Leadership Traits and Ethics
Leadership trait and ethics is a very broad area of study. While leadership is differently defined by different scholars, most of them seem to accommodate the essentialities of ethical leadership. The center for ethical leadership (2012) defines ethical leadership as the act of knowing one’s core values living them as part of your daily activities for the common good. Leadership therefore entails the acts of being in lead to guide or set an exemplary pace for others to follow; more often on the right part and leading to greater returns other than when there would be no leadership or direction of flow in the working of a group. Leadership therefore plays a vital role in the overall functioning of various operations in organizations and in individual behavior and character.
Ethical leadership and personality traits can be discussed following the big five model of classification which is the most widely accepted model. Different authors have different references to the models of classification but most of them would incorporate traits as shall be discussed in this essay. The Center for ethical leadership (2012) notes that there is the surgency, adjustment, agreeableness, open to experience and conscientiousness. These are the big five dimensions of traits.
Surgency personality trait incorporates the extraversion and leadership traits.In this there is the dominance-personality (Lussier & Achua, 2010). People who are involved in this trait have the natural desire to lead and control others. Those who are weak in surgency want to be controlled by others thus are not in competition to lead or occupy leadership positions in whatever capacity of service. Extraversion is in a continuum of between introvert and extroverts. While extroverts are outgoing and assertive in their nature, the introverts are shy and withdrawn (The Center for ethical leadership, 2012). They are not able to speak their minds off and express their thought in full before others. Therefore strong leaders are often found to be possessing strong surgency and personality traits in the overall functioning of their functions as leaders. Most of them are extroverts. They are able to to talk out their minds and have the power to influence decisions and offer guidance in particular situations.
Adjustment personality relates to traits of emotional stability Lussier &Achua, 2010). Adjustment is continuum between one who is emotionally stable and being emotionally unstable. The definition of one being emotionally stable refers to one who has self-composure in times in times of pressure, stable in mind, calm and portrays self-control. An unstable personality will often reflect traits of worry, panic, unsecure and highly critical in criticizing others. Most good leaders will manifest an emotionally stable trait and will be in praise of others other than indulging in acts of criticizing other even where criticism is unwarranted.
Conscientious is another level of traits that incorporate traits relating to achievement. It is also a continuum between responsible/dependable and irresponsible/undependable. Good leadership and trait are often, manifested through high achievement levels, thus individuals here have high levels of conscientiousness as compared to poor leaders. Other levels of the same trait include: credibility, conformity and high organization skills. Good leaders and managers possess these qualities (Lussier & Achua, 2010). While thus is the case, poor leadership is composed of poor conscientiousness, hence poor control of the working group. Members will often be in a subjugation of duty and demonstrate undependable character. They cannot be relied on and their achievement is quite unsubstantial and of low cadre.
The other trait of the big five model include the openness to experience. This model level trait involves members who are highly autonomous and adaptable to changes (Lussier & Achua, 2010). These ones are not tide down by conventions or rules of operation. Members will open to changes and shift the prevailing structures or mechanisms to try new things in the leadership front. They are therefore well placed in terms of offering leadership unlike those who are stuck-guided by giving pre-eminence to already established routines in the work places.
Leaders have different leadership traits and each has their own niche of strength when it comes to the strengths that they possess (Plinio, 2009). Therefore if one does not possess traits as shall be seen in the following analysis of qualities or traits identified in accordance to the big five model, it does not mean that they are not good leaders. Leaders have different strengths but the analysis centers on those traits that have far been supported by researches. The following are the traits of effective leaders that have been identified; dominance, high energy, internal locus control, integrity, flexibility, self-confidence, stability, intelligence and sensitivity to others.
Dominance is one of the major traits correlated to surgency as described above in the essay. Dominance therefore relates to good leaders through their overall desire to dominate through leadership. Good leaders are not equally bossy or bully in terms of the leadership they offer but instead they go beyond the ordinary intelligent quotient (Lussier &Achua, 2010)This means that some people are better than others in some things such as leadership in this case. While hat is the case, emotional intelligence refers to the ability of a person to work well with people. This implies that the members concerned have a competitive niche in determining the level of relation and interaction between different people of relation.
