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Over the past century, there has been a lot of work, and thought, given to the development of various leadership theories. From that work, we have transformational leadership, situational leadership theories, and behavioral theories. But very little has been written from a theory standpoint about ethical leadership.
Part of the problem stems from the fact that the word "ethical" describes a constraint placed on the leader, and not their approach to leading. In some way, this was addressed by Burns (1978) in his description of transactional leaders. Some people use the term "ethical" interchangeably with the word "moral" - a concept addressed by Burns.
Evolution of Ethical Leadership Theories
In describing his theory of leadership, Burns pointed out that there were two primary types of leaders - moral leaders and amoral leaders. His feeling was that amoral leaders were not true leaders, and decided to ignore the dark side of "leadership."
That's because amoral leaders are typically associated with the use of extreme measures (such as physical force), and derive their power from fear of repercussions. These attributes / characteristics he felt were not indicative of a true leader. This is why Burns decided to focus on moral leaders; effectively stating that being a moral leader is a requirement for all true leaders.
Add to this problem the fact that morality and ethics can vary considerably from culture to culture, and therefore the issue becomes even more complex. Perhaps the evolution of true ethical leadership theory was hindered even by the innocence of the theorists themselves. If your theory's starting point is that all leaders operate ethically, then why bother addressing the issue?
Defining Leadership Results
Part of the problem with ethical leadership, and its theory, also has to do with how we measure the effectiveness of a leader. Normally, we define leadership results in terms of the tasks the leader was able to accomplish. We measure effectiveness of leaders by their results; whether it's the profitability of a company or the win / loss ratio of a head coach.
Studies have found that in organizations where leaders have practiced ethical leadership skills; these qualities were among the most appreciated by employees of the organization (Michael Richardson, 1992). But this study does not state ethical leaders were more effective as leaders, merely that the followers appreciated the fact they were ethical in their approach.
This brings up an interesting point concerning the discovery of unethical behavior by leaders, and the impact of this behavior on the perception of these leaders by their followers. Two well known examples of such perceptions include those associated with President Nixon and President Clinton.
To this day, the mention of President Nixon conjures up his association with the Watergate scandal. At that time, he was arguably the most powerful man in the United States. He was unseated as the American leader after an investigation forced his resignation. That investigation dealt with unethical behaviors.
President Clinton allegedly had an affair with an intern named Monica Lewinski. As a graduate of Georgetown University, and a Rhodes Scholar, then President Clinton claims he misunderstood the definition of a term that many of us have no problem understanding. Unlike Nixon, he was not forced into resignation. But will the history books, and the public's perception of his achievements, be footnoted by this unethical behavior?
Ethical Leadership Today
So the heart of this dilemma remains rooted in the fact that ethical leadership is more descriptive of overarching standards, or governing principles, that relate to behaviors. Unfortunately, ethical choices present themselves all the time, so the choice becomes what not to do.
For example, you know it's wrong to lie, cheat, or steal from others. Unfortunately, ethical leadership does not tell you how to react to a certain set of conditions. It doesn't tell you how to maximize the chance that a desired outcome will result.
We all recognize that the world is damaged every day by the unethical behavior of others. There have been fortunes lost due to the behavior of leaders at Enron and WorldCom. But it is the uncaring attitude of society that prevents the interest, and further study, of the topic. Until the time comes when emphasis is placed on the means of getting things done, and not the accomplishments themselves, it is doubtful that any significant research concerning the value of ethical leadership will appear.
About the Author - Ethical Leadership
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