Where Have All the Ethical Leaders Gone?
There are moments when I watch the world news and feel a deep sadness. Wars that destroy lives and futures. Leaders who weaponise fear. Policies that value profit over people. It can feel as if humanity is adrift, its moral compass spinning without direction.
And yet — I refuse to despair.
Because history teaches us that moments of moral crisis can also be turning points. They can be the catalysts that awaken us to the urgent need for a different kind of leadership — one rooted in ethics, empathy, and long-term responsibility.
We live in an era of unprecedented technological progress — yet our ethical foundations seem more fragile than ever. We see leaders more focused on winning the next election than on safeguarding the next generation. We see strategies driven by short-term gains rather than long-term stewardship. We see power often untethered from responsibility.
The survival of humanity depends not on more power, but on more wisdom. Not on louder voices, but on deeper values.
History Repeats Itself
This is not the first time humanity has faced such a vacuum of moral leadership. At the dawn of the 20th century, rapid industrialisation brought great advances — but also unprecedented inequality, exploitation, and environmental degradation. In the 1930s, economic despair and political instability opened the door to authoritarian leaders whose ambitions led to catastrophic global conflict. Even in the post-war decades, moments of great hope — the founding of the United Nations, the spread of democratic ideals — were often accompanied by geopolitical games that sacrificed ethics for strategic advantage.
Time and again, history has shown us: when moral vision lags behind technological and economic power, humanity’s progress is not only stalled — it is endangered.
From Adolescence to Adulthood
It often feels as if humanity is living through the worst of its adolescence — full of brilliance and potential, yet also reckless, self-absorbed, and unable to see beyond immediate gratification. Like an adolescent, we have acquired extraordinary capabilities — technological, economic, scientific — but we lack the maturity to use them with wisdom and restraint.
The moment has come for us to step into adulthood as a species: to act with foresight, to take responsibility for the impact of our choices, and to lead with compassion rather than ego.
The Missing Ingredient: Ethical Courage
The philosopher Albert Schweitzer spoke of “reverence for life” — the recognition that all life is sacred, interconnected, and deserving of respect. This principle is painfully absent in too many of today’s political, economic, and social decisions.
When leaders ignore this reverence, the consequences are predictable:
Policies that treat people as numbers rather than human beings.
Economic systems that reward exploitation over sustainability.
Diplomatic strategies that prefer intimidation over dialogue.
And yet — history also shows us that another way is possible.
The Way Forward: Nonviolence as Leadership
Nonviolence is often misunderstood as passivity. But it is, in fact, the most active and courageous form of resistance to injustice. Leaders like Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela knew that nonviolence is not merely the absence of war — it is the presence of justice, empathy, and mutual respect.
If humanity is to survive — truly survive — we must evolve toward this ethic of nonviolence. It is not optional. It is the only path that ensures our long-term future.
The Call to All of Us
Ethical leadership is not only the responsibility of presidents, CEOs, and diplomats. It is a call to each of us to lead from where we are:
In our families, by choosing dialogue over dominance.
In our workplaces, by valuing people over profits.
In our communities, by protecting the vulnerable and amplifying the silenced.
Our future depends on leaders — at every level — who have the courage to unite power with morality, vision with compassion, and ambition with service.
And so, I return to the question: Where have all the ethical leaders gone? The truest answer might be — they will appear when enough of us decide to become them.
Much love, Barbara.
PS for more information about my work: https://barbaravercruysse.com/
