The importance of moral leadership

When you try and think of the qualities of a good leader, what comes to mind? A recent survey by Sunnie Giles uncovered the qualities that leaders need to display to be effective. And it is no surprise that the highest rated quality (with a rating of 67%) is ‘high moral standards’. The ability to build and maintain a trusting environment by displaying high moral standards is critical if leaders are to succeed.

Talking about moral standards can be tricky because we all have different values and beliefs that influence our behaviours and decisions. But what is clear is that in order to be successful, leaders must demonstrate moral standards that will help them create and maintain an environment where trusting each other and feeling safe to provide advice, guidance and feedback is the norm.

A number of other reinforcing qualities also came to the fore as part of this survey. Leaders who are able to create a trusting environment where individuals feel a sense of belonging are also actively seeking to empower those around them by providing clarity on expectations and what success looks like. They are also focused on building the capability of the individual, the team and the organisation to ensure the strategic objectives can be achieved.

Many other positive leadership traits can flow from having high moral standards. Thinking about what this means for you and your team can be tricky, but doing so will likely reveal some important insights that will help you to become a better leader and, in turn, help your people to be more successful.

Happy leading!