This research aims to examine the interconnections between political skills, leader-member exchange (LMX), and ethical leadership while assessing how LMX influences key work outcomes. The study investigates how LMX influences factors such as creativity, career success, life satisfaction, and psychological well-being in employees. Data was collected through surveys from 211 employees of a private firm in Istanbul, between September and November 2018. The study used structural equation modeling to analyze the data. The findings indicate that ethical leadership serves as a complete mediator in the relationship between political skills and LMX. Furthermore, employees’ perceptions of LMX have a positive impact on their creativity, career success, life satisfaction, and psychological well-being. The research suggests that cultivating an ethical leadership culture in an organization can potentially eliminate the need for leaders to rely on political skills, thus highlighting the importance of ethical values in leadership.
