Authentic Leadership: A Model for Professional Moral Courage

The general purpose of this quantitative research study was to determine the relationship between authentic leadership and professional moral courage. The ultimate goal of this study was to extend understanding of the underlying principles of authentic leadership and how each affects a leader's ability and motivation to act with unwavering moral courage. The participants of this study were a diverse sampling of leaders selected from my LinkedIn network connections, the world's largest professional network. All data collected for this quantitative research study used a cross-sectional method with the data collected over a period of 6 days through use of electronically administered online surveys. A correlational research design was used to test for a positive or negative relationship between authentic leadership and professional moral courage. It was found that a positive relationship existed between authentic leader and professional moral courage. Implications for future research are also included.