The Morally Intelligent Organization

Doug Lennick and Fred Kiel

Every aspiring leader will at some time ask: Is it my job to influence individuals or groups? Does one lead organizations, or does one lead people? Is it even possible to talk sensibly about a morally intelligent organization?

A morally intelligent organization is one whose culture is infused with worthwhile values and whose members consistently act in ways aligned with those values. A morally intelligent organization’s major characteristic is that it is populated with morally intelligent people. After all, if you put enough morally intelligent people in one place, the culture will eventually catch on. But moral leaders realize that their job goes beyond simply hiring others who ...