Forgiveness as a Political Leadership Trait

Scholar-practitioners recognize that forgiveness and reconciliation is an influential leadership trait for improved workplace productivity, impacts organizational interpersonal and intrapersonal relationships,and determines societal healing. More important, research by leadership scholar practitioners acknowledge that forgiveness and reconciliation as an individual leadership trait is relatively new to the political leadership field (Palanski, 2012). Ferch (2012) questions whether there "can there be leadership without healing ...false leadership does harm. True leadership heals the heart of the world" (p. 194). Thus, the analysis of the literature revealed that a scholarly understanding of forgiveness and reconciliation as a political individual leadership trait perspective is uncharted. This paper defines forgiveness and reconciliation within an organizational and transitional justice context. Examines the concept of forgiveness as an individual political leadership trait and reconciliation as a societal issue. Finally, addresses forgiveness as a theoretical construct of servant leadership as a political individual leadership trait.