The Leader’s Light or Shadow
Morality is housed within the will of the leader. A leader has an unusual degree of power to project upon other people his or her shadow, or his or her light. A shadow or toxic leader will be tyrannical and disloyal. Immoral or shadow leaders cast shadows when they: abuse poser, hoard privileges, mismanage information, act inconsistently, betray loyalties, or fail to assume responsibilities. A light or moral leader will use his or her experience to uplift and encourage others. Honesty is very important to be an effective ethical leader, because followers trust honest and dependable leaders. Ethical leaders use facts and moral reasoning to determine if a decision is right or wrong. Johnson (2009) explains that making wise and ethical decisions involve many of the same steps as making other important decisions such as: “listen effectively, gather information, analyze, and formulate arguments” (p.47). The characteristics of ethical leaders could be described as Servant Leadership. As stated by Johnson (2009) “Servant leaders are charged with protecting and nurturing their groups and organizations while making sure that these collectives serve the common good” (p.176). John Wooden displays the attributes of an effective servant leader. John Wooden said, “In my opinion, being an effective leader requires being an effective listener. The most productive leaders are usually those who are consistently willing to listen and learn.” John Wooden provides a pyramid consisting of 12 steps to success:
Good values attract good people, love is the most powerful four-letter word, call yourself a teacher, emotion is your enemy, it takes 10 hands to make a basket, little things make big things happen, make each day your masterpiece, the carrot is mightier than the stick, make greatness attainable by all, seek significant change, don’t look at the scoreboard, and adversity is your asset.
Grateful for Everything . . . Sarah