Interview With An Ethical Leader Theology Religion Essay

Interview With An Ethical Leader Theology Religion Essay When you hear the word leadership what comes to mind. At first thought, people generally thing of someone famous. For instance, one may think of great leaders of social movements or even great political leaders. However, after taking an ethics class, I have learned that leaders come in all shapes and sizes and leaders/leadership can be perceived differently to different people in different circumstances. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to give some insight on the values and perspectives pertaining to this matter found in my interview with an ethical leader. As I look around my community, I am more aware of the leadership within it. I see individuals who are indeed leaders that may never become famous; however, their leadership is essential to the life of the community. The question is would they be good, ethical leaders with positive intentions? In order for me to make this determination, I had to ask myself what defines a leader, but most importantly, what defines an ethical leader? In my previous management classes I learned that leadership was described as the ability to influence individuals or groups toward the achievement of goals. Nevertheless, leadership, as a process, shapes the goals of a group or organization, motivates behavior toward the achievement of those goals, and helps define group or organizational culture. On the other hand, in reality, it is largely a process of influence. Leadership is an active or changing process in the sense that, while influence is always present, the persons exercising that influence may chan ge (Hartman DesJardins, 2011). Still, I needed to know exactly what an ethical leader was or what may define an ethical leader. According to my readings and research I found that an ethical leader is one who knows their core values and possesses the courage to live them in all parts of their life in service of the common good(Grace, 2010). Such an individual is a leader that is identified by the quality of their actions and decisions. After gaining a better understanding of what an ethical leader stands for, I decided to look in a particular direction and profession for the best person to speak with about the topic. That direction was toward men and women of the cloth. I believed that I could not go wrong with the person I had in mind taking into account that he was a pastor as pastors play many diverse roles as leaders of church congregations. For example, they are spiritual directors as well as counselors and community leaders. Furthermore, they live their lives in the public eye. The ethical considerations of p astors must be manifold and play a role in their involvement in every domain of influence, whether corporate or individual (Mavrich). With that being said, I was able to choose an ideal ethical leader from my life and community for this assignment. He is my brother, Pastor Juan C. Walker of Encouraging Word Ministries located in Jacksonville, Florida. When I called him in regards to setting up an interview, he was more than willing; and I was just as curious to hear what he had to say. Leadership background The first thing I learned upon speaking with Pastor Juan pertained to his background. Pastor Juan firmly believes that every leader must first learn to be a good follower. His leadership background began during his childhood as he was brought up in the church and had two very strong parents that did the best they could to teach him morals and values. His father demonstrated leadership by being there no matter what as a provider, and most importantly as a man. In addition to his biological father, Pastor Juan has a spiritual father (whom he served under for 10 years) along with other mentors that have demonstrated leadership and helped mold him into the man and leader he is today. Direct/Indirect Leadership I did not even realize that his leadership extended to so many people. In addition to his family, Pastor Juan directly leads roughly 60 people in his church. But the numbers are numerous when it comes to indirect leadership. Pastor Juan felt that it was kind of hard to give an actual answer as to how many people he led because as a pastor, he said, you lead whoever is following and there are a many that follow. He went further to explain that as his reason for, figuratively speaking, leading by example on a daily basis because someone is always watching whether it be at church, at home or at work; which led me to our next topic of discussion. Ethics and the workplace Next we spoke about his mindset when interacting with others in the workplace. Pastor Juan made it perfectly clear that he has to have ethics present in his mind while interacting with others in the workplace because people have different backgrounds and may view life in many ways. After such a short and sweet answer, I moved on to the topic of subordinates, peers, and superiors. He says that ethics is something that one should not turn on and off and so he practices it in all aspects of his life; even at the job amongst superiors, co-workers, and customers alike. When I asked the question Do you practice business ethics when training subordinates? Pastor Juan paused before he spoke. Finally, he responded. His response was simply that he tries to have ethics present no matter what he does. When training subordinates, Pastor Juan says he does so in the same manner as he does with anything and that is by example. However, he explained to me that he does acknowledge the fact that no mat ter an individuals background, the job must be done decent and in order. He believes that a person can only be trained how to do a jobà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦not how to think or act. On the other hand, he does feel that when someone sees that an individual has a standard, they would strive to accomplish it also. I followed up with the question of do you promote ethical behavior to subordinates, peers, and superiors? He believes that subordinates to be trained in leadership. This means equipping them to lead and reminding them that they must first learn to follow as a leader cannot truly lead unless he