Overview of the Leader and Organizational Role
Regarding well-known leaders for good and exemplary leadership, I chose Satya Nadella. Microsoft is a global technological powerhouse led by Satya Nadella as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and he was announced as the CEO on February 4, 2014 (Refäuter, 2018).
Nadella was born in Hyderabad, India, in 1967; Satya studied Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering at Manipal Institute of Technology, then proceeded to the United States (US). In the US, he attended the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee in 1990 and pursued his Master of Science in Computer Science (Refäuter, 2018). He first worked at Sun Microsystems, then joined Microsoft, before he served as Microsoft’s Cloud and Enterprise Group vice president. As Microsoft CEO, Satya Nadella is a good example of ethical leadership who cares about privacy and environmental protection.
Positive Attributes and Ethical Leadership Qualities
Nadella had several positive attributes and demonstrated ethical leadership. Concerning positive attributes, Nadella is renowned for his empathic management approach. He firmly believes that to understand how technology influences people’s everyday activities, one must interact with them. Refäuter (2018) notes that according to Nadelle, “an empathetic leader needs to meet people in their daily life, to see how they live and how technology affects their activities” (p. 24). Moreover, he recognized empathy as a source of creativity since it was vital to understand customers’ unmet demands.
Additionally, he encouraged his staff to express their thoughts on what should be improved. Refäuter (2018) confirms that “He did not want a culture exclusive of ‘Yes-women’ and ‘Yes-men’” (p. 25). In short, he wanted all the employees to debate, argue, and build new ideas, meaning he cared for their opinions to feel appreciated.
Demonstrating Ethical Leadership Through Actions
Nadella’s commitment to the client’s privacy protection makes him an ethical leader. The acronym FHE denotes Fully Homomorphic Encryption, and its purpose is to protect users’ anonymity while allowing for an in-depth examination of encrypted data. It enables the encryption and decryption of results from computations performed on ciphertexts and their subsequent return to the user.
Munn et al. (2019) outline that “Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella’s public endorsement of FHE in 2018…” (p. 12). This means that he supported FHE publicly, which was purely advocating for privacy protection, and this meant that Nadella was an ethical leader. Nadella equally wanted the firm to be known for core principles that would be relevant in the future, such as privacy, safety, freedom of expression, opportunity, inclusion, and diversity.
In ethical leadership behavior modelling, he mainly uses words and actions. Satya Nadella is approachable, listens to workers’ problems, and promotes open communication. His decision-making is transparent, honest, and accountable; he sets a good example.
Vasquez (2022) reports that Satya made a public commitment to the environment to phase out carbon emissions entirely by 2050. Nadella’s declaration of a climate pledge shows his dedication to ethical conduct and his desire to take action to solve a crucial global problem. He shows people how to act as an ethical leader by doing it himself, and that the company can benefit society through employment and preserving the environment.
Applying Ethical Leadership Lessons to Personal Practice
Based on my learning from the case of Nadella, I would model positivity and ethical leadership in other leaders in two ways. Firstly, on positivity, I would cultivate empathy by meeting with the employees in a group of four. The four-person group will enable me to listen to them and solve the employees’ complaints.
Martono et al. (2018) mentioned that a “reward system is usually implemented to motivate employees so that they perform better quality, are more productive…” (p. 537). Solving or motivating employees can take different forms, such as listening to them, rewarding them, or training them. If the complaint needs training, I will offer it to ensure they are comfortable. Secondly, ethical leadership ensures diversity and inclusive leadership, and in this case, I will favor neither my clan nor race but hire employees on merit.
The Role of Ethical Leadership in Setting Organizational Standards
In the organizational standard setting, leaders can set the standards for their company by showing how to act positively or ethically. When leaders act honestly, take responsibility, and make ethical decisions, they change other employees’ perceptions and create a culture of trust and openness. This, in turn, encourages employee involvement, new ideas, and the company’s general success. When involved in decision-making, employees feel valued and respected, thus motivated (Rigby & Ryan, 2018). A motivated staff offers the best services to the clients, thus attracting more, while innovation aids the company in staying on top of the market competition.
Key Qualities of Ethical Leaders and Their Importance
In modeling ethical leadership behavior and positivity, I learnt three qualities. The first quality is integrity; leaders with high ethical standards must always be honest and open and follow ethical rules. Integrity builds trust and lays the groundwork for everyone in a company to act honestly.
The second is empathy; great leaders normally empathize with their staff and address their problems and issues. Leaders who exhibit empathy are better equipped to weigh the consequences of their choices for both people and the company. Kock et al. (2019) support the idea that “Higher empathy also allows leaders to understand better and respond to a follower’s needs in a way that furthers performance” (p. 219). The third quality is being visionary; ethical executives have a mission that matches the company’s values. They inspire the company stakeholders and lead it toward its objectives while upholding ethics.
Generally, Microsoft has been catapulted to growth by Satya Nadella’s visionary leadership, which promotes a culture of creativity, diversity, and technical progress. Nadella’s ethical leadership, indicated by his focus on privacy and sustainability, shows his dedication to keeping ethics and setting a good model for leaders in all industries. Based on his leadership style, three leadership qualities should be learned: empathy, integrity, and vision.
References
Kock, N., Mayfield, M., Mayfield, J., Sexton, S., & De La Garza, L. M. (2019). Empathetic leadership: How leader emotional support and understanding influences follower performance. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 26(2), 217-230. Web.
Martono, S., Khoiruddin, M., & Wulansari, N. A. (2018). Remuneration reward management system as a driven factor of employee performance. International Journal of Business & Society, 19, 535-543. Web.
Munn, L., Hristova, T., & Magee, L. (2019). Clouded data: Privacy and the promise of encryption. Big Data & Society, 6(1), 1-14. Web.
Refäuter, C. (2018). Microsoft’s renewal: The effect a new CEO can have on strategic change and firm performance (Doctoral Dissertation, Universidade Catolica Portuguesa). Web.
Rigby, C. S., & Ryan, R. M. (2018). Self-determination theory in human resource development: New directions and practical considerations. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 20(2), 133-143. Web.
Vasquez, R. (2022). CSR, CSA, or CPA? Examining corporate climate change communication strategies, motives, and effects on consumer outcomes. Sustainability, 14(6), 1-16. Web.