Leaders are constantly making decisions that are based on their values and directly affect their constituents. Some of those decisions are insignificant, and only affect people in the short term. Some are bigger and determine the long-term fate of society; and others go even further as to determine who those leaders are as people and how they will leave society for future generations (Joseph, 2001). Socrates raised the question, “What is a virtuous man, and what is a virtuous society?” In observing the leadership that will ultimately decide the future for our society, I believe we must ponder the same question. If ethics is the basis of politics, as many people believe to be true, the two should be tied more closely together. Ethical …show more content…
It is questionable whether we, the voters, actually elect “leaders” when we vote for our country’s leaders. Presidential campaigns, for example, can have candidates that are either mediocre or very bland, or candidates that are extremely fake and superficial. It is uncertain whether we know each candidate’s true personality or beliefs when we place our votes on Election Day. These elected political figures may be seen as leaders in the eyes of their constituents, but that does not mean that they are true or good leaders. Many natural leaders are successful in convincing their followers to engage in negative activities or believe harmful ideas. Bill Clinton, for example, was seen as a natural-born leader throughout his schooling career, yet his leadership qualities while serving as President led him to be very corrupt and cause discourse and scandal. Likewise, many political figures may appear to be leaders to the public eye, but may not be ethical in their leadership, therefore being detrimental to their constituents instead of beneficial (Anderson, 2000). Alfred Grazia, a political author, identifies political leaders as, “any occupant of an established political position or as any person, in or out of such a position, whose political activity has more influence upon a group’s behavior than has the activity of the average member.” Since political leaders hold more influence on the behavior of a group, they hold the power to steer them in
“The Power that comes from being a leader can also be used for evil as well as good. When we assume the benefits of leadership, we also assume ethical
1. List and explain the four main features and functions of constitutions. Be sure to associate your answers with specific models from countries explored in this course.
However, in a dynamic environment the changing amalgamation of a refurbished society and a greater media presence has cultivated an anti-leadership perspective”. For example, Herman (2002) uses irony to suggest that individuals who seek out leadership are egotistical and pretentious. This is further fuelled by media coverage capturing scandals, including Priest voluptuous exploitation, major non-profit organisation being corrupt and military-leader arrogance leading to foreign hatred. Hence, Herman (2007) further advocates that we have been conditioned to expect distrust and fear in the ways leaders act. Though she draws upon historical figures including, Nelson Mandela and martin Luther king suggesting that students don’t resonate with the
Leaders are expected to act consistently with their vision and the values they advocate to their team. If a leader’s words or actions are contrary to the values they expect in others, they will be faced with cynicism and contempt. Followers expect their leader to act in their best interests, putting their welfare before their own. An ethical leader is honest, open and truthful to their followers. When leaders lose this trust, their followers will quickly disregard them.
Mostly, how ethics produce effective leaders will stress how good leadership is impossible without ethics. Throughout this paper, the reader will develop an understanding of what is personally required to
In 1978, James MacGregor Burns, a renowned political theorist, penned an innovative grand theory of leadership that informed political strategy and governance for late 20th-century leaders. His seminal work, Leadership, enumerates the core principles of social psychology and political science that influence effective leadership. Psychoanalysis, motivation, and personal drives shape his theoretical framework. Why does conflict-theory impact politics? How do leaders convey a vision and mobilize support for it? Why do formative childhood experiences affect one’s political ideology and leadership style? While Burns’ normative values of leadership subtly guide this text, he primarily focuses his core analysis on the empirical effectiveness of
Plato once asked whether you would rather be "an unethical person with a good reputation or an ethical person with a reputation for injustice." Ethical leadership has long been a debate in regards to its importance and place in the universal business world.
This election cycle has greater ramifications than ever before, as the two major parties have reached the two extremes: extreme left-wing liberalism and major right-wing conservatism. These two polar opposites have led to the increasingly divided United States population (Gentzkow, 2016). Without the proper guidance under a strong leader, our stretch as the greatest superpower on the planet Earth may come crumbling down to the ground. This poses the important questions of what traits across the American political spectrum influences leadership, and
In my life I have never had any political enforcement or strict religious influence. My parents were very lenient when it came too political preaching. I was taught to be a caring and respectful individual. My political understanding and beliefs have been molded from my early political memories and socialization experiences. As a young adult I have always strived to become knowledgeable about political ideals mainly because I was never really taught to believe in something specific. I eventually was drawn towards many different social and political perspectives, which is how I came to a logical conclusion of how I view the world politically
The apportionment of seats in the House of Representatives is calculated based on a state’s adult population,
Due to the economic strife the American public knows all too well what a recession is. It is economic hardship that has led to the loss of thousands of jobs and businesses. This economic hardship has led to many people losing their homes, cars and other valuables. Why is it that when the Obama administration talks about the recession they refer to it as “The Bank Stabilization Plan.” (Stewart) Something that has caused the total meltdown of the American Economy being referred to as “The Bank Stabilization Plan” (Stewart) seems outright ludicrous. Even if they are in the process of fixing the problem, the government insists on using modest language to confuse the public into believing that the issue is not a huge problem; Just a
When watching the news, reading the newspaper, or even reading a magazine, it is noticeable that an imperative argument around the world is who our leaders should be. Our society needs a leader with ethical values to help us solve our problems and better our world. Despite the fact that some enfranchised citizens may disagree about the importance of having a leader with high moral values, the world has shown us through great leaders of the past, leaders who have ruled with immorality, and great leaders of the present, that not having high moral values can lead to the corruption of society. Since the 1800’s, the United States has had more than 40 presidents and many influential people to help shape our nation.
The topic that we choose is “The relationship between Leadership and Ethics”. The term ethics has been defined as inquiry into the nature and grounds of morality or a branch of philosophy of human conduct and determine right and wrong (Ferrell, Fraedrich & Ferrell, 2010). In the other words, it includes study of general nature of moral, specific moral choices, moral philosophy, and rules or standards of governing the conduct of the member of a profession (Ferrell et al., 2010).
Throughout the course of political campaigns, candidates travel throughout a set district in order to gain the support of various constituents. In doing so, speech patterns may be dependent upon the audience being addresses and by how concerned a candidate is with winning that group’s approval. Such changes unconsciously manifest, while others could be deliberate alterations to one’s speech. For this project, I would be examining this idea by analyzing modern political campaign tactics and speeches; particularly, President Barack Obama would be the focal point of my analysis.
Two famous writers have presented us with opposite theories about the influence of leaders. Thomas Carlyle wrote most passionately: "Universal History, the history of what man has accomplished in this world, is at bottom the History of the Great Men who have worked here." Heroes teach us right and wrong, he said; heroes give us great inventions and discoveries. It is the great few who transform society; the multitude follows them. Modern democracy, he believed, has produced millions of fools who vote, other men who go to Parliament and palaver, and, inevitably, the few who act.