Although the term “leadership” is frequently used, this semester has shown me that moral leadership is more about deeds than titles. Integrity, which demands bravery and constancy in doing the right thing even when no one is looking, is the foundation of true leadership. As I think back on my experiences and the lessons I’ve learned in this course, I’ve realized that integrity is essential to ethical leadership and that its absence can have serious repercussions. 

The situation with Boeing’s 737 MAX aircraft provided a particularly notable illustration of damaged integrity. Knowing the safety hazards, several engineers and pilots refused to let their own families ride on these aircraft, according to an article we reviewed. Despite being aware of the seriousness of the design problems, these experts had to deal with a company that put profits ahead of safety. This serves as a clear reminder that responsible and open leadership is essential. Integrity violations jeopardize lives, damage reputations, and destroy confidence. This example emphasizes to young professionals the value of speaking out and keeping ourselves to the highest standards, even when doing so feels challenging or controversial.

A story on a promotional event related to the “Willy Wonka” brand provided yet another lesson. Youngsters who came to the event anticipating a wonderful experience were let down by the poor execution, which did not live up to the brand’s promise. This illustration shows how relationships with stakeholders and trust may be harmed by not living up to expectations. In order to be an ethical leader, one must not only fulfill commitments but also work to beyond them. Building credibility and enduring relationships requires keeping promises with quality and empathy, whether one is managing a team or providing client service.

Personally, this semester has helped me better grasp how ethical leadership is shaped by virtues like honesty, compassion, and openness. I’ve discovered that having integrity as a leader entails being forthright about one’s shortcomings, owning up to errors, and looking for solutions that put the welfare of people first. These ideas are useful for settling disputes, reaching choices, and building team trust, among other things.

Being self-aware and dedicated to personal principles are the first steps on the road to being an ethical leader for young professionals. Check to see whether my choices are consistent with my values. Am I putting other people’s needs ahead of my own immediate interests? Am I compromising my own integrity? Are my personal relationships providing me with happiness? How can I meet my satisfaction and success goals for myself in my career? Although it may not always result in instant benefits, ethical leadership cultivates respect, trust, and long-term success—qualities that characterize real leaders.

One thing is evident to me as I consider these lessons: growth, not perfection, is what leadership is all about. It involves making decisions that benefit others and attempting to match deeds with ideals. Integrity is still the cornerstone of effective and moral leadership, whether one is tackling difficult problems or just setting an example in day-to-day interactions.

The website about “what are your values” highlights how developing and upholding one’s own essential beliefs may act as a compass for leadership and decision-making. NBA coaches who incorporate their principles into their coaching philosophies find great resonance in this idea.

Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors, for instance, places a strong emphasis on virtues like respect, empowerment, and cooperation. His judgments, both on and off the court, are guided by these values, which promote a welcoming and cooperative team environment. Kerr frequently discusses the significance of listening and humility, two traits that support the websites’ contention that successful leadership results from a thorough comprehension of one’s own fundamental convictions.

Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs also incorporates principles like honesty, responsibility, and compassion into his coaching. Popovich is renowned for upholding the highest moral standards for both players and staff while also being genuinely concerned about their personal development. His leadership style exemplifies how a team’s cohesiveness and trust may be fostered by having well-defined ideals.

These illustrations show how NBA coaches use values as a framework for guidance, which is consistent with the article’s viewpoint that values are essential for overcoming difficult obstacles and establishing deep connections.

“The greatest difference lies in the MVO area of competence versus moral values, with more managers emphasizing a moral value orientation than previously”

Major League Baseball (MLB) leadership changes can be linked to this observation. Sign-stealing controversies and discussions about hiring policies’ diversity are just two of the many ethical issues MLB has had to deal with recently. The league’s leaders who place a high priority on moral values have spearheaded initiatives for increased openness and equity. For instance, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred has implemented measures to overcome moral dilemmas, such as programs that encourage diversity and inclusion and harsher sanctions for rule infractions. The link illustrates how placing a strong emphasis on moral principles can promote a more equitable atmosphere and aid in restoring confidence. This is consistent with the study’s conclusions that stakeholder trust and leadership effectiveness can be strongly impacted by a move toward moral principles. In contrast to past times when success frequently placed a higher value on competence (such as performance and earnings) than on moral leadership, MLB’s emphasis on moral leadership reflects a broader societal shift across industries.

