Leaders Need To Have Good Ethics Irrespective Of Society’s Behavior

Sticking to ethical behavior is important for political leaders. This aspect holds good even if the overall behavioral pattern of the corresponding society is not up to the mark. There are a few thinkers arguing that if people in society don’t give significance to ethics, then their leaders will be of questionable integrity, too. Leaders are only reflections of the society they represent. This particular line of thought could be detrimental to the long-term interests of the concerned society.

Likewise, some writers and intellectuals voice another view. It’s acceptable if leaders don’t adhere to ethics in their personal lives, but when it comes to their official responsibilities they abide by ethical principles. But even this is a flawed concept that is a rarity in real-life scenarios.

So, the only practical aspect is that politicians must mandatorily follow ethical guidelines, even when the society they represent is lagging behind, in this context. Here, it will be appropriate to focus on some salient points.

• There has been a marked erosion of ethics in society, during the course of the past two decades. It is disturbing that many people are considering morality as being irrelevant to contemporary times. This only highlights the value of leaders with high ethical standards.
• When political ideologies are taken into account, there are two types of approaches: the realist perspective and the moralistic perspective. Here, the realists state that the moral guidelines followed by common folks can’t be applied that rigidly to politicians. They add that leaders can deviate a bit when the situation demands.

But, moralists hold to the opinion that these standards have to be uniform for both the people and their leaders. The moralistic viewpoint is the apt one for any society to prosper.

• Leaders driven by ethics will be able to positively impact the people in their vicinity. Even if the behavior of the general public is way below the required standards, a politician of integrity is not hassled. This is with respect to bringing a change in the approach of society. Individuals in society are likely to take their leader as an example, and change their actions accordingly.
• Under the leadership of a politician who prioritizes morality, the bureaucrats and officials functioning in all departments will discharge their duties with sincerity, as well. This contributes to the progress of society.
• It needs to be understood that the primary responsibility of a political leader is to work for the welfare of society. Their personal interests are only secondary. In this connection, a leader is necessitated to be focused on people’s well-being, irrespective of whether society’s behavior is proper or not.
• In any society that is based on the principles of democracy, it is paramount that people have faith in the leaders whom they have elected. And, when an elected representative considers ethical norms to be of no relevance, it won’t be too long before people lose faith. The obvious consequence of this is that the concerned leaders could get rejected in subsequent elections.

In this regard, the argument "an unethical society can’t expect good leaders" will be of no help to politicians. That would only antagonize voters against leaders/ parties.

• If the scenario of leaders not committed to ethics remains unchanged, the welfare of society will be adversely affected in all realms. Growth shall then come to a standstill.

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