first learns to follow. Pastor Juan told me that he always tries to promote ethical behavior regardless of who the person is because it allows that person the opportunity to be aware of whom they are dealing with. This response had me a little curious. So I went on to ask Do you select teams based on their personal ethical code? I learned from Pastor Juan that he did not use his personal ethica l code during the selection of committees, boards, or groups because it was not very significant when selecting any type of group or team in the workplace. He felt that the selection of the members should be made based on an individuals knowledge and qualifications pertaining to the criteria of the project. In regards customer relations, Pastor Juan added that ethical behavior greatly affects customer relations in that he believes people will remember how you made them feel before they remember what you said. This is why he promotes love by showing it and being hospitable. He said he does so by demonstrating in his actions because they speak louder than words. Ethical Issues/Decision-Making After learning how important ethics are to Pastor Juan, I inquired about the amount of time he spends dealing with ethical issues. Pastor Juan replied that he spends a lot of time dealing with ethical issues as a minister. He went on to explain to me how as a minister he has many roles that all involve ethical issues in one way or another. He informed me that he and his wife are sometimes responsible for the spiritual and emotional care of members of their congregation through counseling. Therefore, they have developed specific ethical guidelines in regards to counseling. In essence, Pastor Juan says that dealing with ethical issues is his job. There is no taking a break from ethics in my position, he explained. For me, it is a lifestyle. Pastor Juan also spoke on his social responsibility. He expressed that his guidance projects a sufficient amount of attention when it comes to social responsibility. He mentioned that although it could sometimes be a very trying and challenging task, he tries to be available to serve the people which means being accessible and available when needed. Other ways he discussed involved other churches and politics. In regards to other churches, there are several ethical issues, however Pastor Juan only focused on one. He made clear to me that pastors must determine where to draw the line amongst being ethical and serving a community that is not so committed to old-fashioned denominational structures as opposed to taking and recruiting members from another church. Pastor Juan went on to explain that despite the separation of church and state, pastors find they must struggle with the ethical beliefs and concerns that surround political issues, such as abortion and homosexuality. He understands that such situations should be handled with care as they deal with both religion and politics. Pastor Juan says he never puts himself in the position to judge, as he knows it is not his place and leaves certain things between the individual and God. All he can do is let the Bible speak by preaching and teaching accordingly. Following that topic, I focused on how ethics impacted his decision-making on a daily basis and throughout the year. He gave me a look and smiled as if to say that the question asked was an easy one. He told me that ethics play a major role in his decision-making as with everything thing else he does. This includes decision-making in both his personal and professional life. He included that in his position, he is held to very high standards and that he also had to lead the life he encourages everyone else to lead which goes back to living in the public eye because we never know whos watching. Moreover, expanding a little bit more on the previous questions asked, I went on to ask, Is having a sound ethical code of ethics important in competitive environments? Pastor Juan feels that having a sound ethical code of ethics is very important in our environment. He went further to say that he feels this way because he believes that even when being competitive there should be present a line of respect that others should follow. I would say its like having good sportsmanship and integrity. Conclusion As I approached the end of my interview, I wanted to know if there were any ethical ideas that Pastor Juan had to offer as a guide to prospective or current leaders in developing solid and sound decisions with the goal of overall success within the organization. Pastor Juan felt that the best advice he could give was that we all come from different backgrounds and we must respect how others view life. He explained that if we take the time out to get to know one another, we would find out that we are far more similar than we may be different. So with that being said my final question for Pastor Juan was If you were to summarize in one sentence on what ethics is, what would it be? Pastor Juan was quoted saying, I would say that ethics is a moral standard and individual lives by. He added that as he previously stated, it should not be turned on or off. Everyone should have a standard and stick to that standard no matter what the cost. For the Pastor Juan, I believe it is safe to say that ethics is ultimately abiding by to the biblical creed, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Taking everything into account, I could not have picked a better example of ethical leadership than Pastor Juan. He is the epitome of righteous, just, and fair. He possesses all of these qualities and the many other characteristics of an ethical leader. This has become more evident after doing this interview and hearing his responses to the questions asked. He gave me a lasting impression of the type of person that he is and his role in the community. I cannot speak for anyone else but I can speak for myself; and I personally feel that anyone who comes in contact with this man of the cloth would be touched in some manner that would make them want to exhibit ethical characteristics as well. In any event, doing what is morally right and fair for the greater good of society is what ethics is all about and modeling such behavior on a daily basis is certainly true leadership.

