When looking at the people in the world around us, it is clear that everyone is different. People have different appearances and come from different backgrounds. Despite the fact that each human being is unique, we all are similar. All people in the world are leaders, followers, and many times both. Leaders can be found almost anywhere, from parents to teachers to coaches to law enforcement officers. All leaders also have a common uniting thread. Someone is watching them, someone is following them. Not all leaders are good leaders, and not all leaders are moral leaders.

A leader is a person who is charged with the important task of guiding and inspiring others. He or she can guide and inspire with his or her words, but it is more important to guide with actions. Because actions speak louder than words, it is important for a leader to be mindful of how their actions set an example to those that they lead. If a leader says one thing, yet does something in opposite, then he or she is not a true leader. Seeing a leader whose actions disagree with their words sends a discordant message to those who are being led. A hypocritical leader does a disservice to those whom they lead. Followers should never be confused about the kind of message a leader is sending because their words and actions do not align. Moral leadership is the integrity that comes from a leader whose actions agree with their words and the accountability that the leader has to the followers.

A key aspect of moral leadership is for the leader to consistently practice doing what is “right”. What is right? Moral standards and codes are derived from many different sources. Because of this, doing what is right could mean doing what is in the best interest of the leader. It could also mean doing what is in the best interest of the collective group, or the majority. How does a moral leader decide what is right?

A leader should have a moral obligation to those that they lead. The follower must trust their leader, like a sheep and their shepherd. Because of this trust, the leader must maintain a level of integrity and must act in a way that is worthy of trust. As sheep expect their shepherd to take care of them and protect them, a leader has a responsibility to those they lead.

This relationship, however, does not mean that followers are naive programmed robots who blindly follow their leaders with no power to think for themselves. Leaders do have a trust built into their relationships with their followers. Moral leaders must do their part to uphold their trust with their followers by staying honest and not hypocritical. This defines the moral obligation that leaders have to their followers.

Because of this moral obligation, leaders must stay away from their own self-seeking desires. Moral leaders put others first, and themselves last. The moral leader wants to see the interests of others carried out. They want to see the success and growth of their followers. Some leaders might focus on the excitement of being placed in power. A power-hungry leader is not a moral leader. Moral leaders must focus on the people, not power. They should want to see their followers blossom. Rather than focusing on rank and hierarchy, moral leaders must be focused on increasing the abilities and capacities of others. Teachers, for example, lead by taking students where they are, and aiming to take them to where they can go.

In both historical and present day examples from authoritarian regimes to illiberal democracies to legitimate democracies, charismatic leaders often assume power because of their ability to connect with their people. They are well liked, and often times their policies are embraced simply because of their charismatic personalities. However, just because a leader has a great personality or has the power to captivate a crowd doesn’t mean that the leader is a good leader or a moral leader. Leadership goes far beyond a way with words or a special connection to an audience. Take the biblical story of Moses, for example. He had neither of these, yet he was able to lead his people out of slavery in Egypt. A leader must recognize that their moral obligation to their followers is the most crucial part about being a leader.

Leadership is something that all humans must face at one point in their lives. We all have been followers at one point in our lives. We were all children with parents and other adult authority figures. We then grow to be adults who are under the leadership of employers and supervisors. We are lead by other adults who surpass us in wisdom and age and knowledge. As we grow, we also all become leaders. From younger siblings to peers to one day our own children, we all become the figures that we once looked to for leadership. We can even become leaders to those who are older than us.

This challenge is not unique to any human. We must choose to be leaders who refuse to stand for hypocrisy and who strive to align their words and deeds. We must choose to be leaders who understand the moral obligation leaders have to followers. We must choose to be leaders who want to bring out the best in our followers. By striving for these things, we can become moral leaders. Moral leadership is the only way that leadership can exist. If leadership is not moral, it is no longer true leadership.