Running head: BMAL 501 DB FORUM 5: GROUP SUMMARY 1
BMAL 501 DB Forum 5: Group Summary
Alfred Ryan Dupree, Jaliesa Clay, & Henry Bradtke
Liberty University
BMAL 501 DB FORUM 5: GROUP SUMMARY 2
BMAL 501 DB Forum 5 Group Summary
Out of the many concepts that have been presented in the assigned readings, Group 4 has
determined that integrity, courage, and wisdom are the areas of focus that we will be exploring.
Concept 1
Integrity is generally defined as an individual’s character that is exhibited in a
person’s refusal to compromise or go against their personal belief system. This can be done on
many levels, such as standing up for certain rights or the ability to abstain from behaviors that
are not seen as good (Hall, 2018). Integrity as defined by Robert Dees in Resilient Leaders at its
basic level is simply telling the truth or staying true to a set of values (2013). An ideal example
of integrity would be doing what is right even when no one is looking. We will stop there with
definitions and descriptions for integrity because they could be endless.
As a leader, it is very important to ensure that you have integrity. To be the most
effective, integrity needs to be applied in all aspects of life with the morals and experiences we
have developed over time. Integrity is not just a suit to wear for certain people to see, but it is a
lifestyle that should be noticed. Leaders that embrace the moral person perspective value
integrity and are trustworthy, caring, honest, and fair with all (Engelbrecht, Heine, & Mahembe,
2017). A leader who displays integrity will set the tone for his subordinates to follow and imitate
that behavior. When employees see a leader has integrity, it can influence others positively and
facilitate desirable changes within the organization (Yinghong, O’Neill, & Zhou, 2018). This
example is described in Titus 2:7 (New International Version), “In everything set them an
example by doing what is good in your teachings show integrity, seriousness.” This then can
allow those to have the courage to speak up when they see something that needs correction or to
explore better options than what had been decided on. Leader integrity, with ethical leadership
BMAL 501 DB FORUM 5: GROUP SUMMARY 3
that is considered important, can promote effective interaction between leaders and their
followers (Engelbrecht et al., 2017). A leader needs to manage their behavioral integrity at the
same time they manage their behavioral courage because when a leader emphasizes their values
and overt promise-keeping, they are more likely to seen as courageous and effective (Palanski,
Cullen, Gentry, Nichols, 2014). A leader that manages these will be setting a culture within an
organization. Organizations must take care of dissemination of a culture of integrity across the
organization because it is one of the most important factors that contribute to the creation of a
positive organizational culture that is receptive to change and make employees’ work with more
efforts to achieve what is required of them (Al-Abrrow, Abdullah, Atshan, 2019).
Concept 2
Without courage you cannot make a difference. Without courage you can’t have the right
conversations that lead to change. Without courage you won’t even get off the starting block as a
leader. But it’s how you show courage that’s the important point here. For some leaders in the
past, courage has meant showing up in their armor, protecting and perfecting. That’s not
courage, that’s hiding. And people don’t connect with a leader like that. Rather courage is
acting in the face of fear. Sitting with the discomfort but working through it, not around it.
Showing up fiercely and completely, bringing your vulnerabilities, imperfections and
inadequacies, but not being driven by them. We all have this capability inside us, but it’s often
not expressed at work. It’s come to the forefront in some area in your life whether that be
standing at the top of a ski slope wondering how you’ll make it down or waiting for a phone call
from a loved one with news of a health crisis. We all have courage and need to bring this
attribute to the workplace. It is in times of change that leaders need the courage to persist. They
need to stand up again after being knocked back or to find another way after a path has been
BMAL 501 DB FORUM 5: GROUP SUMMARY 4
closed off. They need the courage to think differently. And they need the courage to have the
difficult conversations they have been avoiding. Courage and comfort will never be friends. If
you are comfortable, chances are you aren’t learning, growing or forging a new path. If you are
comfortable you are probably not really leading. So, say yes to something that makes you
uncomfortable every single day. It might be a project that you would normally say you are too
busy for, or it may be as simple as sitting in the front row when your preference is for the back.
Because when you say yes to discomfort, you are saying yes to true leadership. When you say
yes to courage, you are saying yes to your team. Most importantly, when you say yes to sitting
with discomfort rather than avoiding it, you are saying a big yes to yourself. We need to say yes
to living an inspired life. When’s the last time you felt uncomfortable as a leader? It’s probably a
question you haven’t been asked before, but the answer speaks to the quality and impact of your
leadership. Every single day when you accept the invitation to be a real leader, you are accepting
the condition of feeling uncomfortable. At the basic level the definition of a leader is someone
who goes first. A leader forges a path forward and inspires people to follow.
Twenty years ago, this task was simpler but in today’s complex, fast changing and
unpredictable work environment, this takes courage. In today’s environment there is no
leadership rule book. In fact, we are the first generation of leaders to be leading in such
disruptive times. Never in the history of leadership has this type of environment been navigated.