My Car Crash Crisis

How could my dad and brother survive without gravy with our Sunday dinner? Unfortunately the store cupboard was sadly lacking in anything resembling< â€Å"Bisto†, none the less myself and my little sister were strapped into the back of Mum's car trying to find one of those little shops which my mum describes as â€Å"life savers† for the working mother where she could purchase some gravy granules and ensure that peace reigned at the Sunday dinner table. I should add at this stage my mother was heavily pregnant with my little brother. I personally had no objection to this little excursion as it gave me the opportunity to get some sweets. Then again I was thinking I would probably get plenty of sweets at my friend Suzanne's party which I was due to go to that afternoon. I was really looking forward to Suzanne's party. All those different coloured balloons just waiting to be burst but little did I know that it was my â€Å"happiness balloon† which was about to be burst. Mum was driving along the road and was pulling into her little Filling Station lifesaver. As we pulled across I saw a brown jeep heading towards us but it didn't seem to be slowing down. I was strapped in the back passenger seat and my little sister Kathy was in her baby seat I could hear my mum shout but I am not sure what she said. She tried to make it to the car park but even Michael Schumacher would have found it impossible. I remember vividly seeing the lady driver of the other vehicle. Her face was white and her mouth was open and her eyes filled with fear. That split second seemed to last forever and was only interrupted by the wailing screech of brakes. Time was once again frozen as my mind filled with questions-what would happen to my mum? -What would happen to my sister? -What would happen to me? All our lives were hanging on this frozen moment in time especially mine as the jeep was heading straight for the rear passenger door. The noise of metal striking erupted as pieces of the car door, the car pillar and a shower of glass made contact with my body. The front passenger seat came crashing backwards jamming my leg. Fortunately I was wearing my seatbelt otherwise I feel sure I would have gone either over my baby sister or straight through the window. I suddenly had a flash back of my brother and I driving along the road at the edge of a ravine where there was no fence at the edge of the road and I was frightened of our car falling down the steep mountainside into the valley below. My brother reassured me and told me that all I had to do was brace myself. I grabbed his cyber pet ad clung desperately to it. I could feel wet fluid rolling down my face and the screams of my little sister with her eyes scrunched up as she screeched uncontrollably. My mum was already out of the car at this stage and undoing our belts. I realised the fluid running down was in fact tears not blood. In the distance I could hear sirens blazing. As my mum continued to fumble with the seatbelts and try and extract my little sister and me from the car I saw a †¦ smiling policewoman looking in at me. She offered me her hand but when I got out I realised I had forgotten my brothers cyber pet so I broke free from the policewoman's grasp and grabbed it. She then took me to the side of the pavement beside my mum and little sister and set us all on the adjoining wall. She reassured me that my mum, sister and I would all be okay. I began to shiver uncontrollably and my head started to spin and it was only then that I became aware of the gash on my leg. I just could not seem to get warm realising this a policeman came over and gave me his jacket whilst my mum phoned my dad and called him to the scene. I remember my mum crying, as she was concerned about my sister, her unborn child and myself. The lady in the other car was very supportive and friendly but I was so glad when dad arrived and took us home. My mum was very keen to take me to hospital to have me checked out but I could not bear to be taken anywhere strange or to be parted from my family. I just wanted the warmth comfort and protection of our own home. When we got home mum and dad cuddled us on the settee and gave us a warm blanket with cups of steaming hot chocolate thankfully our next door neighbour who is a GP came and tended to us. Thank goodness no one received any serious injury and my cuts and bruises soon healed. When I look back on the accident I feel very glad I had my seat belt on because otherwise my injuries would have been much worse and I am also glad my mum was driving a large heavy car which absorbed a lot of the impact but more than anything ever I realised something for the first time just how precious life is and that we should always try to enjoy each day.

