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My guest for Episode #272 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Kimberley Milani, the Director of the Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership and Co-Founder of its Women’s Leadership and Mentoring Program at Ivey Business School in London, Ontario.
She is the co-author of the book Character: What Contemporary Leaders Can Teach Us about Building a More Just, Prosperous, and Sustainable Future.
She is passionate about elevating people’s strength of character to not only enhance their leadership skills, but to generate systemic social and organizational change. She is the co-host of Sip & Speak, a webinar series that explores social justice issues from a gendered and intersectional perspective.
Prior to joining Ivey, Kimberley spent 10 years as the Director of The Circle Women’s Centre, a community-facing feminist centre at Western’s Brescia University College.
The Circle operated in collaboration with London’s women’s, Indigenous, and social justice organizations to facilitate respectful, inclusive, multicultural, and inter-faith relationships, dialogue, events, and initiatives.
She was also a founding member of the Institute for Women in Leadership (IWIL) at Brescia and was its Director for seven years. Kimberley is a graduate of the University of Toronto.
In today's episode, Kimberley shares her journey from studying science with plans to pursue medicine to finding her true passion in Celtic Studies—a “mistake” that led her to a fulfilling career in leadership and academia. We discuss the importance of character in leadership, how it’s developed over time, and the impact of legacy. Kimberley also offers insights on how we can all cultivate strong character and the role it plays in achieving meaningful success.
Questions and Topics:
- What would you say is your favorite mistake in your career?
- How did studying Celtic mythology shape your views on leadership?
- Did you ever imagine your career path leading to academia or university-related centers?
- How do you define character, and what is character-based leadership?
- Can people with strong character still make mistakes, and how do they respond?
- How do you evaluate someone’s character when considering a job or a new leader?
- How much of character is innate versus developed over time?
- What can contemporary leaders teach us about character-based leadership?
- How important is it for leaders to consider the legacy they want to leave behind?
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- Full transcript
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Automated Transcript (May Contain Mistakes)
Mark Graban:
Hi, welcome to My Favorite Mistake. I'm Mark Graban. Our guest today is Kimberley Milani. She’s the Director of the Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership and co-founder of its Women's Leadership and Mentoring Program at the Ivey Business School in London, Ontario. She is co-author of the book titled Character: What Contemporary Leaders Can Teach Us About Building a More Just, Prosperous, and Sustainable Future. Before I tell you a little bit more about Kimberley, welcome to the podcast. How are you?
Kimberley Milani:
I'm doing well. Thank you for having me.
Mark Graban:
No, it’s great to have you here. I think this will be a really interesting discussion around the book and character and leadership, so I look forward to that. I’ll tell you a little bit more about Kimberley. She is also the co-host of Sip and Speak, a webinar series that explores social justice issues from a gendered and intersectional perspective. Prior to joining Ivey, Kimberley spent ten years as the Director of the Circle Women’s Centre, a community-facing feminist center at Brescia University College. She’s also a founding member of the Institute for Women in Leadership at Brescia and was its Director for seven years. Kimberley is a graduate of the University of Toronto. Kimberley, thank you for the listener. I asked for your coaching on a couple of words, and I didn’t ask about Brescia. I should have just plowed through it. I apologize for the mistake there. We try to head off some of the mistakes, but I didn’t get them all.
Kimberley Milani:
All good. It seems to go well with the name of the show, right?
Mark Graban:
So, Kimberley, on that theme of the show, people have heard my most recent mistake. I’m going to ask you the question we ask everybody here. Of the different things you’ve done in your career, what would you say is your favorite mistake?
Kimberley Milani:
Yeah, you know, I gotta say, this was a really interesting question to ponder, especially because of the “favorite” part. I think a lot of us tend to think of our mistakes, but we ruminate on them and don’t tend to look back on them fondly. This was a great challenge, so I appreciate that. What I actually landed on was a mistake that I didn’t realize I was making at first, but it really changed my path completely—or maybe it redirected me back onto the path I wished to be on in the first place, from which my life has really unfolded with an extraordinary amount of serendipity. My mistake is one that I think many people can relate to, and that is entering university into an area of study where you aren’t really passionate about it, but it lays out a secure and defined career path.
Mark Graban:
Yeah.
