In an era of growing scrutiny and stakeholder expectations, ethical leadership is no longer a "nice to have" – it’s essential. A recent survey conducted by the HOW Institute revealed the demand for moral leadership in business has grown significantly in the past few years – from 86 per cent in 2020 to 95 per cent in 2025.

People want to work for organisations they trust. Customers and partners prefer doing business with those who act responsibly. But trust is fragile. As the saying goes, "trust takes years to build, seconds to break, and forever to repair". This fragility is especially relevant to ethical leadership. While people are often willing to forgive genuine mistakes, breaches of integrity are far more difficult to overlook and can be far more damaging in the long term. These dimensions are not only central to how trust is built and maintained, but also to how ethical leadership is measured and sustained.

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