The character (intelligence, disposition, motivation, and training) is the elemental ingredient in leadership. Wilson argues that, when we describe people we admire or like, we rarely define them by any one trait. Rather, we make judgments based on a set of traits: their character. By character, said Wilson, we mean two things: (1) a distinctive combination of personal qualities by which someone is known – that is, his/her personality; and (2) a distinctive combination of moral strengths, moral values, and integrity. The kind of character that, in regard to others, always tries to do the right thing, for the right reason, on purpose. Kant argued that the good will or character, a person's good moral disposition, is the precondition for achieving the moral life. Leadership is about growing and developing the collective human experience.

Controlled Vocabulary Terms

character; disposition; integrity; leadership; motivation; training