“Responsible leadership can be understood as the art of building and sustaining social and moral relationships between business leaders and different stakeholders (followers), based on a sense of justice, a sense of recognition, a sense of care, and a sense of accountability for a wide range of economic, ecological, social, political, and human responsibilities.”
Components of Responsible Leadership
behaving in an appropriate manner
rarely referred to as a component of responsible leadership or the business world in general
Virtuousness ≠ Ethicsethics is essentially the avoidance of negative consequences, not
necessarily the pursuit of good
Virtuousness = Ultimate Goodnessvirtuousness is the embodiment of goodness in character and behavior
for the sole purpose of doing good
3 Core Assumptions of Virtuous (Responsible) Leadership
eudaemonic assumption
inherent value assumption
amplification assumption
Eudaemonic Assumptionvirtuousness is inborn; an evolutionary component of the human condition that promotes healthy social engagement and welfare to support the continuance of the species
Inherent Value Assumptionvirtuousness is not a tool to acquire some specific outcome, but rather the embodiment of selflessness purely for the good of civilization
Amplification Assumptionvirtuousness is present in and valuable to all people; therefore, it is highly influential in that virtuous acts inspire others to act in spirit and creates a chain of “good” actions
Virtuous Leader = A Fixed Pointthe inherent ability and desire to do good is unchanging for all agents and can guide decision making toward moral and stable goals in difficult times
Virtuousness = Healthy ConsequencesFor Individuals
honesty
giving behavior
love
forgiveness
hope
transcendent meaning
gratitude
caring
empathy
commitment
satisfaction
motivation
positive emotions
effort
physical health
psychological health
Virtuousness = Healthy ConsequencesFor Organizations
compassion
integrity
forgiveness
trust
optimism
kindness
courage
relationship healing
increased profitability
increased productivity
increased quality
increased customer retention
decreased employee turnover
increased resilience
collaboration