Reflections on Ethical Leadership: Organizational Ethics and Moral Injury

Starting with the question of “why would anyone choose to become a health leader?”, this column shares reflections on the nature of ethical leadership. Different features of health leaders and their practice that support engaging in organizational (systems-level) ethics issues in accordance with relevant values are discussed. The possibility of experiencing moral injury as a leader is highlighted as an important aspect of preparing health leaders for this role. Related reflections on moral resilience and moral integrity further support the need to ensure that training for health leaders captures the complexity of organizational ethics work and navigating fundamental challenges to one’s sense of self as a leader.