The Johnson Institute seeks to enhance ethics and accountability in leadership through teaching, research, and public service. We develop and celebrate outstanding, diverse leaders at all levels and create opportunities for them to engage in disciplined debate, reflections, and inquiry. Our work is based on the theory that leadership is not a mystery; effective leadership behaviors can be learned and practiced by anyone. We center our research and teaching around six behaviors:
- Self-Knowledge/Self-Understanding: Effective leaders reflect on their leadership skills, attributes, and abilities and are committed to life-long improvement.
- Systemic and External Orientation: Effective leaders monitor trends and events in the external environment and help followers understand the implications for their enterprise.
- Stewardship: Effective leaders are committed to continuous capacity building and work to ensure that the organization is stronger at the end of their tenure that it was at the beginning.
- Integrity: Effective leaders are committed to ethical behavior and decision making.
- Accountability: Effective leaders take personal responsibility for decisions.
- Empathy: Effective leaders look for insights and perspectives through the eyes and experiences of others. They value diversity and inclusion and are sensitive to the different experiences of traditionally marginalized or underrepresented populations.