Essay Sample on Leadership: Ethics and Courage, Key Values for Success

Introduction

Every great leader has their recipe for success, but one thing they all have in common is that they abide by certain values. One of the most important core values is ethics. Ethics is the adherence to moral principles that ensures that a leader does what is right and refrains from unethical practices such as corruption. Additionally, it is vital to respect professional ethics such as autonomy, beneficence, maleficence, and justice (Haddad & Geiger, 2020). Another key value is courage. According to Vilma (2018), a leader must be courageous and bold enough to take a stand, which is crucial in dealing with the pressures associated with leadership. Altruism is also a critical value especially for a healthcare professional (Banna, 2017). This value enables leaders to care for others including employees, customers, and stakeholders. A leader should also be a team player by embracing democratic leadership where the views of the team are considered and included in decision making. Therefore, ethics, courage, altruism, and being a team player are the core values that ensure successful leadership.

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Analysis of Clifton Strengths Assessment

The Clifton strengths assessment revealed five dominant themes including activator, deliberative, command, responsibility, and empathy. An activator is a person who is hungry to take action. This is a key trait in leadership since leaders are often called to be decisive by acting with swiftness to take advantage of an opportunity or help prevent a catastrophe (Surji, 2015). Despite being quick to act, I am also deliberative. As a leader, it is vital to learn how to step back and critically assess situations as it helps in effective planning. The command theme allows me to take charge. Whenever I am working in a team, I am not afraid to take initiative and express my opinion. I also have a strong sense of responsibility that ensures I take necessary action to ensure I meet my objectives without waiting for others. Finally, I am empathetic as I always care about how my actions impact others. As a result, I always find the best course of action that takes into consideration the interests of others.

Two Key Weaknesses

One behaviour that needs to be addressed is the notion that when I want something to succeed, I need to do it personally, which makes me a poor team player. Although having command and taking responsibility are my strengths, they have their weaknesses. I tend to be involved in everything, rarely delegating.

Another weakness is that I value the opinion others have of me which hinders my decision making since I always strive to please everyone. However, life has taught me that it is almost impossible to please everyone. As a result, I need to accept criticism and accept that not everyone can accept my decisions.

Development Plan to Improve Weaknesses

It is vital to find ways to be a better team player. First, there is a need to learn how to delegate. Therefore, I will start delegating some of my duties starting with less demanding tasks as I progress gradually. I also need to step back and let others take charge while being part of the team to give them a chance to grow and to learn from them. I intend to take a LinkedIn course in teamwork which will equip me with skills on how to be a better team player.

Conclusion

There is also a need to learn that a leader cannot please everyone. To eradicate this behaviour, I need to learn how to prioritize the objectives of an undertaking and focus less on the opinions of others. I will stop asking for reviews from others and being too critical of myself. Finally, I will learn to ignore negative criticism and take pride in my achievements.

References

Banna, D. (2017). Core professional and personal values of nurses about nursing in Erbil city hospitals: a profession, not just a career. Nursing and Care Open Access Journal, 2(6), 169-173. https://medcraveonline.com/NCOAJ/core-professional-and-personal-values-of-nurses-about-nursing-in-erbil-city-hospitals-a-profession-not-just-career.html

Haddad L., Geiger R. (2020). Nursing ethical considerations. StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526054/

Surji, K. (2015). Understanding leadership and factors that influence leaders’ effectiveness. European Journal of Business and Management, 7(33), 154-167. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313636384_Understanding_Leadership_and_Factors_that_Influence_Leaders'_Effectiveness

Vilma, Z. (2018). Leadership values and values-based leadership: What is the main focus? Applied Research in Health Sciences, 15(1), 43-58. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331659641_Leadership_Values_and_Values_Based_Leadership_What_is_the_Main_Focus