Virtues of Leadership

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The absence of freedom drives individuals to rethink the values and morals that has accustomed ones understanding of the enslaved world in contrast to a free world. Up From Slavery: An Autobiography by Booker T. Washington chronicles the journey of young enslaved Washington as his transition into manhood. Enslaved Washington and his family suffered from the institution of slavery, but once emancipated the obstacles to securing a home, employment, and education did not stop Washington from achieving notable success as a leader for the African American community. He acknowledged the cruelty and moral wrong of slavery and used that as a foundation to build towards something greater than the ten million Negroes inhabiting this country, who themselves or whose ancestors went through the school of slavery, and are in a stronger and more hopeful condition, materially, intellectually, morally, and religiously as a result of knowing that the institution of slavery was greater than the enslaved and their white counterparts. Washington did let slavery hinder his aspiration of greatness, which depicts Immanuel Kant ethical theory deontology, which postulates “necessity” and “universality” as moral conduct. That our imperative, a principle or conclusion about what we have reason to do, expressed using the term “ought” which, out of the necessity to do good will, the right thing to do is our universal duty and is something that is naturally good for our moral character. Washington career in the public sector went beyond the expectations of society, especially former slaver owners. Public administrators today ought to model themselves after the lessons Washington learned throughout his career as a public administrator in order to make a diff... ... middle of paper ... ...s in the most moralistic way possible. Washington set aside his racial prejudices for he knew that hatred towards Whites would not improve his condition. By transcending the limitations society expected of him, he has shown by holding true to core values and having high expectation of self one can achieve the unimaginable. Public administrators today ought to value education, go against the grain of society by doing what is morally or political right, be eager to bring about change, but most of all do, what will bring the most good in the world, so that future generations can be inspired and committed to changing the world. Everyone should aspire to be a humanitarian for, if it was not for people of strong ethical convictions the world would be worst off. Works Cited Washington p.106 Washington p.112 Washington p.142 Wikipedia 2013

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