Leading With and for Character: The Implications of Character Education Practices for Military Leadership

Schools, businesses, and governmental and non-governmental organizations have been increasingly concerned with developing individuals in their charge in ways that promote positive, holistic, and meaningful change in all facets of their lives, including character strengths. Character development is a relational and context-specific phenomenon; it is also a phenomenon that builds on philosophical principles of right and wrong. That is, character involves mutually beneficial relations between a person and the specific requirements for “doing the right thing” at a specific time and in a specific place (Callina & Lerner, 2017). As such, researchers and practitioners must leverage the diverse relationships in the lives of individuals to ensure the development of character. One key relationship involves the exchanges between the leader in an organization and the teams and/or subordinates he or she might lead. This relationship is critical because the character attributes of a leader might be reflected in the character attributes of subordinates and the quality of an organization might be shaped by the character strengths and character-supportive practices of the leader (Crandall, 2007). Therefore, it is important to focus on both the character of the leaders themselves and the knowledge and pedagogical/leadership competencies and proclivities of these leaders, because both may impact the character development of the members of the organization or group and the nature of the organization or group itself.