Every day we are faced with choices. These choices may be monumental or miniscule; they may be important or insignificant. Either way, we are put into a position where a choice has to be made and we have to be the one to decide. Do we always choose the ethical option? If no one is looking or listening, do we still do the right thing? Are we fair and just in our decisions? Do we strive to be honest in everything we do?
This week’s lesson reminded me of an incident I was involved in many years ago as a bagger at a grocery store. One night, I found a money clip outside in the parking lot. When I counted the bills, it equaled several hundred dollars. Immediately, I turned the money into the manager and went back to my bagging duties. At the end of the night, I was called back into the office by the manager and was given $200 from the money clip. I was told that I would split the money with the manager and assistant manager on duty that night and that I was to tell no one about the incident. I was also informed that if I did tell anyone, I would be fired. At 17, I was scared to lose my job even though I knew taking the money was not the right thing to do.
Sixteen years after the incident, I still feel a tremendous guilt for taking the money. I always imagine the money we took that night as belonging to a single parent who had his or her rent money in that clip. Because I chose to take the money and didn’t speak up for what was right, I envision that single parent and his or her three kids being kicked out of their tiny apartment and ending up on the streets. I don’t know if that is what happened or who the money really even belonged to, but what I do know is that sense of guilt and shame I have felt for sixteen years has helped guide me in every decision I make. I strive to make honest decisions, to be fair and just, and to be ethical in everything I do.
Northouse (2013) discusses ethics in leadership as pertaining to both conduct and character. “Theories about conduct emphasize the consequences of leader behavior or the rules that govern their behavior. Virtue-based theories focus on the character of leaders, and they stress qualities such as courage, honesty, fairness, and fidelity” (Northouse, 2013, p. 448). Because of the role they are in and the influence they have over others, leaders should be especially scrutinized according to their ethics. Can a leader who is dishonest in his personal dealings be trusted to make honest decisions in his professional life? Are we, as followers, willing to risk that probability?
As a project manager at my current company, I am tasked with leading several teams to accomplish various projects. I strive in my daily life to be the type of leader I would want to have. I try very hard to be fair and just, to reward based upon merit, to be honest, to be teachable, and to be concerned not only with my team as individuals but as a representative group of my company. I don’t always succeed at every goal I set, but I do try hard and correct mistakes I make as soon as I am aware I made them. I am definitely far from perfect but I feel good knowing that I can be trusted to do my job and do it well.
I believe that is what makes a person an ethical leader. It isn’t that they always make the right decision 100% of the time. Instead, they acknowledge and address their shortcomings and strive to continuously do better. By addressing their mistakes, they are admitting they are only human; by correcting their mistakes, they are striving to be the best they can humanly be. I wish I could change the events that took place sixteen years ago in that grocery store. However, because I can’t, I spend my time now trying to make up for my dishonest and unethical actions. I have forgiven myself for my misdeed, but it is definitely not something I have forgotten.
Reference:
Northouse, P.G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.