Prevention Persuasive Essay Cancer Prevention - 941 Words

Allie Cormier 01/30/2015 Dr. Green Biology B Cancer Prevention Persuasive Essay Everyday, an abundance of people ask what they can do to prevent themselves from especially getting cancer. Cancer, very similar to the steps of mitosis, occurs when cells divide uncontrollably. It starts by how a cell or a group of cells doesn’t follow the body’s typical growth controls. Cancer is hard to detect in the early stages due to the fact that it produces very few symptoms. Many rumors go around about what you can do to reduce cancer, but what you hear is not always true depending on the source you heard it from. The Prevent Cancer Foundation has come together with four of the best ways to help reduce your risk of getting cancer. Three of the most common ways are to eat healthy, be active, and to not smoke. Improving your diet is one of the three most common ways to help reduce your risk of getting cancer. New research shows that one-third of cancer deaths are associated to physical activity and diet. You can start by minimizing your daily dietary fat intake, mainly animal fat. Consume a diet that is high in fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, and whole grains. It’s difficult to alter your diet all at once, so slowly start incorporating a few servings of fruits and vegetables into your daily diet to prevent yourself from cancer. Some examples of what you could eat are to combine some dark, leafy greens like spinach in your salad or as a snack, eat a peach, or other brightly coloredShow MoreRelatedShould Vaccines Be Mandatory1492 Words   |  6 PagesShould Vaccinations be Mandatory? This essay will attempt to investigate the employment of the 23 plus vaccinations used today and how they defend the preventions and spread of diseases. 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Should Abortion Be Legal - 889 Words

Abortion is beyond doubt a debatable topic all around the world. In the United States, people are nowhere near any settlement of the matter and have not come to an agreement for the foreseeable future. The topic of abortion brings up a debatable issue regarding prenatal testing. An ultrasound is a standard procedure where the fetus can be checked upon and evaluated. With this procedure, abnormalities of the fetus can be detected, so further testing can be done to determine the health of the fetus. Nevertheless, what if anomalies are detected and the fetus either has a chance of not surviving or will be born with severe disabilities? It is unethical to most individuals, but the decision to end a pregnancy should always be accessible to the woman even if their decision is simply for the reason that their child would be born with disabilities. The effect of â€Å"choice† can be difficult to deal with and can have a ripple effect on a person’s life. Abortions can emotionally affect each woman differently. Some women have a sense of relief or a feeling of regret. The biggest mistake people constitute when looking at the abortion question, is assuming that all abortion is the same; some may think that they are all immoral, or some may believe that they are morally permissible. The fact is that there are perhaps different reasons why people choose to have an abortion. Reasons regarding the fetus age and health, the mother’s life and health and the possible adverse impact on society.Show MoreRelatedAbortion Should Not Be Legal1647 Words   |  7 PagesOne of the most highly debated topics is abortion and whether or not it should be legal. People who oppose abortion, meaning they are pro-life claim that abortion should be completely illegal with no aspects of it whatsoever; it can be a murder for the people standing against it. 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There have been a lot of disagreements between the Pro-life supporters and the pro-choice supporters. Pro-life supporters feel like abortions deter murder, while pro-choice supporters believe that the women should be able to make their own decisions. I am a part of the pro-life supporters because I feel like abortions are wrong for several of reasons. Why should women get an abortion if there are other choices for