Begin with Purpose and Moral Leadership
This morning, I saw the headline Why Moral Leadership Matters More Now Than Ever in the PRSA Issues and Trends newsletter. The World Economic Forum article presented topline outcomes from The 2020 State of Moral Leadership in Business report published by the HOW Institute for Society.
Why Moral Leadership Matters
Moral leadership is in high demand but short supply.
Moral authority alone, without use of formal authority, can improve employee and business performance.
Managers with higher levels of moral leadership also build stronger connections with colleagues. They seem to maintain moral behaviors during crises.
Moral leadership increases business performance.
Professional development opportunities are not sufficient to encourage moral leadership.
Defining Moral Leadership
Most of us have an idea of what it takes to become a purposeful leader. Think about leaders in your life, people whose influence made a difference because each person mattered in their work. In this study, recognizing each person’s individual worth happened somewhat naturally, as described below.
Moral leaders are advocates who see the humanity in everyone and take the time to build unique and deep relationships.
They see people not as means, but as ends in themselves.
They listen and learn from those they lead and are often more inclusive.”
“These leaders are not simply well-behaved; they stimulate action by anchoring their daily work – and the work of those around them – in a principled vision of what is good for the world.”
A moral leader follows the golden rule
One of the major findings captures familiar advice: treat others as you would like to be treated, better known as the golden rule. For me, this single recommendation is the most obvious and perhaps, the most basic approach to moral leadership. And I am not alone in this thought…
“79% of respondents agree their organizations would make better business decisions if they followed a golden rule: treat others as you would have them treat you.”
Other findings include the following data points.
86% of respondents indicate an urgent need for moral leadership.
74% of respondents say their colleagues would do a better job if managers at their organizations followed moral authority instead of formal power.
46% of respondents say they would take a pay cut to work for a moral leader
Moral Leadership Requires an All-In Attitude
While those at the top management levels typically govern an organization’s overall operational mindset, everyone within the company contributes in some way to outcomes. And those contributions typically align to stated goals that resonate under moral leadership.
In reality, moral authority can and should be exercised by everyone in an organization.
The Covid-19 pandemic hastened the need for moral leadership as the world continues to change and challenge so many. It isn’t complicated; moral leadership is a choice to consider for a cultural shift in any organization of any size.
The PRSA Code of Ethics offers guidelines for PR & Communications leaders looking to hone their awareness and practice.
What are your thoughts on moral leadership?
