In today's world, the complexity of systems has transformed the globe into a network that requires effective leaders capable of creating change. Despite successful businesses and achievements, a lack of leadership that meets the desired levels and adheres to ethical values is felt in every field. Agendas are shaken by scandals and unethical behavior of top figures in major corporations. Therefore, it is crucial to carefully consider the type of leaders we need for our country, institutions, and companies. It should not be forgotten that ineffective decisions can have dramatic consequences. Ethical leadership is a necessity that should start at the board level and extend to the general manager within organizations. Ethical behavior generally involves paying attention to what affects others rather than just ourselves. Ethical leaders are individuals who influence and guide people in a morally appropriate way for a common purpose. Ethical leaders are those who act in the best long-term interests of all stakeholders. However, it is essential to ensure that decisions do not have adverse effects on other segments of society.
In today's world, what matters most is ensuring that these segments, along with the organization's long and short-term goals, achieve positive outcomes. Ethical leadership globally seeks ways for all segments to benefit from decisions. The complex relationships and systems that shape both political and institutional levels necessitate leaders with superior skills and attention to practically implement what has been mentioned above. The constant evolution of political ideologies, systems, and changes, along with organizational management styles and systems, creates continuous pressure on humanity, increasing the need for more effective and ethical leaders.
Looking at the levels of leadership behavior, six types of personalities stand out. Exploiters use others' weaknesses for their own gains, disregarding results, and being insensitive. Compliant individuals measure success in terms of their gains, benefiting from others for financial and power gains, meeting laws at a minimum level, and minimizing risks in results. Effective leaders respect societal values, ethics, laws, and virtues, creating personal or corporate differences based on values. Sustainable leaders support the evolution of all elements in a broad framework where everything is interconnected.
For example, Mandela's leadership for South Africa was at least proactively involved. Ethical leaders are individuals with a mission in life, positioned between effective and sustainable levels. The more ethical a leader is, the more substantial and long-term the legacy they leave. Therefore, companies that operate ethically in the private sector are ultimately more successful.
The most critical challenge a leader faces is balancing short-term practices with long-term interests. While leaders may need to engage in some entirely unethical practices, ethical leaders are ultimately recognized and rewarded for doing what is right. When there is no harmony with ethical elements at the leadership level, elements such as greed, corruption, confusion, marginalization, and tension come to the forefront. Examples from the past include the Enron scandal and the events at Arthur Andersen. Scandals at the Bank of Scotland should also not be forgotten.
Although it is believed that ethical leaders contribute greater value to organizations, the question arises as to why these recent events have occurred in moral terms at high leadership levels. Nowadays, the media reveals that many events in organizations are not done in line with values. This is because society is accustomed to thinking that the best person for a position can be someone experienced with connections, without considering the person's personal values. In this context, clues to determine a leader's ethical power can be listed as follows:
Valuing the importance and functioning of management structures, receiving advice and feedback from these structures, and informing these structures about the issues the organization faces.
Receiving honest feedback from colleagues and making colleagues feel comfortable criticizing them on certain issues, responding positively to criticism from their own team.
Being open to communication with different stakeholders.
Supporting appropriate control mechanisms within the organization, establishing feedback mechanisms.
Sharing the values of the organization with all stakeholders and taking measures for those who violate them.
Setting an example by living the values.
Ethical leadership is also a crucial element that should be present in local management offices of multinational companies. CEOs of such companies are visible ethical leaders, and they need clear values and standards that demonstrate commitment to ethical leadership. These values should be determined in accordance with the company, society, country laws, and environmental factors. Ethical values should be emphasized in the vision, mission, strategy, and decisions, and the management team should implement an ethical management process. There may be three risks for an ethical management process that will ensure that the institution behaves responsibly: the visible commitment of the leaders of the company to ethical values, the communication quality of the company's ethical values, and the speed, visibility, and determination of the company's response to unethical incidents.
In summary, the need for effective, proactive, and sustainability-supporting ethical leaders and the contributions this approach will bring in practice are significant for both national and corporate development. We must strive to ensure that contemporary leaders in all fields possess these qualities.
Dr. Bilinç Dolmacı
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