Consultant’s blog: Do your leaders strive for integrity?
What do you think of your senior leadership team? Okay they might have to make some tough, unpopular decisions but do they act with integrity?
| Opinion piece by one of Insync’s Research Project Managers
What do you think of your senior leadership team? Okay they might have to make some tough, unpopular decisions but do they act with integrity? |
If employees believe their senior leaders are honourable, they will naturally trust and follow them. This theory can be supported by the work of Avolio and Bass et al 2003.
Idealised influence occurs when leaders demonstrate determination and responsibility for their actions. They make personal sacrifices, but go beyond this by sharing successes.
Transformational leaders act as role models and set high standards of ethical and moral conduct. They use power appropriately and are charismatic. Understandably when they see these behaviours, employees are attracted to the leaders’ charisma and integrity and feel admiration, respect and trust. They have confidence in their vision and want to commit to this and emulate their behaviour.
Are you and your leadership team acting with integrity?
A friend of mine recently said “My boss just doesn’t get why his business is failing. He can’t see that, although we are making strong sales and have slick systems, his staff leave and repeat business is low because no-one wants to work with him”. Perhaps a 360 Feedback Survey would help put things into perspective for this manager. Self-awareness is key to improving oneself. If you don’t see anything wrong, how can you fix it?
Insync’s Alignment and Engagement Survey measures employees’ perceptions of leadership integrity as part of the “Senior Leadership” factor. “Senior leadership” is one of the nine factors that along with employee engagement is academically proven to underpin the performance of an organisation.
Does your organisation measure integrity?
