Newspapers, business magazines, television programs, even ethics text books feature example
after example of ethics and morals gone awry in organizational leaders. Looking ahead into
prospects for more ethical leaders to emerge because of a recent emphasis on ethics in MBA
programs, a study found that 56% of MBA students surveyed acknowledged cheating, the highest
percentage among various majors in the study (Sachar, 2006). As more emphasis is placed upon
ethics in leadership, it seems imperative that moral intelligence be added to the list of necessary
intelligences for leaders and that role models be identified who exemplify moral leadership. This
paper explores the literature regarding moral intelligence in leadership and presents a case study
of Aaron Feuerstein, owner of Malden Mills, who when faced with an organizational crisis acted
with moral intelligence. The case research is constructed from numerous interviews conducted
with Feuerstein over a period of nearly a decade and gleaned from a variety of sources including
news and journal articles that explore his leadership. His actions are compared to scholarly
research defining a group of moral values considered universal. This case study presents an
unusual opportunity to examine the actions of a leader widely heralded at one point and
disparaged at others. The research concludes that regardless of the final outcome for his
organization, Feuerstein acted in alignment with a man of moral intelligence.