The Decency Quotient

A Guiding Light for Leadership and DEI Resilience

In the world of leadership and corporate culture, we often hear about the importance of Intelligence Quotient (IQ) and Emotional Quotient (EQ). These concepts have become pillars for assessing capability and empathy, respectively. But there’s a lesser-known yet powerful principle that has been gaining traction — Decency Quotient (DQ).

While IQ measures cognitive abilities and EQ measures the ability to understand and manage emotions, DQ goes beyond. It measures the genuine desire to do the right thing — simply because it is the right thing to do. This concept has been championed by Mastercard’s former Executive Chairman and president of the World Bank Group, Ajay Banga, who firmly believes that DQ is what makes great companies enduring. And this is where it became engrained in me as one of these critical leaderships skills you cannot fake.

What is Decency Quotient?

Decency Quotient is the intrinsic motivation to act with kindness, fairness, and respect. It’s about creating an environment where people feel valued, respected, and heard. At its core, DQ isn’t about making a company look good; it’s about being good.

Ajay Banga has described it as “the difference between someone who treats people as “resources” to be managed and someone who treats them as human beings to be valued and respected”. It’s not just a leadership philosophy — it’s a business imperative.

Why DQ Matters More Than Ever

In today’s increasingly polarized and unpredictable world, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts have come under attack. Across industries, DEI initiatives are being questioned, defunded, or outright rejected. But here’s the thing — fostering a culture of decency isn’t just about promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion as buzzwords. It’s about building a resilient organization where everyone feels they belong.

Mastercard’s DQ approach demonstrates that DEI is not an external obligation but an internal value. When you lead with decency, you create a workplace where employees feel valued regardless of their background, gender, or race. That commitment to decency cannot be legislated out of existence because it is intrinsic to the company’s culture.

Real Examples of DQ in Action at Mastercard

• Inclusive Hiring Practices: Mastercard has embedded decency into its hiring practices by ensuring that job descriptions are written in inclusive language and interview panels are diverse. This is not done to check boxes but to build teams that bring diverse perspectives to the table. Back in 2014 when I interviewed there, I always remember my conversations with Nicole Turner who shared with me the importance of decency in the workplace. And Ed McLaughin exemplified it daily when I was in his team. It was not just a checkmark on a list.

• Supporting Vulnerable Communities: During the COVID-19 pandemic, Mastercard partnered with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Wellcome Trust to commit $125 million to accelerate the development of treatments for the virus. This move wasn’t just about making headlines; it was about helping those who needed it most — quickly and compassionately.

• Transparent Leadership: When Mastercard announced its commitment to increasing the number of women in senior roles globally, it was a bold move grounded in transparency and accountability. It wasn’t just a PR effort; it was a clear message of commitment to decency.

Sometimes leadership is most powerful when no one is watching. True leaders embody their values quietly, authentically, and without seeking recognition.

I rarely share this story, but today feels right. On November 13, 2015, when horrific terrorist attacks shook Paris, I was in London for work, desperately trying to contact my family back home. Panic gripped me as I realized one of my relatives was supposed to be attending the concert at the Bataclan, the epicenter of that night’s tragedy. Calls went unanswered, messages unreturned—I was frantic.

That same evening, Michael Miebach, then preparing to become Mastercard’s Chief Product Officer (and now CEO), was joining our team dinner during a global office tour. Despite the laughter and clinking glasses in that upscale London restaurant, Michael immediately noticed something was deeply troubling me. Quietly, discreetly, he left the table and approached me. In a private corner of the restaurant, he gently asked what was wrong.

By then, our phones were flooded with alerts from Mastercard’s security teams about the unfolding events. Michael didn’t hesitate—he instantly leveraged his executive influence, quietly but decisively contacting corporate security to see if they could use their connections in France to track down news of my relative. Without fanfare, he continued to monitor the situation throughout the evening, subtly checking on me from afar while seamlessly managing our guests and team at the table.

He didn’t have to do this. He could have maintained executive distance and carried on. But Michael chose empathy over protocol, quiet care over convenience. That’s true leadership. That’s living DQ.

Around 3 AM, my phone finally lit up with relief—my relative was safe at home, having skipped the concert at the last minute due to pregnancy exhaustion.

Weathering the DEI Storm with DQ

The current backlash against DEI efforts across industries is concerning. Yet, if companies emphasize DQ as a core principle, they can withstand this storm by rooting their actions in basic human decency. DEI should not be about compliance; it should be about decency. When organizations genuinely care about their people, DEI becomes a natural extension of their values, not a politically charged effort to be implemented or dismantled.

The Path Forward

Companies striving to establish themselves as leaders in this evolving landscape would do well to learn from Mastercard’s DQ-based approach. Focusing on decency as a non-negotiable principle makes organizations more resilient and future-proof. It also makes them places where people actually want to work — and stay.

Incorporating DQ into your organizational DNA is not a one-time effort. It requires constant nurturing and a commitment to building a culture where everyone is valued, respected, and empowered to thrive.

For me, it’s consistently been one of the most important criteria I’ve emphasized and placed significant value on when considering joining new companies. Over the years, I’ve learned that aligning my personal and professional values with those of an organization greatly impacts my satisfaction, motivation, and performance. I’m delighted to say that I’ve found similar respectful, supportive, and collaborative values strongly reflected in my current role and within my company’s culture. This alignment has reinforced my belief in the importance of selecting workplaces not just for the role itself, but for the values and community they represent.

Final Thoughts

The Decency Quotient offers companies a roadmap to weather turbulent times. As DEI continues to be a contested space, those who lead with decency will stand the test of time. In the words of Ajay Banga, “The world can use a little more decency.” And perhaps, that’s the most powerful form of leadership we have.