Running head: PERSONAL ETHICS PAPER
Personal Ethics Paper
Zackary H. Moss
Liberty University
EDUC 740-B05: Leadership Principles and Ethics
Dr. James Virtue
Abstract
In life and especially in leadership, people must carefully examine and choose which principles
to establish as a rule to guide their actions. Through the process of introspection, we can best
understand which principles work and will help to effectively add value into our lives and the
lives of others. Leadership is often said to be a journey in which we lead others to become the
best they can be while working towards a mission or central focus. Moreover, in leadership, we
must pay specific attention to the vital principle of ethical living, according to the calling of the
Lord. The bible tells us in Deuteronomy 6:18, that ethical living is to “do that which is right and
good in the sight of the Lord.” From the educational platform of teaching students, we must hold
our position with regard to the highest possible standards of conduct and accountability, in doing
so, we provide an example for others to follow and establish the basic knowledge through our
own actions. Overall, the leadership aspects apply to a wider scope that just education, some of
the leadership dimensions found in through my personal experience coincide with the principles
found in this course and relate directly to character and virtue ethics as well.
Keywords: Educational leadership, Spiritual leadership, virtue ethics, Christian principles
Personal Ethics Paper
Beginning with infancy, people are introduced to leaders. We look to our parents or
caregivers to guide, give direction, and enforce boundaries. Beyond our genealogical make-up,
we connect with numerous individuals in society who possess the potential to shape our
character. Exceptional characters are leaders regardless of their chosen profession. Without
leadership in some form, human society cannot cohesively function. Not all chosen leaders are
great stewards in their roles. Experience and mental fortitude are necessary to become an
effective leader. Above all, our faith and understanding of what God has called us to do is the
guide for our ethical behavior. Though my chosen profession as a military officer requires many
dominate leadership traits as well as institutional values, remembering those individuals who
influenced my character development prior to military indoctrination is important as well.
Through this process of growing and developing various leadership traits and principles, people
formulate personal ethical living in which they cultivate a personal code of ethics espoused
through actions that lead others in direct and indirect ways. In exploring my personal ethical
experiences, I asked the question, “If I had to choose ethical principles from this course to
incorporate or that I have already most embodied throughout my life, what would they be?” After
igniting my own introspection about personal ethics, I decided to frame each principle under (4)
distinct headings as follows: 1) The Educational Leader Seeks God First 2) Educational Leaders
Are Servant Leaders 3) Educational Leaders Practices Fairness 4) Educational Leaders
Remains Alert to Pitfalls. My overarching objective in analyzing personal ethical living is to
cultivate or kindle the best code of living as it applies to my life and vocation to include a future
in education after military retirement.
The Educational Leader Seeks God First
In the initial video presentation of this course, Dr. Constance “Connie” Pearson provided
that biblical principles and ethical leadership are the basic fundamental aspects of the course, but
most importantly, in her words, “As Christians we must base our decisions on the absolutes of
God’s word, not on the situational ethics of our society and culture.” In doing so, we must
integrate biblical principles found in Proverbs and rely on our foundation of what it means to be
a Christian. Thus, our actions and our conduct in life must reflect upon moving God into the core
of our being and outwardly practice ethical decision making according to Him.
Though I do not have personal experience as a Christian educator, my military career in
leading others enables my understanding of self but also allows me to integrate wisdom from
God, in order to lead others. In Proverbs 4:7, which says, “Wisdom is the principal thing;
therefore, get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding,” one must take heed that
wisdom as the central aspect of becoming a Christian leader that provides the basis for
understanding as one of the most important things we can do. Thus, as we face the sometimes-
harsh reality that our society as a whole is not focused on Christ, we can understand that our
personal decisions must remain rooted in the understanding of what God would have us to do
according to the bible.
According to the bible, found in James 1:5; “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask
God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” For
Christian leaders, this means that we receive wisdom through knowing Him and it is received
through our Faith in God and through our diligence. Conceivably, this is revealed to us in the
bible in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who
does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”
During the course, we found that, Blackaby & Blackaby (2011) concluded that spiritual
leadership does not ultimately rest on casting a vision, pursuing aggressive goals, and/or
determining what should be done; instead, the key to spiritual leadership is "absolute obedience
to the Father's will" (p. 50) and to "to preserve everything the Father reveals to them of His will"
(p. 50). I believe that this rhetoric indeed applies to the spiritual leader regardless of the
curriculum orientation their school administers. Therefore, educational leadership for spiritual
leaders is to seek and “understand God’s will for them and their organizations” (p. 41). Blackaby
& Blackaby posit that normal organizational planning and setting goals are not immoral, but the
source from which plans are cultivated is key for the spiritual leader. Thus, spiritual leaders are
equipped through seeking God’s guidance which enables them in discerning purpose and
direction for their organizations (p. 43).
In application of Blackaby & Blackaby’s conclusions and reading Proverbs in the
provided presentations as well as in the Bible, I believe my composites of character to align, but
also, find the principles to strengthen my philosophy through the wisdom of God. Remembering
that it is not the leader alone but the leader who harnesses the power of a relationship with the
Lord that guides his/her path and enables them to achieve His will. This is evident in Proverbs 2:
6-8 which says, “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and
understanding. He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is
blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.”
