1. Chapter 3. The Leader’s Character
This chapter addresses the inner dimension of
leadership ethics.
Questions as we enter this chapter:
 How do we shed light rather than shadows?
 How do we promote our character development?
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

2. Virtues and Virtue Ethics
To keep from projecting our internal enemies and
selfishness on others, we need to go on the offensive,
replacing or managing our unhealthy motivations
through the development of positive leadership traits
or qualities called virtues.
 Premise of virtue ethics is good people (those of high moral
character), make good, moral choices.
 Joined by positive psychologist who believe there is more value
in identifying and promoting the strengths of individuals than
in trying to repair their weaknesses
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

3. Virtues Ethics
More on Virtue Ethics
 Those who promote virtue ethics start with the end in mind.
 These proponents develop a description or portrait of the
ideal person (leader) and identify the admirable qualities or
tendencies that make up the character of this ethical role
model
 They always suggest ways in which others can acquire these
virtues
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

4. Virtues
4 important
features of
virtues
1. Virtues are woven into the
inner life of leaders
2. Virtues shape the way leaders
see and behave
3. Virtues operate independently
of the situation
4. Virtues help leaders live better
lives
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

5. Elements of Character
Important virtues for leaders include the following:
 Courage
 Temperance
 Wisdom & Prudence (Practical Wisdom)
 Justice
 Optimism
 Integrity
 Humility
 Reverence
 Compassion (Kindness, Generosity, Love)
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

6. Courage
Of all the virtues, courage is no doubt the most universally
admired.
—Philosopher Andre Comte-Sponville
Courage is overcoming fear in order to do the right thing.
Leaders who are courageous acknowledge the dangers and
anxiety they face
They move forward despite the risks and costs
People must have courage if they are to fulfill the two
components of ethical leadership: acting morally and exerting
moral influence.
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

7. Courageous Followership
The Courage to Assume Responsibility
 Followers must be accountable both for themselves and
for the organization as a whole.
The Courage to Serve
 Courageous followers support their leaders through hard,
often unglamorous work.
The Courage to Challenge
 Courageous followers need to confront leaders acting in a
destructive manner.
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

8. Courageous Followership (cont’d)
The Courage to Participate in Transformation
 They need to take personal responsibility and visualize
the outcomes of the transformation: better health, more
productive employees, higher self-esteem, restored
relationships.
The Courage to Leave
 When leaders are unwilling to change, courageous
followers may take principled action by resigning from
the organization.
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

9. Temperance
To use things, therefore, and take pleasure in them as far as
possible—not, of course, to the point where we are disgusted
with them, for these is no pleasure in that—this is the part of a
wise man.
--Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza
Moderation is key to practicing temperance
Temperance is the is the ability to control emotions and
pleasure
Unfortunately, a great many leaders are intemperate; they
are unable to control their anger and rail at subordinates
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

10. Wisdom & Prudence (Practical Wisdom)
 We judge a person’s wisdom by his hope.
--American poet Ralph Waldo Emerson
 . . . the goal of human life is to be good. Prudence assists us in getting
there.
—Baldwin-Wallace College professors
Alan Kolp and Peter Rea
 Wisdom draws upon knowledge and experience to promote the
common good over both the short and long term.
 Prudence is a form of wisdom and is the ability to discern or select
the best course of action in a given situation.
 Prudent leaders keep in mind the long-term consequences of their choices.
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

11. Justice
What is good And what does the Lord require of
you? To act justly, and to love mercy And to walk
humbly with your God.
—Old Testament prophet Micah
2 Components of Justice:
 1. A sense of obligation for the common good
 2. Treating others as equally and fairly as possible
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

12. Optimism
Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well,
but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of
how it turns out.
—Former Czechoslovakian president
Václav Havel
Optimists expect positive outcomes
They are more confident than pessimists
They acknowledge the reality of situations and take steps for
improvement
Optimism is an essential quality for leaders.
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

13. Integrity
Integrity lies at the very heart of understanding what
leadership is.
—Business professors Joseph Badaracco
and Richard Ellsworth
Integrity is defined as wholeness or completeness.
These leaders are true to themselves and are consistent
with what they say publically as well as how they think
and act privately.
They are honest in their dealings with others.
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

