Ethical Leadership and Business Decision Making in Contemporary Times

Leadership in recent times has seen increasing corporate scandals resulting in the collapse of hitherto reputable organizations, such as Enron and WorldCom. The canker of unethical leadership cuts across international boundaries, culture and societies. From business and sociological stand points, the consequences of unethical leadership behavior are insurmountable. The general objective of this paper is to look at leadership ethics and how it influences leadership decisions making and the exercise of good judgment. It was observed that the main role of leadership is setting new direction and getting people along this direction. However, resent leadership scandals have made people see leaders with some kind of skepticism. Laws and legislations are good, but their existence has not deterred unscrupulous leaders for example in the Enron case. Dealing with this issue in a pragmatic way is critical to minimizing this situation if not eradicating it. Although situations may differ from one problem to the other, a careful review of previews decision provides some guidance in dealing with similar issues. It is my sincere believe that the model developed in this study would help develop the needed understanding of leadership ethic s and judgment, and how to deal with the current situation in our society