Ultimately, I believe being genuine is the best means available towards gaining trust and having
others want to follow the Lord which is a natural process of one’s character.
Educational Leaders Are Servant Leaders
Quite possibly my favorite leadership aspect is the principle of being a servant leader and
bearing the quality of leading others through serving others rather than commanding others from
a pedestal. In week 2 of the course, we examined Blackaby & Blackaby’s Spiritual Leadership,
found in Chapter 6, in which, they contrasted illegitimate and legitimate sources of influence.
Their illegitimate sources include, “position, power, and personality” (p. 154). While they listed
the legitimate sources as, “God’s Hand, Integrity, Successful Track Record, Preparation,
Humility, and Courage” (p. 179). I believe the key differences they point out have to do with the
intrinsic values rather than superficial reality associated with positions, power, and personality.
In other words, people often legitimize their official capacity as the source of their power. For
example, in the military many people who do not understand leadership will use their rank in all
three ways in attempts to achieve and legitimize their leadership role. They do this by
automatically assuming others must do what they say because of their duty title such as
Company First Sergeant or Company Commander. The second related to power in using rank as
a powerful source to influence others and the final being related to personality in turning on their
charm or maybe even turning up the volume of their voice to be an authoritative figure. While I
agree with Blackaby & Blackaby (2001), I believe that we must recognize the reality that
“position, power, and personality” are not going to disappear. Therefore, we must understand and
develop our intrinsic values through the legitimate sources in order have our words and actions
align to bring glory to His name. Therein lies the reason people follow—either because they
must—which aligns with less intrinsic value in “position, power, personality” or because they
value and relate to the characteristics found in leadership. Personally, I believe people follow me
because I want to accomplish the mission, task, goal; but also, I share my views on character and
demonstrate sincerity through my interactions by being fair, genuine, and caring towards others.
Above all, I believe leaders need to be honest with themselves, develop good character through
our example of Jesus, and cultivate an environment that is “Do as I do” rather than “Do as I say.”
The wisdom gleaned through reading Proverbs 7-8 applies to my leadership style in always being
vigilant against things that are unethical, immoral, or illegal which harkens back to the “Do as I
do” approach.
Also, Blackaby & Blackaby (2011) aptly noted the way that Jesus invested his time in the
twelve of his disciples. The bible demonstrates in Luke 6:40 that Jesus acknowledged his
investment in the twelve disciples as it reads, “The student is not above the teacher, but everyone
who is fully trained will be like their teacher” (NIV). Thus, spiritual leaders can use Jesus’
example in knowing that leadership has a remarkable impact on those they lead. This is not
limited to teaching but in all aspects of leading others. Another aspect is that we have to draw
from several different sources of knowledge in our professional lives as a responsibility in our
competence. One of the examples comes from the Model Code of Ethics for Educators (MCEE)
which advocates we are enabled to reach beyond the rule book by “Incorporating into one’s
practice state and national standards, including those specific to one’s discipline…” Thus, we
have the ability to apply personal aspects of our ethical codes in a professional manner as it
applies to our profession.
Educational Leaders Practices Fairness
Dr. Karen Parker in her presentation brought to light three issues in week 4, that every
Christian educator should embody or at least consider in their understanding of ethical leadership
principles. Dr. Parker explains each through focusing in three main thoughts, ethics in recruiting,
ethics in communication, and ethics in staff and faculty evaluation. The first theme of ethics in
recruiting, as Dr. Parker explains we are shepherds and we cannot apply ethical leadership unless
we know the individuals. Ethically we must help others find the right position by “knowing our
flock” and spend time getting to know the people we lead so they can be a true asset to the team.
The point she makes is very important as it applies to ethical leadership, as leaders must place
subordinate leaders into the correct positions which enables each leader an opportunity to lead
according to their passion. Through this process, I learned that fairness is communicated through
learning each individual to meet their needs as well as the needs of the organization. If we were
to place each teacher without regard to their passion and strengths, the organization would not
exhibit its full potential.
The second area that Dr. Parker addresses is ethical communication, which she cites John
10:27 which says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me” (NIV)
Therefore, by communicating openly and honestly, Christian educators can effectively meet the
demands and make learning more equitable and addressing the need for all students. The
educational leader, has the responsibility of ensuring that the learning environment and setting
high standards that meet the nurture learning need for all of their students which exercised
through accessibility and safety. In application of ethical communication she acknowledges this
priniciple by sharing that we must be honest and cultivate an environment where all can feel
comfortable in communicating even when we make mistakes.
The third and most volatile area presented by Dr. Parker is posited through staff and
faculty evaluation in which she explains through using the example of the shepherd as a leader.
In Psalm 23:4 which says, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for
you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (NIV) As Dr. Parker explains it is the
shepherd leader must use “the staff” for direction to lead other from the front to keep everyone
on the move. Also, she explains “the rod” as a means for correction in honesty and fairness by
working out a plan to correct problems as they arise. Above all, she explains that the shepherd’s
heart is the underlying priniciple that undercores all three areas centered in ethical responsibility.
