Sound and ethical business decision-making requires leaders to engage more than their intellect—it calls for an integration of body, mind, and moral awareness. Traditional frameworks often prioritize logic and rational analysis, positioning ethics as a purely cognitive function of the prefrontal cortex. However, Hervey (2007) introduced embodied ethical decision-making (EEDM), a model that redefines ethics as an experiential and somatic process. This approach recognizes the body as a vital source of moral intelligence, suggesting that sensations in the heart or gut can serve as intuitive signals guiding ethical discernment before reasoning takes form. By tuning into these embodied cues, leaders can access deeper layers of presence and empathy, allowing decisions to arise from integrity rather than impulse.
Roberts (2021) expanded this framework by applying EEDM in a culturally complex mental health setting, demonstrating how embodied awareness and reflection promote inclusive, context-sensitive decision-making. Through movement, introspection, and dialogue, ethical understanding unfolds relationally rather than in isolation. This mirrors the collaborative nature of ethical leadership in organizations, where multiple perspectives must be honored to avoid monocultural or self-serving outcomes. In professional life, emotional intelligence bridges embodied awareness and ethical reasoning, supporting leaders in recognizing how their internal states influence others and the broader organizational climate. Ultimately, leaders who practice EEDM cultivate flexibility, humility, and authenticity. They demonstrate that ethical leadership is not a static set of rules but a living, evolving process grounded in empathy, self-awareness, and collective responsibility—qualities essential for sustaining organizational integrity and communal well-being.
References
Hervey, L. W. (2007). Embodied ethical decision making. American Journal of Dance Therapy, 29(2), 91–108. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10465-007-9036-5
OpenAI. (2025, November 13th). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/
Roberts, M. (2021). Embodied ethical decision-making: A clinical case study of respect for culturally based meaning making in mental healthcare. American Journal of Dance Therapy, 43, 36–63. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10465-020-09338-3
