To be an effective leader, a public official must maintain the highest ethical and moral standards.Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the claim. In developing and supporting your position, be sure to addre

The issue is based on the effectiveness of a leader. However the term can't be defined objectively. It has varied denotations depending on the sector of the leader. Also there are many factors on which the effectiveness of a leader is contingent upon. Hence i disagree with the issue that to be an effective leader, a public official must maintain the highest ethical and moral standards.

Firstly lets define the term effective leader. Is it the person who guarantees the maximum profits or maybe one whom everyone follows and idolizes. Considering these definitions, one can say the meaning varies with the context. An effective political leader will have different criteria for efficacy than a business leader or even a spiritual leader. In the field of business an effective leader is one who ensures the desired results are achieved. Take a case where the CEO of the company is embroiled in an illegal affair , this however won't affect the company's financial earning. Hence its not always necessary that an effective leader should maintain highest ethical and moral standards.

Moreover, to err is human. The leader being human is also prone to making a mistake. This should nonetheless not mean that he is not efficacious. A good leader should admit his wrongdoing and try to redress it. This type of behavior would encourage people to be courageous and rise above . If however one forces a leader to retain the highest ethical and moral standards, the leader would always tend to hide his actual persona;the persona which is susceptible to fault .The leader, promoting a facade will then be not as effective as an genuine leader.

On the contrary the leader who retains the highest ethical and moral standards almost always turns out to be effectual. People get inspired by the probity of the leader and aspire to achieve the same. These leaders can guide the public into a better world, where everything is moral and ethical. For eg, Gandhiji was known for his austerity and morality. Based on these qualities he succeeded in uniting the nation. He is an exemplar of an effective leader with highest moral and ethical standards.

Though a moral and ethical leader is effective, it does not mean that every effective leader should also keep up highest ethical and moral standards. The effectiveness of the leader also depends on other factors like success rate Hence i disagree with the issue that to be an effective leader, a public official must maintain the highest ethical and moral standards.