Character in leadership: Perceptions from intercollegiate athletics administrators

Despite the importance of leadership in sport organizations and the extensive research conducted in leadership, the construct of leader character has received less research attention. This study examined the prevalence, perceived importance, and perceived value of leader character within Canadian intercollegiate athletics administration. A total of 116 Athletic Administrators at every Canadian U-Sports member institution were contacted to participate in the study. Seventy-six administrators agreed to participate yielding a response rate of 65.5%. Leader character was measured using the Leader Character Insight Assessment (LCIA) consisting of 11 leader character dimensions. Overall, Accountability, Integrity, and Drive were the highest ranked leader character dimensions while the lowest ranked leader character dimensions included Humility, Justice, Temperance, and Transcendence. The participants also perceived that their universities valued leader character similarly to themselves. The understanding of leader character within Canadian intercollegiate athletics administration is advanced and the importance of leader character is discussed.