I’m sure that most people have heard by now about the Rutgers University men’s basketball coach scandal. There was a video that went viral showing coach, Mike Rice hurling basketballs from close range at his players’ heads, legs, and feet; shoving and grabbing his players, feigning punching them; kicking them; and screaming obscenities and homophobic slurs (Van Natta, D.). After viewing the video, my main thought was that this coach was doing everything against what a good leader is supposed to do! Not to mention his ethical leadership is all off.
- Respect: Leaders who respect others allow them to be themselves, with creative wants and desires. They listen to the ideas of others and confirm them as human beings.
- Service: Leaders should place their followers’ welfare at the top of their lists. Service includes behaviors such as mentoring, empowering behaviors, team building, and citizenship behaviors.
- Justice: Ethical leaders treat all of their followers in an equal manner. They do not give special treatment to any followers.
- Honesty: To be a good leader, one has to be honest. Being honest is about being open with others and representing as fully and completely as possible.
- Community: Leaders and followers must agree on the direction to be taken by the group. Leaders cannot impost their will on others (PSU, L. 14, p. 9).