Virtuous leadership revisited: the case of Hüsnü Özyeǧin of FIBA Holding

Abstract

In 2006, we, the authors, and David Waldman wrote an article for the Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion describing a theoretical model of how we thought virtuous leadership might manifest and perpetuate itself in modern organizations, particularly in relation to organizational learning. The article was inspired because of two things. First, we witnessed many dramatic cases of executive malfeasance and lack of virtue in organizations, which was a bit dispiriting, as we were and still are executive educators. Second, we had a lot of hope for the future and all worked in the areas of positive organizational behavior and positive psychology. Thus, we desired to articulate a more positive model for organizations. Today, we revisit that model and test it, if you will, using the case of the self-made billionaire and richest man in Turkey – Hüsnü Özyeğin – who is also a well-known philanthropist and social entrepreneur.