Leadership Studies Commons^™

Cultivating Authentic Leaders: Toward Conceptual Coherence And Sustainable Practice, Yoshie Tomozumi Nakamura, Elizabeth Nutt Williams, Lori Pyle, Steven E. Grande

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

The purpose of this paper is twofold. One is to better understand the contested construct of authentic leadership and its cultivation and practice. The other is to offer a conceptual framework for practicing sustainable authentic leadership. Based on a review of authentic leadership literature with a focus on its sustainability, we introduce a conceptual framework through a lens of an ecological model to capture the dynamics of individual and systems perspectives. Practicing sustainable authentic leadership is not a simple act; rather authentic leaders need to embrace paradoxes to navigate today’s complex systems and to find new ways to create positive …

Sustaining Ireland, Body And Soul: A Woman Leader's Story Of The Cooperative Movement, Elizabeth Summerfield

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

This article tells the story of the Cooperative Movement in Ireland during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries from the perspective of one of its woman leaders. It does so in order to distil lessons for the contemporary thought leadership of sustainability from a period before the term was coined. It does so with the warrant of Albert Einstein:

The distinction between the past, the present and the future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.

Its evidence base is historical literature, but its argument and analysis draw on recent research in leadership studies, neuroscience and theology.

Anishinaabe Values And Servant Leadership: A Two-Eyed Seeing Approach, Tori Mcmillan

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

This meta-synthesis explores the connections between the Mishomis Teachings (also known as the Seven Grandfather Teachings within the Anishinaabe culture) and the principles of Servant Leadership. Through a systematic literature review of methodology and the theoretical frameworks of Two-Eyed Seeing and Ethical Space, The Mishomis Teachings and their connections to Servant Leadership are researched to answer: How is a Two-Eyed Seeing approach to Servant Leadership informed by Anishinaabe Values? The literature reveals significant connections between the Mishomis Teachings and Servant Leadership that provide an Indigenized perspective on values-based leadership practices. The implications of this study highlight a growing need …

Acting On The Pivot Point, Susan Vroman, Tiffany Danko

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

When facing opportunities, effective leaders trod a path that effectively incorporates ethical and empathetic leadership considerations and characteristics to drive change. The actions and impacts of two very different women facing challenges as change moments each tie back to Kouzes and Posner’s traits of exemplary leaders such as model the way and inspire a shared vision (Kouzes & Posner, 2017). Rear Admiral Meredith Austin, United States Coast Guard (retired), and Patricia (Trish) Foster, Executive Director Emeritus of Bentley University’s Center for Women in Business have led transformative changes. Admiral Austin was crucial in coordinating the early-pandemic smooth return of the …

Kailua Canoe Club: A Values-Based Holistic Approach To Leadership, Peggy Peattie, Cristina Padilla, Maile Villablanca

The Journal of Values-Based Leadership

This qualitative case study of Kailua Canoe Club (KCC) on the island of O’ahu investigated the nature of leadership in a Hawaiian outrigger paddling community. Conversations with paddlers, coaches, and board members revealed a values-based holistic approach to leadership (Best, 2011). Those values were scribed into the club’s mission statement 50 years ago with the intention of establishing KCC as a space to connect with kupuna (respected elder) wisdom, develop paddling skills, and to honor the canoe, the ocean, and each other. A component of leadership kuleana (responsibility) is constant reflection on those values, and the mentoring of the younger …

What Does Leadership Expect From Me? Interpreting Leadership Through Meaning, Love, And Power, Courtney Yezerski

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

This essay aims to make the case that our dominant concepts of leadership are constraining, thus prohibiting us from meeting the higher meanings residing within leadership, namely love. Blinded by our “existential frustration” (Frankl, 2014, p. 71), we have existed within conceptual notions of leadership that contend for mediocrity and production rather than beauty, goodness, and love (hooks, 2001). The origins of leadership implore humanity to a new paradigm that seeks beauty, even where none is intended (Bolz-Weber, 2022), and takes others along. By examining the etymology of leadership and applying Viktor Frankl's (2006) concept of will to meaning as …

Leaning Away To Lean In: Aspirations Of Servant-Leadership Through The Tenets Of Giving Things Up, Listening, And Silence, Evan Wildstein

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

Frick (2011) inspires reflection when he notes, “We tend to believe that we must do something to solve a problem.” This is a powerful notion seen through the lens of modern life. Organizational life, especially, is full of action. Whether or not certain actions should be taken is largely a consideration of oughtness, though many believe as Frick suggests — that we feel we must do something. This belief has limitations, which we are wont to learn if we are receptive, irrespective of where we might be in our lives. While this may seem counterintuitive, leaning away from action to …

The Follower As Servant, Jeffrey L. Mcclellan

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word leader? I imagine it conjures images of power and influence. Some think of wealth and status. Some think of specific individuals who represent leadership to them. Often leaders are thought of in very positive ways. Some might even say mythical ways (Bennis, 1999). Everyone wants to be thought of as a leader. In fact, research suggests most people do think of themselves as leaders (Laurent, 1978). Parents want their children to be leaders, not followers. Indeed, when someone says that one is a follower, it is …

Reaching Servant-Leadership Through The Journey Of Forgiveness, Kathryn Acorda Harlan

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

I was introduced to the true magnitude of forgiveness through a leadership course at Gonzaga University in the early summer of 2021. The basic definition and meaning of forgiveness was evident. However, understanding the value of forgiveness, as a recipient and giver was a new endeavor. We are introduced to forgiveness as early as preschool. However, to truly understand, recognize and practice forgiveness is a lifelong lesson and journey. Forgiveness is a process. Since this course at Gonzaga University, I have continued to research forgiveness and how it relates to human interaction, our physical and emotional health and how it …

Tracing The Nine Servant-Leadership Anthologies From 1995 To The Present, Larry C. Spears, Shann Ray Ferch, Jiying Jenny Song, Philip Mathew

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

In this article, Shann Ferch, Jiying Song, Philip Mathew, and Larry C. Spears share some thoughts and reflections on the series of nine servant-leadership anthologies on which they have had direct involvement to-date; and, to provide some background on how each book came to be published.

