3 Tips to Promote Moral Courage

Our deepest values occasionally go unnoticed until they conflict with something else. At a prestigious private university, Tina, an African-American woman, works as an associate professor.

Tina was fighting racism, but she served as an example of how simple it is for us all to give up our core values when faced with challenging work circumstances. Tina's desire and ambition to hold a more senior position are what compromise her moral values.

In fact, "Tina" sought this university position because she was passionate about assisting students, particularly those of color, in adjusting to a new environment where they can have the same rights as white students. Tina spoke about one of the students in particular. She said, " I was so excited to help her and many other black students have a better experience than mine."

Tina's boss declined when the student requested her to attend a crucial meeting to assist with the planning and offer moral support, saying, "It's not your business to handle these matters, and you have to understand this if you want to keep your position and rise to a higher one.” Tina abandoned the idea and admitted she did not stand up for the student as strongly as she ought to have out of concern for how it would impact her career advancement.

Important tips for strengthening moral courage

1. Recognize Who You Are

In her situation, Tina had to deal with four issues: two very prevalent behaviors and two seriously destructive structural obstacles:

• Even if we don't feel like it, we all have a natural human instinct to follow orders from a group or leader to feel secure and as if we belong, which is known as the "bystander effect."
• The moral ramifications of our actions can easily slip from our attention when we are under pressure and focused on the goal, which is known as "ethical fading."
• Organizations frequently stifle the creativity and passion they claim to support when they hire new employees with fresh ideas and perspectives but then dictate how they can participate.
• A decline in organizational integrity and effectiveness is a frequent outcome in organizations with a steep hierarchy. where a small number of individuals wield considerable power.

Fortunately, according to Ann Tenbrunsel, director of research at the Institute for Ethical Business Worldwide and professor of business administration at Notre Dame University, "Our research shows that if you frame your decision with values incorporating, you're more likely to act accordingly."

Ask yourself, "What is the moral thing to do here?" Participants in Ann's study were more likely to lie and cheat when framing their decision as a business problem as opposed to an ethical dilemma. According to her research, ethical frameworks greatly increase the likelihood that we will behave in a way that is consistent with our values.

Tina claims that despite her moral behavior, she lost sight of her core values and her purpose of supporting students. This is also typical, Ann notes, adding that "When we activate our values and goals, we think materialistically, which doesn't lead us to think about our values as abstract thinking does." For example, Tina lost her sense of values or abstract thinking when she concentrated on materialistic thinking and adhering to cultural norms to win the situation.

According to social psychology, each of us has both strengths and weaknesses when it comes to acting by our values in social contexts, such as the workplace. For example, we may speak up for a mistreated coworker but not for ourselves, and we may stand up to unjust or unwise authority but are afraid to challenge those we deeply respect. However, realizing these weaknesses can help you make better decisions in the future.

2. Pay Attention to Your Body Signals

As Tina noted: "When I acted against my values, I felt the physical repercussions and it literally made me sick." Ignorance usually has a price, and that price can initially be physical. Usually, the first warning we receive comes from our bodies, which can also serve as a guide.

"I was so shocked," Tina recalls the moment she complied with her boss' decision. "I felt like a traitor." Shame can result from not acting according to our values, and while we might want to run away from this emotion, feelings of guilt and shame can be a useful signal that we are not acting following what is right. As a result, this signal may help us to review our behavior and modify it if necessary, but doing so requires understanding the situation rather than berating ourselves for being "cowards" or "traitors to our values." This is because it won't help us and will only serve to amplify our sense of shame and powerlessness.

“The trick is to see the painful thoughts and emotions as information or a sign of something to undo, not as something to run from,” according to Rob Archer, Ph.D., who uses applied psychology to help organizations improve workplace wellness. “This will allow us to empathize with ourselves and use our values to move forward bravely.”

Talking to ourselves as we would a close friend is one way to achieve this. For example, in Tina's situation, she told herself, "I know this is hard, but I find it important for you to help the students."  In the end, Tina was able to motivate herself to move on by channeling her negative emotions toward the situation. She says, "I considered it and saw that I was missing something. It marked the start of a sincere effort to follow my mind, my will, and my courage.

3. Use the Power of Commitment

Once you understand what you need to do, invest your inner energy in figuring out a way forward and doing what you want to do, and sticking to it because when we commit, we are creative; we don't waste time justifying why we don't have to talk, but we put all of our energy into figuring out how to do it. Additionally, practice each courageous conversation you intend to have to better understand what you have to say and consider a potential ally who could assist you in that conversation.

Also, commitments help us stick to our values when times are tough, which is exactly what we need. Our work environment can necessitate frequent and long-term courage, and while there may be consequences, there are usually also positive effects, particularly in terms of learning and developing our sense of courage and resilience.