There are many ways to describe what makes a good leader. Over the years, leadership scholars and practitioners have proposed numerous models, including transformational leadership, servant leadership, authentic leadership, and ethical leadership, among others. Each emphasizes something slightly different: some focus on the leader’s ability to inspire and mobilize others; others highlight service, empathy, or moral integrity. At times, these frameworks even pull in different directions. For example, a charismatic leader’s confidence may contrast with the humility central to servant leadership.
I am not a leadership scholar, but among the many perspectives on leadership, the one that resonates most with me is virtuous leadership. Unlike models that focus primarily on skills, styles, or outcomes, virtuous leadership begins with the leader’s inner life, a stable foundation of moral character and integrity that guides every decision and action. It asks not first what a leader does, but who a leader is.
Virtue, in classical philosophy, refers to a habitual disposition to do good, not as a rigid rule or a passing feeling, but as a stable quality that shapes one’s choices and actions. Virtues are acquired through practice and reflection; they are the traits that enable people to act rightly, consistently, and for the right reasons. In this sense, leadership grounded in virtue is not merely about achieving results, but about cultivating excellence of character that naturally guides wise and just decisions.
There is, of course, no universal agreement on which virtues define a virtuous leader (see, for example, this article published in the Journal of Business Ethics). Different traditions and cultures highlight various traits, including wisdom, compassion, integrity, and temperance, among others. Although Alexandre Havard’s Virtuous Leadership may not fully align with the dominant academic literature, I find his framework particularly inspiring. Drawing on classical and Christian thought, he identifies six key virtues, beginning with the four cardinal virtues, which he presents as foundational to moral leadership:
Prudence: the capacity to discern what is right in a given situation and to make sound, wise decisions that lead toward the good (considered the virtue that governs and orders all the others).
Justice: the firm and constant will to give each person their due, acting with fairness and respect in all relationships.
Fortitude: the strength and courage to pursue the good and remain steadfast even when facing fear, pain, or adversity.
Temperance: the self-discipline that enables one to govern desires and emotions, keeping them in balance and under the guidance of reason.
From these, Havard adds two additional virtues that elevate leadership to its highest form: magnanimity, the habit of aspiring to great things, the greatness of soul that moves a leader to pursue noble goals, seek personal excellence, and inspire others to grow toward their own potential; and humility, the habit of living in truth about oneself, recognizing both one’s dignity and one’s limitations, which keeps ambition grounded and opens the leader to learning, growth, and service.
The good news is that virtue is not innate or fixed. Research in psychology and moral development indicates that virtues can be intentionally cultivated through reflection, habit formation, and regular practice. In this sense, virtuous leadership is not a matter of personality or charisma, but of continuous personal growth and a lifelong effort to align who we are with what is good.
Have a Great and Impactful week!
João Cotter Salvado
Professor and Academic Director
CATÓLICA-LISBON Entrepreneurship Center