Flexibility in leadership entails leadership through the ability to change and adapt to the new environment to offset some set standards and adopt a better stand in as far as change is needed in the company of working (Plinio, 2009). This therefore means that leaders must be able to adopt change in the global standing for them to recognize the full benefits of better performance rather than continue using the already putrefied models of work. The ability to adopt and adapt to change defines who a good leader is. Ethical reference calls for consideration of all parties in operation and trying to accommodate all the changes in accordance to the recommendations given by both. Although change is hard to come by, the legitimacy of its good supersedes any logical standing. It is therefore a good act to engage in changes that will oversee a new direction of positive growth.
Sensitivity to others is another trait of good leadership trait. Sensitivity to others means that one is able to listen to others position and take on issues, understanding their logic of argument and constructing appropriate approach to influence their decisions or adopt the most suitable proposal of the time (Gabriele, 2011). Understanding others means that one is in constant review of the relation of others towards the approaches taken. One needs to be concerned about others more than they are concerned with themselves. This means that they are able to fully function in harmony with the rest as they put their interests before theirs. Good leaders will; often manifest the traits of stability in sense of emotions and the options of operation. They will act with integrity in times of crisis and leverage the extent of the options that they can take. This therefore means that members will often be in control of locus of logic they adopt or prefer in their ruling of leadership qualities.
Theory x and y was coined by Douglas McGregor on attitudes or belief systems. The assumptions were based on the relations workers have to their work. For x he expostulated that workers do not like working and therefore should be monitored and supervised to do their work, while in the y theory he assumed that workers like their work and do not need anybody to supervise or monitor them as they have the ethical calling and self-conscious to work (Gabriele, 2011). The theory asserts that members are self-guided and understand the reasons behind their working and therefore will in normal cases work without err or supervision. Leaders who adopt the theory x have a pessimistic view of the workers and most cases adopt autocratic rule based leadership coupled with threats and punishments (Lussier & Achua, 2010) This type of leadership is more detrimental I long term as employees may give up and resign from work. Workers need some understanding of their work and the acknowledgement that they are specialists and do who is right rather face criticisms and unfair judgment coupled with threats and punishments.
On the contrary leaders with theory y have a positive view of their employees. They often involved in participatory leadership where they indulge in positive motivation of employees (Motivational theories and their application in construction, 2005). They are more often indulging in the activities done by the employees, through assistance in areas of concern. Leaders here have a good grasp and rapport with their employees and therefore their work output is high compared to those with x theory approach. Ethical reference and inclination is highly followed in theory y as compared to theory x. Therefore good leaders should adopt the theory y approach as it has been tested and seen to work with high propensity as compared to the x.
In conclusion, ethical leadership as defined in the essay refers to the identification and knowledge of one’s core values and living them in part of life in service for the common good. This therefore means that leadership traits as defined here in will need the proper indulgence in all levels of good leadership models. Proper work ethos and rules of practice should be followed to the latter for a good leadership to be culminated in one.
References
Gabriele,E.F.(2011). Ethics Leadership in Research, Healthcare and Organizational Systems: Commentary and Critical Reflections. Journal Of Research Administration, 42(1), 88-102
Lussier, R. &Achua, C., (2010).Leadership: theory, application and skill development.USA, South-western cengage learning. Retrieved from http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=7ctnVNMtBQgC&pg=PA41&lpg=PA41&dq=The+big+five+model+traits+of+effective+leaders+
Motivational theories and their application in construction. (2005). Cost Engineering, 47(3), 14-18. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/220451052?accountid=45049
Plinio, A.J. (2009).Ethics and Leadership. International Journal of Disclosure& Governance.pp.277-288.doi:1057/jdg.2009.20
The Center for Ethical Leadership (2012). Ethical leadership. Retrieved from http://ethicalleadership.org/about-us/philosophies-definitions/ethical-leadership