The Relationship Between Servant-Leadership And Employee Resilience, Aaron D. Wilkinson, Mark Rennaker

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

Liu et al. (2019) wrote, “resilience has become increasingly important for individuals, organizations and society to flourish in the uncertain, risky, turbulent and ambiguous world we live in today.” Resilience enhances the functioning of individuals, teams, and organizations (Britt et al., 2016). Workplace stressors lead to outcomes antithetical to resilience, such as burnout (Lee & Ashforth, 1996), poor physical and mental health (Beasley et al., 2003; Holden et al., 2010), absenteeism (Väänänen et al., 2003), intention to turnover (Chiu et al., 2009; Deery et al., 2010), anxiety, and depression (Melchior et al., 2007). In contrast, Robertson et al.’s (2015) review …

The Servant-Leader On The Battlefield: Themes Of Home, Ambition, Ethics, And Death In The Film 1917, Joe Walsh

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

Film provides a unique medium in which the audience can be engaged through many senses, asking viewers to participate in the storytelling beyond a passive consumption of the artform (Barsam & Monahan, 2016). As art acts as a reflection of reality and the human connection to the great unanswered questions, studying film is a powerful case-study device for leadership scholars and practitioners. “No well-made film is unable to teach us something about leadership because leadership is about conflict, choices, and integrity” (Carey, 2005). Leadership studies often looks at military structures and other perilous situations for leadership lessons in success or …

A Journey In Servant-Leadership, Larry C. Spears

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

Larry C. Spears explores servant-leadership, his own journey in servant-leadership, and the powerful significance of Philip Mathew's 2021 book Finding Leo.

Poem After The First Principle And Foundation, Shann Ray

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

A poem by Shann Ray Ferch.

A Personal Remembrance Of Robert K. Greenleaf, Larry C. Spears

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

Larry C. Spears shares a personal remembrance of Robert K. Greenleaf. An earlier version of this remembrance was published in “The Servant-Leader” newsletter (1990). It later appeared as a chapter in Fortuitous Encounters by Paul Davis and Larry Spears (2013).

Leadership And Paradox: The Role Of Servant-Leadership In Recognizing, Accepting, And Responding To Paradox, Jeffrey L. Mcclellan

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

As much as we would like to live in a world that is logical, straightforward, and simple, this is not the world in which we live. The world we inhabit is full of inconsistency, irony, and paradox. Improvement requires change, but the security needed to navigate change is rooted in stability. Diversity is both a powerful force for creativity and community and a source of tremendous myopia and conflict. We engage in in-depth strategic planning knowing that much of what we do to navigate our world once our plans are set involves deviating from those plans; and yet, the existence …

Servant-Leaders As Co-Laborers: A Field Philosophy Model, Jae Webb

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

In 2013, Professor R. Edward Freeman joked about his father’s sarcastic witticism in response to his choice of career. The joke is not that philosophy is a feckless art, but rather that its modern practice has been relegated to the realm of theory, with incredibly salient subject matter but a practice that is seemingly ineffectual in the everyday world. Justice is one such area of interest for philosophers; however, abstract theoretical or philosophical justice, especially in relation to environmental resources and in consideration of environmental relationships, is increasingly meaningless for contemporary society. Environmental injustice is lived and experienced, it is …

Leading From Within The Shadow Of Doubt: A Servant-Leader's Approach To Conceptualization And Foresight, Michael T. Von Behren

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

The fifty-four mile march from Selma to Montgomery through rural Alabama holds sacred space both geographically as well as on the list of the most iconic moments of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. Thanks to the ongoing public service of Rep. John Lewis, who as a young man aided in organizing that march, the route is now a National Historic Trail offering interpretive centers and recreation areas for those seeking to learn from the trail blazing leaders of this country’s struggle for equity (National Park Service, 2020). Two marches bookend the trail’s history. The first, better known …

A Conceptual Model For Community-Building Through Servant-Leadership At Different Organizational Levels, Kasey N. Morris, Kevin J. Hurt

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

Community lays the foundation for a strong, flourishing society. It interconnects individuals, organizations, and societies by encouraging shared vision and mutual respect among all parties involved. The term community has two primary uses: (1) geographic and (2) relational, where geographic describes community as a physical location while relational refers to a community in terms of its psychological closeness to and quality of relationships with others (Gusfield, 1975). McMillan and Chavis (1986) build on the relational concept, stating that a “sense of community is a feeling that members have of belonging, a feeling that members matter to one another and to …

Love In Basketball: Transforming Inappropriate Power In Men's College Basketball Coaching Through A Servant-Led Response And Companionate Love, Adam Gierlach

International Journal of Servant-Leadership

In the summer of 2003, the Baylor University’s men’s basketball program was ripped apart when student-athlete Carlton Dotson murdered his teammate and roommate, Patrick Dennehy. While the details surrounding the events are still unknown, the abhorrent tale, which weaves a tapestry of drug use, gun violence, and unstable behavior, was held as an example of the moral decay of big-money college sports. And it remains the only known case of a student-athlete killing a teammate in the history of U.S. intercollegiate athletics (Wise, 2008). The story fails to simply end with tragic violence; investigations revealed deception, lies, manipulation, and an …