Improving ethical standards is an exercise that is extremely important for society. The moral values that each individual holds contribute to the fabric of society. However, ethical standards are not merely evolved organically for every individual. There is a need for educational institutions to equip each student to respond to challenging situations ethically. The teaching of proper ethics is often introduced at the college level. Apart from preparing students for an appropriate workforce attitude, college is perhaps the perfect place to dive deep into principles and ethics. It is one of the higher ranking areas when it comes to ethical violations. Studies show that, as of 15 years ago, up to 75 per cent of college students admitted to cheating, plagiarizing, or other similar ethical violations (Friedman, Fogel, & Friedman, 2005). However, even after changes were made – the use of plagiarism detecting sites, restricting access to the internet during classes, and similar measures, colleges have been unable to stem the level of academic dishonesty. It currently stands at above 75 per cent (Simpson, 2016). The formal courses in ethics are often the first exposure that high school graduates have to ethical standards. Therefore, it is essential for educators at the college level to pay close attention to relevant principles and ethics that apply to their practice. In the paper below, 6 main principles of leadership will be explored.
Confidence
Blackaby and Blackaby
A lack of confidence in oneself or others can limit one's ability to take criticism productively. When followers raise legitimate concerns for these individuals lacking in confidence, they are taken as personal attacks. This is one of the pitfalls of leadership that Blackaby and Blackaby (2011) examined towards the end of their book – oversensitivity. Oversensitivity can be applied to classroom settings where college professors take issue with students asking challenging questions rather than taking it as an opportunity for a shared learning moment. As college professors, it is essential to foster a sense of confidence that will eliminate the chances of falling into oversensitivity.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Rebore
Rebore refers to the importance of confidence as a leader in his text. In one particular quote, the text states, "The charisma of leadership refers to viewing leadership not as a job or even as a profession, but as a lifelong process of discerning how to be of service to the organization community" (Rebore, 2014, p. 75). This quote not only refers to servant leadership but to how confidence is an inherent principle of leadership. Charisma is defined as a compelling charm that inspires devotion in others. A vital component of this charm is confidence. Confidence and arrogance are not the same. This point is reiterated by Rebore where he associates charisma with servant leadership. From this Rebore text, one can infer that college professors should incorporate confidence in their role as educational leaders while keeping their service to the community in mind.
Prayer Reflection Report
In the personal prayer reflection report assignment, confidence was incorporated into the prayers for leaders to gains strength in the face of adversity and courage. The main inspiration for this was the position leaders have as role models for the rest of us. College professors, too, need the type of confidence that will stand the test of pressure. In difficult times, God is always present for support (I Peter 2:23).
Proverbs
College professors are educational leaders, guiding their students through learning and self-discovery through their educational experience. In reading proverbs, the importance of the principle of confidence as a leader is present. P roverbs 30:5 it is stated, "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him." While, as men, every word of ours is not flawless, we should emulate God acting as a shield for the people who look up to us. Leaders are humans, and it is not simple to rise and take on the brunt of responsibility. It takes bravery, and most of all, confidence. In this reading, leaders such as college professors are called on to obtain the confidence to stand up and become a shield for their followers – their students.
Focus
Blackaby and Blackaby
One of the pitfalls discussed by Blackaby and Blackaby is mental laziness. Mental laziness describes a state wherein an individual skates while placing minimal effort. As leaders, specifically educational leaders in this context, it is essential to curb mental laziness through focus. A focus on what one's goal truly is in one position as a college professor leads one to realize that minimal effort and academia do not correlate. The best ethical practice would be to be constantly well-read and prepared rather than mentally lazy to educate the students adequately.
Prayer Reflection Report
In the personal prayer reflection report that was part of the coursework, there was a reported the focusing power that prayer had on community leaders' perception. Before engaging in regular and frequent prayer for leaders, leaders' efforts in management around the community were not evident. However, after prayer, these efforts became more apparent. An understanding of their importance, and a focus born from worship, was reached through this exercise.
Proverbs
Proverbs 4:25 states, "Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you." This verse is on the importance of focus in life. College professors, as well, must use this in their practice to stay attuned to the educational experience that they are providing for their students and not on other confounding factors.
