According to a study by The HOW Institute for Society published in early 2025, 95% of U.S. employees believe that the need for moral leadership is more urgent than ever. This being up from 86% in 2020.

The society we live in requires a reconfiguration of what it means to be a leader. Delivering results and meeting or exceeding KPIs is no longer sufficient for people within organisations. Mastering the numbers may drive a business to success. However, in the long term, only ethical leadership, which sets clear models for employees to follow, can amount to complete leadership.

The same study shows that moral leaders deliver better results.

The conclusion only comes naturally. In organisations where people feel free and unconstrained to express their ideas or concerns, engagement rises and employee retention strengthens. Individuals who feel psychologically safe will have greater trust in leadership and will become more productive.

Ethical leaders generate loyalty. Loyalty increases productivity and therefore revenue.

In today’s societal context, the recipe for a leader’s success, and consequently for a company’s success, is simpler than ever: the promotion of ethical and moral values and their consistent top‑down transmission. And this is achievable by embracing and spreading a robust compliance culture within the entire organisation.

Article featured on Whistlelink blog.