Virtuous Leadership
Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, pursued to cultivate his character with a plan of 13 virtues. I recently read about this from Jeffrey Gitomer, a professional speaker, business trainer, sales management expert and best-selling author on a variety of leadership and sales topics.
Here are the 13 virtues:
- Temperance
- Silence
- Order
- Resolution
- Frugality
- Industry
- Sincerity
- Justice
- Moderation
- Cleanliness
- Tranquility
- Chastity
- Humility
These gets Jeffrey thinking about his own virtues and he got me thinking about mine. Now, with this post, I hope to get you thinking about your virtues as a leader. In addition to to Ben’s list, Jeffrey had offered more virtues of his own which are relevant today. Check out his article here and see how well they connect with yours.
If leaders consciously develop these virtues in themselves, they win trust, loyalty, and establish the exuberance of the company. The more of these virtues you display as a leader, the more your followers will believe and trust in you. The people you lead will be inspired to do the right things and give their best efforts.
As said by Erwin McManus, "The world doesn’t need better leaders, the world needs better people who lead.”
What do you think of the power of virtue in leadership? I would love to hear your thoughts. Share your views and experiences in the comments section or drop me an email.