Leaders set the example and represent the entire organization. When you have an ethical leader, it is more likely that you will have a much more productive and collaborative body of workers. Also, ethical leaders create ethical cultures that influence followers to behave more ethically and to refrain from behaving unethically (Schaubroeck et al., 2012). Therefore, core values of an organization must always be exemplified by ethical leaders. Two key principles of ethical leadership include integrity and respect.
Integrity is a very valuable principle, by definition integrity is the quality of being moral and honest. Basically, integrity is how you behave when nobody is watching. For example, a person with integrity would not cheat simply because they know nobody would find out. When a leader exhibits and exemplifies this trait, the standards and values of an organization are being successfully reinforced. A leader would exercise this integrity by making honest decisions. If your profession requires patent, client, or personal information confidentiality of any sort, an ethical leader would not sit around in the break room discussing a recent experience they had and divulging this sort of information. This could not only lead to lawsuits or penalties, but also in other workers thinking it is acceptable behavior. In a
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Respecting others in the workplace, particularly respecting every single individual to the same degree is very important. Respect is one of those things that people will happily give when they are also receiving it. In a work environment, a worker that feels respected will probably be more comfortable asking questions when unsure. They may also bring forth new and useful ideas to the table, since they feel they are appreciated and will not be ridiculed for their idea it if seems irrelevant to others. This boss and employee relationship would make the work place much more