Term Paper on "Moral Foundations of Leadership"

Term Paper 3 pages (1061 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Moral Foundations of Leadership

What would you do to strengthen the moral foundation of your leadership base and of the leadership base of your organization?

The moral foundation of a leadership base is one of the most important aspects of a moral, successful organization. Morality and success are not separate entities, even though in many companies they seem to be diametrically apart. The recent occurrences of business failures and questionable activities of companies such as Countrywide Mortgage and Enron are specific examples of these occurrences that have lead to legal charges, bankruptcy, and loss of faith in the entire business community. One expert writes, "There was a time, not long ago, when Enron, Kenneth Lay, and Jeffrey Skilling were Olympian symbols of successful leadership. Now, a few short years later, the leaders of Enron have come to represent self-serving executive greed, excess, and arrogance at their worst" (Thompson). To strengthen the moral foundation of my leadership base and the base of my organization takes first, a deep understanding of what is moral and ethical in my business world, and then applying those principles to a solid leadership foundation.

Ethical and effective leaders always tell the truth. To lie is to lose face with one's peers and staff, but to lie is to also throw doubt on the entire organization, which can eventually lead to failure and organizational collapse. An organization with leaders who are not trustworthy will eventually become an "Enron" and no one will be able to save it. Thus, leadership requires honesty, it is the moral foundation of leadership, and of the organization as well.

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