Assignment #4 Can A Leader Be Effective and Ethically Good?

A leader does not need to use evil in order to be an effective leader. As long as the leader has strong skills and wisdom, he or she will be able to reach the goal effectively. Leadership could include being flexible with ethical values such as in the example with the ruler including the prime minister as a scapegoat to maintain his power. The ruler’s actions were justified because he was living in a time of disorder and he helped the country avoid chaos.

Another example of being flexible with ethical values was when our school Math Club president made a judgment. There was a time when he choose to tell some fellow students that they were required to attend a competition that was not mandatory. The students were a bit sad to give up their weekend because they wanted to attend a party but listened to their president. The president decided to tell the younger students that lie because he needed to have enough students to be able to and transcend to the next round. He knew that if he did not tell them a lie that they would not attend. Although the students were ecstatic to continue to the next round, they were completely oblivious to the false statement by the president. They even exclaimed that it was definitely worth skipping the party. I believe that the President of the club made the right decision because he recognized that the party would not be a wise choice for the students and that they would benefit much more from the competition. In the end he made a decision that would leave everyone happier and better off.

Although flexibility with ethical values may be needed, there are certain points in history when it went too far. For example, although Germany needed a ruler during the time of economic decline, Hitler went beyond the boundaries. As Machiavelli discussed the topic of fear vs. love in The Prince, the path of fear might be proven to be much more effective, but it ruins the way one choses to live their life. A leader should not expect his or her followers to be choosing the same unethical decisions because it would lead to a world of mistrust, lack of trust and sensitivity.