Public Leadership with a Moral Purpose: A Phenomenological View

Abstract

Interest in the features of the development of character, specifically one’s capacity for moral purpose and
moral leadership, have led to an expanding concern within many higher educational institutions. This
paper represents a qualitative analysis of a year-long Fellowship’s curricular and co-curricular program
focused on intentionally developing moral leadership and moral purpose among other outcomes
(self-awareness, cross-cultural competence, community, and social responsibility). This exploration of
the features of a tailored curriculum focused on the development surrounding morality points to the
role of educational institutions as key settings wherein character develops. The selective population
within the Fellowship included a diverse cohort of 25 active duty and veteran service members involved
in respective graduate programs in business, law, and/or public policy/administration at Harvard
University. A major feature of the Fellowship included several reflective writings and presentations on
developmental experiences, moral leadership, and moral purpose. The phenomenological approach
presented here discovered several themes that are significant to the understanding of public leadership.
Also discussed are the findings for the broader context of moral leadership and purpose and relevant
limitations.