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  • 2010
  • Working Paper
  • HBS Working Paper Series

A 'Value-Free' Approach to Values (PDF File of PowerPoint Slides)

By: Michael C. Jensen and Werner Erhard
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:42
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Abstract

We argue here that the three factors we identify as constituting the foundation for being a leader and the effective exercise of leadership can also be seen as "A 'Value-Free' Approach to Values" that proves to be very effective in allowing students to acquire the foundations not only for great leadership, but also for a high quality personal life and an extraordinary organization. We characterize this approach as "value free" because, 1) integrity as we define it (being whole and complete) is a purely positive proposition, 2) authenticity is also a purely positive proposition (being and acting consistent with who you hold yourself out to be for others and who you hold yourself out to be for yourself), and 3) being committed to something bigger than oneself is also a purely positive proposition (that says nothing about what that commitment should be other than that it be bigger than oneself). This presentation is based on our leadership research program conducted over the last seven years. That research was designed to discover what it actually takes to create leaders—that is, to leave students at the end of the course being leaders and effectively exercising leadership as their natural self expression. The current version of the course materials can be viewed at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1263835

Keywords

Leadership Development; Attitudes; Values and Beliefs

Citation

Jensen, Michael C., and Werner Erhard. "A 'Value-Free' Approach to Values (PDF File of PowerPoint Slides)." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 11-010, October 2010.
  • SSRN

About The Author

Michael C. Jensen

→More Publications

More from the Authors

    • 2012
    • Faculty Research

    Putting Integrity into Finance: A Purely Positive Approach

    By: Werner Erhard and Michael C. Jensen
    • 2012
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    Author-Level Eigenfactor Metrics: Evaluating the Influence of Authors, Institutions and Countries within the SSRN community

    By: Jevin D. West, Michael C. Jensen, Ralph J. Dandrea, Gregg Gordon and Carl T. Bergstrom
    • 2011
    • Faculty Research

    Pioneers in Finance: An Interview with Michael C. Jensen - Part 1

    By: Michael C. Jensen and Ralph A. Walkling
More from the Authors
  • Putting Integrity into Finance: A Purely Positive Approach By: Werner Erhard and Michael C. Jensen
  • Author-Level Eigenfactor Metrics: Evaluating the Influence of Authors, Institutions and Countries within the SSRN community By: Jevin D. West, Michael C. Jensen, Ralph J. Dandrea, Gregg Gordon and Carl T. Bergstrom
  • Pioneers in Finance: An Interview with Michael C. Jensen - Part 1 By: Michael C. Jensen and Ralph A. Walkling
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