In an earlier post, we noted that ethical leaders often say less but stick to the truth in what they do say. See above for more on that topic.
Another trait of ethical leaders is that they know the stakeholders in their business. While almost all CEOs pay lip service to the maxim that shareholder value is paramount, ethical leaders realize that a company is successful only if it gives priority to many stakeholders. Not only does a corporation depend on it employees and customers; it also depends on its suppliers, the media, regulators at multiple levels, environmental critics, the financial community, political allies and many other stakeholders. While some CEOs focus only on shareholder value, ethical leaders try to balance the interests of stakeholders so that they align in support of the corporation. Some call this social responsibility, but it is just common sense to ethical leaders.
Mark Pastin 