From financial fraud to environmental violations, stories of corporate misconduct are hitting the headlines with unsettling frequency. More troubling still, those are just the cases we see. Behind the scenes, countless smaller lapses unfold quietly, reshaping workplaces in ways that often go unnoticed.

So how do we move beyond the headlines and build ethical business cultures that last? 

In the season two premiere of Dialogue with the Dean, Julian Birkinshaw speaks with Hayden Woodley, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behaviour at Ivey Business School, about his eye-opening new research on emotional intelligence and ethics. He explains how stronger EI can lead to better decisions, how ethical behavior can be “contagious” across teams, and what leaders can do – from smarter hiring to intentional training – to create cultures of integrity.

Drawing on his expertise in team dynamics, Hayden also reveals how to create teams that disagree productively, foster true inclusivity, and avoid the traps of laissez-faire leadership.

Engaging and practical, this episode offers clear strategies for turning ethics from an overhyped buzzword into a real competitive advantage.

In this episode: 

2:17: What do winning teams have in common?
 9:21: The surprising role of emotional intelligence in ethics
 12:33: Why confidence turns ethics into action
 15:23: Can tomorrow’s leaders train their emotional intelligence today?
 21:14: The power of example
 24:30: Ethics: The blue pill or red pill?

To learn more about the research discussed in this episode, please visit: 

Emotional Intelligence and Business Ethics: Feeling Confident in Doing the Right Thing: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10551-025-06044-3

Mapping the traits desired in followers and leaders onto fundamental dimensions of social evaluation.
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2025-07509-001?doi=1 

Constructive Controversy and Reflexivity Training Promotes Effective Conflict Profiles and Team Functioning in Student Learning Teams:
https://journals.aom.org/doi/10.5465/amle.2015.0183 

The Structure and Function of Team Conflict State Profiles: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0149206315581662

The Emergence of Group Potency and Its Implications for Team Effectiveness
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00992/full 

Examining Equity Sensitivity: An Investigation Using the Big Five and HEXACO Models of Personality: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.02000/full