Exploring Ethical Leadership

Brown (2007) has described ethical leadership as “the demonstration of normatively appropriate conduct through personal actions and interpersonal relationships, and the promotion of such conduct to followers through two-way communication, reinforcement, and decision making” (p. 141). Kanungo (2001) has noted that “ethical leaders engage in acts and behaviors that benefit others, and at the same time, they refrain from behaviors that can cause any harm to others” (cited in Yukl, Mahsud, Hassan, & Prussia, 2013, p. 38). This paper explores the topic of ethical leadership. It investigates the following questions: What is ethical leadership? What is ethical leadership behavior? What is unethical leadership behavior? What are the benefits of ethical behavior? What are the characteristics of an ethical leader? What misconceptions about ethical leadership exist? What mistakes must leaders avoid to ensure sound business ethics? How is ethical leadership sustained - how do organizations promote ethical leadership?