Case 9.2: A Leader under Fire
Case synopsis and analysis
This case study portrays Greg Mortenson, the subject of two best-selling books, Three Cups of
Tea (2006) and Stones into Schools (2009). Lost and sick after attempting to scale K2, Greg was
nursed back to health by the villagers of remote Korphe, Afghanistan, and promised to build the
village a school. He did so, and his success led him to create the Central Asia Institute
(CAI), a nonprofit organization that “empowers communities of Central Asia through literacy
Learning objectives:
1. Students should demonstrate understanding of authentic leadership and be able to apply
its main concepts to a leader.
2. Students should recognize the importance and difficulty of moral reasoning and
transparency for a leader.
Answers to questions in the text:
1. Would you describe Greg Mortenson as an authentic leader? Explain your answer.
Most students will assert that Greg is not an authentic leader. There are many definitions for
authentic leadership. One of those viewpoints is the intrapersonal perspective, which focuses
2. In the chapter, we discussed moral reasoning and transparency as components of authentic
leadership. Do you think Greg exhibited these components as part of his leadership?
Greg did not exhibit transparency. He did not disclose how he used the CAI funds and did not
explain his actions after the scandal broke. Indeed, he was largely silent.
3. How was Greg’s response to the allegations against him characteristic of an authentic leader?
Greg does not deny the allegations. Rather, he merely asserts that there is more to the story. As
Northouse, Leadership: Theory and Practice, Seventh Edition: Instructor Resource
Potential teaching approaches:
Below is a way to structure a class based on skill theory and case study 9.2:
• Hold a lecture on authentic leadership.
Exercises for this case study:
1) Students work individually or in small groups to apply George’s and Walumbwa and
2) In small groups, students should discuss why Greg’s actions may have been moral after
all. Did his fabrication serve the greater good, perhaps? When might it be okay for an
authentic leader to fabricate?
Next, students should explore potential “personal uses” of the CAI’s money that could be
3) Individually or in small groups, students should create a list of action items that Greg
could have done to repair his and the CAI’s reputations after the scandal broke. What