.slideshare.net/lilkirsh/charasmatic-leaders-ethical-vs-unethical-leadership#btnNext Wood, B. (2011). University of Melbourne Business School. Retrieved from What is Ethical Leadership?: http://www.mbs.edu/go/news/what-is-ethical-leadership Yukl, G. (2010). Leadership in Organizations. Prentice Hall.

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