Course Presentations
One of the presentations that impacted highlighting focus was the presentation by Dr. Parker on “Ethics in Leadership." In particular, one point is essential to stress as a college professor – the end of knowing one's flock. Dr. Parker mentions how crucial it is to get to know one’s subordinates. Applied to a classroom setting, this means better learning and understanding one's students to educate them better. This ties in with focus in that the main focus of the college professor in education. While other factors may influence practice, the college educator needs to remember to focus on why they are there – the individual student. This point by Dr. Parker brings the educator's attention back to the student to focus on them, understand them, and thus better serve them.
Honesty
Blackaby and Blackaby
Blackaby and Blackaby touch on honesty in communication as a significant factor in leadership. Towards the end of the text, the authors focus on leadership pitfalls, and one of the areas highlighted is communication. Among the many issues that can arise due to poor communication, one lacks honesty regarding subordinates' positions on issues or level of satisfaction (Blackaby & Blackaby, 2011). Frequently, miscommunication breeds resentments, misunderstandings, and a general lack of honesty in interactions between leaders and their flock. In the context of an educational leader such as a college professor, a lack of openness in the classroom can lead to academic dishonesty from the students. Rather than approach the professor and express their concerns about handling workload or understanding the course material, students may resort to dishonest means to stay academically afloat. It falls upon the leader in this scenario to create and perpetuate an environment that encourages honesty from the followers. Promoting the use of office hours, tutors, extra credit assignments, and other factors that make an environment of openness to help-seeking activities will encourage students to solve their problems in an honest way rather than a dishonest one.
Prayer Reflection Report
Part of the personal prayer reflection report assignment touched on the importance of honesty in leadership. Specifically, it was indicated that a part of the prayer routine described in the project includes praying for leaders' hearts and minds to allow harmony and honesty into their lives. With honesty involved, leaders can live more unified and harmonious lives with their flock. This is an example of an application of the prayer reflection to honesty in leadership. As individuals with the ability to influence young minds, college professors should primarily focus on this principle.
Proverbs
Proverbs 11-19 touches on the importance of honest, forgiving, and peaceful leaders, as these are the ones desired by the Lord. College professors are no different, as they must embody honesty to inspire honesty in their students. Honesty is an important feature throughout the book of Proverbs overall.
Positivity
Blackaby and Blackaby
Towards the end of the book, the authors examine various pitfalls of leadership. Among them is cynicism (Blackaby & Blackaby, 2011). While cynicism can be an effective way to analyze a situation for potential oversights or gaps, it does not contribute positively to large doses' leadership role. The highlighting of cynicism as a pitfall of leadership underlines how important it is to foster the opposite trait instead – positivity. As an educational leader, it is essential to promote positivity in students who are beginning to experience stressors as they transition into independent adulthood.
Prayer Reflection Report
In the prayer reflection report assignment, positivity has played a role as well. Through prayer, leaders have been seen in a more positive light, and focus has been driven towards the good that they do. Engaging in worship for leaders has been instrumental in making their actions create a positive personal effect. In the context of educational leadership, using prayer can likewise add positivity to one's practice and move the focus away from any cynicism or discouragement that everyday exercise can create.
Proverbs
Proverbs 17:22 states, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." This verse openly says that positivity not only positively contributes to health but also one’s productivity. A crumpled spirit desiccates up the bones indicates that it is challenging to work in such a situation. From a college professor's perspective, current conditions combined with everyday stressors that come with educational fields often create room for a crushed spirit. However, God's word should be kept in mind – that a cheerful heart will provide medicine.
Decisiveness
Blackaby and Blackaby
Professional stagnation in one position for too long is one of the pitfalls of leadership mentioned in the Blackaby and Blackaby text. Individuals need to challenge themselves rather than remain indecisive about their next move. Indecisiveness can create prolonged position-holding through a reluctance to hear the spiritual guidance that it is time to move on. This is especially relevant to college professors, as tenure is a factor that can limit their ability to hear this message. Professionals must apply their ethical values when considering whether it is beneficial both to the students and themselves to continue to hold a position for a prolonged time.
