Issues of morality have become critical to leadership development. Many leaders are encouraged to be morally upright and conduct their public and private affairs morally upright.
Sexual immorality, corruption, deception, money laundering and bribery are some of the vices that have tangled some of the world leaders. List of world leaders entangled in unethical issues is endless.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn resigned as head of the International Monetary Fund amid allegations that he sexually assaulted a maid in a luxury Manhattan hotel. James McDermott Jr, former chief executive and chairman of Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, spent five months in prison and barred from the securities industry in 2000 after leaking stock tips to a porn star girlfriend Kathryn Gannon. Former USA President Bill Clinton apologized to the country for his conduct in the Monica Lewinsky sex scandal. Victor Emmanuel, who is the son of Italy’s last king, was stripped of his title in 2006 after his arrest involving a sex scandal with prostitutes.
Madoff was sentenced 150 years in prison, after pleading guilty to federal charges that include fraud and money laundering. He lured many high-profile investors by promising to beat the market through a slow and steady investment strategy. In 1920, Charles Ponzi duped thousands of investors, promising massive returns on international reply coupons, which could be purchased in one country and redeemed for postage stamps in another. Ponzi became a millionaire in a few months, but the scam’s scope brought him down.
Recently, I read some saddening information concerning a civic leader who had been vocal on national matters in Zambia. The sexual revelation, he made has left me wondering what type of a Leader he is.
It is in this regard that, I would like to share some thoughts on moral Leadership. Is moral leadership possible? Or is morality important in leadership? Moral Leadership is a different kind of leadership that is about particular capacities and skills. Moral Leaders know how to manage themselves, how to temper their egos and how to act with nobility and rectitude. Moral Leaders are moral compass of an enterprise or organization and the glue that holds it together.
Moral leadership goes beyond doing what is legal. The personal character of leaders influences their ability and willingness to act on moral principles. Morality in leadership matters a lot. The moment you accept a leadership position, you have to be prepared to be in public gaze. Your conduct needs to be impeccable. What you say and do needs to be measured.
As a leader, you are accountable to the employees and to the society at large. Every word or action of a leader is watched by countless followers. The implication and impact of anything that a leader says and does can range from small to immense. Leadership, therefore, comes with responsibilities to take care of ones character.
Moral leaders anchor their behavior on ethics. Ethical leadership is knowing your core values and having the courage to live them in all parts of your life in service of the common good. If leaders are ethical, they can ensure that ethical practices are carried out throughout the organization.
By demonstrating ethical leadership we promote a high level of integrity that stimulates a sense of trustworthiness, and encourages subordinates to accept and follow our vision. Character and integrity provides a strong foundation for other personal characteristics that direct our ethical beliefs, values, and decisions.
Therefore, morality is a critical factor in leadership; its absence could turn an otherwise powerful leadership model into a disastrous outcome. So, Leaders are encouraged to be morally upright at all time. As the bible say if any man aspires to be a leader, they must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable and able to teach.