Ethical Leadership: Respect, Fairness, Honesty and Trust - Essay Sample

Introduction

According to Trevino (2016), leadership refers to the ability and process of influencing, directing, and guiding people towards a goal within an outlined situation. The term also encompasses the capacity to guide a team towards the achievement of a goal. Ethical leadership entails respect for values and ethical beliefs that include the rights of others and dignity. A moral leader upholds fairness, charisma, consideration, honesty, and trust. Ethical leaders exhibit such traits, including leadership by example, value-driven initiatives, morality, and justice (Lemoine et al., 2019). The paper will address an ethical scenario, analyze the resulting outcome of the Ethical Lens Inventory, and brief analysis of the writer's top five values derived from the Clarifying Your Values exercises.

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An Overview of the Selected Non-Fictional Leader

Warren Buffet is an American business mogul, philanthropist, and investor born on August 30, 1930 (Trevino, 2016). The legendary entrepreneur is the current CEO and Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway and named as one of the most respected business leaders around the world. As of December 2019, Buffet had a total net worth of $88.9 billion and held number four as the world's richest person (Lemoine et al., 2019). Buffet has a vast interest and holding in coal, renewable energy, and stock.

Ethical Traits Demonstrated by Buffet

Warren Edward Buffet stands tall among the world's investors, philanthropists, and business moguls. For over a decade since early 2000, Buffet maintains a top position among the world's most affluent business investors (Kelly, 2013). However, one outstanding concept about Buffer entails his leadership style. Buffet has strong ethical values that include openness, honesty, and respect for all. Buffet stands tall as an authentic leader, whose leadership style arises from trustworthiness, respect, reliability, justice, beneficence, and confidentiality (Kelly, 2013). The key traits of this influential leader include discipline, patience, and integrity.

An Explanation of How Buffet Exhibited Ethical Conduct

As a disciplined investor and leader, Warren Buffet upholds the rule of law, obeys his established rules, and respects authority in all his dealings. Buffet acknowledges that while seeking out for employees, he looks out for three things that include energy, intelligence, and integrity (Kelly, 2013). Over the years, Buffet ensures that his business deals and engagements uphold uprightness, honesty, and honor. Without integrity, Buffet has always believed that one can never adhere to moral standards. Patience remains his guiding principle in all his investments (Kelly, 2013). Buffet stands forth like a patient investor, waiting for the right moment to make the best decision.

Buffet has a strict rule of thumb on personal integrity, and it entails doing the right thing and upholding integrity (Trevino, 2016). For example, Buffet believes that the tax system that allows him to pay a lower tax than his employees is unfair and does not help those on the smaller salary scale. Through the "Buffet Rule," Buffet exemplified an ethical leader sensitive to others' plight and financial position (Kelly, 2013). Ethically, it makes little sense that those earning the highest pay the least tax. In his proposal, Buffet proposed a thirty percent minimum tax for those earning over 100 percent per year (Trevino, 2016). Moral conduct anchors on three critical principles that include integrity, trustworthiness, and honesty. In most cases, investors and business persons lack transparency and honesty. However, due to his moral standing and sensitivity to other situations, Buffet has, over the years, proved his authentic values.

Comparing the Deontological and Consequentialist Perspectives

According to Trevino (2016), deontological and consequentialist have unique attributes that can impact people's approach to different ethical scenarios. Deontological ethics states that a moral action depends on established rules instead of the resulting outcome (Bialek& De Neys, 2017). In practice, action stands out as the most essential instead of the consequences. In the scenario, the deontological perspective would uphold the action as it is the best course in reducing healing time for patients. The ethics will focus more on the measures taken to help the patients instead of focusing on the potential lethal severe infection. The most important aspect of the scenario to a dent logician is the action of helping and reducing pain in the patient, thus helping them out of their misery (Trevino, 2016). The resulting outcome will receive minimal focus as it does not form an essential aspect regarding consequentialist.

According to Bialek and De Neys (2017), the consequentialist ethical approach upholds that the ultimate ground of action remains its consequences. In the scenario, the consequential perspective will condemn the production of the medical device since, in the end, it will bring more suffering to the patients. Despite helping the patients achieve dramatic healing, it produces a lethal infection. The deontologist will applaud the production and use of the medical device due to its reduction of healing time. The consequentialist perspective will denounce its usage. The deontologist will approach the dilemma from the actions aspect (Bialek & De Neys, 2017). On the other hand, while the consequentialist will approach the dilemma from the result of final consequences.

