Not everyone is born a leader. You can determine who is a leader and who is a manager by their actions. If you are mandating tasks, you are a manager. If you are empowering others to grow in their gifting and talents, you are a leader. A manager just sees their employees as a means to an end. A leader sees potential in the people that they work with. They want to see them succeed just as much as they want the company to thrive. Above all, they want to make sure to be an ethical leader, that clings to moral principles.

How can you become an ethical leader?

Identify your values and beliefs.

Be kind.

Have you ever heard of the phrase, “They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel”? Being polite and courteous towards those that work with you go a long way. They feel like you are respectful of their time and contribution.

Stick to your truth.

In hard times, it’s easy for a company to lose sight of their vision and be clouded by greed. As a business owner, you may come across issues like this more often than you think. Your goal is to grow your business and make money, but are you willing to sacrifice value to gain that success? If you stay true to what you believe and choose a virtuous path towards growth, you will attract like-minded individuals that will want to work alongside you and are committed to your company’s success.

Search for team members that are on the same page as you.

Many companies are specific to the type of people they hire because they are looking for a particular work environment. In today’s work world, there are various ways to discover like-minded individuals to hire. One such resource is called The Enneagram Test. There are various free tests available online that your potential employees can take to determine their personality type. Through this, you can determine the type of worker they are and how they can contribute to your organization.

Be honest

Even with their similarities, you want to approach every employee as an individual. They all want to be heard and feel like they can contribute to your team. Allow them to voice their views and opinions. It’s always great to be open to feedback. It will not only help with the success of the business but will also help you become a better leader.

Be fair.

Nobody’s perfect, least of all ourselves. Keep that in mind when practicing to be a good leader. The worst boss to have is one that is not self-aware. When an employee offers feedback, be willing to listen and accept that you may have to change every now and again. Sometimes, even apologize. You’ll be surprised by how much transparency can garner respect.

Don’t just talk about it, be about it.

Oil trickles down. That’s why in order for you to make sure your business runs well is if you take care of yourself first. The people that you will be leading are watching how you run your business or department. They are paying attention to how you respond, how you handle conflict, and how you are leading them as a whole. Give your people are reason to look up to you.