"Value-driven leaders can shape followers' self-concepts and motivations to serve
the collective interests. Followers are strongly affected by what their ethical leaders say
because the leaders walk the talk by infusing moral purpose and correctness into everyday
work" (Li, C., & Bao, Y. 2020). The employee satisfaction survey results showed dismal
scores for questions relating to the ethical integrity and trust cultivated by the leadership
team. When trust erodes, it can cause trust issues with the original offenders and quickly
turn into an epidemic in a department. When trust is lost, it's tough to gain back, but not
impossible. When you think of issues revolving around trust, honesty is the first thing to
come to mind. You can't believe what you're told. You can't believe the person will say
what they're going to do will be done. It's a cauldron of unending doubt in the person that
mutates and seeps into every part of the relationship. Ethical decision-making skills will
play a massive role in creating a successful team and successful survey results. Being
honest, true to your word, and framing those thoughts and decisions based on generally
accepted ethical concepts will help to foster a more positive team experience.
The Company & Strategy focus area earned a 60% rating for the question, "I
believe the company mission and vision drive the decisions that are made" this isn't the
highest mark by far. Still, it is much higher than many other questions and categories. This
score shows a willingness of the employees to embrace and understand a vision and its
motivations; acknowledging the modeled behavior regarding the corporate vision and
mission is key to transforming it into a shared goal. A leader uses a combination of
creative and strategic thinking to see one of the higher scores and take the time to explore
it. Most would dismiss it as not a concern. However, it could be a quick and easy fix that
would be worth investigating to boost morale, motivations, and the overall score of future
surveys. The biggest hurdle a business can face is having its employees buy into the
company's shared vision. This question shows employees' willingness to embrace and
understand the corporate vision and its motivations and acknowledge the modeled
behavior regarding the corporate vision. This awareness is paramount in creating a shared
vision.
The company's recognition and praise focus areas reflect ample room for
improvement. Creating an atmosphere of empowerment and engagement will stimulate
growth and allow individuals to enhance their trajectory, and create more opportunities for
recognition and praise. When doing the same job repeatedly, it is hard to establish new
milestones that set you apart. Showing up and doing your best, day in and day out should
be rewarded. However, allowing for new opportunities and growth will challenge the
norms of keeping people siloed in their positions. The act of development within a team
will open opportunities for both the individual and the business, a mutually beneficial
endeavor. Performance management will be a skill used to acquire metrics for success and
opportunities for improvement. The opportunities will assist in seeing the arc of change
and strides. It will be a great indicator of how far a person has come in their journey. No
metrics gained would be unnecessary. They would all have a purpose.
Leadership skills revolving around self-awareness will also benefit the team by
producing a complete picture of the group. When a leader believes the entire picture is just
the work and attitudes of the team members and does not include themselves in the
assessment, there is ample opportunity to miss essential holes in the structure and possible
success of the team. If a leader is self-aware, they can see their limitations. A self-aware
leader will delegate tasks they know may not be the best person to complete the job. Being
self-aware, they will also pinpoint the person who might have the skill they lack. Think
about it: if you're quiet and don't talk much in everyday life, you're going to notice
someone who talks endlessly without taking a breath. Being self-aware as a leader creates
partnerships with individuals who have more vital skills in areas they may lack. Leaders
who use this skill to develop collaborations and enhance their behaviors are a step above
other leaders.
"Empirical evidence has demonstrated that ethical leaders can alter moral efficacy
change moral identity and attentiveness and lead to value congruence" (Li, C., & Bao, Y.
2020). The skill that every leader needs to hone is communication. Anyone who begins a
job and thinks they have definitive ideas of how to communicate with a team is already
setting themselves up for an uphill battle. Predetermining the needs of a group is nearly
impossible until you meet the team since their individual needs can be so different than
what you imagine or what you've experienced before. Learning to communicate effectively
and honestly is a skill that will enhance the success of any leadership and the team they
lead. When individuals feel informed and not kept in the dark, they can process the
information and make their own informed decisions, allowing them to move forward
through any process and not halt themselves in waves of doubt and indecision. The ability
of a leader to pivot based on the actual situation they're facing and not sticking to what
they've done before is essential. If you're open and honest and have a shared goal, you can
create an entire framework for a department based solely on quality communication.
Communication inspires, ignites motivation, and opens doors for new learning
opportunities.
References:
Li, C., & Bao, Y. (2020). Ethical leadership and positive work behaviors: A conditional process model. Journal of
Managerial Psychology, 35(3),155–168.
https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.1108/JMP-10-2018-0475
