Character for Leadership: The Role of Personal Characteristics

Chapter 1 – Introduction 
Leadership is an inherently moral endeavor because it involves a 
relationship of influence and power between a leader and followers. “All leadership 
is ideologically driven or motivated by a certain philosophical perspective, which 
upon analysis and judgment may or may not prove to be morally acceptable in the 
colloquial sense” (Gini, 1998a, p. 366). The general populace, as well as leadership 
scholars, have increasingly recognized the importance a leader’s character plays in 
his or her leadership activities and effectiveness (Barlow, Jordan, & Hendrix, 
2003). This interest is also evident in the somewhat recent dialogue surrounding the 
impeachment hearings of former President Bill Clinton. The importance of a 
leader’s character appears in the discussions surrounding the sex scandals in the 
Roman Catholic Church, in which priests are given responsibilities they are unable 
to complete because they lack the necessary emotional, social, and spiritual 
maturity and competence
(Ferder & Heagle, 2002). Good character is important for 
leaders in the public or private sector, although some leaders in business are still 
considered successful as long as they positively impact the bottom line, even if 
their morals or ethics leave something to be desired (Barnett, 2003; Ciulla, 1998a).
Although followers are often enamored with bad or toxic leaders 
(Kellerman, 2004; Lipman-Blumen, 2005) and history is replete with leaders who 
accomplished their goals but who did so through unethical and immoral means, 
toxic leaders ultimately leave their constituents in their wake. One only needs to 
peruse the headlines of today’s newspapers to see such leadership in action. 
Nonetheless, leadership requires more than simply getting followers to do what the 
leader wants done. Good leadership requires more than technical effectiveness. It 
requires accomplishing outcomes that are morally good (Burns, 1978, 2003; Ciulla, 
1998b). It involves the transformation of individuals; organizations; and, 
ultimately, societies. This kind of leadership has been referred to as 
transformational leadership by Bass (1985), and it proceeds from the underlying 
character of the leader. 

---

Character for Leadership 
2 
 
Even though some have stated that a leader’s private life has no impact on 
leadership effectiveness in the public sphere, followers seem to inherently 
understand that a leader’s moral character directly influences good leadership. This 
focus is apparent when considering the characteristics of the most admired 
leaders—honesty, forward-looking, inspiring, and competent (Kouzes & Posner, 
1993). Both character and skills are heralded as important to good leadership. 
Others would support the necessity of ethical actions on the part of organizational 
leaders. “When leaders compromise their ethical standards they do harm, often 
irreparable, in terms of the immediate physical and moral suffering to others within 
and outside the organization” (Kanungo & Mendonça, 1996, p. 33). 
Unfortunately, even with this evidence to the contrary, there is often an 
apparent bifurcation of the outcomes (or behaviors) associated with good 
leadership and the character of the leader. Bass and Steidlmeier (1999) highlighted 
the need to consider more than just leader behavior, suggesting that some leaders 
who practice transformational leadership behaviors do so inauthentically. The 
authors called such leaders “pseudotransformational” (p. 184). Carey (1992) also 
raised this issue as he considered the self-transcendence of transformational 
leaders. The reality is that, in many cases, the actions of both transformational and 
pseudotransformational leaders look the same; only the motivation differs. At issue 
are those leaders who possess the charisma to influence followers. However, this 
charismatic influence may lack moral or ethical motives. In many such inauthentic 
cases, it is the hubris of the leader that is satisfied, rather than the moral 
development of followers. The goal is more than simply the elimination of 
intentionally inauthentic leadership because some leaders, though altruistic, are 
blinded to their own immoral deficiencies (Price, 2003). Faulty character has 
significant implications for organizational ineffectiveness. “Employees and 
managers with faulty character are unable to adequately use their talents and skills 
at critical times in large part because of difficulty managing their feelings, drive, 
and impulses” (Leonard, 1997, p. 241). The key, then, is to identify the character 
that motivates authentic transformational leadership, capitalize on it, and develop it 

---

Character for Leadership 
3 
 
in those who are current leaders as well as those who are preparing for future 
leadership positions.