Ethical Leadership in Organisations: A Synthesis of Literature

A lot of controversies have arisen in recent times, as corporate leaders are brought under scrutiny by the media and other stakeholders. This has changed the game for a lot of them and it is no longer business as usual. What would have been ignored in times past would make headlines especially when it comes to ethical issues. As a leader of an organization, one is no longer responsible to just the shareholders in terms of maximizing profit. But as ethical leadership is concerned, the responsibility of ensuring that there is a clear line between what is acceptable and what is not acceptable while driving the organization to reaching set goals becomes paramount. The pitfall for several leaders is that, in the bid to achieve short-term goals, they cross the ethical lines which has major repercussions for the entire organization. This paper takes a holistic review of literature at the concepts of ethics, leadership and ethical leadership and the fundamental principles of ethical leadership. It also discusses cases of ethical misappropriations by selected organizations and the consequences of such actions. This conceptual paper provides practical solutions to the issues bordering on ethics and leadership in organisations