The purpose of this article is to provoke students and scholars in the field of ethics to re-think and develop new approaches in the practice of ethical leadership. Many authors have written on the subject of leadership values and ethics, yet, the world continues to witness increasing cases of corruption and executive misconduct both in public and private sectors. Many are left to wonder what the missing link could be between theory and practice. This article adopts a conceptual paradigm approach to developing a model of effective and ethical leadership practice. It argues that having a leader who upholds values in an organisation is not enough to transform a corrupt system. The article postulates that the application of the theory of Mechanical Advantage would bring an organisation to a state of equilibrium, which then forms a firm foundation for ethical leadership.

Keywords: Ethical leadership, Integrity management pillars