Today there are many public figures who can be said to move masses, however it is necessary to say that not all these characters who are capable of moving the masses are born leaders, the truth is that few are, since being a leader It is not just being able to say something and that other people follow you blindly, with the arrival of social networks and anyone can be a paper leader.
It is also necessary that those who manage to overcome that barrier of the role leader, know how to handle this type of leadership with responsibility, whether in a social network, personally or in organizations, usually the people who follow the leader are people who they think and reason on their own and that they agree with the ideals expressed by the leader, however, sometimes there are certain fans who are capable of anything in order to follow the leader.
It is here when we say that leadership must manage responsibly, one way to do it is through moral leadership, there have been cases of unscrupulous or lacking values which have caused both their loyal followers and themselves to carry out atrocities that are marked. in the history.
Like the false shepherds who called for mass suicide because of the belief that this leader would guide them towards the divine being they were looking for, the same happens in an organization. Leaders must be able to correctly handle that empathy they have with their followers, guide them along the path that best suits both sides and always avoiding taking advantage of human talent which is very susceptible and sometimes easy to persuade..
In this article we will talk about leadership, moral leadership, the types of leaders that exist within organizations, how they are identified and in the same way the benefits of having a moral leadership.
Definitions.
According to (wikipedia.org, 2018) leadership means the following:
It is also understood as:
In the same way we have the definition of morality, according to (wikipedia.org, https://es.wikipedia.org, 2018) is the following:
Moral leadership is a leadership model developed by Eloy Anello and Juanita Hernández, at the Nur University, Bolivia, beginning in 1993. This theoretical body is supported by a conceptual framework made up of six elements, complemented by a series of 18 capacities divided into three families: capacities for personal transformation, capacities for the transformation of interpersonal relationships, and capacities for social transformation.
(Laguna., 2012)
According to the Italian researcher Daniele Trevisani, leadership can arise in a human being from one of the synthesis factors which are the following:
- High levels of physical power, display of energy, superiority in vigor, ability to generate fear, or the need of the group of members for a powerful group protector (Primal leadership) Higher mental energies, superior motivational forces, noticeable in communication and behaviors, lack of fear, courage, determination (Psycho-energetic Leadership) Superior skills in managing the general situation (MacroLeadership) Superior skills in specialized tasks (micro-Leadership) Greater ability to manage the execution of a task (Project Leadership) High level of values, wisdom and spirituality (Spiritual leadership), so any leader owes his leadership from a unique mixture of one or more of the factors mentioned «. (wikipedia.org, https://es.wikipedia.org, 2018)
Types of leadership
According to Max Weber there are three pure types of leadership:
- Charismatic leader: is the one who has the ability to generate enthusiasm. He is chosen as a leader for his way of giving enthusiasm to his followers. They tend to believe more in themselves than in their teams and this creates problems, such that a project or the entire organization could collapse the day the leader leaves their team. Traditional leader: is one who inherits power by habit or by an important position, or who belongs to an elite family group that has had power for generations. Examples: a reign. Legitimate leader:We could think of "legitimate leader" and "illegitimate leader." The first is the person who acquires power through procedures authorized in the legal regulations, while the illegitimate leader is the one who acquires his authority through the use of illegality. The illegitimate leader cannot even be considered a leader, since one of the characteristics of leadership is precisely the ability to convene and convince, so a "leadership by force" is nothing other than lack of it. It is a contradiction per se, the only thing that can distinguish a leader is that he has followers: without followers there is no leader. (wikipedia.org, https://es.wikipedia.org, 2018)
Ethical leader.
An ethical leader takes care of his people, practices justice, is loyal and virtuous, respects the social order when it is fair and humane, and above all else understands the true meaning of freedom, which in no case is a blank check for the destruction of others and of himself. To be an ethical leader the main thing is not to be afraid to defend and live under the imperative of the principles through which one believes that one can do all the good possible.
There are desirable behaviors and there are undesirable ones. A theoretical approach called
"Moral Foundations Theory" (MFT) distinguishes six dichotomous pairs of human morality. They are the following:
- Beware - Damage. It refers to the contrast between what should or should not be done to ensure the health, prosperity, maintenance and protection of people. An ethical leader cares and does not harm. Justice - Injustice. It refers to the contrast between straight, upright and rigorous decisions, on the one hand, and those that are biased, deceitful and unequal. Loyalty - Betrayal. Refers to the ability to be trustworthy or, on the contrary, to distort any agreement or word promised. Virtue - Degradation. It refers to the way in which life itself is assumed, or associated with values or determined by vices. Authority - Subversion. It refers to the way in which norms and social order are assumed. Either attached to them or practicing transgression. Freedom - Oppression. Refers to the ethics of human dignity,the respect that the individual and his life project deserve and all the temptations that arise along the way to confiscate his free will.
