Case 14: The Waiter Rule: What Makes for a Good CEO?
1. Is character an essential ingredient in ethical leadership? Is it especially important in
managers? In leadership, especially among CEOs, is character important? Why?
Obviously, character is an essential ingredient in ethical leadership. Without character,
managers, including CEOs, lack the moral compass necessary to make ethical decisions in tough
2. Do you agree with the Waiter Rule? Does it provide useful insights into who might be an
ethical or unethical leader? Should corporate boards consider character when hiring someone
for the top position?
I personally agree with the Waiter Rule. As noted in question 1 above, ethical leadership is based
on two pillars: the manager as a moral person and as a moral manager. In addition to other
factors, the Waiter Rule focuses on certain behaviors in order to determine whether an individual
3. Is using the Waiter Rule too simplistic a guideline for hiring people in important positions
As the case notes, the Waiter R
4. Do yo
A friend of mine was in the process of interviewing for applicants for a role in his company.