Christina,
Good article, and comments as well. It was gratifying to hear someone write about things I have been advocating for years.

There are many closely related concepts, but I think that character-based leadership really has to have a strong element of servant leadership within it. I've done a lot of coaching, mentoring and development work with young leaders and managers over the years and one core message I try to land on them is that if you are in leadership for what you can get out of it, you are in the wrong role. Leadership is responsibility, not advantage. As leaders, we are accountable for more than just getting results - we are responsible for how we get them, and for the people we are leading.

I have not found a great deal of self examination and self-awareness in leadership. Too many leaders still make the mistake of thinking that as long as people follow them, they must be good leaders. Few stop to consider whether the people are following because they want to, or because they have to.

Some of this is due to personality type and level of EI but a lot of it I think is because at the end of the day, real leadership - authentic, transparent, servant leadership - will cost you something, personally and professionally. Most organizations still do not get it and so leaders like that tend to pay a price in terms of how they are perceived by peers and upper management, whether they advance or not (despite their business successes), and in some cases whether they are allowed to remain with the organization.