Student leaders advised to be ethical in decision making

Student leaders have been advised to prioritise ethical leadership as a foundation for sustainable development.

The Chief Risk Officer of Republic Bank, Frank Lawoe, who gave the advice, said true leadership was about making decisions that benefit the common good rather than pursuing personal or short-term gains.

“Ethical leadership means making decisions for the common good or the greater good. It is about thinking beyond personal gain and considering how your actions affect everyone around you — your colleagues, customers, communities, including your environment,” he said.

The officer was delivering the keynote address at an Ethical Leadership conference organised by the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) on the theme: "Empowering tomorrow’s leaders: Ethics as a foundation of leadership."

The event was attended by more than 300 student leaders from various tertiary institutions across the country. They were awarded certificates of participation.

Integrity

Mr Lawoe underscored the importance of integrity in leadership, particularly in the corporate world, where unethical practices have resulted in significant financial losses.

He cited data from the Bank of Ghana, which indicates that fraud-related losses in the financial sector rose from GH¢82 million in 2022 to GH¢88 million in 2023, with staff involvement in such cases increasing by 46 per cent.

“Staff of banks that were involved in fraud also increased from 188 in 2022 to 274 in 2023, representing an increase of 46 per cent,” Mr Lawoe added.

He, therefore, urged student leaders to apply ethical principles in their roles, particularly in recruitment and decision-making processes, to avoid favouritism and corruption.

Leadership and influence

Professor of Leadership and Director of Institutional Advancement of UG, Prof. Kwesi Dartey, also said that leadership was about influence and personal integrity.

“Leadership essentially is a kind of influence, the interpersonal influence that is exercised in a situation with a view of achieving a clearly defined goal,” he said.

Prof. Dartey further explained that ethical leaders serve as role models, demonstrating fairness, transparency and accountability.

“Ethical leadership is about making decisions that are right and fair, rather than that which is convenient. Ethical leadership is not just about what you say but what you do,” he added.

Prof. Dartey encouraged student leaders to develop strong personal values and resist peer pressure that could lead them to unethical behaviours. 

Academic malpractices

For his part, the Dean of the University of Ghana Business School, Prof. Justice Bawola, mentioned the increasing cases of academic malpractices and dishonesty among students, stressing the need for ethical conduct in education.

"Our commitment as a business school is to create a crop of young people who will not only obey the rules that govern our university but will be nurtured into capable professionals and principled leaders," he said.