Lead for Dignity: Improve Workplace Connections for Better Business Outcomes

Have you ever been in a workplace and sensed tension in the air between colleagues? Or project collaboration just keeps falling apart? Often, at the core of these relationship challenges lies a crucial yet frequently overlooked element—dignity.

When I speak about dignity, I rely on Donna Hicks’ definition from her book, Leading with Dignity. According to Hicks, “Dignity is our inherent value and worth as human beings.” We’re born with it, and it can’t be taken away. It is different from Respect, which is something that needs to be earned, and can be given or taken away. When we honor dignity in the workplace, we see and treat each other as humans first, and approach interactions from a place of honoring someone’s value just for being human. Think of it like giving people the benefit of the doubt when there’s a misunderstanding. Even though our dignity always lives within us, it can certainly be injured or violated—becoming buried and inaccessible, which then influences our interactions, productivity, and overall workplace experience. Dignity violations can infect a workplace culture and create polarization, increased conflicts, and loss of employee retention.

Why Dignity Matters (and How It Shapes Your Team)

Dignity forms the foundation of my work because, simply put, it directly impacts workplace relationships through our ability to connect effectively and authentically with others. Our daily experiences at work—our satisfaction, success, and happiness—depend heavily on social and emotional interactions. Yet, emotional intelligence and honoring dignity aren’t often skills we’re taught in school or at work. They’re skills that need intentional practice, learning, and modeling. As Donna Hicks says, dignity is a roadmap to human connection.

When we build dignity-centered cultures, we foster trust, psychological safety, and collaboration—key ingredients to sustainable high performance.

Recognizing and Cultivating Dignity in the Workplace

Donna Hicks identifies 10 Essential Elements of Dignity which gives us a roadmap to honoring our own and others’ dignity: acceptance of identity, recognition, acknowledgment, safety, fairness, independence, understanding, benefit of the doubt, and accountability. These elements offer leaders a clear framework to evaluate and strengthen their own workplace cultures. They encourage us to regularly reflect:

• Do our team members feel genuinely accepted for their own identity and recognized for their contributions?
• Are they psychologically safe—able to express themselves without fear of backlash?
• Is our leadership transparent, fair, and inclusive by giving people the benefit of the doubt and acknowledging concerns?

By routinely addressing these questions, leaders can actively cultivate environments where dignity thrives.

Measuring the Intangibles: Can We Really Track Dignity?

One of the questions leaders frequently ask me is, “How do we measure intangible things like dignity?” The answer lies in open, empathetic dialogue, on a regular basis. Measuring dignity isn’t as straightforward as tracking sales or productivity, but you can—and should—measure it by gathering genuine feedback.

As a leader, you must cultivate the courage and skill to ask your direct reports tough questions–and do this frequently:

• Where do you feel your dignity is honored?
• Where do you feel it’s been violated or undermined?
• How can I better support you?

The key isn’t just asking, but truly listening. Not listening to fix or respond, but to deeply understand and empathize. This practice can be uncomfortable, yet it’s essential. The data gathered from these conversations over time gives leaders invaluable insights to improve culture, engagement, and team cohesion.

Repairing Dignity: What to Do When Trust is Broken

Workplace dignity violations can significantly damage trust, morale, and retention. This can happen when any of the 10 Elements of Dignity are threatened. When dignity has been undermined, authentic acknowledgment is the first step toward healing. The person who caused the dignity injury must:

• Acknowledge and sincerely apologize without excuses (even if it wasn’t intended!).
• Actively listen and validate the affected individual’s experiences (reflecting back what you hear until you’re sure they’re heard).
• Commit to meaningful corrective action and communicate clearly about steps being taken (revisit the plan with a supervisor or peer for accountability).

A quote from Donna Hicks beautifully captures this approach:

“The goal is to make a connection with the person and communicate concern and empathy for what he or she has endured.”

Normalizing Dignity in Leadership

Leaders can reaffirm dignity as a core organizational value by embedding it into everyday interactions and decisions. Being a strong leader takes intention, growth, and a willingness to do the work alongside your team. That’s why I walk with you on that journey—helping you ask the right questions, like “How do I reaffirm the dignity of my team?” I’ve helped leaders not only start that conversation but successfully guide their teams through the real, lasting shifts it takes to bring those values to life in day-to-day work. Many leaders mistakenly assume dignity skills are innate, something they “should” naturally know. But the truth is, dignity-centered leadership requires deliberate practice, training, and support. It’s crucial we remove any shame associated with learning these skills. Not knowing how to perfectly handle complex emotional interactions isn’t a character flaw—it’s simply a growth opportunity.

The Impact of Dignity-Centered Cultures

When businesses commit to dignity-focused leadership, the benefits ripple across every part of the organization:

• Improved employee engagement and retention.
• Reduced stress and healthier team dynamics.
• Increased productivity and overall team performance.

As Hicks writes in Leading with Dignity, “The emotional volatility associated with having our dignity honored or violated cannot be overstated. When people feel that their value and worth are recognized in relationships, they experience a sense of well-being that enables them to grow and flourish. If, in contrast, their dignity is routinely injured, relationships are experienced as a source of pain and suffering….Why is this knowledge important for leadership? If we are going to lead people, we better understand them.”

Ready to Transform Your Workplace?

I believe deeply that honoring the dignity of others is foundational—not optional—for successful leadership. That’s why I’m committed to guiding leaders in integrating dignity awareness into their leadership styles through practical training and tools, such as Everything DiSC® and Emotional Intelligence coaching.

If dignity-centered leadership resonates with you, I invite you to stay connected. I’ll be exploring these concepts further, equipping you with strategies to build thriving workplace cultures rooted in dignity, empathy, and respect.

Let’s work together to build workplaces where everyone doesn’t just feel valued—they genuinely thrive.

If you’re in MA, there’s good news! The Workforce Training Fund Express Grant can reimburse costs for training like this for businesses that have under 100 employees and pay into the state unemployment fund. I’d love to share what I know about this grant and how to create a healthy workplace culture. Check my LinkedIn posts for details, or reach out to me jessi@jkirleycollective.com!

In the meantime, if you’re ready to transform how your team communicates and collaborates, let’s connect—I’d love to help your business realize its full potential.

Here’s to creating workplaces where everyone feels safe, valued, and productive! ❤️

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