Moral person and moral manager: How executives develop a reputation for ethical leadership.

Treviño, L. K., Hartman, L. P., & Brown, M. (2000). Moral person and moral manager: How executives develop a reputation for ethical leadership. California Management Review, 42(4), 128–142. https://doi.org/10.2307/41166057

In this seminal article, the authors distinguish between two essential components of ethical leadership: being a "moral person" and being a "moral manager." A moral person possesses individual traits like integrity and honesty, but a moral manager actively uses their position to shape followers' behavior by communicating about ethics and using rewards and punishments to hold others accountable. The researchers argue that a leader must be both to develop a reputation for ethical leadership; being a moral person in private is insufficient if the leader remains silent on ethical issues in public. This paper is foundational for understanding the "reputation" aspect of leadership and the proactive steps required to foster an ethical culture. Its framework remains highly relevant for analyzing executive behavior and organizational communication strategies. The study provides a practical yet theoretically grounded approach to understanding how ethics are perceived and enacted within the highest levels of management.