Has management ever told you to take a break?

Our pace is too frenetic. We take shortcuts when we know we shouldn’t. We’re conflicted whether to stay in a job we don’t like or jump ship. We want to spend more time with our families, to exercise more, to be happy … really happy. All of that’s tough to achieve today, especially if our managers are constantly pushing us to do more, to work later, and to be available around the clock.

What we need are managers who understand us, who tell the truth, who don’t beat us up, and who give us time to think and stay true to our values. Have you ever had a manager like that? I did, once.

The fact is that managers who possess these qualities, embrace humility, and demonstrate moral courage are more likely to be trusted. And they’re definitely more effective. But they’re also in short supply.

I was shocked when I read about LRN’s State of Moral Research study. Dov Seidman, founder and CEO of LRN Corporation, summarizes the results in his recent article, “Employees Feel Businesses Are Lacking Moral Leadership.” He writes:

“Among our findings: only 13% of employees say their leaders usually take a stand on moral topics. Only 17% put principles first. Only 14% acknowledge their own failings, and only 13% make amends when they get things wrong.”

Well, maybe I wasn’t shocked, but I was definitely appalled.

What difference would it make if leaders weren’t afraid to take a stand, to tell the truth, or to apologize when they’re wrong? How much more effective are teams when their leaders encourage them to pause, instead of pushing them to work around the clock?

Read Seidman’s article and find out.