The need for moral leadership.
Organizations that are making efforts to solve the complex problems afflicting the peoples of the world have discovered that scientific, technological and political means alone are not enough. At the heart of the global crisis that plagues humanity, there is a fundamental crisis of values, manifesting itself in the social, economic, political and environmental spheres of human life.
This crisis of values is part of the underlying cause that creates the vacuum in moral leadership, which occurs at all levels of society. In short, it is not money, not organizational capacity, not even knowledge, that is lacking to improve the world, but the necessary moral leadership.
History of moral leadership.
Eloy Anello and Juanita Hernández are the people who developed the Moorish leadership model at the South University, Bolivia in 1993. Its beginnings arose from an international group of educators in Russia, in 1992, from here a basic structure arises, Eloy He participated in this group and conceived the idea of expanding the elaborated scheme, developing a project that aimed to train rural teachers as agents of community development. (Lagunes, 2016)
What is the goal of moral leadership?
Moral leadership results in individual growth, as it achieves a knowledge of himself, a control of his ego, an ability to visualize things from an objective sense. It makes him develop such that he exploits all his capacities in all areas, which gives him that sense of improvement.
It is also beneficial to society because it fosters values and above all unity and love. Well, it shows that we are all united, that we are not different in terms of subatomic composition, so we are not different at a macroscopic level either. That we are all one, but that unity must be achieved as an individual and on a par with society.
What does moral leadership entail?
A moral leadership involves great efforts, of course, because you are swimming against the current. Well, in a society that is flawed and in a sense enslaved, an enormous job must be done so as not to be dominated by your ego, so as not to be influenced by its environment. You must create a discipline with yourself and with your ideals, which must become true convictions so that they prevail in your life, and it is not feelings that lead you to act temporarily, but noble acts that arise from within and are carried carried out continuously, regardless of the circumstances, obstacles, pressure, fatigue… so many and so many circumstances that are present all the time in life, because they are part of it, and therefore, cannot be conditions that you can control.
Commitment is the most fundamental part for the moral leader. That commitment to his convictions is what will lead him to transcend. Well, it not only consists of having in mind what must be done, but carrying out all that stored theory. For this reason it is necessary to always be able to be aware of oneself, because in this way what is thought about the world is controlled. You must make a conscious effort to focus on specific things and not let your mind wander. Pay attention to the way you act because that way you can know who you are and who you should be. All this will bring unity to oneself, which will imply peace and happiness, and that should also result in treating others with kindness, love and compassion, because you will understand that not everyone chooses to live that way (consciously),but that does not mean treating them with aversion.(Huerta, 2017)
Prevailing models of leadership
When talking about leadership, we must always do so within the framework of the functioning of a group. Leadership cannot exist in a vacuum. It exists in the context of a group. The three main functions of any group, which contribute to its proper functioning, are:
- Preserve and strengthen the unity of the group Carry out the tasks for which the group was created Develop the potential of the group members (Anello)
We can classify the prevailing mental models of leadership into five main categories: authoritarian, paternalistic, know-it-all, manipulative, and democratic. During the Salzburg 331 seminar, held in Austria in 1995 on the theme of “LEADERSHIP: CONCEPTS AND CHALLENGES”, a simple survey was conducted on the prevalence of these five mental models of leadership in the 35 countries from which the 72 participants came. The survey revealed that these five patterns are highly prevalent in all 35 countries, indicating that they are common in diverse cultural settings. Each model will be briefly described below:
The authoritarian leader.
The authoritarian leader gives orders. Expect immediate, exact, and unquestioning obedience to their authority. Avoid dialogue and do not allow anyone to ask you for an explanation about your orders. The prototype of the authoritarian leader is found in military organizations, although authoritarian leadership is also common in employer-worker relationships.
The subordinates of an authoritarian leader generally feel resentment, which can be expressed openly or indirectly. When resentment is openly manifested, it can eventually lead to rebellion or revolt. When resentment is not expressed, compliance and apparent submission can characterize the relationship.
As it was in the days of slavery, the worker says "Yes, boss." However, behind their apparent submission, there is often a passive resistance that undermines the work that needs to be done. Many times “mysterious” problems arise that obstruct work and for which no one can be found responsible. It is common for tasks to be carried out slowly and initiative is virtually unknown. (Anello)
The paternalistic leader.