Leaders of today are writing the rule book for the future. They are leading in an environment
where you often can’t see the destination. All you have is a flashlight that reveals a couple of
meters ahead. And that’s uncomfortable. Because your brain craves the certainty. Like most
leaders today you will have tough decisions. And sometimes these decisions impact negatively
on people you care about, and even yourself. And that’s hard. Even coming up with new ideas
BMAL 501 DB FORUM 5: GROUP SUMMARY 5
can push you out of your comfort zone because you risk failing. Building relationships, an
important part of a leader’s job also comes with the risk of being rejected. That feels
uncomfortable too.
Concept 3
Wisdom is high on the list of personal qualities that most people hope to attain and can be
deemed important for one to have. Wisdom can be described as the virtuous habit making
decisions and taking actions that serve the common good, regardless of the scientific truth or
cunning advantage (Roos, 2017). Wisdom seems to be associated with doing the right thing, in
the right way, under the right circumstances, in order to achieve the common good (Nayak,
2015). Unfortunately, we live in the real world and these things may not always align in order to
make the perfect decision. When these three things do not align, we must then use our best
judgment to decide what is best for the situation we are currently trying to resolve. Wisdom
could also be found when we decide to pick our battles with others. There are three pillars to
wise leadership: understanding oneself, understanding that we will be pulled in all directions,
and to resist certitudes (“Wisdom based leadership in corporate culture- Challenges &
opportunities,” 2018). In this week’s presentation Robert Dees tells us that wisdom is the bridge
between character and competence (Dees, 2014). Wisdom comes from patience and experience.
Some experiences may be viewed by some that they may have failed. We need to remember that
F.A.I.L. stands for a first attempt at learning (F.A.I.L.). It is knowing how to navigate through
life’s obstacles and growing from those experiences. Leaders must have some level of wisdom
to lead for their success to be sustainable. The seamless integration of faith, family, and
profession into a God- honoring life message (Dees, 2013). Wisdom is a trait that is sought after
BMAL 501 DB FORUM 5: GROUP SUMMARY 6
and taught to learn in the Bible. King Solomon asked God for wisdom above everything else.
The Book of Proverbs teaches the sayings of the wise and how to navigate through life.
Conclusion
Leadership is needed for any corporation, factory, or small business to succeed. There are
good leaders and bad leaders in the corporate world. Group 4 has concluded that good leadership
is what makes a corporation succeed. For this to happen, individuals in these leadership roles
must possess courage, integrity, and wisdom. These traits of a leader should not be used
sporadically but they should always be used. Leaders must have a solid foundation in these areas
in order to help guide a corporation to its potential, but more importantly these traits are
observed by their employees.
The observance of strong leadership will influence employees. As Those leadership traits
will continue to thrive as these employees continue to progress in the corporate setting. The
Bible tells us that we are to be good leaders: Galatians 6:9 states “And let us not grow weary of
doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” In simple terms we as
Christians are taught not to give up on anything that is good even when times of trouble are
around. Leaders will have both good and terrible obstacles they will go through in any corporate
setting. Possessing integrity will help a leader to abstain from behaviors that are not acceptable
(Hall, 2018). The trait of courage allows subordinates to have faith in their leaders that they will
be stood up for their needs when appropriate (Press, 2018), and using wisdom will help the
leader to navigate through difficult and uncertain times. Allowing the leader to know the
appropriate times to act and when to wait (Dees, 2014).
BMAL 501 DB FORUM 5: GROUP SUMMARY 7
References
AL-Abrrow, H., Abdullah, H., & Atshan, N. (2019). Effect of organizational integrity and
leadership behaviour on organizational excellence. The International Journal of
Organizational Analysis., 27(4), 972–985.
Dees, R., & North, O. (2013). Resilient leaders. San Diego: Creative Team Publishing.
Character and Wisdom. (2014). Retrieved from
https://learn.liberty.edu/webapps/blackboard/content/listContent.jsp?
course_id=_535652_1&content_id=_34571547_1
Engelbrecht, A., Heine, G., & Mahembe, B. (2017). Integrity, ethical leadership, trust and work
engagement. Leadership & Organization Development Journal., 38(3), 368–379.
Gismondi, A. (2018). Leadership and courage key to building strong safety culture: Panelists.
Daily Commercial News, 91(52), 1-2.
Hall, E. (2018). Integrity in democratic politics. The British Journal of Politics and International
Relations, 20(2), 395–408. doi: 10.1177/1369148117744956
Hofstede, G. (2018). Courage: Intercultural cooperation and its importance. London, England:
HarperCollins.
Nayak, A. (2016). Wisdom and the tragic question: Moral learning and emotional perception in
leadership and organizations: JBE. Journal of Business Ethics, 137(1), 1-13.
Press, E. (2018). Moral courage: A sociological perspective. Society, 55(2), 181–192. doi:
10.1007/s12115-018-0231-4
Rodriguez, R. (2015). Courageous finds its place. HR Magazine, 51, 56-61
BMAL 501 DB FORUM 5: GROUP SUMMARY 8
Roos, J., (2017). Practical wisdom: Making and teaching the governance case for sustainability.
Journal of Cleaner Production, 140, 117-124. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.10.135
Wisdom based leadership in corporate culture- Challenges & opportunities. (2018, December
20). Business World.
Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)