Kimberley Milani:
For me, that was studying science with the purpose of pursuing medicine. That was my mistake, but not my favorite part yet. But, you know, if I can back up a little bit to explain the story. I was the kind of kid or young person who was highly intrinsically motivated and always strove for excellence, whether that was in academics, athletics, or whatever. This often meant I found myself in positions of youth leadership, like being the captain of my sports team or on the student council. Looking back, this was the beginning of my understanding of leadership’s power to impact those around you. I really enjoyed the role and helping people—that’s how I saw the role when I inhabited it.
Mark Graban:
Yeah.
Kimberley Milani:
Growing up, I was also an avid reader—a complete book nerd—and it was my most beloved hobby. My favorite stories were always rooted in mythology. I loved the magic of it, and I would find books in the library about Celtic, Greek, Roman, and other mythologies and devour those stories. I was particularly enamored with Arthurian legend, which is a bit of foreshadowing because it’s Celtic in origin, which I think most people don’t realize about Arthurian legend.
Mark Graban:
Yeah, that’s a common mistake. Sorry to interrupt you, but we’ve uncovered—
Kimberley Milani:
It is. We don’t tend to go back that far. We start from the Christian era and move forward, but it’s much older than that. So when I started to think about entering university and setting myself on a career path, the advice I received was to be pragmatic, which is pretty typical of most kids' experience. I had good marks in all of my science courses, so I convinced myself, through great encouragement from others, to explore medicine as an option. I felt both a self-induced and external pressure to enter into a respectable and tangible profession with a clear pathway. Because of that leadership experience, I knew I wanted to help people in my career, so medicine kind of consoled me and enabled me to set aside the subjects I loved, thinking that I would be able to do that through that course of study and career.
Ultimately, I made the logical choice, not the passionate one. The favorite part is that I applied to and was accepted into the basic medical sciences program at the University of Toronto. U of T, in my opinion, and by ranking standards, is one of Canada’s best universities. I don’t want to disparage U of T’s science program because the program was great. But I realized in short order that it wasn’t for me, that it wouldn’t give me fulfillment. I was really struggling to engage wholeheartedly with the material, which was unusual for me because I usually dive into things. So I was at a real loss for what to do.
Luckily, U of T has an extraordinary number of programs and course offerings. Out of desperation one day, I literally grabbed the course calendar book, which dates me, so it was—
Mark Graban:
I had a course calendar book too, yeah.
Kimberley Milani:
Exactly. So I grabbed it, and I opened it at random. I can so clearly remember this. I was staring down at the first page of the section on U of T’s Celtic Studies program. I knew then and there—there was just something visceral about my response to that—that’s what I was going to transfer into. It’s my favorite part, and serendipitous, in that it could only have happened at U of T because no other university in Canada had this program at the time.
Mark Graban:
Yeah, it seems funny because most people might think the mistake is going into Celtic Studies and not medicine, but it was the other way around. What did you end up doing with that Celtic Studies degree?
Kimberley Milani:
Yes, exactly. I think that’s the point. People do often react with, “What are you going to do with a Celtic Studies degree?” But I’ve actually gotten so much out of it, both in terms of the program's content and how it has shaped and continues to impact my views on leadership. Celtic mythology, like most mythologies, is full of lessons and examples of leadership. One figure, in particular, Bridget, continues to be profoundly influential for me. Her mythology offered unique insights on leadership rooted in mercy, creativity, peace, and deep wisdom, which are qualities we still need today.
After university, I became the Director of the Circle Women’s Centre at Brescia University College, Canada’s only women’s university at the time. Over the 15 years I was there, I was engaged in work around women’s rights, human rights, indigenous reconciliation, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and leadership. Serendipity happened again when I had the opportunity to work with Mary Condren, Ireland’s foremost expert on Bridget. We hosted Bridget festivals for eight years, empowering women to become leaders in their own ways. This work, over those 15 years, provided me with what I now recognize as 15 years of character development—deliberately tending to who I was and cultivating my skills as an employee and as a whole person. It was 15 years of developing my humanity, humility, sense of justice, and judgment.
Mark Graban:
That’s amazing. It seems like that character development has been central to your career. You’ve done a lot. But getting from there to here—did you think you’d end up in academia or university-related centers?
Kimberley Milani:
I didn’t quite have a direct line of sight to this role, but I was always enamored with university life. It makes sense that my life ended up within academia, though I’m highly action-oriented. My current role at Ivey, which involves translating and mobilizing academic research for practitioners, is a perfect fit for me. I’m not a researcher, but I’m passionate about taking that research and making it impactful for the public. There's no sense in having excellent scholarship if it doesn’t impact people. That’s especially true for the work we do on character, which I believe in deeply.
