The State of Moral Leadership in Business 2022

“Above all, moral leadership is about how leaders touch hearts, not just minds—how they enlist others in a shared and significant endeavor,
and create the conditions where everyone can contribute their character and creativity.”       -Dov Seidman

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Moral leadership is in high demand

Percentage of employees who believe the need for moral leadership is more urgent than ever:

88%

All employees

92%

Public sector employees

87%

Private and non-profit sector
employees

Moral leadership is in short supply

Percentage of managers who score in the top-tier of
moral leadership

16%

2022

7%

2020

Percentage of CEOs who score in the top-tier of
moral leadership

12%

2022

8%

2020

The high demand for moral leadership is consistent
across levels of organizational responsibility
ENTRY LEVEL
ASSOCIATE
MIDDLE MANAGEMENT
DIRECTOR / MID-SENIOR LEVEL
SENIOR LEVEL
EXECUTIVE / C-SUITE LEVEL
  • 0
  • 10%
  • 20%
  • 30%
  • 40%
  • 50%
  • 60%
  • 70%
  • 80%
  • 90%
  • 90%
  • 89%
  • 86%
  • 89%
  • 84%
  • 85%
Moral leaders are in the business of community

Percentage of employees who strongly agree that their organizations’ leadership made them feel part of a community during the pandemic:

EXECUTIVES
ENTRY-LEVEL EMPLOYEES
  • 0
  • 10%
  • 20%
  • 30%
  • 40%
  • 50%
  • 60%
  • 70%
  • 80%
  • IN ORGANIZATIONS
    WITH TOP-TIER CEOs
    88%
    72%
  • IN ALL ORGANIZATIONS
    52%
    26%
Moral Leaders Enhance Human Connection

Since the start of the pandemic, respondents reporting to managers scoring high on moral leadership behaviors were:

5x

More likely to strongly agree that the organization has satisfied customers.

6x

More likely to strongly agree that their organization is poised to improve its business results in the next year.

8x

More likely to strongly agree that the organization adapts quickly to internal and external change.

Managers who score in the top tier for moral leadership

Presence of moral leadership among Managers and CEOS