Moral Leadership Inspires Teams
When moral leadership is present teams are animated by high ethical standards, respect, learning, and trust
Moral leadership is a feature of interpersonal networks in organizations. In other words, the energy that moral leaders exude is truly contagious, working like the ripple of a wave on those around them.
The research in the December 2022 State of Moral Leadership in Business report confirms that the imperative for moral leadership is more urgent than ever. Data collected from 2,500 employees across a variety of sectors in the United States, demonstrates a deep desire to work with and for moral leaders.
When team managers and organizational leaders lead with moral authority, teams and organizations perform profoundly better.
Moral leaders shape team dynamics in a way that develops high ethical standards. Employees reporting to managers ranked as top-tier compared to bottom-tier moral leaders are seven times more likely to strongly agree that people are held to the same behavioral expectations on their team, eight times more likely to strongly agree that people on their team speak out when they see something unethical, and eight times more likely to strongly agree that people on their team take full responsibility for their actions.
Moral leaders don’t just set their teams up for a strong defense, they also accelerate their future potential and excellence by fostering a culture animated by respect and learning. Employees reporting to managers ranked as top-tier compared to bottom-tier moral leaders are eight times more likely to strongly agree that people on their team treat each other with respect, even when they disagree, and are ten times more likely to strongly agree that people on their team have the freedom to cultivate new skills. While the freedom from unnecessary bureaucracy can be created structurally, the freedom to be your best self must be created morally.
It’s little wonder then that when you report to a manager ranked as a top-tier compared to a bottom-tier moral leader you’re nine times more likely to strongly agree that there is a high level of trust on your team. Moral leaders understand that while they may be able to command honesty, they can only inspire trust.