Mark Graban:
That’s great. Let’s talk more about character and the book. How do you define the word “character,” and what is character-based leadership?
Kimberley Milani:
Character is a part of the fabric of our being—it’s who we are. But to really understand it, we needed a common language, especially in the workplace, where we didn’t have a consistent way to talk about it. We define character as an interconnected set of virtuous behaviors—behaviors that are beneficial to yourself, others, and society. Our research at the institute identified
11 dimensions of character: accountability, collaboration, courage, drive, humanity, humility, integrity, justice, temperance, transcendence, and judgment. Judgment, or practical wisdom, is central to all of these dimensions.
Mark Graban:
How do people evaluate someone’s character when considering a job or a leader?
Kimberley Milani:
Character can be observed through behavior and decisions over time. We have psychometric tools that can measure character, but even without that, you can assess it through the 62 observable behaviors that reflect those 11 dimensions. Character reveals itself, especially in crucible moments or crises. Leaders with strong character are still going to make mistakes, but they have the humility to acknowledge those mistakes and learn from them.
Mark Graban:
Do you think character is more innate or developed over time? And can it be developed later in life?
Kimberley Milani:
Character is absolutely built, not born. It’s something you develop throughout your life. We often confuse character with personality, but they’re not the same. Character is more like a muscle—it needs to be exercised daily to stay strong. You become courageous by doing courageous things, humble by engaging in acts of humility. It’s important to bring consciousness and intentionality to developing your character.
Mark Graban:
Who are some contemporary leaders who exemplify character-based leadership?
Kimberley Milani:
Leadership is contextual, but role models like Nelson Mandela demonstrate character in action. His life shows how the different dimensions of character can interact and influence decision-making. We also wanted to highlight contemporary leaders in our book to show what character looks like in practice.
Mark Graban:
There are also cautionary tales of leaders who succeed despite character issues. How do you respond to those who say character isn’t that important?
Kimberley Milani:
First, we should question how we define success. Success at what cost? Leaders profoundly impact the lives of others, and some legacies will be seen as harmful, not successful. Often, it’s not a lack of character as a whole but a weakness in certain dimensions that compromises judgment. For example, leaders might have courage and drive but lack temperance and integrity, leading to poor decisions. That’s why it’s important to develop character holistically.
Mark Graban:
Do you think it’s helpful for leaders to think about the legacy they want to leave behind?
Kimberley Milani:
Absolutely. One exercise we prescribe is having people write their own obituary. It helps shift their vantage point to consider what they want to leave behind. Most people want to leave a legacy that makes the world better, not just a full bank account. This can help reverse-engineer the path you want to take and guide your development.
Mark Graban:
That’s very well said. Kimberley, thank you so much for a really interesting, thought-provoking discussion, and thanks for sharing your story.
Kimberley Milani:
Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.
Episode Summary and More
The Art of Leadership: Lessons from Kimberly Milani
Introduction to Kimberley Milani
Kimberley Milani is an exemplar of leadership and mentorship in the modern age. As the director of the Institute for Leadership and a co-founder of its Women's Leadership and Mentoring Program at the Ivy Business School in London, Ontario, she has dedicated her career to empowering leaders. Milani's extensive background includes co-authoring a book on contemporary leadership and hosting a webinar series called “Sip and Speak,” which explores social justice issues from a gendered and intersectional perspective.
The Journey from Science to Leadership
A Misguided Beginning
Kimberley Milani’s journey to leadership was not linear. Like many others, she initially chose a path that seemed logical but was not aligned with her true passion. In her early academic career, Milani aimed for a future in medicine, attending the University of Toronto's prestigious basic medical sciences program. Despite the program's acclaim, she quickly realized that the discipline didn't offer her the fulfillment she sought. This moment of disillusionment is something many can relate to—choosing a career path for its perceived security rather than intrinsic motivation.
Serendipitous Shift
A pivotal turn of events came when Milani, feeling lost and desperate for a change, randomly opened the course catalog at the University of Toronto and stumbled upon the Celtic Studies program. This fortuitous discovery marked the beginning of a new, more authentic path. Switching from medicine to Celtic Studies might seem illogical to some, but it was a move that redirected her towards a more passionate and fulfilling career trajectory. This shift highlights the importance of following one's heart, even when the outcome seems uncertain.
