10 Virtues of Outstanding Leaders Leadership and Character [Hardcover]

This readable distillation of the core common features of successful leaders shows how an individual's character, and especially their virtue, is the defining factor. Without these ten vital virtues, leadership becomes misleadership. The authors, both renowned business ethicists, combine theory with fascinating biographical detail on exemplary leaders such as Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, and Oprah Winfrey. The result is an accessible text on the ethics of leadership which, unlike many publications that claim to reveal the secrets of success as a leader, is informed by a wealth of exceptional academic experience.

About the Authors x

Prologue xi

Part I Character Leadership 1

1 What Is Leadership? 3

A Reflection 4

Ethics, Virtue, and Character 9

2 Misleadership 13

What Is Bad Leadership? 14

Misleaders 15

Bad Followers 17

A Few Examples 18

3 Character and Leadership 22

Character and Integrity 24

The Dark Side of Character 28

Character as Goodwill 35

4 Leadership and Business Excellence 38

Ethics in Business 39

Workplace Ethics 41

Leaders as Role Models 42

A Culture of Narcissism 44

5 The Ten Virtues 47

Deep Honesty 51

Moral Courage 53

Moral Vision 54

Compassion and Care 55

Fairness 58

Intellectual Excellence 60

Creative Thinking 62

Aesthetic Sensitivity 63

Good Timing 64

Deep Selfl esl“!