Being an ethical leader in a modern workplace is more important than ever in 2018. That's because interaction with customers, colleagues and employees through social media offers much more transparency for companies, executives, managers and employees. How leaders interact with those around them can tarnish or improve a company's reputation very quickly. Here's how to foster ethics in leadership as a manager in your firm thanks to four quick tips.
1. Know Your Moral Code
Understanding and defining your moral code helps you identify the type of ethical leader you can be. Consider how you treat others versus how you want to be treated, and make those values a top priority. Ask yourself what matters most to you when it comes to behaving ethically in a professional environment, and make that your moral compass as a leader.
Take your moral code one step further and figure out if your ethics aligns with your company's mission statement. For example, your firm's motto could be, "We treat you like family" as it relates to a customer relationship. Do you treat your employees, clients and customers as if they are family? Knowing if your own internal moral compass fits into your company's mission goes a long way when it comes to helping you become an ethical leader in your industry, since you would naturally exude your employer's ideals.
2. Hire Ethical People
When hiring colleagues for your team, put people in place who have the same ethical standards and values as yourself and the company. That doesn't mean hire the people who have similar experiences and perspectives, because this fosters complacency and tamps down on innovation. Hire people who are a good cultural fit based on their character and integrity.
The way to do this is to be up front with people during the hiring process. Let candidates know what challenges your company faces, what standards you have and what expectations you want new hires to follow. Honesty from Day One removes any surprises and creates mutual respect from the get-go.
3. Be Aware of Personal Biases
Learn to recognize your own personal biases and mitigate them. Your predilections towards people who share similar traits and characteristics as you might distance you from other employees on your team, and that might make them feel neglected and pushed aside. When you set aside your own biases as an ethical leader, you improve the office culture and employee engagement.
4. Maintain Open Lines of Communication
Encourage feedback from your team and respond to that feedback in time. People want their employers to listen to them. This improves morale, increases innovation and promotes a free exchange of ideas a chance for employees to grow. An ethical leader should encourage open communication, not because every employee idea should be implemented, but because listening to employees creates a culture that shows your company cares about its human capital.
An ethical leader displays many important values and serves as the face and voice of an employer to the public. These four quick tips on moral leadership show how you should mimic company values and act with integrity. How do you display moral leadership at your office?
Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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