Character strengths in Chinese philosophies : Relevance to service leadership

Abstract

According to the Hong Kong Institute of Service Leadership and Management, moral character or character strength is an important attribute of an effective service leader. In connection to this, "Character Strengths in Chinese Philosophies" is one of the lecture topics taught in a course titled "Service Leadership" in a university in Hong Kong. Several topics are covered in that lecture. First, the relevance of Chinese philosophies to service leadership is discussed. Second, the core virtues in Confucian thoughts are presented. Third, the relevance of Confucian virtues to service leadership is examined. Finally, conclusions and reflections on the relevance of Confucian virtues to service leadership are outlined. In addition to one warm-up activity at the beginning of the lecture, three major activities are designed for related parts of the content. During the lecture, students are encouraged to reflect on their qualities in terms of Confucian virtues and explore effective ways to promote the development of such virtues.