Chapter two of the Joseph L. Badaracco Jr. Questions of Character discusses moral codes and how leaders develop their own. Badaracco uses the story Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe to illustrate his message. The story centers on the leader of an African tribe called Okonkwo who is the “psychological and emotional counterpart of the strong and determined people who run most organizations today” (Badaracco, p. 31-32). At first he is exactly the kind of leader his tribe is looking for thanks to his strong moral compass. When the English try to change their way of life, Okonkwo tries to have his clan follow him into the opposition. However, his tribe ultimately rejects his leadership because its moral code “has not grown or evolved over the years” (Badaracco, p. 32). What originally made Okonkwo a great leader turned out “to be signs of weakness, not strength (Badaracco, p. 32). Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay This story demonstrates the complexities of a leader's moral code. Because of these complexities "it is essential that men and women in positions of responsibility reflect, from time to time, on the solidity of their own moral codes" (Badaracco, p. 34). Okonkwo's life “offers several key ways for leaders to test the strength of their deeply held beliefs” (Badaracco, p. 51). Furthermore, his story "warns us against considering moral codes as simple mechanistic expedients" (Badaracco, p. 51). It is dangerous for a leader to think that he is acting morally just because he believes he has a strong moral code. According to Badaracco (2006), a solid moral code has its roots in what the community values. It is dynamic and “requires ongoing and open engagement with the moral and practical life that surrounds a leader” (Badaracco, p. 52). It reveals itself in a leader's failures and their reactions to them. Badaracco believes that flexibility is “the clearest sign of a good moral code” (Badaracco, p. 52). Okonkwo was so firm in his beliefs that he ignored those around him who could have helped him develop this flexibility. How was Okonkwo in the story Things Fall Apart similar to today's organizational leaders? He was a hard worker whose drive and determination guided him to the top of his community. He was “the psychological and emotional counterpart of the strong, determined people who run most organizations today” (Badaracco, p. 32). What do good leaders do when faced with their failures? Good leaders “reflect on their reactions to them; they also look for explanations, and they start by looking at themselves instead of blaming others" (Badaracco, p. 41). What are the three criteria by which one can judge the characteristics of one's own moral code? The fundamental traits «can be judged according to three parameters: clarity, motivation and dominance» (Badaracco, p. 43). Why did Okonkwo fail when he attempted to act on his intuitions as a leader? Okonkwo did not express his values ​​and his code of ethics were not suited to a changing world. He needed “the ability to crystallize and powerfully communicate his beliefs and ideas – in ways that resonated with the values ​​and feelings of the people he wanted to lead” (Badaracco, p. 50). What does Okonkwo's life story tell us and warn us about? His life reveals the complexities of his own moral code. It “shows us the importance of a leader's moral code and offers several key ways for leaders to test the strength of their deeply held beliefs” (Badaracco, p. 51). His story also “warns us against considering i..