CAVE Approach© for Human Development; A Model for Sustainable Leadership

The CAVE Approach© is the ultimate model of sustainable leadership. It uses the Aristotelian Ethical Theory as a framework for the development of sustainable leaders, efficiently addressing critical issues in sustainable leadership. Under a systemic perspective, it highlights the Aristotelian virtues as fundamental criteria of sustainable performance, and offers the capability for their development; Specifically, it offers a systematic and structured methodology for the development of 14 Aristotelian virtues as a means to foster transformation towards sustainable individual, business, organizational and social functioning.

The CAVE Approach© aims to help people develop the following Intellectual and Moral virtues:

Intellectual Virtues: Judgment, Prudence, Insightfulness

Moral Virtues: Calmness, Courage, Fairness, Friendliness, Honesty about oneself, Honor, Humor, Liberality, Magnanimity, Magnificence, Temperance.

Why to develop the Aristotelian virtues?

In the CAVE Approach© perspective, the Aristotelian virtues refer to fundamental human qualities that are imperative not only for the development and efficient application of any knowledge and skill, but also for the sustainable functioning in any context. We might continually enrich our knowledge and skills on various subjects, but our success and happiness, as well as our sustainable impact, does not rely on them per se but rather on whether and how we use them in our everyday life. The virtues aim to assure that we consistently use our knowledge and skills, as well as any other available capability, efficiently in every context to set sustainable goals, make sustainable decisions, behave and act in sustainable ways that promote our best interest and wellbeing, as well as the common good.

The CAVE Approach© leverages the Aristotelian Ethical Theory and the construct of virtues to provide you with a unified framework for sustainable leadership that can transform any human system (e.g. individual, business, organization, educational and academic institution etc.) into a sustainable system.

Are Aristotelian Virtues Applicable in any context?

Yes, as long as the cultural values of the context are sustainable, following the rules of logic and promoting the common good.

Aristotelian Virtues are rational concepts that reconcile logic with moral principles that serve systemic sustainability. Aristotle did not define virtues in terms of specific behaviors and actions which might express different moral values in different cultural contexts. Indeed, a behavior that is considered fair in one context or under specific conditions might not be fair in another context or under different conditions. Rather, he set specific universal and timeless criteria for every moral virtue which when applied in any particular context logically imply the attitudes, behaviors and actions meeting them in the particular context. For example, the virtue of fairness is defined by specific universal and timeless criteria that when applied in any particular context define what is fair in this context. Finally, while values are ideas (ideal concepts) that people value or respect, virtues are human qualities that people need to develop in order to consistently serve these ideas in practice.  The CAVE Approach combining the Aristotelian definition of the virtues with performance management and systemic sustainability, identifies the Aristotelian virtues as a special kind of skills; the sustainable skills that are interdependent and rely on universal and timeless criteria of sustainable functioning/performance.

How can I develop Aristotelian Virtues?

The CAVE Approach© follows an agile modular methodology that comprised of 3 basic components:

  1. Assessment: The CAVE© Questionnaire & Individual/ Group Reports
  2. Training: Educational Programs & Interactive Workshops
  3. Dialogues of Development: One-to-one/Group Mentoring

aiming at serving the CAVE© Approach’s goals by:

  • Developing awareness of people’s and organizations’ needs of virtues’ (sustainable skills’) development
  • Providing a framework for virtues’ development (cognitive understanding of the virtues and their practical value)
  • Supporting and enhancing people’s effort for virtues’ application in everyday life
  • Monitoring and evaluating the progress of virtues’ development and expected results.

The overall approach is conducted according the CAVE Approach© Standards and Code of Ethics.

Dear Guests, welcome!
You are standing at the threshold of a journey, the most beautiful and meaningful journey in the world; the journey of your eudaimonic life. It is the journey that I travel as a citizen, mother, friend, colleague and in every other role in my life to discover and enjoy the wonderful opportunities to create my happiness. What is amazing in this journey is that while I try to create my own happiness, I practically contribute to the achievement of what once seemed to me an unrealistic dream; a world that is a fulfilling and safe place to live, a united world, inhabited by friendly people that are fair to each other and enjoy living in peace with each other, who care for their wellbeing while being socially responsible, who are efficient in achieving meaningful and valuable advancements, who care about creating better conditions for the next generations and humanity as a whole. Suddenly, I realized that it is my responsibility to create the world I dream of, and that to create it I do not need to do anything more than just be committed to living a eudaimonic life. This is what eudaimonic life is all about; individual wellbeing and common good, which together lead to the sustainable development of societies and humanity as a whole.

I cannot say it is always a pleasant journey, because it also requires effort and commitment. Nothing comes easily in this life, much less our happiness. On the other hand, what is my other option? Just lie back and let 'circumstances', past conditioning, unconsciously established thinking patterns, luck and anything other than my logical consciousness drive my happiness... or unhappiness, and impact other people's, the community's, even the world's happiness...or unhappiness. I have made my choice. My happiness, my eudaimonia is my most important goal in my life. This is my number one priority: not to be professionally successful, but to do so in a way that will promote my happiness; not to make money, but to earn it and to use it in a way that will promote my happiness; not to get married and have kids, but to do so in a way that will promote my happiness etc. The development of the Aristotelian virtues of the CAVE Approach© is my way to happiness, and the CAVE Approach© is my contribution to other people that are interested and determined to be happy, promoting their individual wellbeing and the common good, as it offers structured guidance and support in such endeavours.

Travelers of this journey might be considered as romantic fools or intelligent social reformers. Again, it is a matter of a virtue, specifically Judgment, to assess which one is true, and which is not. My Judgment, which I hope for the sake of all is well-developed, suggests the second is true.
As I mentioned in the beginning of this message, you might be at the threshold of a journey (if you are not already travelling on it). I really hope that you will pass over the threshold and travel on this journey with the rest of us who do believe that "our Happiness depends upon us" as Aristotle said, and that we can make the world a better place for us and next generations by just trying to live our lives well.
Thank you for stopping by, and I wish you a flourishing life!
Anastasia Moira