Introduction
Ethics is explained by the adherence of certain socially acceptable behaviours and practices. This subject deals with the goodness of the society and individuals. Ethical theories on leadership stress on the character and personality traits of leaders and the behaviours and actions of leaders. There are various definitions of ethical leadership and these have mainly focussed on behaviours, values and traits of leaders. Professionals have identified several motives and traits which are associated with ethical leaders. These qualities are honesty, fair, altruistic and trustworthy (Dierendonck, 2010).
The importance of ethical leadership is growing as certain renowned organizations like Lehmann Brothers, Enron and the like have fallen in fame and grace due to ethical failures. Such ethical failures have spurred firms to reassess their strategies which have further aided them that ethical leadership helps to attain and sustain profitable business enterprises. According to Greenleaf, “service to followers is the primary responsibility of leaders and the essence of ethical leadership”. There are various definitions on ethical leadership which emphasizes that the main function of ethical leaders is to emphasize on influencing subordinates to undertake correct behavioural and moral conduct and activities (Monahan, 2012).
According to Greenleaf, servant leader is one who has the will to serve. This is a conscious and deliberate choice which motivates a person to lead. This style of leadership involves subordinates in the decision making process, has strong traces of caring and ethical conduct and helps to increase the growth of personnel at the same time enhancing the quality and caring of the organizational culture. The two words leader and servant have diametrically opposite explanations. However the paradoxical term of servant leadership was coined by Greenleaf. Further scholars have identified ten traits which are associated with servant leadership. These are community building, loyal to the growth and wellbeing of people, stewardship, conceptualization, foresight, listening skills, persuasion, awareness, empathy and healing (Spears, 2010).
The explanation of the servant leader is provided by the book Journey to the East by Hermann Hesse. In his book, Leo is the servant who does all the chores for the group of people who are travelling. Leo sings for them and entertains them and keeps the group together. This take a turn with the disappearance of Leo and the group loses direction. At this juncture of time, it is discovered that the leader of this group was Leo and in his absence the group has lost focus on continuing with the goal (Ciulla, 1995).
The definition of servant leadership proposed by Greenleaf indicates ethical conduct as one of the attribute of this leadership style. The servant leader’s conduct is based on the individual’s concept of serving the organization and the employees. Hence, a servant leader has certain qualities of trust and honesty. Servants have associated servant leadership styles as following virtue ethics. The attribute of stewardship in servant leaders is associated by keeping all personnel focussed to attain particular goals of the organization with the boundaries of certain values which are shared by the organization. Hence, this view is in compliance with ethical activities and conducts and further conforms to particular rules and regulations (Reinke, 2004).
Theories of servant leadership emphasize on the normative theories of ideal leadership. According to these theories a servant leader is an individual who displays high amount of openness, trust, mutual respect, loyalty and cooperation. The most important traits displayed in a servant leader are as follows:
- Integrity – the servant leader communicates in an honest and open manner. The leader is loyal and knows to honour promises. The individual also behave in a manner which is compliant with values, accepts and admits responsibility for mistakes and also does not try to either deceive or manipulate individuals for self interest.
- Altruism – the servant leaders like to help followers takes risks and makes certain sacrifices for the benefit of personnel. The servant leader is one who is concerned about the needs of followers rather than the leader’s own needs and aspirations. The leader also volunteers gladly for performing certain tasks which are not included in the formal requirement of the job and needs additional time to perform such tasks.
- Humility – the servant leader is a person who displays utmost humility by avoiding special privileges and status symbols. Such individual admits mistakes and limitations, also modestly acknowledges certain achievements and when a group effort is successful then praises for the contribution of all the group members.
- Healing and empathy – A servant leader is one who believes and acknowledges diversity, helps followers to face emotional distress, supports reconciliation and forgiveness after conflict situations and acts as a peacemaker or mediator in conflict situations.
- Personal growth –a servant leader facilitates and supports the development of individual capability and self confidence. Acts as a guide and mentor by providing chances to learn despite the risks of committing mistakes and also aids followers to learn from their mistakes.
- Justice and fairness – a servant leader supports and encourages fair treatment to all individuals, opposes unjust policies and practices, protests against attempts to deceive or manipulate individuals or when organizations try to violate or undermine the civil rights of employees.
- Empowerment – A servant leader involves followers in the decision making process especially those that are relevant to followers. He or she believes in providing discretion and autonomy to superiors by providing sensitive and confidential information to them, supports them in voicing their concerns and also heeds dissenting opinions without displaying any defensive mechanism.
Thus, the servant leader is one who cares and values his followers and directs them to perform ethical tasks. He is value oriented and is capable of turning the entire organization for adhering to certain moral values and beliefs.
