Introduction

This introductory chapter provides an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book. The book focuses on leadership in general and leader character in particular. First, it offers a tested framework for thinking about leader character. Second, this framework is tied to a series of real-world cases that illustrate how character issues underlie organizational interactions. Rather than relying on abstract lessons on how one should act, the cases presented in this book allow instructors to highlight and illustrate the antecedents and outcomes of exemplary leadership and the role of leader character, in particular. The book also presents the 11 core dimensions of leader character, and explores how each can be observed in leaders. Each case can stimulate a class discussion that focuses both on the conceptual and practical aspects of character in an organizational setting.