Levels of Cognitive Moral Development

Kohlberg's Cognitive moral development upholds that moral reasoning forms the ground upon which ethical conduct develops (Trevino, 2016). The growth occurs in primarily sex development phases that include level 1, (Pre-Conventional), level 2 (Conventional), and level 3 (Post conventional). The first part of pre-conventional entails obedience and punishment. The second part involves self-interest and orientation (Bialek& De Neys, 2017). The second level (Conventional) implies conformity, social order, and authority in which law and order morality upholds. On the third level, the most outstanding aspects require universal ethical principles and social contract orientation. The presented scenario falls under the second level of moral development that involves the acceptance of a people's convention relating to wrong and right.

The standard requires obedience to the rule of law, and all persons follow and uphold the law (Bialek& De Neys, 2017). At the same time, society expects all to play by the established rules. The primary purpose of obeying the law involves building a well-functioning culture. Society pays keen attention to following the law, moral duty, and obligation expected of everyone. In the scenario, everyone has the moral obligation to obey the law, and failing to do so leads to repercussions. The conscious awareness of these points to the conventional level where there is a social order for upholding the rule of law and the social norm to conform to established legislation. In the first part, "what action would be best for society in the long term?" has a direct relation to the post-conventional level, which underscores the best that works for people in society. In the second part, "If I reveal this information, will my company find and fire me?" has a relation to the pre-convention moral aspect. Assume dismissal from the workplace in comparison to staying obedient just to keep one's job."Which actions would best serve justice?" has a relation to post-conventional morality. Under issues to do with justice, rules and laws have a strong implication and require a closer look into the fundamental principles relating to the best moral course of action.

On the other hand, "If I keep quiet, will my company reward me for that?" connect with pre-conventional moral development. Making a viable achievement at a personal level in such a circumstance entails fulfillment at a personal level, a clear using of indulgence (Trevino, 2016). Disclosing the negative impacts of the medical device would serve a greater good since a large number of people will not experience a lethal infection. The action of following an established social order helps in ensuring that all persons conduct themselves in the best way possible by putting others' interests at heart. Although by revealing this information, the employee risks losing their job, they will serve a greater good that entails conforming to the rules and maintaining an established social order.

A Reflection on Personal Ethical Lens Inventory (ELI)

An Explanation on My Preferred Ethical Lens Preference and Setting Analysis

The ethical lens inventory helps individuals in understanding their values and principles that influence their decisions (Lemoine, 2019). As a tool, the ethical lens inventory helps an individual priorities value, especially while undertaking ethical choices. My preferred lens is the results lens. I am more into listening to my intuition, especially in determining the best for myself and others. I highly value autonomy as compared to group establishment.

Analyzing whether I have the Same Preferred Lens in Different Settings

Due to my autonomy preference, I seek more in following my path and primary objectives in life. However, this does not change my perspective while in social circles. Although group influence may affect my values, I do not give them credence as I strive to remain autonomous. I give room for community expectations and may adjust my goals and objectives in line with other expectations.

An Explanation of My Primary Values and Classical Virtue(s) from the ELI

My central values entail autonomy and sensibility. Due to my sensibility, I find myself more focused on my judgment, passions, and emotions. I give room for other opinions; although this may lead to a change in decision, I still uphold my choices towards living a decent life. I am also susceptible to my behaviors, attitude, and beliefs. Through this, I find myself upholding my principles even in diverse settings such as at home or in school. On the classical virtue, I am self-restrained. I achieve this through self-control and discipline. Self-restraint entails exercising one's desires, emotions, and impulses. Self-retrain helps me maintain a firm grip on my actions and emotions. This trait helps me act in moderation, giving a balanced cue to all my efforts and passions. As compared to my primary values that focus on awareness and self-sufficiency, my self-restraint remains a critical aspect of having my conduct and feelings under a sharp focus and attention. Self-restrain helps me to have a firm grip on myself, keen attention on my impulses and response.

Comparing Two Primary Valu2es and One Classical Virtue from Part D2

My Ethical Lens Inventory Quiz outlines my primary values, like autonomy and sensibility as indicated above. Through sensibility, I remain true to my ideals, focus on rationality, and keep my emotions under check. The sovereignty points to my self-sufficiency and fulfillment concerning my contentment with my ideals. My temperance has a direct relation to my ability to have stable self-control and restraint, an attribute that helps me have a passionate appeal towards positivity and confidence. On my top values, my preferred ideals include self-discipline, responsibility, respect, fairness/justice, and compassion. My prime ideals find great support on sensibility that enables me to develop a compassionate attitude while connecting with my peers and elderly persons. I highly uphold fairness and justice. I believe that through these, everyone gets the best treatment. I believe that my autonomy enables me to have reverence, an attribute that lets...