hasize the necessity of ethical leadership in countless ways. It is their position, as well as that of the followers of Greenleaf's school of servant leadership, that the most effective leaders are those who have high moral standards and are not afraid to make ethical choices (Mayer, et al, 2008). The nexus between leadership and ethics has been characterized by Kouzes and Posner (2007) as requiring individuals to exhibit moral courage, standing up for values that may be difficult to maintain and which are often challenged by more pragmatic individuals or circumstances that require difficult choices.
Kouzes and Posner (2007) point out that ethical codes and standards are derivatives of moral values that are inculcated in individuals by their families, communities, religious affiliations, and their professions. Generally, ethics is understood in the context of leadership as emanating from the actions of leaders, the ways in which they induce followers to behave in a certain manner, the influence that they use, and the mechanisms they use to persuade and motivate others (Kouzes & Posner, 2007). Leaders in all professions must examine the morality of means and ends and the moral use of power and must be cognizant of the fact that there is always some degree of tension between a leader's public and private morality.
Servant leadership is inherently derived from an ethical posture that focuses on a process by means of which the leader attempts to transform or change followers to produce desirable outcomes. Most servant leaders are possessed of strong values and do not water down their values and moral ideals by consensus. Instead, they elevate people by using conflict to engage followers and help them reassess their own values and needs (Locander & Leuchauer, 2006). Servant leadership is a normative theory of leadership which positions the leader as a servant of others whose obligation is to ensure that followers maximize thei...