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Which virtues matter most to leadership effectiveness and why? How are these virtues identified, selected for, and/or developed? Find out how leader virtues can "make or break" an organization, and how they can create a positive contagion effect for mutual employee-employer benefit. From a Research@DeGroote seminar presented by Dr. Rick Hackett on April 25, 2014. More information: http://bit.ly/DSB_20140425
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Leadership Character & Virtues Ethics
Ron Joyce Centre, April 25, 2014
A Road Map
Rick D. Hackett
1. Context for focus on Leader Character
2. What is Character?
3. What is leadership?
4. Role of Character in leadership effectiveness
5. Virtues of effective leaders
6. Leader virtues and the “contagion effect”
7. Building and sustaining a virtues-laden culture
Context: Spotlight on Character
Rick D. Hackett
WorldCom, Enron
Crumbling textile factories in Bangladesh
Pratt & Whitney’s Exporting of Military software to China
Failure of TD Bank to report suspicions on a Florida Ponzi Scheme
Brazeau, Duffy, Wallin,
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford
Resignations by MP Bev Oda, Premier Alison Redford
Journal retracts articles of prominent ethics researcher
Admiration
Rick D. Hackett
Think of the person in your lifetime that you most admire and aspire to.
What is it about that person that you admire?
What attributes come to mind when thinking of this person?
What is Character ?
Rick D. Hackett
Seldom do people say, rich, powerful and famous! Character is what we want others to admire in us Building character = building foundation of who you are It is exemplified in the way people think, feel and act Reflecting one’s core values …and comprised of one’s virtues
Character
Rick D. Hackett
Resilient
Courageous
Compassionate
Respectful
Persevering
Fair
Benevolent
Prudent
Wise
Trustworthy
Integrity
Humble
Self-disciplined
Decisive
Empowering
Consultative
Honest
Authentic
Attentive
Temperance
Loyal
Tolerant
Spiritual
Considerate
What is Leadership?
Rick D. Hackett
Process of social influence, getting things done through others
Ideally toward an end promoting the common good Reflecting shared values Emerging from confluence of competence, the situation
and character
Lapses in character is much more difficult to repair (trust) than an incidence of incompetence!
No leadership without followership!
Rick D. Hackett
Influence = power
Power sources: expertise Authority/position Coercion Referent (Character-based)
But, how to achieve sustainable influence of a non-transactional basis
Character Based Leadership: How it works!
Rick D. Hackett
Role Modeling Moral identity:
Moral ownership Moral efficacy Moral courage
Building a “Virtuous Organization”
Rick D. Hackett
Amplifying Effect: Escalating positive effects
Buffering Effect: Inoculation against adversity
Virtuousness is self-reinforcing and fosters resiliency against negative and challenging obstacles.
Overtime, recognition and rewarding virtuous behaviour builds a strong normative culture: of respect, helpfulness
and enjoyment, fueling a self-reinforcing spiral that builds social capital
Virtues, culture and performance
Rick D. Hackett
Abundant research shows exposure to unexpected acts of goodness (virtuousness) triggers affiliative behaviour – a
tendency to repeat the good deeds, thereby building social capital
People are more helpful to others after being induced to feel positive emotions, thereby priming the very prosocial
behaviours that build social capital
Social capital is premised on trust, which is nourished through acts of virtues, reducing transaction costs, building
loyalty, community, shared values, knowledge sharing, org performance
Aristotle: Virtues Ethics and Eudemonia
Rick D. Hackett
Virtues reflect character strengths, comprising one’s moral identity, and that give rise to moral agency
Virtues are strengthened through self-learning and repetitive practice (habituation)
Virtues are voluntarily and behaviorally expressed and are contextually embedded
Expression of virtues in the extreme (either too little, or two much, is not a good thing).
Virtues form a unified whole – moral compass
Virtues
Rick D. Hackett
Watch your thoughts, they become words;watch your words, they become actions;watch your actions, they become habits;watch your habits, they become character;watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.
Virtues and leadership effectiveness
Rick D. Hackett
Prudence
Courage/fortitude
Temperance
Justice/Fairness
Humanity/compassion
Truthfulness/integrity
Wisdom/knowledge
Transcendence/spirituality
An Evidenced Based Approach
Rick D. Hackett & Gordon Wang
Hackett & Wang (2012): Developed Virtuous Leadership Scale Administered to 230 leader-follower pairs Across manufacturing, public administration, oil, gas,
business services Leaders independently rated reports on job performance
and citizenship behaviours Reports rated their leaders on virtuous leadership scale
Example survey items
Rick D. Hackett & Gordon Wang
My leader/supervisor expresses concern for the misfortune of others
My supervisor/leader resolves conflicts in a fair and objective fashion
My supervisor/leader leads fundamental change though it may entail personal sacrifice and personal risks
My supervisor/leader is a careful custodian of organizational resources
Results
Rick D. Hackett & Gordon Wang
Virtuous leadership predicted: Subordinate’s job performance Subordinates’ citizenship behaviours Leaders’ self-reported happiness Leaders’ self-reported life satisfaction Subordinates’ happiness Subordinate’s life satisfaction
So, virtuous leadership positively predicts the well-being of both leaders and their followers, and the performance and citizenship of reports (employees)
Accumulating independent research
Rick D. Hackett
Virtues-based leadership positively predicts: Empowerment Organizational identification and commitment Moral identity Organizational citizenship behaviours Employee trust in leader Subordinates’ psychological and physical well-being Executive performance, as rated by board members Firm profitability (organizational virtuousness scale)
An action plan…
Rick D. Hackett
Selecting: Decisions: reference checks, background checks, Behavioral situational interviewing Situational simulations/work samples Some companies resorting to social networking analysis
Shaping/developing Position descriptions with built in accountabilities Orientation and workshops, case analyses, review of
behavioral examples of virtues as expressed in the workplace
Reflect character in performance reviews – discuss not only what was accomplished, but how it was accomplished
Supporting and Nourishing Culture
Rick D. Hackett & Gordon Wang
Link goals and aspirations of the organization with its principles and values
Link virtuous behaviours to value creation & protection
Managers and Supervisors “must walk the talk”
Recognize and reward individuals for virtuous behaviours
Create culture in which ethics and values of the organization are discussed, understood and reflected in actions of employees at all levels
Tie performance to values and ethics
Four Seasons Hotel
Rick D. Hackett & Gordon Wang
What we believe
Our greatest asset, and the key to our success, is our people. We believe that each of us needs a sense of dignity, pride and satisfaction in what we do. Because satisfying our guests depends on the united efforts of many, we are most effective when we work together cooperatively, respecting each other’s contribution and importance.
Four Seasons Hotel
Rick D. Hackett & Gordon Wang
How we behave
We demonstrate our beliefs most meaningfully in the way we treat each other and by the example we set for one another. In all our interactions with our guests, customers, business associates and colleagues, we seek to deal with others as we would have them deal with us.
Q & A
Rick D. Hackett & Gordon Wang
Thank you!
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