Question

As is evident from the large number of corporate scandals most of which involve top management team members, character is an essential leadership ingredient. Corporate leadership has failed its character test in the last few years. To learn about character, young executives should go through self-awareness training and experiential training with respect to character issues.

In the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, “new” managers are taught eleven (11) principles of leadership from the Army’s manual, Principles of Leadership. The principles (summated) are as follows: (1) Know yourself and seek self-improvement; (2) Be technically and tactically proficient; (3) Seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions; (4) Make sound and timely decisions; (5) Set the example; (6) Know your subordinates and look out for their well-being; (7) Keep your subordinates informed; (8) Develop a sense of responsibility in your subordinates; (9) Ensure that the task is understood, supervised, and accomplished; (10) Train your personnel as a team; and, (11) Employ your wit in accordance with its capabilities.

1. Write a short paper (no more than 2 pages, double-spaced) on your views about the importance of character in transformational leadership.

2. In your paper, using the 11 principles of leadership above, list and explain which four principles would be most instrumental in developing character in a leader. What principle would like to add which you believe is just as important as any one of the above especially in contexts of dynamism (i.e., constant change) and uncertainty? Why?

Answer 1

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1. Doing a right thing, more appropriately the right thing in the right way has its own rewards. But a person with ethics and great characters lead many people. The ethics and character help him to lead the group. Many transformational and pseudo transformational leaders are able to exert their control and power over the subordinates, peers and simply the followers. But the lack of integrity, ethical behavior and character bring harms to everyone in the company and mainly to their followers. The authentic transformational leaders act on a core set of tender-hearted and almsgiving values and then brings the best from their followers and then do all the great things for the society. Hence the effective leadership and transformational leadership should start with a good character.

Most of the leaders lead a group of followers into the unknown. They really have no idea about the result and hence the risk is very high. This is one of the most challenging time and task a leader faces. It is very usual for the followers to resist the change, when the change according to vision, mission and objective push them out of their comfort zone.

The transformational leaders are most capable of persuading their followers into the unknown without any resistance. They take a leap of faith and follows the leader to whatever conclusion it gives. This is because the transformational leaders build a sense of trust through their characters among the followers. It is normal for one to become vulnerable and accept the risk if there is willingness to take the risk which comes automatically when trust is built. We are more inclined to trust someone when we know their values and character and we notice that their line of action is congruent with those values and characters. The trust comes because we reliably predict how the leader will act with each situation. Leaders of high character instill trust.

To the actions and values of the leaders, we can apply moral analysis. If the leader possesses a developed conscience and acts in ways that are altruistic, charitable and kind rather than maleficent and selfish, the leader is considered as praiseworthy. The pseudo-transformational leaders often take actions in a destructive and self-servicing intentions but show that they have developed conscience to great extents.

The behaviors of authentic transformational leaders can be defined as Idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual simulation, individualized consideration.

• Idealized influence: Serving as an example of excellence and character. Creating a climate of high standards for task performance and ethical choices.
• Inspirational motivation: Developing and communicating an ambitious, exciting and morally good vision for the group to achieve. Involving followers, empowering them, and encouraging their development toward that end.
• Intellectual stimulation: Fostering open discussion of the vision and its implementation.
• Individualized consideration: Demonstrating genuine concern for followers' development. Providing coaching and mentoring.

2. Four principles most instrumental in developing character in a leader:
   1. Seek Responsibility and Take Responsibility for Your Actions: We are not satisfied with performing just our duties to the best of our abilities, we look to grow and seek further challenges, and always, when in charge, accept the consequences of our decisions, absorb the negative and pass on the praises.
   2. Know Your Personnel and Look Out for Their Well Being: Leaders must know and understand those being led. When individuals trust you, they will willingly work to help accomplish any mission.
   3. Ensure Each Task is Understood, Supervised and Accomplished: Team members must know the standard. Supervising lets us know the task is understood and lets our team members know we care about mission accomplishment and about them.
   4. Develop A Sense of Responsibility In Your Followers: The members of a team will feel a sense of pride and responsibility when they successfully accomplish a new task given them. When we delegate responsibility to our followers, we are indicating that we trust them.

Another principle I would like to add:

Keep Your Followers Informed

Our team members expect us to keep them informed, and where and when possible, to explain the reasons behind requirements and decisions. Information encourages initiative, improves teamwork and enhances morale.

The reason behind choosing this is, as the industry is dynamic and undergoes constant change, informing the followers about everything will make them realize that nothing is hidden and they will value the leader more.