Munich, 05.08.2024

Leadership Values as a Success Factor for a Resilient Leadership Culture

Leadership Ethics and Leadership Values: A Guide for Successful Leadership

Leadership values and leadership ethics are essential building blocks that shape the quality of leadership in organizations. These values not only determine the behavior and decisions of leaders but also significantly influence the corporate culture and working atmosphere. In this article, we highlight the importance of leadership values within the framework of leadership ethics, provide examples of positive and negative leadership values, and explain how these values can be identified and trained.

What are leadership values and how do they influence a leader's behavior?

Leadership values are deeply rooted beliefs and principles that determine a leader's behavior. These values influence how decisions are made, how a leader interacts with others, and what priorities they set. In leadership ethics, these values play a central role as they directly affect the quality of leadership and the relationship with employees.

Positive leadership values can improve the work environment, increase employee motivation, and enhance a leader's effectiveness.
In contrast, negative leadership values can lead to a poor working atmosphere, low employee motivation, and a decline in productivity.

Positive Leadership Values

  1. Integrity:
    Leaders who demonstrate integrity act honestly and transparently. This fosters trust and respect within the team. Employees know they can rely on their leader's fairness and honesty.

  2. Empathy:
    An empathetic leader understands and respects the feelings and perspectives of their employees. This can lead to higher employee motivation and satisfaction, as employees feel valued and understood.

  3. Responsibility:
    Responsible leaders take accountability for their decisions and mistakes. This fosters a culture of trust and accountability and encourages employees to take responsibility as well.

  4. Visionary Thinking:
    Visionary leaders have a clear idea of the future direction of the company and can effectively communicate this vision. This inspires employees and gives them a sense of purpose and direction.

  5. Fairness and Respect:
    Fairness in leadership means that decisions are made fairly and objectively. This prevents discrimination and favoritism and creates a balanced and respectful work environment.

Negative Leadership Values

  1. Authoritarianism:
    Leaders who are authoritarian tend to make decisions without consulting or considering the opinions of their employees. This can lead to a feeling of alienation and demotivation, as employees do not feel valued or respected.

  2. Unreliability:
    Unreliable leaders do not keep their promises or are inconsistent in their behavior. This can lead to uncertainty and frustration among employees and undermine trust in the leader.

  3. Lack of Transparency:
    When leaders do not communicate transparently, misunderstandings and rumors can arise. This can damage employee trust in leadership and the company and lead to a poor working atmosphere.

  4. Perfectionism:
    When leaders cannot tolerate mistakes, it prevents learning. Even worse: when leaders therefore meticulously interfere in everything and engage in micromanagement. This conveys mistrust in employees' competence and leads to frustration and passivity.

How can leadership values be identified and trained in the context of leadership?

Identifying Leadership Values:
A person's values can be determined through self-reflection, personal interviews, and psychological tests. Leaders can identify their own values through regular feedback sessions and self-assessment, and understand how these influence their leadership.

Training Leadership Values:
Leadership training and development programs can help develop and strengthen leadership values. These training sessions often include workshops on ethical decision-making, communication strategies, and fostering a positive corporate culture. Additionally, mentoring programs and coaching can help leaders define their values more clearly and implement them effectively.

Tips for HR Managers on Recognizing Leadership Values

  1. Observations in daily work:
    HR managers should observe the leader's daily interactions and behavior. This includes how they make decisions, handle conflicts, and treat their employees. For example, a leader who values transparency may openly communicate about company strategies and decisions. These observations provide valuable insights into underlying leadership values.

  2. Feedback and Surveys:
    Regular feedback sessions and employee surveys are effective methods for gauging employees' perception of leadership values. Questions about aspects such as fairness, support, and communication can reveal which values the leader embodies in practice.

  3. Analysis of Decision-Making Processes:
    The way a leader makes decisions offers insights into their values. HR managers should analyze decision-making to determine if it is characterized by integrity, responsibility, or other values. This can be done by evaluating case studies and the associated justifications for decisions.

  4. Limiting Unethical Behavior:
    Values develop in a social context. They define what is "allowed" and what is not. If unethical behavior is tolerated and no boundaries are set, a misguided or selfish leadership culture can develop. Therefore, proactively address values.

  5. Formulating Leadership Values:
    Formulate leadership values for your company and the associated expectations for leadership actions. Ideally, you should evaluate leadership quality in employee appraisals.

Sources

  • Leadership values and values based leadership: what is the main focus? SCIENDO
  • "The Power of Personal Values in Leadership": FORBES
  • The role of personal values in the charismatic leadership of corporate managers: A model and preliminary field study, 2005: ScienceDirect

Conclusion

Leadership values are a central component of leadership ethics and play a crucial role in a leader's success and effectiveness. Positive values such as integrity, empathy, and responsibility contribute to a productive and harmonious work environment, while negative values such as authoritarianism and unreliability can have the opposite effect. Leaders should therefore regularly review their values and take advantage of appropriate training to ensure that they continuously improve their leadership ethics and effectively support their employees.

About the Author:

Tom Senninger
Tom Senninger		 Tom Senninger is a personnel and organizational developer and has been conducting leadership development programs for 25 years.

Weiss & Senninger
The Leadership Professionals
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80336 Munich

089 97392288

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