Leadership and Ethics in sustainable organizations

If organizations possess an ethics code, would make sense developing organizational leaders?

Leadership development in organizations has been and will no doubt controversial.

There are many theories that say that a leader is born, but also done. If this theory is correct, then we should distinguish two types of constructions. Build a leader would be one thing, and build leadership would be another.

Building leadership may require some unorthodox ingredients such as political marketing strategies.

The political marketing is not just a tool used to compete for public office, is also an element used in organizations by executives and managers.

The political marketing is the set of marketing research techniques, planning, management and communication that are used in the design and implementation of strategic and tactical throughout political campaign activities, be it electoral or institutional diffusion. Definition from Wikipedia

Marketing designed to influence consumers about political issues, particular candidates for public office, or public issues. Although political marketing uses many of the same techniques that other forms of marketing do, it is actually used to promote a concept or an idea, rather than a specific product or service, and to motivate people to vote for that idea. Barron’s marketing dictionary.

Building leadership is very different from building a leader.

A leader is = code of ethics (1) set of values (2) ability to influence (3) + transformation capacity (4).

A positive leader is = 1 +2 +3 +4 + clear vision oriented to common good.

Who moves away from this definition, it should not be considered as a leader because:

what is a leader without a code of ethics or a body of values? Is only the referent of a group (circumstantial reference accessions generated through its ability to influence) A manipulator, not a leader.

We could say then that building leadership undoubtedly needs communication as a tool for dissemination and as an element to convince groups.

If we follow this theory, once built the leadership, we can obtain an artificial leader. So, leader should be the representation of all the elements mentioned on the slide, finally, this is the result of the actions taken.

This is a building process where ethics simply does not exist. However, leadership is defined as a set of skills that an individual has to influence the lifestyle of people. Linked with a working group is defined as the ability of an individual to manage, motivate, develop a group.

When we link the leadership concept to the organizational aspect, we say that leadership is linked to a business purpose and the exercise of a management activity.

Leadership is one , ie , that there are not several leaders, definition does not change, only change the leadership style, the influence to others , which is closely linked to personal characteristics of each individual, which in turn is related to the training and learning.

When we talk about organizational leaders, we are talking about building their characteristics, values, principles and rules necessaries to develop this role. It is said that an "organizational leader" can be built on base the necessary highlighting qualities.

In his book “The Paradox," James Hunter talks about the values and characteristics. Kindnesses, love, patience,good treatment, are virtues that “a simple person would find in the other."

The example here is important as a way to dial a difference among leaders and the path and phases used to build them.

These values, principles and characteristics can be part of defects that should be solved on the person, the candidate to leader.

If the answer to the organizational problems were building good values -based leadership, fairness and respect, the declaration and operation of an ethics code itself would eliminate the need for leaders.

As mentioned early, there is a difference between managers and leaders. Bosses have authority by charges and ranges. Leaders have the authority provided by people, i.e., represent and stimulate a group based on the characteristics of that group. Group members wish be represented by them.

What is an ethics code?

Ethics relates to the moral, and the moral to the set of behaviors that represent what is good or bad, allowed and not allowed for a society. Therefore, an ethical code represents conducts, patterns of behavior that should lead people within the organization. This code applies to all members without exception.

The attributes of any boss could be able to join to a leader's values and capabilities through the ethic codes. Both roles could be merged into one.

A chief would only be required to maintain the kind of social behavior framed the ethic codes.

So why do we need leaders if we can solve business issues by defining what is right and what is wrong. Why organizations need characters as Gandhi if everyone in the company would have to act as the Mahatma?

Let me think an answer

A transactional leader is recognized by the members of his team because it provides the elements and resources considered valid for them. In short, this is a transaction in which one (the leader) generates positive behaviors for others (followers) with the hope that these others give more of them and fulfill the task in return. Under a traditional business or company, this is possible and expected.

Transformational leadership operates on the scale of values, attitudes and beliefs of followers (with the objective of optimizing behaviors and generate new leaders). So then this kind of leaders, disagrees with established parameters, and sets up alternative proposals for change.

This kind of leader use the charisma to excite and convince their followers, and even takes personal risks in the task.

Ethics code shows us the way about what is and is not correct in the organization or even in the life, but you cannot dispense with leaders if it is to lead people to give the plus, do more than you usually do.

Political marketing is as an analgesic, quiet the pain but eventually the symptoms appear and the image of the leaders artificially constructed could collapse dramatically.

The charisma, the ability to influence, it's a capability despised or feared in organizations, is the driving force of change, is the power necessary to get the change through the leaders.

Ethics code regulates the behaviors of all company members, but cannot by itself generate increased productivity, inventiveness, creativity they need sustainable organizations.

Love and respect for employees is not generated from a code of ethics. Love and respect for employees, by it, is not sufficient to change the inertia of things in the organization. It takes the courage and spirit of transformational leadership to do it.

If roughly the leader represents the sum of values, exemplary attitude and charisma, we can say that the code of ethics would help solve one aspect of leadership (what is and is not allowed in the organization) but not its genesis.

Ethic codes guides the transformational leadership which nourish sustainable organizations to achieve immortality.

From the moment we accept that people are not a part of the production process, but beings with flaws and virtues, personal projects, values, beliefs and unexplored capabilities, whether or not playing a work role, we accept being part of the world of complexity.

In this sense, we must stop being conventional leaders to become "leaders of sustainability", to do this, we need to prepare not only in the realm of the technical, but also the mental and spiritual.

From the book "Sustainable Personal - Caring for human assets" page 221 - From Davinci Project Series - Editorial Buyatti - Argentina.

Lic. Claudio M. Pizzi

Director

www.dorbaires.com