The One Who Leads with Goodness

By James Rector, Publisher
Profiles in Leadership Journal

Why Strength Begins with Something Soft

It’s not a word you hear much in leadership seminars:
Goodness.

We hear about grit, performance, execution. But goodness? That sounds more like something for Sunday school than the boardroom.

And yet, it’s the one quality that every lasting leader seems to share.

Goodness is not weakness. It’s not about being nice. It’s about being anchored in something deeper than metrics. It’s about decency in how we treat people, especially when no one’s watching.

You can’t outsource goodness

A company can hire talent, borrow capital, automate systems. But it cannot outsource character.

That starts at the top. The way a leader handles layoffs, responds to dissent, or praises someone who isn’t in the room, that’s the culture in motion.

At home, goodness often looks like the grandparent who shows up quietly, or the parent who forgives the broken vase without raising their voice. These are small things, but they’re remembered for a lifetime.

What Goodness in Leadership Looks Like

• Jimmy Carter, post-presidency, modeled servant leadership by working quietly in global conflict zones, prioritizing peace and dignity over fanfare.
• Leena Nair, CEO of Chanel, increased charitable giving fivefold and centered inclusion without sacrificing excellence.
• Paola Vélez, a young chef and activist, uses her culinary leadership to build community and fight injustice, with kindness as the cornerstone.
• A manager once gave a single mom flexible hours to attend her child’s therapy appointments. No HR memo. No headlines. Just goodness.

Final word

Being a good person isn’t separate from being a good leader.
It’s the starting point.

Goodness won’t get you every promotion. But it will win you every room worth leading.
And over time, it becomes the quiet force people remember most.