Goolsby Leadership Academy
The University of
Texas at Arlington
jquick@uta.edu
nelsonquick group
Character-Positive Core Strength
Our perspective on
character is
anchored in an
Aristotelian view of
ethics and virtue.
In The Nicomachean
Ethics, Aristotle
(1998) gives us the
core aspects of the
person of virtue or
character. He
describes how a
person must be
willing to
consistently
evaluate his or her
situation in order
to behave in the
appropriate way
based on the context
in which the
behavior is taking
place. The actor
must react to the
situation with the
appropriate levels
of the appropriate
virtues.
For us, the core
dimensions of
character are
values, moral
development, and
intellectual ability
(Gavin, 2002).
The operational
measures of these
three dimensions are
Self-Transcendent
Values (Schwartz,
1992, 1994), Moral
Approbation (Ryan &
Riordan, 2000) and
Emotional
Intelligence, or
competence (Salovey,
Mayer, Goldman,
Turvey & Palfai,
1997). We believe
that character and
personal integrity
give the autonomous,
self-reliant
individual the
positive core
strength
(psychological
backbone) to act
rightly in the face
of wrong. So, when
an employee gives a
negative response to
organizational
pathology (e.g.,
refuses to comply
with an unethical
request), that
negative response is
in fact a “positive”
or healthy response
to be affirmed.
James Campbell
(Jim) Quick
John and Judy Goolsby Distinguished Professor
Executive Director, Goolsby Leadership Academy
The University of Texas at Arlington
Box 19377
Arlington, Texas 76019-0377
Phone: (817)
272-3869
FAX: 817-272-2590
E-mail: jquick@uta.edu
goolsbyacademy@uta.edu
http://www.uta.edu/goolsby
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