Leadership Lab

Talk Title: Reflections on Ethical Leadership in Contemporary Times

Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Leyburn Library 128

Drawing from the practice and study of leadership across democracies, Kenneth P. Ruscio, President Emeritus of Washington and Lee University, will reflect on ethical leadership during our current challenging times. In this inaugural lecture of the Mudd Leadership Lab, Ruscio suggests that two qualities—humility and trust—serve to distinguish leadership from the mere use of power. His talk on May 7, 2025, will examine how these foundational aspects of ethical leadership are informed and sustained by notions of the collective good. Indeed, these topics have been a central focus of Ruscio’s writing and teaching over the last few decades. We are fortunate to have him explore with us these defining principles of ethical leadership.

Ruscio served as President of Washington and Lee University from 2006-2016. Prior to that he held faculty and administrative positions at W&L and was Dean of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond from 2002-2006. His writing and teaching have focused on democratic theory, political leadership, trust, and public policy. He is the author of the 2004 book The Leadership Dilemma in Modern Democracy. He currently serves on the Boards of Skidmore College in New York, The Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, and the Collegiate School in Richmond.