Frequently Asked Questions
What is Positive Leadership?
Leadership is a process of social influence that iterates through three steps: (1) A person exhibits at least one virtue with more excellence than they would have exhibited if they had conformed to social norms; (2) at least one person feels inspiration, gratitude, awe, admiration, or elevation in response to that action; and the person or people who feel those emotions choose to follow as a result. Virtues are standards of moral excellence, such as courage, compassion, integrity, or humility. Leadership is positive when a person exhibits not just one virtue with excellence, but all the virtues that are relevant to a given situation.
Read MoreWhat Makes Positive Leadership Unique?
Most leadership theories and research focus on traits, tendencies, positions, or long-standing relationships. Positive leadership focuses on iterative episodes of influence, such as individual activities or interactions, and then asks how people might exhibit virtues in those episodes with more excellence than they would if they had conformed to social norms.
Read MoreWhy Teach Positive Leadership?
There are many answers to the question of why an instructor might want to teach positive leadership including: 1) positive leadership had broad and deep ties to performance; 2) positive leadership empowers people; 3) positive leadership promotes well-being and meaningful lives; 4) positive leadership promotes practical moral development; 5) positive leadership is a form of conversational ethics that never stops seeking more ethical outcomes; 6) positive leadership inspires positive behavior, and 7) positive leadership requires leaders to celebrate agency in their followers.
Read MoreHow do I Use the Suite of Leadership Tools?
There are multiple ways to participate in the building and use of the Project on Positive Leadership’s suite of leadership tools. We organize our suite into two sections. The first section contains tools that address this model or address one of its constituent parts. We refer to these as the “Positive Leadership Toolbox.” The second section contains tools for teaching people how to become more excellent at exhibiting specific virtues.
Read MoreHow does the Project on Positive Leadership Increase Positive Leadership in the World?
Founded in October 2018, the Project on Positive Leadership is an interdisciplinary unit, housed in the University of Louisville’s College of Business, dedicated to increasing positive leadership in the world.
We fulfill this mission by:
- creating and disseminating teaching tools for positive leadership
- hosting events that promote the practice of positive leadership
- supporting research within the field, and
- collaborating with other units within our university and other organizations throughout the region and beyond who embrace similar missions
What is the Positive Leadership Certificate Course?
The Positive Leadership certificate course is an executive education program provided by the College of Business. In this course, learners develop skills for recognizing, comprehending, and transforming both challenging and routine situations so that the people involved can all achieve more excellence. You will be part of a community of learners who work together in real-time, both within and outside of the classroom, to ensure that the concepts you learn in the classroom can be put into practice immediately in your workplace. By completing this program, you will cultivate the insight to inspire others and become a leader who elevates your organization and the people within it. Those who complete the course receive a certificate of completion from the University of Louisville Executive Education.
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