Prayer Reflection Report
In the prayer reflection report assignment, mention is made of the strength of will needed for righteousness. Specifically, the prayer journey explained therein included a season of daily prayers for leaders to gain the power to be righteous even in turmoil or in difficult life decisions. This is mostly applicable to college professors who are often placed in situations where they must consider the ethical, moral, or theoretical value of the curriculum they teach. Decisiveness in such dilemmas is difficult and may require spiritual guidance or help.
Proverbs
In Proverbs 3:5-7, it is stated that we should trust the Lord rather than attempt to lean on our understanding of the world. We should not fear or turn away from choices that scare us, but instead, trust in His decisions. This relates directly to decisiveness. Even in the face of spiritual direction, a lack of perseverance will create doubt and waste opportunity. College professors, especially, should trust that the Lord is taking care to cater to their students and their career and do what feels right.
Inspiration
Blackaby and Blackaby
The Blackaby and Blackaby text touch on educators' role in inspiring students by referencing the guidance that more experienced individuals should provide to the rest. In the text, the authors state that it is essential to guide other people to greatness. Expressly, it is noted that wisdom is gained through collective cultures that encourage others to contribute (Blackaby & Blackaby, 2011). This means that individuals with knowledge or experience should open up an avenue for collective wisdom to be created by being the first to contribute to it. Thus, in this way, educators can inspire wisdom and collaborative knowledge by making the first step. Inspiring students to contribute to the collective understanding referenced by Blackaby and Blackaby is an ethical principle important to college educators (Blackaby & Blackaby). These are the educators who assist in shaping the minds of the new workforce.
Prayer Reflection Report
In the personal prayer reflection report assignment, leaders were highlighted not only as individuals in power but also as individuals with a specific influence on my life that can inspire change and growth. In the context of an educational leader such as a college professor, it is understandable to consider both individuals in power and individuals with the ability to inspire. The prayer reflection report highlighted the importance of praying for such people in one's life. However, even from the perspective of a college professor, it is essential for them to engage in prayer to, in turn, better their ability to influence and inspire their students positively.
Proverbs
Proverbs also provide wisdom on the correct approach to follow as an ethical college professor. In proverbs 20-31, we are told that learning begins by walking the godly walk (Proverbs 20 :7). Not only does this instruct readers to follow God’s word and thus find wisdom through it, but it can also be applied to the educator’s role as an inspiration and role model to their students. To gain and impart knowledge on one's students, college educators must first act in a manner that can be seen to be godly and worthy of emulating or taking inspiration from. By applying Proverbs 24:4, we can see that when educators make the conscious effort to fill their classrooms with spiritual acts, students will prosper, and riches will come. In this case, riches should be taken to mean enrichment of the overall life and spiritual experience, rather than merely material riches.
Model Code of Ethics for Educators
One of the values of the model code of ethics for educators is an obligation to the profession. This code ties in with honesty and decisiveness. It calls for educators such as college professors to hold themselves and their colleagues to a higher standard of behaviour than is required by the law. Another principle relevant to this paper is the responsibility to professional competence. This principle ties in with focus. It calls for college educators to remain focused on their vocation – academia – and all the work that goes along with staying relevant and well-informed enough to instruct students. Lastly, the principle of responsibility to students calls on college educators to consider how their actions influence their students’ educational experience and perception. This ties in with the leadership principle of inspiration, as educators should make efforts to inspire positively rather than negatively through their student interactions.
References
Blackaby, H. T., & Blackaby, R. (2011). Spiritual leadership (Rev. ed.) . Nashville, TN: B&H Pub.
Friedman, H. H., Fogel, J., & Friedman, L. W. (2005). Student perceptions of the ethics of professors. Friedman, HH, Fogel, J., and Friedman, LW (2005). Student Perceptions of the Ethics of Professors. Electronic Journal of Business Ethics and Organization Studies , 10 (2), 10-15.
Parker, K. Ethics in leadership . [PowerPoint]. Canvas. https://canvas.liberty.edu/courses/59968/pages/watch-ethics-in-leadership?module_item_id=5529761
Rebore, R. W. (2014). The ethics of educational leadership (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Simpson, D. (2016). Academic dishonesty: An international student perspective. Higher Education Politics & Economics , 2 (1), 5.
