Abstract:

This chapter draws on the indigenous African tradition of philosophy to propose a moral-philosophical theory of leadership that is intended to rival accounts in the East Asian and Western traditions. After providing an interpretation of the characteristically Sub-Saharan value of communion, the chapter advances a philosophical account of a good leader as one who creates, sustains, and enriches communal relationships and enables others to do so. The chapter then applies this account to a variety of topics, including what the proper ultimate end of an organization is, how decisions ought to be made within it, who counts as a stakeholder, and how non-performing or non-compliant employees should be dealt with. For each topic, the chapter notes the respects in which the African theory of good leadership prescribes approaches that differ from other, more internationally familiar, approaches, and suggests that the implications of the African theory of good leadership are, prima facie, attractive compared to these more familiar approaches.