Frequently asked questions
The objections people would raise, starting with those of anyone deciding whether this is worth reporting. Answered plainly.
Questions from people who will write about it
“Why should anyone outside care about this?”
Because it addresses a documented problem: governance rules are being followed, Spanish listed companies comply on average with 88.2% of their governance code, and major failures keep happening at organizations whose structures are fully in order. The framework proposes looking at the behavior of whoever leads, using public criteria that anyone can check. From good governance to good leadership
“It’s backed by a school that makes its living preparing executives. That’s a conflict of interest.”
It is an initiative of Club INUSUAL, that school’s community of practice, and we say so in the legal notice. To keep that link from tipping the scales: the project is nonprofit, everything is free, the texts are free to use, and nothing requires you to go through the school to endorse or to use the seal. Who is behind it
“The underlying research was done by the same organization.”
The reference study was, and we say so. Its figures come from primary sources such as the CNMV (Spain’s securities regulator), Gallup, the ACFE, and ISO, each one linked so you can check it without taking anyone’s word for it. And it separates data from its own reading, such as “leadership debt,” which is presented as an interpretation. The sources
“How many people and organizations have endorsed it?”
Endorsement opened in October 2026. The full list will be published on November 30, 2026, with the number and date of each endorsement; until then, we are not giving partial figures. Who has endorsed
“Is there evidence that people who endorse lead better?”
Not yet: endorsement is a public commitment, and measuring its effect will take time. What does have support is the set of behaviors each principle rests on, with the research cited on each page.
“Who checks that endorsers live up to it?”
Nobody certifies compliance, and the seal does not promise it. What there is: a public commitment, a self-assessment to check against your team, and the option of withdrawing the seal from anyone who uses it in a misleading way.
“How is this different from ISO 37000 or a corporate governance code?”
Those texts organize how an organization is governed: bodies, responsibilities, oversight. This framework looks at the behavior of whoever leads people, with twenty signals visible from the outside, and it also applies to organizations that have no board.
“Can I cite it and reproduce its texts and images?”
Yes. The texts and the sharing kit are published under a CC BY 4.0 license: you can copy, adapt, and reproduce them, including for commercial purposes, as long as you credit the source. Every page has its citation ready to copy, and the slides are in the sharing kit. The symbol and the seal are excluded: only endorsers use them, under their own rules. How to cite
About the framework
“There are already too many leadership models.”
Most of them describe styles or competencies. This one starts from something already well established, good governance, and carries it into behaviors that can be seen from the outside. You can use it alongside the model you already have, to check whether that model is being lived.
“Seven principles are too general.”
That is why each principle comes down to concrete behaviors, twenty in all, that you can check with your team. Each principle also states what contradicts it and what it asks of the organization. How to recognize it
“Good leadership is subjective.”
Opinions about a leader can be. Behaviors much less so: whether bad news arrives early, whether there are successors ready, or whether results are reviewed together with team burnout are things you can either see or not.
“Growing people is all very well, but I’m accountable for results.”
The definition starts there: leading well means exceeding goals. Growing people is how you get there, and the research backs it up: the person who manages a team accounts for at least 70% of the variance in that team’s engagement. What good leadership is
“I run a small company with no board. Good governance isn’t for me.”
It is for you more than for anyone. In Spain, 99.8% of companies are small and medium-sized businesses, and most have no board or committees: their good governance is simply the behavior of whoever leads them. From good governance to good leadership
“What about artificial intelligence? This will soon be outdated.”
It is already in there, in the Growth principle: using the time the machine frees up to be with the team and to let people take on higher-value work. The principles are about behavior, which is what ages least with each new technology. Principle 4: Growth
About endorsement
“Endorsing doesn’t change anything.”
It changes two things. You make it public, and you commit to asking the people you lead to tell you when you fall short. That second part is what makes it a real commitment.
“I’m not sure I live up to the principles. I don’t dare.”
Nobody lives up to them all the time. Endorsing commits you to practicing them and to listening when you fall short, and to get started there is the self-assessment of the twenty behaviors, which neither stores nor sends anything. Take the self-assessment
“How much does it cost?”
Nothing. Not the endorsement, not the seal, not the renewal, which happens once a year and which we remind you of by email.
“What do you do with my data?”
We use it to manage your endorsement, send you your number and the seal, and remind you to renew. Your name appears on the list only if you check the box. We don’t send you advertising, and we don’t share your data with anyone. Privacy
“What if I change my mind?”
You can withdraw whenever you like by replying to the confirmation email. Your name comes off the list, and your number is never given to anyone else.
“Why can’t I see who has endorsed?”
Because the list will be published in full on Monday, November 30, 2026. Until then, endorsements are received and numbered in order of arrival, with a number that never changes, and on that day they all go up at once. Who has endorsed
About organizations
“My organization already has an ethics code.”
That is the floor, and it is needed. The Integrity principle asks something else: whether everyday decisions say the same thing as the code. The table from rule to behavior helps you check it at your next meeting. From rule to behavior
“Who signs an organization’s endorsement?”
Whoever leads it, on behalf of the leadership team. They commit to practicing the principles and to making sure the organization’s systems, such as hiring, promotions, and incentives, reward them.
“Committing in public exposes us.”
It commits you to practicing and listening, which is what good governance asks for through transparency. Endorsement does not publish any evaluation or score of the organization.
“Does it work for a public agency, a nonprofit, or a school?”
Yes. The principles are about whoever leads people and is accountable for results, whatever the organization and its size, with or without a board above them.
About the seal
“Does the seal certify anything?”
It signals a public commitment, renewed every year. Nobody awards it after an evaluation, and it must not be presented as a certification, an accreditation, or an award. The seal
“Can I use the seal without endorsing?”
No. Only endorsers use it, while their endorsement is current, and it can be withdrawn from anyone who uses it in a misleading way. The texts and the sharing slides, on the other hand, are open to anyone.