From laurels to learners: leadership with virtue.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a new approach to leadership development founded on the principle of the Leader-as-Learner: a reflective human who pursues the 4C – virtues of courage, commitment, confidence and curiosity, rather than the laurels of traditional approaches of heroic leadership.Design/methodology/approach Exploring art-based methods and fostering a new approach to leadership development: Leaders-as-Learners.Findings In this paper, studies and theoretical findings from the literature are discussed.Research limitations/implications This paper includes extending life stories and modes of learning by projecting possible selves as leaders, to learn the daily practice of leadership.Practical implications Leadership involves not only the art of judgment but refines it through a learning orientation to confront volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity conditions.Social implications Leadership is not limited to organizations and in relation to work practices. It is a central aspect in all social affairs and integral to building societies which serve, through leaders, the common good.Originality/value An approach to leadership development that supports human flourishing and locates leadership among ordinary people who do extra-ordinary things. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]