Leadership and Passion
Early Signs of Leadership
Milani's inherent leadership qualities were evident from her youth. Whether it was captaining her sports teams or participating in student council, she consistently found herself in positions where she could influence and help others. These early experiences were fundamental in shaping her understanding of leadership's power to impact those around her positively. Her intrinsic motivation and drive for excellence were instrumental in these roles, paving the way for her future career in leadership and mentorship.
The Role of Celtic Studies
Why Celtic Studies, one might ask? The answer lies in Kimberley Milani's lifelong love for mythology. Stories rooted in mythology, especially Arthurian legends, captivated her, and these narratives offered rich, complex lessons in leadership. These stories, particularly those involving powerful female figures like Brigid, became a reservoir of insights and inspiration for Milani. Brigid, a figure celebrated for her leadership qualities rooted in mercy, creativity, and wisdom, became a model for Milani’s own leadership style.
The Impact of Women's Leadership
Circle Women’s Center and Brigid Festivals
Milani's academic background in Celtic mythology eventually led her to a career centered around women's leadership and social justice. As the director of the Circle Women's Center at Brescia University College, Canada’s only women's university at the time, she engaged deeply with issues related to women's rights, human rights, indigenous reconciliation, and sustainability. Her work included organizing Brigid festivals, inspired by her studies, to empower and embolden women through immersive, transformative experiences.
Transition to Ivy Business School
The transition from Brescia to the Ivy Business School was seamless for Milani. Although the environment was different, both institutions valued the integration of strong character into leadership. Ivys' empirical research echoed what Milani had learned experientially: character immensely impacts leadership outcomes. This move allowed her to merge her experience and knowledge from a singular, community-focused environment into a broader organizational and political context.
Lessons Learned
Following Your Passion
Milani’s journey serves as a testament to the importance of pursuing what you truly love rather than what seems practical or expected. Her initial decision to enter a field she was not passionate about was quickly corrected by a serendipitous discovery aligned with her interests and strengths. This shift was crucial for her well-being and success, proving that true fulfillment comes from aligning one's career with personal passions.
Embracing Serendipity and Opportunities
Another critical lesson from Milani's story is the value of embracing unexpected opportunities and remaining open to serendipitous moments. Her experience highlights that life's path does not need to be fully visible from the outset. By staying true to your passions and being open to unforeseen chances, you can discover exceptional opportunities that might not have been apparent initially.
Conclusion: Strength in Character
Ultimately, Kimberley Milani's journey underscores the intersection of leadership, character, and passion. From her initial missteps to her significant accomplishments, her experiences reveal the transformative power of aligning one's career with personal values and interests. Her story is an inspiring example for current and future leaders, emphasizing the necessity of strong character, the courage to follow one's passion, and the openness to seize unexpected opportunities.
Practicing Character in Leadership
Real-Life Lessons from Northern Ireland
Kimberley Milani's perspective on leadership significantly deepened during an immersive academic experience in Ireland. Amidst the historical backdrop of Northern Ireland's conflict, she had a unique opportunity to engage with parliamentarians from opposing factions. These leaders, representing their respective democratic parties, articulated their visions for Ireland’s future—whether united or remaining part of the UK—with both passion and respect. This dialog provided Milani with a profound lesson in respectful discourse amidst intense disagreement.
Armed guards were necessary around their classroom, a stark contrast to the safety and peace associated with Canadian campuses. This experience was surreal but educational, underlining the powerful role of respectful communication in conflict resolution. Milani drew invaluable insights from observing these leaders demonstrate character, dignity, and judgment under pressure. Her learning culminated on the night of a ceasefire announcement, an event that would lead to the Good Friday Agreement, marking a significant step towards peace and reconciliation. This scenario immensely influenced her understanding and advocacy for character-based leadership, especially during crises.
From Academia to Action
Milani’s transition from a Celtic Studies student to an influential figure in leadership circles illustrates the unpredictable trajectory of careers driven by passion and serendipity. Choosing a degree that she loved opened doors she never anticipated. Her academic journey in Celtic mythology inspired her leadership philosophy deeply, enriched by legends and history. It was essential groundwork for her later work, merging academic insights with practical leadership contexts.
In her role at various educational institutes, Milani has been instrumental in translating academic research into practical tools for leaders. As someone passionate about practical application over theoretical research, she found her niche in bringing scholarly findings into real-world practices. This aligns with her action-oriented nature, allowing her to bridge the gap between academia and practitioner worlds effectively.
