Jane Addams And Ethical Leadership

In Missouri State University’s Public Affairs mission, three notions are constantly being reinforced, known as the three pillars of Public Affairs: ethical leadership, cultural competence, and community engagement. These beliefs encourage students to think forward about the world that surrounds them, and allows them to step up as leaders. While looking towards the future with these concepts in mind, we can take inspiration from the past and apply that to today’s world. The passion the leaders before us felt live on today, proof through the immense amount of organizations founded for the sole purpose of lending a hand to our fellow neighbors.
A leader is not somebody with a million followers, their faces on every magazine cover or their names …show more content…
Jane Addams took her talents and desire to help on a greater scale after a trip to Toynbee Hall in London with a friend, Ellen Gates Starr, the future co-founder of the Hull House. The inspiration they felt at this home for the poor was enough to be carried back with them and put to use. Her personal hardships were overcome, and for the greater good of the people, she pushed through and made their idea a reality, knowing that a large portion of the population would greatly benefit from their actions. It takes more than a group of followers to be characterized as a leader. You first must allow yourself to take on that role and believe in what you stand for. Jane Addams brought about a positive change because she allowed herself to, and it was that ambition that continues to make the difference today. Imagine where we would be today if people like Addams decided to ignore their ideas because of the possibility of failure. Many of the life-changing programs and institutions that were created long ago simply wouldn’t exist because somebody was too scared to …show more content…
With keeping the Three Pillars of Public Affairs in the back of your mind, it is simple to discover who an ethical leader can be. Ethical leadership takes a person first believing in themselves, and then standing by those beliefs no matter what. They do the right thing for reasons close to their hearts, and strive to make a positive change in their world. Cultural competence means setting no limits on who we can help, despite different ethnic backgrounds. Having tolerance and understanding to everybody around you is key to eliminating senseless racism and prejudices, and since attitudes are contagious, all it takes is one person to change the mindsets of many. Community engagement is an idea that can be taken on any scale you feel comfortable with. Getting involved with a small, local organization is just as impacting as taking your time and talents overseas. No matter what you choose, somebody, somewhere is benefitting. My own personal ethical leader is Jane Addams, a woman who clearly fits the description, but this doesn’t mean that the time to step up is long gone. There are countless opportunities today that challenge you to become a leader yourself, and what you do with that kind of influence can define you as ethical or