There is a frightening correlation between sleep deprivation and ethical issues.

Among the risks to good ethical behaviour—greed or fear, for example—one surprising factor you may not have considered is fatigue. Research by Christopher Barnes, a professor of management at the University of Washington, shows that insufficient sleep, a chronic issue in social impact leadership, significantly impacts ethical decision-making.

As a leader of volunteers, you are responsible for setting the tone and culture of your organization. Your decisions influence not only the volunteers you lead but also the communities you serve. Understanding the connection between sleep deprivation and ethical issues is essential to ensuring that your leadership remains strong, fair, and responsible.

What is the impact of sleep deprivation on our leadership?

I don’t know about you, but I get cranky when I’m tired. When I’m cranky, it’s harder to treat people the way they deserve to be treated. I also become impatient, and I’m more likely to take shortcuts when doing things – and because my judgement’s impaired, I may skip doing things that are really important.

Sleep deprivation weakens our self-control and degrades our decision-making ability, making us more prone to such lapses in judgement. This can often show up........

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