An individual exercising a paternalistic model of leadership may sincerely desire the well-being of the other members of the group and be motivated by a genuine feeling of caring for them. He can treat the other members, therefore, as a father would treat his children, or rather as an overprotective father would treat his children. He takes care of them, protects them, removes all obstacles from their path, does things for them and tells them not to worry because he has already solved everything for them. Sometimes he may ask group members for their opinions and give an outward impression of being a democratic leader, but in the final analysis it is he who ultimately makes the decision. The paternalistic leader does not help group members develop their own capabilities. You probably don't think they have many abilities.Rather, he feels satisfaction in knowing how necessary he is to the other members of the group.
As long as the paternalistic leader is actively responding to the needs of the other members of the group, it may appear that there is unity in the group and that tasks are carried out competently. But in reality, the work is not done by the group. It all depends on the great "father-leader."
Therefore, paternalistic leadership basically cultivates attitudes of dependency and helplessness that paralyze creative initiative and a sense of personal responsibility. As a consequence, when this type of leader leaves, the group tends to fall apart, because no other member of the group has the capacity, knowledge, experience, or initiative to take his place. (Anello)
The know-it-all leader
This leadership model often occurs when there is a marked difference between the knowledge or experience of an individual and that of the other members of the group.
As a result, the person with the most knowledge tries to dominate the group based on his superior knowledge. This model of leadership is often seen in academic circles, among teachers, consultants and technical advisers, and others who make a living sharing their knowledge. In his relationship with the group, the know-it-all leader takes every opportunity to boast of his knowledge, studies, or previous experience. He likes to talk about his abilities. At the same time, he often tries to diminish the credibility of other group members by subtly ridiculing their ideas and suggestions, making jokes about these contributions.
This attitude of superiority tends to create feelings of inferiority among group members. As a result, even if the leader asks for their opinions, they are often reluctant to give their ideas for fear that they have little value compared to the superior knowledge of the "expert." Thus, the wealth of experiential knowledge that the group may have on the subject is lost, and the know-it-all leader is often discouraged, complaining that no one participates or contributes. The lack of integration between the leader and the other members of the group affects both the unity of the group and the execution of its tasks. (Anello)
The manipulative leader.
Those who practice the above three leadership models may be sincere in their desire to help the group or encourage its participation, not realizing how their own superiority attitudes obstruct their ability to do so. In contrast to them, the manipulative leader only appears to think about the welfare of others, to hide his true motives and personal interests.
People often respond to this type of leadership, which is very common in politics, with disappointment and lack of confidence. When people realize that they have been manipulated, they often become cynical and distrust any subsequent organization or project that offers to help.
After the spirit of cooperation in a group or community has been seriously damaged as a result of relying on the false promises of a manipulative leader, it tends to be extremely difficult to regain people's trust. (Anello)
Elements for the creation of moral leadership.
The six essential elements for creating a conceptual framework of moral leadership are mentioned below, and because these elements are interrelated, it is difficult to discuss one without mentioning the other. (Ávila, 2016)
- Belief in the nobility of the human being Service-oriented leadership Purpose of leadership: personal and social transformation Capacity development Moral responsibility to investigate and apply the truth
conclusion
Moral leadership is a very important issue since today a lot of values are being lost, people believe that you can live without them, go through life disrespecting someone, doing theirs or simply being dishonest, but we must to always keep in mind that morality is a corrector of rectitude and is like an escape valve which should never be lacking.
A moral leader must learn to handle people in the most correct way possible, always anticipating the well-being of the people above those of the organization, of course as long as the company is not affected in decision-making either.
Thesis proposal.
Conduct a study on the impact of a moral leader.
Overall objective.
Carry out a study within an organization in the Córdoba - Orizaba region that can determine how much impact moral leadership has within the organization and the consequences that this entails.
Thanks.
I thank my mother who is the strength to continue every day and who has made me get to where I am, my teachers who have given me their time and knowledge to continue my studies, Doctor Fernando Aguirre y Hernández since He has given us all his experience and knowledge in this matter of Fundamentals of Administrative Engineering, as well as CONACYT since it gives us its support to motivate us to move forward in our adventure for mastery.
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May 21, 2018, from https://www.gestiopolis.com: https://www.gestiopolis.com/definicion-liderazgo-moral/ Xochitl Abigail Luna Lagunes
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