I do know that Power and Ethics do not seem to make good bedfellows.
Look at Jimmy Carter. A man that seems to be an ethical man, a good man, and a loving man.
While a few people have praised his presidency while he was president, and a lot of people look back and wish they had grabbed him for another 4 years---blinders were on so many back then; and now most people look at him, his return to his family and his work with habitat for humanity and his plain and simple wisdoms---most people thought of him as forgettable. What did he do for me? What did he do for the good of my group?
And there lies the problem.
Most of us only want honesty, goodness, fairness, justice, and ethics when they will personally benefit us. We want to get a raise, but don't give a crap about other groups getting a raise. We don't want the possibility of making massive money in the stock market made safer but less profitable, if we have money in the stock market. If we have health insurance, or paid family leave or 4 weeks vacation through work, then why doesn't everyone get a job like mine. And, if everyone that can benefit from college can go to college, the competition for the job I studied for just went up. How does that help me?
We are living in the time when all the progress made by the suffragettes at the turn of the last century (100 years ago--OMG!) all the progress made by the civil rights workers over the last 150 years, all the progress made regarding women and brown people and children could prove not to have been progress at all but more of a rosy hiccup of the universe that is currently ending.
I could list corrupt world leaders or corrupt local politicians or corrupt judges and district attorneys and officers of the law.
I could list people whose jobs give them power over others that have used that power to ensure sexual favors, bribes, forgiveness for their illegal activities and getting their backs scratched by other's in power in exchange for their own favors.
I could list people who have abused their own power so badly that they have left trails of bodies, piles of destroyed careers, rumors of abuse buried in police reports.
But those lists would be so long, and so depressing that I can't touch that.
Ethics is defined as a moral philosophy or code of morals practiced by a person or group of people.
Ethical leaders all have some things in common. They do not compromise their stand on ethics for the benefit of themselves or their group.
An ethical leader is always fair and just. They have no favorites, and treat everyone equally.
An ethical leader shows respect for all by listening to them attentively, valuing their contributions, being compassionate, and being generous while considering opposing viewpoints.
Being humane is one of the most revealing traits of a leader who is ethical and moral. Ethical leaders place importance on being kind, and act in a manner that is always beneficial to others.
Ethical leaders foster a sense of community. When an ethical leader strives to achieve goals, it is not just personal goals that they’re concerned about. They make genuine efforts to achieve goals that benefit the entire group– not just themselves.
In ethical leadership, all decisions are first checked to ensure that they are in accordance with the values of the group. Only those decisions that meet this criterion are implemented.
Under an ethical leader, everyone thrives and flourishes
Ethical leadership is not just about talking the talk, this type of leader also walks the walk. The high expectations that an ethical leader has are also applicable on the individual level. Leaders expect others to do the right thing by leading by example.
Ethical leaders set the standard for truth--both with their words and their expectation of honest bookkeeping/record keeping and reporting. There are no memos to shred telling assistant number one to make sure no one finds out about that problem that we had. Honesty is transparent.Ethical leaders understand that they must be the leaders of all those under their wing and not just their buddies or some elite group that they are also part of. They do not make deals to benefit one group under them while ignoring or hurting another group under them.
Ethical leaders do not seek yes-men, they seek genuine experts in their fields to help them see the full, long-range picture. They expect collaboration on decisions instead of just impulsively saying something and then trying to make it happen whether it makes sense or not. Ethical leaders are not ego-driven.
Ethical leaders do not deny the leadership abilities of others, but instead work with them respectfully.
Ethical leaders are not dictators, fascists, the supreme being, the king (or queen) for life. They never abuse their power.
A short list of ethical leaders includes:
- Socrates (possible fictional character--but who can say for sure)
- Jesus
- Mahatma Gandhi (but not perfect)
- Mother Teresa (mostly perfect)
- Jimmy Carter
- Calvin Coolidge
- James Monroe
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
- Che Guevara
- Mark Twain (ok, that is not even his real name, so maybe not)
- Will Rogers (if he wasn't, he at least knew what one didn't look like and could make you laugh while describing him or her.)
It's a tough list. Nobody is perfect.
But currently, we seem to have lost our moral compass at the top. Our leaders are mostly self-serving, backscratching, hedonists that just want power so they can do whatever they want.
Time to find some ethical people to add to this crummy mix we currently have.
I may love a good historical novel or western movie, but prefer not to find myself living in either.
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