Leadership - Effectiveness and Good Ethics

I believe that it is possible to be an effective leader and ethically good, even though not all leaders are like this. We may have effective and evil or “un-ethical” leaders, as well as un-effective and unethical people – this last group should not be considered as leaders. Some examples of effective and ethically good leaders are: Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, Ghandi, etc.

                  Leadership requires a balance between flexibility and inflexibility. It is very important for a leader to listen to others, as well as it is to consider and involve their ideas, opinions, and values to his plan. This way he will be followed by more people because they will feel that their voice is being heard; the group’s motivation will increase.

 Even though the people’s opinion should be included, a leader should also limit his flexibility in changing the values and means to obtain his goals. If it is taken to an extreme point, a leader might never reach his objective because he listened to everyone’s perspective of the situation. He would never be focused on only one method, making him unable to advance in his process.

Machiavelli expressed that The Prince (a leader) can be unethical and do evilness whenever he thinks it is necessary to keep a firm power over the people. Evil can also be done if it is meant to benefit the majority. By his explanation of the two types of virtue (also virtú), we can understand that even if a leader doesn’t really possess all the good qualities, but he must appear to have them.

I greatly agree that a leader should be flexible to a certain point as long as his process and means of obtaining the target is not affected and constantly altered.

As I explained to Matt on today’s afternoon, I have had to do necessary evil to obtain a goal. I ran for the Senior Presidency in May against my best friend; it was a big challenge for me. Even though her feelings were damaged, I used many means to obtain victory. I indirectly mentioned her flaws to my fellow classmates and communicated my virtues at the same time. It might have been unethical and evil to do this in a school campaign, but my determination to win was more important than her feelings.