In every field, from business to politics to spirituality, the leaders are paving the way for the followers. A leader’s responsibility of guiding large numbers of people into the path of achieving their desired goal is commendable yet daunting. While the end goals vary based on the person/ domain, the leaders’ impactful role and contribution towards its accomplishment deserve due credit.
Whether they lead nations or organisations or thousands of followers, the harsh truth is, not everyone will be fond of the leaders. The reasons are never-ending, from disagreeing on goals and initiatives to clashing on work procedures to advocating conflicting ideologies.
Being everyone’s favourite shouldn’t be the priority while bringing about transformative changes but following an ethical path of pursuance is and should be. Each leader may differ from the other, but they must always be ethically correct, being just and equal to everyone. Discriminative, prejudiced behaviour towards people not standing in their support is the sign of an incapable and unethical leader.
The focal point of this piece is ethics and the necessity of its presence in future leaders. However, before discussing any further, it’s only fair to have a clear idea about an ethical mind.
Ethical Mind: What is it?
The human mind is a complex and extraordinarily mesmerising things on the planet. Just when we think that we know all about it, it surprises us with its plethora of capabilities. To facilitate its optimum utilisation, our mind has four crucial sections. One of them is the ethical mind!
Not having any ulterior purpose and much less calculative than the other three sections is the ethical mind of a person. The ethical mind is like a clean slate that doesn’t have any previously decided judgements and assumptions regarding anything or anyone.
People with an ethical mind don’t suppress their opinions or fear voicing them regarding anything they may consider ethically incorrect. On the contrary, an ethical person tries to see and do the right thing, which, at times, may not be accommodative of everyone’s approval.
Ethical Reasoning in Leaders
Though challenging to teach and follow in the people-pleasing world we live in, a good leader must possess sound ethical reasoning. Under ethical leadership, the teachings influence and direct the subordinates to follow principles and make decisions catering to the greater good.
Leaders are called so as they hold the power of inspiring people in making ground-breaking changes, which may otherwise seem impossible. As we are familiar, “with great power comes great responsibility”, setting an ethical foundation is, therefore, the responsibility of a leader. What makes for an ethical leader is the balanced blend of honesty, justice, respect, integrity, transparency, and responsibility.
In a world where crimes and injustice are on the rise, ethical reasoning is necessary now more than ever. The teachings of ethics need to be instilled from the early stages of childhood to raise responsible and ethical persons. The leaders leading by example leave an impressionable impact on all their followers, which is why they have to be ethically correct.
Standing for the common good, speaking up for, and acknowledging the ignored and deprived sections, are the traits of an ethical leader. Other traits include taking responsibility for actions and consequences, good and evil, and ethical reasoning even in trying situations.
Leaders bring about transformations and set the tone for the type of future an organisation or a nation will have. Setting up a solid ethical foundation will yield positivity, contentment, and harmony in every sphere and among all people. The consequences of a leader’s unethical behaviour aren’t faced by them alone but by everyone under them, bouncing back from which takes ages. It is why, in a leader, the presence of an ethical mind is essential.
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