Leadership as Moral Architecture: A Transcendental Systems Perspective on Public Organizations

Abstract

This article conceptualizes leadership in public organizations as a form of moral architecture a systemically embedded process that shapes, sustains, and transforms the ethical foundations of collective action. Drawing on transcendental systems theory, it argues that effective leadership transcends transactional and transformational models by integrating moral purpose with systemic coherence. The transcendental systems perspective frames leadership as both a structural and value-generating force that aligns organizational goals with higher-order ethical imperatives. Through this lens, public leaders are not merely agents of efficiency or compliance but architects of meaning who design moral ecosystems capable of fostering justice, trust, and legitimacy. The paper proposes a model of transcendental moral systems leadership, highlighting three interdependent dimensions: (1) ontological grounding anchoring leadership identity in moral being; (2) systemic integration embedding ethics within institutional structures and feedback loops; and (3) transcendence orienting organizational purpose toward the common good beyond immediate instrumental aims. By conceptualizing leadership as moral architecture, this framework offers a pathway for renewing public institutions in an era marked by complexity, distrust, and moral fragmentation.

Keywords: Moral Leadership; Public Administration; Transcendental Systems Theory; Ethical Governance; Organizational Ethics; Systems Thinking; Moral Architecture; Public Value; Institutional Legitimacy; Common Good