“As stated above, managerial leaders serve themselves and
others best when they are committed to a set of core values: leaders be clearer about what values they champion leader must effectively communicate their values clearly and meaningfully to key stakeholders and managerial need to ensure their action are in alignment with their espoused values the positive psychology approach also tells us that factors such as character strengths, optimism, and resilience can play significant roles in how goals are managed.” The remark highlights how crucial it is for leaders to embrace positive psychological traits like optimism and resilience while adhering to key beliefs, expressing them effectively, and acting in a way that is consistent with those principles. In Major League Baseball (MLB), where clubs flourish under values-driven leadership, this idea is especially pertinent. Theo Epstein, who was instrumental as an executive in ending two of baseball’s greatest championship droughts—the Chicago Cubs in 2016 and the Boston Red Sox in 2004—is a perfect example. Through a data-driven approach, Epstein’s leadership demonstrated a clear expression of principles like trust, perseverance, and teamwork. He demonstrated how coordinating leadership actions with values might result in historic achievement by building resilience in his teams during crucial playoff runs.

Similarly, despite the organization’s turmoil, Dusty Baker, the ex-manager of the Houston Astros, my team, has been praised for his ability to foster optimism and trust among his team members. His moral fiber and dedication to honesty contributed to the Astros’ improved performance and reputation.On the other hand, companies that don’t live up to their basic values—like the teams from the steroid scandal—highlight the dangers of misalignment and damaged stakeholder trust. MLB serves as an example of how team culture, performance, and long-term success can be influenced by the ideals and positive psychology of leaders.

“Research shows that for top management teams, groups that debate issues and that are diverse make decisions that are more comprehensive and better for the bottom line in terms of profitability and sales (Simons, et. al., 1999).”

The phrase highlights that management teams who are varied and focused on discussion create more thorough and lucrative judgments, which is highly relevant to contemporary sports enterprises. Diverse management teams frequently provide superior outcomes on and off the court in professional sports like the NBA. Teams like the Golden State Warriors, for example, have included a variety of viewpoints into their leadership structure, which has led to creative approaches in marketing, analytics, and player development. Generating decisions in sports involves more than simply generating money; it also involves improving team performance, fan interaction, and community effect. Whether to prioritize drafting young players or recruiting seasoned veterans are only two examples of the talent acquisition tactics that a diversified management team may discuss. Teams are more likely to discover well-rounded strategies that address both immediate performance and long-term sustainability when they promote discussion and draw from a range of viewpoints. This strategy differs from conventional, homogenous decision-making groups, which might not have the diversity of viewpoints required to handle intricate, multifaceted problems in the sports sector. Diverse leadership enhances decision-making and fortifies an organization’s cultural relevance and resilience, as seen in actual sports.

https://moodle-courses2425.wolfware.ncsu.edu/pluginfile.php/654251/mod_resource/content/2/Decision%20Making_Chap11_Principles%20of%20Managment.pdf

The concept described in the quote, “Another factor that may exaggerate the impact of moral intensity on moral judgment and behavior is the tendency of people to utilize simplifying heuristic principles to evaluate the likelihood of uncertain events.” The quote’s idea—that humans assess uncertain situations using simple heuristics—is extremely applicable to real-world decision-making, especially in high-stakes sectors. Many decision-makers in the banking and investing industries, for instance, relied on oversimplified models and presumptions on market risk and stability during the 2008 financial crisis. Because of these heuristics, they failed to consider the ethical and practical ramifications of authorizing dangerous financial products like subprime mortgages. These short cuts reduced the “moral intensity” of their choices by abstracting the real-world repercussions—foreclosures, job losses, and economic instability—into statistics and probabilities. This situation reflects the concept in the text: moral judgment can become distorted when heuristic reasoning lowers the anticipated chance of unfavorable events. Heuristics are both a useful tool and a possible ethical hazard since real-world judgments are confounded by ambiguity and time constraints, unlike the controlled environment of theoretical ethics. A significant distinction, though, is the scope of the impact: although the moral failings of an individual may have an impact on a small group of people, corporate actions based on simplistic assessments may have a significant impact on millions of people, highlighting the necessity of moral leadership.

