What is ethical leadership and what traits characterize it?

• A. Charisma, decisiveness, dominance, pragmatism.
• B. Integrity, fairness, accountability, transparency, and moral courage.
• C. Aggressiveness, risk-taking, secrecy, favoritism.
• D. Flexibility, opportunism, indifference, secrecy.

Answer: (B)

Ethical leadership centers on guiding others with moral principles, ensuring actions align with stated values, and building trust through responsible behavior. The traits listed—integrity, fairness, accountability, transparency, and moral courage—together define that approach. Integrity keeps actions consistent with professed values; fairness ensures impartial and just treatment of all stakeholders; accountability means owning outcomes, admitting mistakes, and taking corrective steps; transparency involves openly sharing information and reasoning to enable trust; moral courage is the willingness to do the right thing even when it’s costly or unpopular. These elements create credible, trustworthy leadership and a healthy ethical climate. Traits like aggressiveness, secrecy, or opportunism undermine trust and moral legitimacy, so they don’t describe ethical leadership.