S6-Ep5: Leader Character | Innovating Leadership: Co-Creating Our Future

Guest: Dr. Mary Crossan, Distinguished University Professor at Western University

You say you want to hire people with good character – but what does “character” mean?

In this rediscovered episode, Dr. Mary Crossan of Ivey University defines exactly what leader character is, why it matters, and how to develop it. She’s found leader character is not just an add-on, but a foundational element that propels organizations towards sustained excellence. And it’s a win-win: the cultivation of leader character significantly enhances both individual well-being and prompts a culture of integrity and effectiveness within organizations.

Produced in association with the International Leadership Association: https://ilaglobalnetwork.org.

Other episodes you'll enjoy:

Leading with Character: A Real-Life Red Roof Report with George Limbert
To Be Honest: Lead with the Power of Truth, Justice, & Purpose with Ron Carucci
Leading with Care & Purpose with Raj Sisodia & Sudhanshu Palsule

For daily wisdom from our guests, be sure to follow us on LinkedIn. We’re on TikTok, Threads, and Twitter, too!

RESOURCES:

You’ll find more about Mary’s research at https://www.ivey.uwo.ca/leadership. Her podcast, Question of Character, is online at https://www.questionofcharacter.com. The site also has an archive of essays on leadership character.

Mary’s book, Developing Leadership Character, is on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3PKZQfw. The seminal (and very robust and expensive) book establishing character research which Mary referenced is Character Strengths and Virtues by Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman. It’s available on Amazon at https://amzn.to/3TVsyNp.

Our host Maureen Metcalf posts a newsletter every week on LinkedIn. You can subscribe here.

Maureen’s latest book is Innovative Leadership & Followership in the Age of AI. You’ll find details about it at https://bit.ly/LeaderInAI. Her other 10 books are available on Amazon here.

Books we’re reading for fun or personal development right now include:

Everyday Ubuntu: Living Better Together, the African Way by Mungi Ngomane. Hardback (https://amzn.to/48Doh6j) and audiobook (https://amzn.to/48YCRF4)
Nerve: Lessons on Leadership from Two Women Who Went First by Martha Piper & Indira Samarasekera. Paperback (https://amzn.to/3tOtzg4) and audiobook (https://amzn.to/41OYdT5)
Jilly Truit murder mysteries by Beverley McLachlin:
- Full Disclosure – https://amzn.to/46TxW6Q (paperback) https://amzn.to/46VDL3Q (audiobook)
- Denial – https://amzn.to/46YCbhs (paperback) https://amzn.to/3GJc0AA (audiobook)
Women and Leadership: Journey Toward Equity by Sherylle J. Tan & Lisa DeFrank-Cole

NOTE: As an Amazon partner, we may make a small commission from books you buy through these links.

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OUR PODCAST TEAM:

Host & Executive Producer: Maureen Metcalf

Editor & Executive Producer: Dan Mushalko

Video & Graphics Editor: Devon Mushalko

Assistant Editor & Raconteur: Luigi Morelli

Characteristically Awesome: Jenna Reik & Mike Morrow-Fox

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Website: InnovativeLeadershipInstitute.com

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About Our Guest:

Mary Crossan is a Distinguished University Professor at Western University – Western's highest honour recognizing excellence in teaching, research, and service. In 2021, she was recognized on a global list representing the top two percent of the most cited scientists in her discipline. She teaches in the undergraduate, MBA, Ph.D., and Executive Programs. Her research on organizational learning, strategy, leadership character, and improvisation has been widely published in such journals as the Strategic Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Organization Science, the Journal of Management Studies, Leadership Quarterly, and Organization Dynamics. She has extended her research to management practice through a collection of over 50 cases, many of which have been published in a book she co-authored entitled Strategic Management: A Casebook. She is also an author of the Strategic Analysis and Action textbook. In a joint venture between the Ivey Business School and the Second City Improvisation Company, she developed a management video entitled "Improvise to Innovate," which extends traditional concepts of strategic management to development tools and techniques for more innovative, flexible, and responsive strategic action. Her recent research focuses on the development of leader character as a critical foundation to support and elevate leader competencies. She and her colleagues have developed courses, cases, and a diagnostic assessment to develop leader character. The “Developing Leadership Character” book is a culmination of the team’s research on leader character. She is also a co-host of the Question of Character podcast series. She works with organizations around the world on developing and investing in leader character.