Therefore, we have an ethical responsibility to take care of those we lead both when they are
doing well and when they make mistakes because it is our responsibility to do so.
Another aspect of fairness in ethical leadership practices which addresses virtue ethics
and human development is found in Rebore (2014) which he notes in his words:
Educational leaders desirous of leading an ethical life must eventually come to
grips with the virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. However, in
contrast to past dialectics, the contemporary understanding of virtue must be
viewed in the context of human development in general; also, human
development must be viewed as a process, which begins in early childhood,
extends into adulthood, and terminates only with death. As a species, humans are
still in a state of evolution (p. 27).
As Rebore’s words exudes secular concepts of human growth and development, he also provides
a pluralistic view of the educational leader. Nevertheless, the Christian leader must recognize we
are responsible to God and must not lean unto our own understanding but to Him. Thus, it is our
responsibility to ensure we are mindful of God’s fairness which is evident in Micah 6:8, which
says, “ He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To
act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (NIV).
During week 5, in our discussion board forum, we discussed the Model Code of Ethics
for Educators (MCEE) and our individual state’s code for educators. Comparatively, we were
able to view the distinct separation between each ethical codes. In doing so, we were able to see
the differences and reminded that as leaders we must rely on dispositional and regulatory
frameworks which were highly emphasized in the ProEthica coursework. However, through
learning about the various frameworks and regulatory guidance, we see that it is the dispositional
or self realization that God provides us with the ultimate guidance in which we must continue to
adhere to through our understanding and enrichment in our walk with God.
Educational Leaders Remains Alert to Pitfalls
In week 8, Dr. Ron Hawkins, the vice Pro-Vost, in his presentation, espouses a lesson on
ethical leadership as he explains that “leaders in contemporary society often rise to positions of
power without fully considering ethics or behaving in an ethical way.” Though indirectly
quoted, I found the exact verse he refers to in Ecclesiastes 7:8 which says, “The end of a matter
is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride” (NIV). He explains his personal
passion in making ethical decisions as a way to honor God and brings honor to our lives as well
as our family. Sometimes in life when faced with overwhelming circumstances or ethical
dilemmas we must turn to God for wisdom and direction. We find lessons in the Old and New
Testaments that teach us through reading scripture, but also by asking God in prayer we have a
way to ask from God for the direction. Dr. Hawkins explains that applying God’s truth is
complex and timeliness is important in its application as it has to make sense in order to honor
God. Thus, in “ending well” as he explains that prayer and saturation of truth helps us to become
ethical. Thus, leaders who rely on wisdom from God and practice ethical decision making can
remain alert to pitfalls.
In modern society and throughout my career, we have became highly aware of the
negative attributes and pitfalls that leaders in all professions fall prey to ethical pitfalls. As
Blackaby & Blackby (2011) note that “Leaders shipwreck careers, organizations, and families by
making careless, foolish choices” (p. 313). However, leaders have an opportunity to influence
others by actions, teaching, and through prayer. In our prayer reflection reports, I learned that
prayer is one of the most effective commitments that Christians can make for themselves as well
as other people. As Ephesians 6:18 states, “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds
of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s
people” (NIV). Thus, as educational leaders, we must rely heavily on prayer as a foundational
principle that helps to guide our ethical behavior as it relates to not only wisdom but our
accountability to others and God.
Conclusion
After thougtful consideration of the course materials, I believe that leadership is
an amalgamation of ethics and principles and for the Christian leader it is rooted in the principles
espoused in the God’s word. In exploring my personal ethical experiences, in answering the
question, “If I had to choose ethical principles from this course to incorporate or that I have
already most embodied throughout my life, what would they be?” I believe the framework
outlined in 1) The Educational Leader Seeks God First 2) Educational Leaders Are Servant
Leaders 3) Educational Leaders Practices Fairness 4) Educational Leaders Remains Alert to
Pitfalls delievers a well rounded scope of course materials building upon my personal ethics.
Ultimately, leadership is a journey in which we lead others to become the best they can
be while working towards a mission or central focus. Moreover, in leadership, we must pay
specific attention to the vital principle of ethical living, according to the calling of the Lord.
From the educational platform of teaching students, we must hold our position with regard to the
highest possible standards of conduct and accountability, in doing so, we provide an example for
others to follow and establish the basic knowledge through our own actions. Overall, the
leadership aspects apply to a wider scope than just education, some of the leadership dimensions
found in through my personal experience coincide with the principles found in this course and
relate directly to character and virtue ethics as well.
References
Blackaby, H. T., & Blackaby, R. (2011). Spiritual leadership. (Rev. ed.) Nashville, TN:
Broadman & Holman Pub.
Hawkins, Ron. (Vice Pro-Vost, Liberty University). (2018). Retrieved from learn.liberty.edu.
Model Code of Ethics for Educators (MCEE). (n.d.). Retrieved 14 March 2018, from
http://www.nasdtec.net/?page=MCEE_Doc#PrinI
Parker, Karen (Dean of Education, Liberty University). (2018). Retrieved from learn.liberty.edu.