Character: The Core of Leadership
Defining Character
Milani and her colleagues at the Institute for Leadership faced the challenge of distilling a concrete and applicable definition of character for use in leadership contexts. They sought to transform the somewhat abstract concept of character into a tangible framework. Drawing from extensive research, they defined character as an interconnected set of virtuous behaviors beneficial to individuals and society.
This framework comprises eleven dimensions—accountability, collaboration, courage, drive, humanity, humility, integrity, justice, temperance, transcendence, and judgment. These dimensions function not in isolation but interactively, shaping an individual's character. Central to this structure is judgment, akin to Aristotle’s “practical wisdom,” essential for making sound decisions.
Character in Practice
Character, Milani asserts, reveals itself not only in significant decisions but in everyday actions. These micro-moments form habitual behavior, establishing one’s character over time. Thus, character becomes observable and measurable through consistent virtuous actions.
Milani highlights the importance of maintaining humility and accountability. Strong character doesn’t imply perfection but involves recognizing and learning from mistakes. Leaders with profound character demonstrate humility by acknowledging errors and striving for continuous improvement. This approach fosters trust and sets a groundwork for ethical leadership.
Building and Evaluating Character
Contrary to the belief that character is innate, Milani emphasizes that character is developed through persistent effort and reflection throughout one's life. Effective leadership necessitates rigorous self-evaluation and growth in character. By observing behavior over time, one can evaluate character, particularly in how individuals navigate challenges. Milani’s framework enables leaders to assess and develop their character systematically, ensuring they can lead with integrity and effectiveness.
Milani's insights suggest that while nature plays a minor role, nurturing character is a lifelong endeavor. Character development can be influenced by external experiences, education, and self-reflection. She encourages leaders to embrace continuous self-improvement, leading by example and fostering a culture of integrity and transparency.
Implementing Character-Based Leadership
Collaborative Research with Trinity Business School
Milani continues to advance her work by forging strategic partnerships, such as the collaboration between her institute and Trinity Business School. This partnership aims to merge empirical research on character with studies on responsible leadership through the lenses of human rights and sustainability. The goal is to create robust programming that can instill these principles in emerging leaders worldwide.
This ongoing collaboration represents a full-circle moment for Milani, aligning her academic foundations with her leadership initiatives. By integrating diverse research areas, she continues to influence the leadership landscape, promoting a holistic approach to character-driven success.
By his commitment to character, Kimberley Milani exemplifies how authentic leadership is about more than strategic decisions—it’s an ongoing practice of virtues that shape not only individual leaders but entire organizations and societies.
Practicing Character in Leadership (Continued)
Differentiating Character from Personality
A crucial distinction in understanding leadership is differentiating character from personality. While personality encompasses innate traits such as introversion or extroversion, character is reflected in one's virtuous behaviors, which can be developed and strengthened over time. Regardless of being an introvert or extrovert, individuals can embody dimensions like humility, humanity, or integrity.
Milani often uses the metaphor of a muscle to explain character. Just like muscles need regular exercise to stay strong, character needs continuous and intentional practice. Neglecting it can lead to its atrophy, much like becoming a couch potato after once being super fit. Character is exercised daily through decisions and actions, for better or worse.
Intentional Character Development
The process of character development requires consciousness and intentionality. People often let their character develop incidentally, influenced by their socio-economic background, geography, family dynamics, or faith traditions. However, Milani emphasizes the importance of deliberately investing in character development. Just as one might learn a new professional skill or sport, investing time in developing character traits is essential.
Character, when understood in the context of judgment and decision-making, becomes evidently consequential. Leaders are encouraged to see their character not as a remnant of other life facets but as a fundamental part of their essence. This realization can be transformative, turning abstract virtues into actionable steps.
Learning from Exemplary Leaders
One of Milani’s key educational tools is the use of role models in teaching character in leadership. For instance, Nelson Mandela serves as a prominent example. His leadership, showcased in events like hosting the Rugby World Cup to unify post-apartheid South Africa, illustrates multiple dimensions of character in action. Mandela’s accountability, collaboration, courage, and humility are evident in his decisions and actions, making him a powerful figure for students to learn from.
Narrative as a Learning Tool
Beyond Mandela, Milani's book features stories of 17 leaders from diverse sectors and demographics, demonstrating character in various contexts. These narratives bridge the gap between theory and practice, providing clear examples of virtuous behaviors in real-world scenarios. Moreover, these stories aren’t just inspiring; they offer practical insights that readers can adapt to their own leadership journeys.
