Learning About Leadership, Trust and Benevolence from Ethics of the Fathers (Avot)

Authors

Hershey Harry Friedman PhD, CUNY Brooklyn CollegeFollow
Dov Fischer PhD CPA, CUNY Brooklyn CollegeFollow

Keywords

Benevolence, trust, integrity, ethical leadership, servant leadership, Avot, Ethics of the Fathers, tone at the top, COSO, corporate governance, Great Recession of 2008

Abstract

Leadership has become an important subject in numerous areas ranging from business to education to religion. An organization or country that is going to prosper needs effective leadership. Ethics of the Fathers (Pirkei Avot) is the perfect tool for learning about what it takes to restore organizational trust in business leadership. Avot consists of sayings of Jewish sages — many of whom were leaders — who lived from 300 BCE to 200 CE as well as many anonymous sayings. It is essential to any leader who wishes to achieve organizational trust through ability, integrity and benevolence.

Recommended Citation

Friedman, Hershey Harry PhD and Fischer, Dov PhD CPA (2014) "Learning About Leadership, Trust and Benevolence from Ethics of the Fathers (Avot)," Journal of Religion and Business Ethics: Vol. 3, Article 8.
Available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/jrbe/vol3/iss1/8