The article concerning Uber’s workplace harassment problems draws attention to a widespread problem that exists in numerous sectors, including sports, where abusive workplace cultures and employee abuse are frequently disregarded. Susan Fowler, a former engineer at Uber, said that the firm routinely disregarded and minimized reports of harassment and discrimination. According to Fowler, “upper management was willing to look the other way when faced with issues of sexism and harassment,” which is a concerning trend that is seen in a number of industries. Similar incidents concerning the maltreatment of female athletes and staff have also occurred in the sports industry. For instance, when it was revealed that some coaches had acted inappropriately and abusively against players, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) came under fire from the public, yet league authorities did little to address the situation. These instances demonstrate how businesses occasionally put their financial interests or reputations ahead of the welfare and moral principles of their workforce. But in contrast to Uber’s tardy reaction, following public pressure and outcry, other sports leagues, including as the NWSL, finally put stronger supervision and accountability procedures in place. The similarities across these sectors highlight the vital need for proactive leadership that promotes a courteous, secure work environment, reaffirming the need of moral management and open procedures to avert harm and restore confidence. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/08/sports/soccer/womens-soccers-problem-with-men.html https://www.nydailynews.com/2017/02/19/ex-uber-engineer-accuses-tech-company-of-gaslighting-female-employees-defending-workplace-harassment/

The Boeing 737 Max controversy, which is covered in the Ethics Unwrapped article, reveals alarming ethical failures in corporate responsibility and engineering that are reminiscent of actual problems in a number of other sectors. In order to compete with Airbus, Boeing hurried the delivery of the 737 Max, putting profit and market competitiveness ahead of safety. “The company’s culture prioritized profits over safety, and the pressure to keep costs down led to a series of poor decisions,” the paper notes. Similar instances of corporate irresponsibility, such as the Volkswagen emissions crisis, where emissions data was falsified to satisfy environmental regulations while putting profits first, are not unique.These scandals show how corporate cultures that put profit ahead of moral obligation may have disastrous results, ranging from monetary losses to serious damage to public confidence and even fatalities. The Boeing controversy is unique in that it involves direct, preventable hazards to human life, even though many corporations follow strict safety regulations and conduct thorough safety inspections. On the other hand, businesses that put ethics and profit first, such as Patagonia in the environmental space, show that social responsibility and business success can coexist. The Boeing crisis is a reminder that moral leadership is crucial to saving lives and preserving public confidence over the long run. https://ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu/engineering-ethics-and-the-boeing-scandal

Anne Loehr highlights the importance of self-awareness in leadership in her article “How to Live With Purpose, Identify Your Values and Improve Your Leadership,” writing that “the best leaders are deeply aware of their personal values and how those values influence their decisions, actions, and interactions with others.” This idea is essential while coaching a professional sports team, as the culture and performance of the club may be greatly influenced by the coach’s principles. Professional coaching entails not just controlling player performance but also setting an example and creating a cohesive atmosphere that inspires players to achieve at their highest level. Coaches may establish a clear vision for their team if they are aware of their basic principles, which may include integrity, discipline, or resilience. For example, a coach who emphasizes hard effort and responsibility would probably inculcate such values into the team’s everyday operations, affecting how players practice, act on the court, and handle failure. By fostering qualities like sacrifice, collaboration, and respect for others, legendary coaches like Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs have created winning cultures. The possible dangers, meanwhile, are also brought to light by Loehr’s observation when a coach’s principles clash with the atmosphere of the squad. Underperformance and conflict may result if a coach maintains strict control over a group of players that are very autonomous. Unlike the article’s advice to think and adapt, professional sports might not have the time to realign ideals; instead, they frequently need temporary solutions like roster or coaching changes. In the end, Loehr’s focus on coordinating personal values with leadership choices highlights the significance of intentional, values-based leadership in sports by showing how a coach’s personal convictions may either favorably or unfavorably affect team culture.

Jaffe and Scott emphasize the significance of integrity in a team setting in their article “How to Link Personal Values with Team Values,” writing that “trust is eroded, and the team’s overall performance suffers when personal values are not aligned with the group’s values.” In the context of Jontay Porter’s cheating incident, where he was charged with violating team rules and ethics during his NBA employment, this concept may be related to the NBA. Any professional sports team is built on the principles of responsibility, honesty, and trust. Athletes like Jontay Porter who transgress these fundamental values not only reflect poorly on themselves, but also jeopardize the cohesiveness of the team as a whole. In this instance, Porter’s behavior went against the team’s principles, which include respect for teammates and the organization’s reputation as well as discipline and transparency. His behavior damaged the organization’s trust, diverted attention, and could have had an impact on team relationships. Porter’s predicament and Jaffe and Scott’s claim are clearly related: when individual values, such as a player’s willingness to take short cuts or break the rules, conflict with the ideals that a team upholds, the effects are felt across the company. Teams depend on its members to maintain the same moral principles, and a transgression can cause morale and concentration issues. However, the NBA frequently responds to such violations with punitive measures, including bans or contract terminations, which may not always restore confidence but are meant to set an example. This contrasts with the article’s emphasis on realigning ideals through organized communication. This demonstrates how difficult it is to balance team and personal ideals in the competitive world of professional sports.

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