Ethics

People's ethics are always being questioned for each hard decision they have to make. Everyone's ethics will be different on certain points, but in general they all have somewhat the same view of what ethics are.

According to Covey there are two kinds of ethics: character and personality. Many people will agree that the character ethic is what they are most familiar with incuding characteristics of "courage, patience, and modesty." (Covey, 18) However, many people will confuse it for the personality ethic. The personality ethic is what is more common today. The way society thinks today many people will be "manipulative, even deceptive" because they want to get ahead in life. They want to gain the leadership position faster, but not sincerely. The leadership position they attain will be lost since there wasn't "deep integrity and fundamental character strength."(Covey, 22) This drive they have is only for their own self gain and not in the best for everyone. Covey mentions interdependence. In some way, we are all connected and affect each other. The personality ethic is what drives society to immoral decisions because they only want their needs met.

A good leader needs to have compassion and empathy. These three traits is what leads to the personality ethic. The Greek philosophy of influence called ethos, pathos, and legos is a prime example of empathy. (238) One must gain trust and by doing so, he or she has to have compassion. Compassion is where "one's pain is shared and received" with others. Building trust will lead into pathos where you will seek first to understand, and then to be understood which is logos. This philosophy of influence is what builds ethics. Knowing what a person feels or will feel in any decision will question their ethics. To have good ethics, one has to be sincere, have compassion, and be empathetic.

With good ethics and good traits that make a good leader, character is built. Trustworthiness, compassion, and empathy build good character for a leader. "To learn to give and take, to live selflessly, to be sensitive, [and] to be considerate" (222) is the prime example of what character ethics are and what makes a great leader. It is a challenge for society to accomplish, but it is necessary to improve ourselves and others.