Communication leaders must have good ethics, and they need to adhere to those ethics when they are involved in global communication.  There are many examples of general cases, where communication leaders have engaged in unethical or deviant behavior.  Most of those cases have had a poor outcome, which usually means a company, and a large number of people are affected.
Ethics is a necessary factor that needs to be involved in communication leadership.  Communication leadership involves convincing people to change their minds about specific issues.  While convincing others to change their mind is not unethical, leaders must remain truthful in the process.  They must be able to communicate with people in a way that is easily and clearly understood.  
While having a conversation, communication leaders need to adhere to ethics in global communication.  They need to have conversations, because having a conversation is more important than just trying to communicate a message.  Communication leaders must speak and act ethically at a global level, in order to share stories and encourage others to do the same, build on other people’s input, ask questions, level with people, and show vulnerability.
Communication leaders must also be able to read, understand, and follow certain codes of ethics.  There are many codes of ethics, which vary per workplace.  However, the basis of any code of ethics is that certain behaviors are acceptable and some are unacceptable.  If a communication leader understands the code of ethics, he or she can attempt to communicate within what is acceptable.  Moral reasoning is also a factor, which can be involved in a communication leader’s conversation.  The leader must be transparent about which factor is being used, and they must be logical.
Communication leaders have been found engaging in unethical behavior.  Most of these cases have resulted in a poor outcome.   Some general examples can be mentioned such as a bullying boss, which results in employees that are in constant fear of making mistakes, or not being good enough because the boss degrades them.  As a second general example, communication leaders sometimes lie to their company.  This action results in losing trust in any decisions that the communication leader makes.  As a third general example, communication leaders who commit theft can result in employees feeling unsafe and unsecure in their work environment.
A case involving a reporter name Jayson Blair, is one real and specific case where a communication leader has shown unethical behavior, which resulted in a poor outcome.  The successful reporter named Jayson Blair, a journalist at the New York Times, was on the road to becoming one of the most respected and popular journalists.   He wrote about crucial issues such as the Washington, D.C., sniper shootings in 2002, and the Iraq War.  However, it was later found that he was acting unethically, and against a written code of ethics.  He was plagiarizing news stories and articles.  He was also lying about being in the middle of these events, because he did not even leave New York City during those times.  His unethical behavior led to a negative company reputation, and the resignation of two top editors.    
Communication leaders must be aware that they influence individuals and companies every time they have a conversation.  They must realize those conversations are based on their ethics and moral compasses.  They must also read and understand their workplace code of ethics, and be able to convince others, without using unethical behavior.  Anything less will result in poor outcomes.