Servant leadership and ethics
Scholars have associated servant leadership as a style which complies with ethical practices. The concept of virtue has been associated with servant leadership by several scholars. Scholars have emphasized the essence of servant leaders in emphasizing on conducting correct tasks and having a positive moral character. There are certain qualities of servant leadership which are closely associated with ethical behaviours. These are trust, humility, agapao love, service, altruism, empowerment and vision (Dennis & Bocarnea, 2005).
Virtue ethics proposes that ethical behaviour is displayed by individuals who believe and adhere to ethical principles. In order to develop leaders having an essence of excellent character then it is necessary to mould people with positive values and virtues. An organization can only view ethical conduct from its personnel only if it has virtuous employees working in it. Also the organization needs to be ethically oriented. One of the main attributes of servant leadership is the integration of an ethical approach in the leadership style. This is because the attributes of servant leadership contribute positively to organizational and individual conduct (Wallace, 2006).
Scholars favouring servant leadership approach associates it will impeccable character. They further argue that a leader is a person having a moral character. To be a successful and efficient leader, an individual should practice vulnerability, love for followers and authenticity. Others believe that the first step to leadership is in building a character based on commitment and moral maturity to conduct activities with utmost honesty and integrity. From the above opinions of scholars, it may be inferred that the personal attributes of servant leaders comply with ethical conduct.
In order to make a firm ethically compliant, it needs to have group orientation towards conducting activities in an ethical manner. Servant leadership facilitates this approach. Most scholars suggest a systematic approach to taking decisions in an organization. However, servant leadership style believes in conduct tasks in an ethical manner and may reject systematic approaches if they did not match certain ethical standards. However, scholars have further argued that adhering to ethical process does not conform to ethical conduct. Process may be easily directed to follow one’s own selfish objectives. Moreover they may not always conform to the decision making processes. Servant leadership advocates taking decisions which conforms to certain virtues and ethics by following ones gut instincts and not blindly going by certain decision making systems and processes.
Also leaders should clearly comprehend the welfare of the society and the manner in which people promote public good. Servant leadership lies in doing well for the people. It involves in aiding others and enhances their growth in an organization. Hence, servant leadership believes in enhancing growth of the personnel and thereby enhancing growth of the organization.
A servant leader is one who integrates the members to choose apt ethical perspectives. The quality of altruism in servant leader helps to act as a strong force to conduct ethical good. Servant leaders are altruistic in nature and hence make strategic and correct choices for morally correct reasons. A servant leader works for the upkeep of the community as a whole and hence has the seven qualities of competence, commitment, conversation, conscience, collaboration, contribution and continuity. All these seven traits are used to serve the followers and the society as a whole in an ethical manner.
Conclusion
Finally an ethical approach to leadership should transcend the boundaries of religion and also should not take gender into consideration. Servant leadership does not make any reference with gender. Moreover the objective of servant leadership entails the welfare of personnel in a firm and hence they strive for growth and development of individuals in a firm.
Hence the traits of servant leadership have strong roots in the foundation of ethics. This is because individuals who want to care and grow for other individuals should make ethical decisions as making unethical decisions reflect self interest which does not comply with the traits of servant leaders. Also servant leadership can serve two important functions. First, it may be applied in organizations and employees working in a particular firm for them to ethically conduct business practices. Second, servant leadership may be taught to future leaders in order to display ethical character and resist from the unfavourable corporate pressures (McMahone, 2012).
Leadership is both a responsibility and a privilege. This is one of the reasons as to why it is expected that leaders should be ethical both in their leadership and in their personal life. Leaders act as role models for followers and help in setting instances for ethical practices and conducts for their followers, the group or the organization and to the society as a whole.
References:
Ciulla, J.B. (1995). Leadership ethics: mapping the territory. Business Ethics Quarterly, 5(1), 5 – 25.
Dennis, R.S. & Bocarnea, M. (2005). Development of the servant leadership assessment instrument. Leadership & Organizational Development Journal, 26(8), 600 – 615.
Dierendonck, D. (2010). Servant leadership: a review and synthesis. Journal of Management, 37(4), 1228 – 1261.
McMahone, M. (2012). Servant leadership as a teachable ethical concept. American Journal of Business Education, 5(3), 339 – 346.
Monahan, K. (2012). A review of the literature concerning ethical leadership in organizations. Emerging Leadership Journeys, 5(1), 56 – 66.
Reinke, S. J. (2004). Service before self: towards a theory of servant-leadership. Global Virtue Ethics Review, 5(3), 30 – 57.
Spears, L.C. (2010). Character and servant leadership: ten characteristics of effective, caring leaders. The Journal of Virtues & Leadership, 1(1), 25 – 30.
Wallace, R. J. (2006). Servant leadership: a worldview perspective. Servant leadership research roundtable. 1 – 21.
