Ten Virtues of Outstanding Leaders

What makes a good leader? Ten leaders, ten key virtues 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. Arguing that an individual’s character—particularly as constituted by ten particular virtues—is the core factor in determining leadership ability, this book offers a fresh perspective on a subject which has spawned hundreds of books claiming to share the secret ingredients of a leader’s success. Here, exemplars as varied as Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Steve Jobs, and Oprah Winfrey provide the evidence for ten core leadership virtues that combined to make them figures of inspiration and influence. The authors bring their decades of scholarship in business, ethics, philosophy, and leadership to bear on a topic which could scarcely be more timely and resonant. They show how leadership is a lived process that involves more than facts and theories,and that missing key characteristics lends itself all too easily to the conduct of 'misleadership'. Time, place, issues, and circumstances may shape the outcomes of those aspiring to govern the actions of their fellows, but true leadership flows from an individual’s character, ethical principles, and desire to be of service to others. What makes a good leader? Ten leaders, ten key virtues 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.