14. Humility
Let us be a little humble; let us think that the truth
may not be entirely with us.
—Jawaharlal Nehru
Because of the failure of many celebrity CEO’s there is
a strong argument for leaders to be humble
Some argue that humility strikes a balance between
having an overly low and having an overly high opinion
of the self.
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

15. Humility
3 Components of Humility
 1. Self awareness: objectively assessing his/her strengths
as a leader as well as their limitations
 2. Openness: product of knowing one’s weaknesses; being
open to new ideas and knowledge
 3. Transcendence: acknowledging that there is a greater
power than the self
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

16. Reverence
It’s not wise To lift our thoughts too high; We are human
and our time is short.
—Ancient Greek playwright Euripides
Reverence can be thought of as the capacity to feel a
sense of awe, respect, and even shame when appropriate.
Leaders that show reverence respect the input of others,
rely on persuasion rather than force, and listen to
followers’ ideas.
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

17. Compassion (Kindness, Generosity, Love)
All happiness in the world comes from serving
others; all sorrow in the world comes from acting
selfishly.
—Leadership expert Margaret Wheatley
An orientation that puts others ahead of the self
Value others regardless of whether or not they get
anything in return
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

18. Leadership Ethics at the Movies: The Iron Lady
Discussion Questions:
 What character traits helped Thatcher become Prime
Minister and to remain in office? What character traits
ultimately led to her downfall?
 What price did the Prime Minister pay for her rise to
power?
 At one point, Thatcher says that ideas are more
important to her than feelings. Did this make her less
sensitive to the impact of her policies and to her
colleagues?
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

19. Character Building
Finding Role Models
 We often learn what it means to be virtuous by observing
and imitating exemplary leaders.
 If we’re to develop worthy character, we need examples of
those who demonstrate virtue on a daily basis.
 Because character is developed over time through a series of
moral choices and actions, we need examples of those who
live consistent moral lives.
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

20. Character Building
Moral Episodes v. Moral Processes
 Moral episodes are made up of moral crises and moral
confrontations.
 These crises are often dangerous and those that respond to
them could be considered “moral heroes.”
 Moral confrontations aren’t dangerous, but they do involve
risk and call for “moral champions.”
 Moral processes consist of moral projects and moral
work.
 Moral projects are designed to improve ethical behavior
during a limited amount of time and require “moral leaders.”
 The “moral worker” strives for ethical consistency throughout
life.
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

21. Character Building
Moral exemplars common characteristics:
 Certainty: Moral exemplars are sure of what they believe
and take responsibility for acting on their convictions.
 Positivity: They take a positive approach to life even in the
face of hardship; they enjoy what they do and are optimistic
about the future.
 Unity of self and moral goals: They do not distinguish
between their personal identity and their ethical
convictions.
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

22. Box 3.1 The Journey to Humanitarian Leadership
The seven choice points that several humanitarians
faced on their journeys to helping others:
 Choice 1: Leveraging life experiences.
 Choice 2: Sense of fairness.
 Choice 3: Believe that we can matter.
 Choice 4: Open to an opportunity.
 Choice 5: Taking the first small step
 Choice 6: Perseverance.
 Choice 7: Leading the way.
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

23. Telling and Living Collective Stories
Virtues are more likely to take root when nurtured
by families, schools, governments, and religious
bodies.
Worthy narratives bring out the best in us,
encouraging us to suppress our inner demons and to
cast light instead of shadow.
We can learn leaderships ethics from both fictional
characters and real-life ones.
Almost any story about leaders, whether real or
fictional, can teach us something about ethical and
unethical behavior.
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

24. Learning from Hardship
Hardship and suffering can play an important role in
developing character.
Hardship has been identified as one of the factors
contributing to leadership development.
Hardships, along with novelty, difficult goals, and
conflict, challenge people.
Leaders can develop the fastest when they encounter
situations that stretch or challenge them.
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

25. Learning from Hardship
5 Common Categories of Hardship Events:
 1. Business mistakes and failures: examples would include
losing an important client, failed products and programs,
broken relationships and bankruptcy
 2. Career setbacks: examples would include missed
promotions, unsatisfying jobs, demotions and firings
 3. Personal trauma: examples include divorce, cancer, death,
and difficult children
 4. Problem employees: troubled employees include those who
steal, defraud, cannot perform, or perform well only part of the
time
 5. Downsizing: leaders who lose their job through no fault of
their own
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

