Pratfalls, Pitfalls, and Passion: The Melding of Leadership and Social Justice

Frequent conflicts over money, land, power, and other resources make it difficult for some societies to find or sustain any sense of equilibrium. Additionally, racial, ethnic, religious, socioeconomic, educational, and political injustices, among others, require that leaders increase their understanding and commitment to social justice. Such efforts are critical in light of the vastly disparate opinions and increasingly polarized positions at the heart of contentious relationships that exist among people. This paper explores the origins of social justice, discusses the definition and perceptions of social justice, introduces the relationship between social justice and leadership, addresses current social and environmental conditions, presents c n terms of addressing social justice, and offers implications for socially just leadership.