Top Five Executive Initiatives (T5EI) The modern executive leader must make choices as a critical component of his or her leadership. What should you value as a leader? Standards, values, morals, customs and cultures all weigh heavily on the mind of the modern leader. You need to consider the structure of the workplace. What are the company's policies, procedures and organizational model that guide it on its path? Consider the five key executive initiatives below as the foundation of moral, just, and ethical leadership.1. Committing to a single standard of conduct “What will a nation gain through economic progress if it loses its soul” (Nair, 1997). Leaders must commit to a single standard of conduct and ensure that their practices reflect principled behavior. Too many people, as individuals and businesses, have been led to believe that it is necessary to sacrifice morality for convenience. This is especially true in the world of global business. This creates a double standard with lower expectations and lower standards of personal and professional conduct for social activists, professionals and politicians (Nair, 1997). It seems difficult to create a universal standard of conduct for everyone. Leadership must lead by example. Employees learn how to behave by observing their leaders and imitating what they see, regardless of whether it is right or wrong. Leadership sets the standard and tone of ethical conduct. Business ethics is quickly becoming one of the most talked about topics in the business world; especially when it comes to cross-cultural international business in today's global economy. Although many companies recognize the ethical dilemmas presented by globalized business, they are struggling to put five people into action (Northouse, 2010). Leaders show initiative in ways that can endear them to followers, resulting in effectiveness. The alternative is unpleasant, ineffective leaders. Using the above initiatives is critical to becoming an effective ethical leader. Works Cited Ciulla, J.B. (2003). The ethics of leadership. South Melbourne, Australia: Thomson/Wadsworth.Donaldson, T., & Dunfee, T.W. (1 July 1999). When ethics travel: The promise and peril of global business ethics. California Management Review, 41, 4, 45-63. Kouzes, J. M., & Posner, B. Z. (2007). The challenge of leadership. 4th ed. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass.Nair, K. (1994). A higher standard of leadership: Lessons from Gandhi's life. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler. Northouse, P. G. (2010). Leadership: theory and practice. 5th ed. Thousand Oaks, California. Wise publications.