26. Learning from Hardship
Tips to Learn from a Specific Failure
 1. Identify a significant failure from your professional or
personal life and summarize the failure in a sentence (be
sure to use the word failure).
 2. Describe how you felt and thought about the failure
immediately after it happened.
 3. Move forward in time to identify any positive outcomes
that came out of the failure, including skills you acquired,
lessons you learned, and any relationships you established.
 4. Identify how the failure changed or shaped you as a
person, noting any new traits or attitudes you have adopted
and whether you are any more mature now than before the
failure event.34
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

27. Habits are repeated
routines or practices
designed to foster
virtuous behavior.
The 7 habits of effective
and ethical leaders:
Habit 1: Be proactive
Habit 2: Begin with the end in
mind
Habit 3: Put first things first
Habit 4: Think win-win
Habit 5: Seek first to understand,
then to be understood
Habit 6: Synergize
Habit 7: Sharpen the saw
(continual renewal of the
physical, mental, social or
emotional, and spiritual
dimensions of the self)
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

28. Mission
Statements
Developing a mission
statement is the best
way to keep the end or
destination in mind.
9 cairns (or markers) for creating
personal purpose:
 1. Call your purpose; listen for guidance
 2. Find a sacred place
 3. See time as continuous; begin with the
child and move with the present
 4. Identify special skills and talents; accept
imperfections
 5. Trust your intuition
 6. Open the door when opportunity knocks
 7. Find your passion and make it happen
 8. Write your life story; imagine a great
leader
 9. Honor your legacy; one step at a time
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

29. Identifying Values
Our values serve as a moral compass to guide us.
Values provide a frame of reference, helping us to set
priorities and to determine right or wrong.
Many discussions in organizations have an
underlying value component.
Working with a list of values can be helpful.
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

30. Identifying Values
6 Major Value Types (Prototypes are examples of
occupations that best fit into the given orientation)
 1. Theoretical: intellectuals who want to discover the
truth
 Prototypes: research scientists, engineers
 2. Economic: usefulness is the most important criterion
 Prototype: small business owner
 3. Aesthetic: value form and harmony
 Prototypes: artists, architects
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

31. Identifying Values
6 Major Value Types (cont’d)
 4. Social: love of others is the highest value
 Prototype: social worker
 5. Political: power driven
 Prototypes: senators, governors
 6. Religious: seek unity through understanding and
relating to the cosmos as a whole
 Prototypes: pastors, rabbis, Muslim clerics
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

32. Case Study: Virtue and Extremis Leadership
Discussion Questions:
 Have you ever followed someone in a life or death situation? What
qualities (competencies, virtues) did you look for in your leader?
 Have you ever been an in extremis leader? What qualities
(competencies, virtues) did you demonstrate?
 Do you want a career in a high-risk occupation like policing, combat
or fire fighting? Why are you seeking a dangerous profession?
 Have you ever been part of an organization that experienced a crisis
and/or the death or serious injury of one or more its members? How
did leaders respond to the crisis or tragedy? What virtues did they
demonstrate?
 How can we prepare ourselves to function effectively in high risk
situations?
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

33. Case Study: The Spectacular Rise and Fall of a
Humanitarian Hero
Discussion Questions:
 How much was Mortenson’s failure the result of poor character
and how much was the product of other factors?
 What poses the greatest danger to a leader’s character?
Success or failure?
 Why do we often have difficulty acknowledging that our heroes
have flaws?
 Is Mortenson completely discredited as a spokesperson for
building schools in Central Asia?
 As a donor, what ethical responsibility do you have when
deciding which charities to support?
 Has Greg Mortenson done more good than harm?
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.

34. Case Study: Wangari Maathai
Discussion Questions:
 What does Maathi have in common with other
moral exemplars?
 What character traits did Maathi exhibit?
 What role did hardship play in her ultimate
success?
 Can you develop character without experiencing
failure?
 What leadership/followership ethics lessons do you
take from this case?
© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.