Ethical leadership has been the number one topic of scientific inquiry since the early 21^st century with a large corpus of research, theoretical work examining consequences, and established measures.

When you look at just the word ethic, it only means that they are values, beliefs, and principles that can define exactly what is right and what is wrong when it comes to behavior. Ethics is knowing the difference between what you have a right to do and what is right to do.

Ethical Leadership simply means that it is the process of trying to influence other individuals to achieve the proper goals. Therefore, to define ethical leadership, it means that it is the unique process of changing individuals through the values, beliefs, and principles that can embrace what is defined as the “right” behavior.

Why Ethical Leadership is Important?

When it comes to ethical leadership in an organization or business, it is an important process to help guide the team in policies, programs, and decisions that are set within the firm. Using ethical leadership is what will affect the productivity, reputation, and the bottom line on how the organization conducts its own business. The ethical leadership in an organization is what controls, and sets an example, for leadership ethics and employee values.

The Role of Human Resources in Ethical Leadership

Human Resources plays a vital role when it comes to ethical leadership, and their involvement is one of the most important ones in the entire process. They are responsible for cultivating an ethics-friendly environment, and this can be placed into four different types of categories.

• Firstly, HR has to make sure that the ethics, of an organization, is the number one top priority, and they are also required to monitor the entire culture of the organization when it comes to the ethical status.
• Secondly, they have to make sure that the selection, as well as the development, of the leadership process, includes the ethics components.
• Thirdly, they have to convince the individuals, who are in the top management positions, that they should receive ethics training.
• Fourthly, and the last thing that human resources should make sure of is to remain aware and vigilant of any type of ethics issues that may be emerging.

Human Resources Involvement in developing Ethical Leadership

When it comes to the development of ethical leadership, Human Resources are required to be properly trained first and foremost, so that they remain updated on the legal knowledge so they can advance themselves to understand fully within the business that they are working in. They are frequently tasked with being a moral and ethical role model for the rest of the organization. This means that they must familiarize themselves with the “right” decision-making skills within the ethical parameter.

To develop ethical leadership, the human resources need to deal with the issue and not the person and this is corporate mantra today.

Ethical leadership is the most important part of an organization or businesses process. The good decisions must be made, and Human Resources are the ones that must set the example when it comes to ethical leadership. The corporate world is spending huge sums on advertising to build the corporate brand. We hear management gurus talking about building the “brand you” The focus now is on developing a personal brand that will bring ethical leadership in organizations.

Company Managements today are advocating to compete strategically by thinking out of box and any organization which implements a differentiation unique strategy generally leads the market and this aspect is a great ethical tool.

Let us embrace ethical practices in the corporate world as this is the only way to conduct business effectively.