Addressing Character Deficiencies
It's essential to recognize that no single leader possesses all dimensions of character equally. Often, a leader's judgment may be compromised due to weaknesses in certain character aspects. Milani points out examples from the 2008 financial crisis, where leaders with high courage and drive but low temperance and integrity made poor decisions. This imbalance underscores the need for holistic character development rather than relying solely on one's strengths.
Milani argues against the idea of delegating certain traits like humility or integrity to others, emphasizing that these dimensions must be personally cultivated. Leaders are encouraged to develop each aspect of their character actively and consistently.
Exercises for Character Development
To assist in this holistic development, Milani’s institute offers various exercises, humorously termed the “character gym.” These exercises aim to cultivate self-awareness and strengthen different character dimensions. For example, courage is built by performing courageous acts, and humility is developed through humble actions. Self-awareness plays a crucial role in this process, enabling continuous growth and introspection.
Reflecting on Legacy
A powerful exercise Milani prescribes is writing one’s own obituary. This task helps individuals focus on their desired legacy, shifting their perspective from immediate actions to long-term impact. It’s rare for people to aspire to leave behind material wealth; instead, they often wish to leave a meaningful, positive legacy. Understanding this can guide one's actions and decisions, encouraging a legacy that aligns with virtuous character traits.
Applying Lessons in Leadership
Reflecting on lessons from leaders like Paul O'Neill, former CEO of Alcoa, underscores this point. O'Neill prioritized employee safety over profits, demonstrating integrity and commitment to his values. His legacy of dramatically reducing injury rates while achieving business success exemplifies high character in leadership.
By encouraging leaders to consciously develop their character and reflect on their legacy, Milani provides tools and insights that foster ethical, impactful leadership. Through consistent practice and reflection, leaders can embody the dimensions of character that ensure not only their success but also the wellbeing of those they lead.
Expanding Your Sense of Justice
Developing one’s sense of justice is a fundamental aspect of character that is often overlooked. When leaders cultivate a deep understanding of justice, they are better equipped to make fair and ethical decisions. This involves continuously expanding one’s knowledge about global injustices and taking actionable steps to address them. For example, regularly studying social justice issues, current events, and historical examples of injustice can broaden a leader's perspective. Engaging in discussions about these topics and reflecting on how they align with one’s values and actions are crucial steps.
Starting Points for Character Development
As many individuals struggle with where to begin in character development, Milani emphasizes the importance of starting with curiosity. Harnessing what intrigues you most can provide a natural entry point into the broader framework of character development. Self-reflection is a powerful tool in this journey. By reflecting on one's behaviors, decisions, and motivations, leaders can gain a clearer understanding of their strengths and areas for improvement.
The Role of Introspection
Self-reflection should aim toward introspection rather than rumination. While rumination involves dwelling on negative thoughts, introspection propels forward growth and understanding. It's about critically analyzing oneself to foster improvement and development. Leaders can use journals, meditation, or feedback from trusted colleagues to aid in this process. The goal is to achieve an honest and objective self-assessment that leads to actionable insights.
Legacy Exercise in Practice
Understanding what legacy you wish to leave behind can be a profound motivator for character development. After performing the legacy exercise described by Milani, leaders should consider what personal virtues need strengthening to realize their desired future impact. This reflective practice shifts focus from short-term achievements to long-term character evolution, ensuring that the journey of leadership is ethical and impactful.
Practical Applications
To put these insights into practice, consider setting specific, measurable goals for developing various character traits. If a leader aims to improve their sense of justice, they might set goals such as participating in community service, advocating for policy changes, or educating others about social justice issues. These actions can then be regularly revisited and reflected upon to assess progress and make necessary adjustments.
Learning Through Engagement
Engaging with diverse communities, cultures, and perspectives is another practical method for character development. Such interactions can challenge existing biases and encourage a more inclusive approach to leadership. Leaders can facilitate this through mentorship programs, attending cultural events, or collaborating with organizations that align with their values.
Continuous Improvement
Character development is not a one-time effort but a continuous journey. Leaders need to remain committed to self-improvement and be open to adapting their approaches. Regularly revisiting the character framework, seeking feedback, and adjusting one's strategies are essential practices. Milani's insights provide a roadmap, but the journey is deeply personal and requires consistent effort and dedication.
By incorporating these strategies into daily routines and leadership practices, individuals can cultivate a more robust and virtuous character, ultimately leading to more just, prosperous, and sustainable leadership.