Values Leadership: Toward a New Philosophy of Leadership

The author asserts that what leaders do (management) and what they plan for the future (leadership) are both faulty; that performance is low, commitment to excellence is lacking, and expectations are low, unchallenging and unrealistic. He goes on to propose a new philosophical conception of leadership - one that is values-driven, change-orientated and developmental. Fairholm’s belief is that past theories fail to consider group values as a constraint on leadership performance, and he recommends the constitutional values of respect for life, freedom, happiness, justice and unity as the basis for a suitable philosophical leadership model.