HKS Authors

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Abstract

Interest in the features of the development of character, specifically one’s capacity for moral purpose and moral leadership, have led to an expanding concern within many higher educational institutions. This paper represents a qualitative analysis of a year-long Fellowship’s curricular and co-curricular program focused on intentionally developing moral leadership and moral purpose among other outcomes (self-awareness, cross-cultural competence, community, and social responsibility). This exploration of the features of a tailored curriculum focused on the development surrounding morality points to the role of educational institutions as key settings wherein character develops. The selective population within the Fellowship included a diverse cohort of 25 active duty and veteran service members involved in respective graduate programs in business, law, and/or public policy/administration at Harvard University. A major feature of the Fellowship included several reflective writings and presentations on developmental experiences, moral leadership, and moral purpose. The phenomenological approach presented here discovered several themes that are significant to the understanding of public leadership. Also discussed are the findings for the broader context of moral leadership and purpose and relevant limitations.

Citation

Cook, Chaveso L., Melissa A. Shambach, Greta Zukauskaite, Emily A. Pate, and Dana H. Born. "Public Leadership with a Moral Purpose: A Phenomenological View." The Journal of Character & Leadership Development 8.1 (Winter 2021): 144-159.