Navarro Jeszeyl G.

BABR 2-1

05/12/23

Ethics 101 by John C. Maxwell

1. What is your understanding of ethics? How does it relate to leadership?

Ethics is by doing the right thing and may not always be easy but it is always right. It is related to
leadership because leadership states that trust is the foundation of leadership. A morally upright leader
is aware that fostering an ethical workplace culture depends on developing strong bonds based on
mutual respect, candor, and trust. The guiding values of ethical leadership are honesty, fairness, justice,
responsibility, accountability, and empathy.

2. What are some of the consequences of unethical behavior in leadership?

These are the five factors that most often come into play when someone compromises his ethics:

• Pressure
• Pleasure
• Power
• Pride
• Priorities

3. What are the different types of ethics discussed in the book? Which one do you think is the
most relevant to your life and why?

The following below are the types of ethics discussed in the book

• Business Ethics
• Leadership Ethics
• Education Ethics
• Philosopher Ethics
• Theologians Ethics
• Lawyer Ethics

The most relevant ethics that works in my life are education and business ethics because I am working
and studying at the same time and those ethics that I mentioned, I encountered almost every day in my
life.

4. What is the role of values in ethical leadership? How can leaders align personal and
organizational values with ethical standards?
Maxwell goes on to say that having good character is essential to leading a good, moral life. The
following are some guidelines for character:

Character is more than talk. It’s about walking the talk.

Character is a choice.

Character brings lasting success to people.

People cannot rise above the limitations of their character.

Whether you are looking at individuals, businesses, or societies, we need to take responsibility to act
ethically rather than push that responsibility and expectation onto others. Only then can we attain and
maintain success.

5. What are some of the practical steps that leaders can take to promote ethical behavior in their
organization?

As previously stated, those who succeed without virtue quickly lose that accomplishment. Only people
with a strong moral foundation can continue to be successful. How do we develop character? As
previously said, following the Golden Rule is a fantastic method to develop your character.

Maxwell also mentions some more ways to build your character:

1. Take responsibility for your actions

2. Develop personal discipline

3. Know your weaknesses

4. Align your priorities with your values

5. Admit mistakes quickly and ask for forgiveness

6. Be cautious with finances

7. Put family ahead of work

8. Place a high value on people

6. Why is accountability important in promoting ethical behavior? How can leaders hold
themselves and others accountable?

Because integrity is the foundation of a person’s life, and accountability is the cornerstone. It gives teeth
to our pledge to live by high ethical standards. Not just leaders can hold themselves accountable but
everyone else by simply admit their mistakes and genuinely feel sorry about them.
7. Reflect on a leader you admire. What ethical principles do they embody? How do they promote
ethical behavior in their organization?

I remember my previous team leader, she always reminded us of this saying "Always do the right thing
even if others are not, will not, and cannot." this saying has a great impact on achieving our team goal
because my team lead is not just saying it in words but in action also. She's a role model to each one of
us.

8. Have you ever been in a situation where you had to make an ethical decision? How did you
approach it? What did you learn from the experience?

Being a trainer was indeed not a walk in the park. There are situations that will challenge your ethical
decision. I remember that I have this trainee before that consistently failed her metrics. Just a little bit
of background, in order for them to be endorsed on the production floor they have to meet the 80%
passing rate. So, part of my task as a trainer is to listen to their calls and rate them holistically. To make
the story short she's failing and there’s a small chance for her to be enforced on the floor. So, what I did
is that I talked to her and set proper expectations about her performance however, I am fully aware also
why she desperately needs the job because she's supporting her studies and family. I did not let her pass
even though it's a tough decision to make but this is the right thing to do. I still give her some pieces of
advice that might work for her in the long run.

I learned that always seek first to understand while doing the right thing.

9. How can you apply the principles and practices discussed in the book to your personal and
professional life?

Acknowledging these principles and practices discussed in the book and it'll serve as my guide in every
decision and action I'm about to make.

10. What is one key takeaway from the book that you will remember and apply in your future
leadership endeavors?

I BELIEVE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO USE ONE GUIDELINE TO GOVERN

ALL YOUR ETHICAL DECISION-MAKING. IT’S BASED ON THE GOLDEN RULE.