Leadership

Literature Review
Character Based Leadership, Context and Consequences

James Campbell Quick, Thomas A. Wright
If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking. (General George S. Patton, U. S.
Army).
All the research on character is conducted as “The Role of Character in Ethical Leadership” But
Hannah and Avolio think in a different way. The proposed “The Locus of Leader Character” to
be researched, to be studied.
Initially the role and now the locus is important but in the context and consequences of the
Leader’s action. Hannah and Avolio (in press) raised five question and those five questions are
responded in this paper by the authors.
Q No.1: Is Character a locus of leadership?
Kindness, Gratitude, Sense of purpose and integrity are core character strengths. These strengths
make a leader from inside out to behave, to react and to treat with his subordinates, with his
followers. So the locus, the position, the locality of character is indeed inside the leader which
makes a leader from inside out to act. So, the character lives and breathes inside the leader.
Q No.2: What are the locus, transmission, and reception linkages?
This question asked regarding the linkages of the locus of character, the transmission of
character and the reception of character. The locality of character is indeed inside the leader. The
character from inside the leader is transmitted through the process of leadership and reception of
character is done by the followers.
Individual, Leader and Followers are moral agents. So the transmission of character from the
locality of character and reception of character is done through the process of leadership but
moral potency play a vital role in linking these three stages, The locality, transmission and the
reception.
Q NO.3: Is character based leadership a general or specific term?
Character based leadership is a general construct. It cannot be tied to a specific leadership style
because character can drive to a variety of style of leadership. But shedding more light on this
question by the emerging body of research responded that research on profiles in character,
character signature can be tied to particular leadership style.
Institute of Management Sciences Bahauddin Zakriya Unversity, Multan

Literature Review
Q No.4: How Context and consequences help leader in practice to become master of art of
leadership.
A leader in practice complements leadership science knowledge through mastery of hands on

practice and experience. A leader always has to behave in a particular context. Context is
important for a leader to become the master of the art of leadership through practice and
experience. Character is important especially in extreme context. As Aristotle said “getting angry
is an easy task, but getting angry with right person for right purpose at the right time in right way
is challenging. So performing leadership process in different context help leader in practice to
continuously learn.
When leader act in a context then there are particular consequences for that act. Consequences
can be intended or unintended, consequences can be good or bad. But leader in practice always
have the opportunity to grow by systematically reviewing the consequences of acting in
particular context.
Q No. 5 Is Character Developable?
It is agreed that leaders are born with gifts, but the more important here is what leader and
followers do with what is given. Yes character is developable. Self awareness and inner voice of
real me can make a leader fortunate to develop his character. Much of the suffering in lack of
developing character is because of low level of self awareness. The deep structure of a moral
perspective takes time and experience which a leader learns. Increasing self awareness takes time
but helps in deepening one’s character.
The purpose of this article is developing a link between morality and character. Morality and
character always go hand in hand. Character speaks to the heat of morality. Moral agents always
advance their voice and virtue within organization and knowledge of leadership science is
implemented by leader is practice through process and art of leadership.
Institute of Management Sciences Bahauddin Zakriya Unversity, Multan

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Literature Review

Character Based Leadership, Context and Consequences

Q No.1: Is Character a locus of leadership?

Q No.2: What are the locus, transmission, and reception linkages?

Q NO.3: Is character based leadership a general or specific term?

Institute of Management Sciences Bahauddin Zakriya Unversity, Multan

A leader in practice complements leadership science knowledge through mastery of hands on

Q No. 5 Is Character Developable?

Institute of Management Sciences Bahauddin Zakriya Unversity, Multan

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