TUFTS LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE

Virtues (combined with character) define who we are! We all expect our leaders to be virtuous (honest, trustworthy, patient, courageous, caring, and have integrity), but we never think about it directly in those terms...if we expected our leaders to be "un-virtuous" (dishonest, un-trustworthy, impatient, uncaring, lacking of integrity, lacking courage, etc), we would probably not follow them. And neither would the people who follow us! If we want real behavioral change, the fundamentals of who we are need to change first. Changing the fundamentals of who are can be done two ways: awakening and fostering virtues and frequently practicing virtuous actions so that they become habitual and part of who we are.