An unethical and undemocratic cult of business leadership seems to hold sway over the minds of President George W. Bush and many other leaders in American society, argues the author, an ethics and leadership expert. This cult claims that leadership is attained and exercised through morality. But by instilling false pride and moral egotism in executives, the leadership cult intensifies the tendency of power to corrupt. For the first time, Hail to the CEO pulls back the curtain on the cult of moral leadership, revealing its dangers while showing readers how to lead with greater integrity and competence. What's more, it will help all citizens better guard their freedom against corrupt, ruinous decisions and the "leaders" who make them.The notion of leaders as moral exemplars began in business schools and is increasingly influential in the rest of society. Bush, a veteran of corporate life, is the first president to hold the degree Master of Business Administration. As a result of his business education and business experience, he has carried the leadership cult into the White House - with disastrous results." Hail to the CEO" is the first book to explain that Bush's failures - from faith-based initiatives to the unconstitutional 'War on Terror' - reflect not just on him but on the business culture that created him. Moreover, the author challenges many of the assumptions underlying today's conventional wisdom on leadership. He shows that it is morally dangerous to manage by values rather than manage for values. "Hail to the CEO" offers a new model of leadership in which moral influence is earned, not used, by managing as competently and justly as possible. More important, by reminding readers that leaders may be moral menaces as well as moral exemplars, this book will help protect freedom.