Skip to main content

Spiritual Leadership

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Advanced Theories of Educational Leadership

Abstract

The new focus on workplace spirituality is one way to apply spiritual beliefs and satisfy the need to feel the spirit through work. Indeed, in recent years the model of spiritual leadership has received more and more attention, yet insufficient, by researchers from the field of educational leadership. In the current chapter, we attempt to construct this model of leadership in education and suggest new insights into its practice in our schools.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Arar, K., Sawalhi, R., & Yilmaz, M. (2022). The research on Islamic-based educational leadership since 1990: An international review of empirical evidence and a future research agenda. Religions, 13(1), 42–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bayighomog, S., & Arasli, H. (2022). Revising employees’ essence of hospitality through spiritual wellbeing, spiritual leadership, and emotional intelligence. Tourism Management, 89, 1–13.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brooks, M. C., & Ezzani, M. D. (2021). Islamic school leadership: Advancing a framework for critical spirituality. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/09518398.2021.1930265

  • Brooks, M. C., & Mutohar, A. (2018). Islamic school leadership: A conceptual framework. Journal of Educational Administration and History, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220620.2018.1426558

  • Cash, K. C., Gray, G. R., & Rood, S. A. (2000). A framework for accommodating religion and spirituality in the workplace [and executive commentary]. The Academy of Management Executive, 14(3), 124–134.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen, C. Y., & Yang, C. F. (2012). The impact of spiritual leadership on organizational citizenship behavior: A multi-sample analysis. Journal of Business Ethics, 105, 107–114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Collins, J. C., & Porras, J. I. (1994). Built to last: Successful habits of visionary companies. Harper Business.

    Google Scholar 

  • Copeland, M. K. (2014). The emerging significance of values based leadership: A literature review. International Journal of Leadership Studies, 8(2), 105–135.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crossman, J. (2010). Conceptualizing spiritual leadership in secular organizational contexts and its relation to transformational, servant and environmental leadership. Leadership & Organizational Development Journal, 31(7), 596–608.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ezzani, M., & Brooks, M. (2019). Culturally relevant leadership: Advancing critical consciousness in American Muslim students. Educational Administration Quarterly, 55, 781–811.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferguson, J., & Milliman, J. (2008). Creating effective Core organizational values: A spiritual leadership approach. International Journal of Public Administration, 31(4), 439–459.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fry, L. W. (2003). Towards a theory of spiritual leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 14, 693–727.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fry, L. W. (2008). Spiritual leadership: State-of-the-art and future directions for theory, research, and practice. In J. Biberman & L. Tischler (Eds.), Spirituality in business (pp. 106–124). Palgrave.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Fry, L., & Nisiewicz, M. (2013). Maximizing the triple bottom line through spiritual leadership. Stanford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fry, L. W., & Slocum, J. W. (2008). Maximizing the triple bottom line through spiritual leadership. Organizational Dynamics, 37(1), 86–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fry, L. W., Vitucci, S., & Cedillo, M. (2005). Spiritual leadership and army transformation: Theory measurement and establishing a baseline. The Leadership Quarterly, 16, 835–863.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fry, L. W., Hannah, S., Noel, M., & Walumba, F. (2011). Impact of spiritual leadership on unit performance. The Leadership Quarterly, 22, 259–270.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fry, L. W., Latham, J. R., Clinebell, S. K., & Krahnke, K. (2017). Spiritual leadership as a model for performance excellence: A study of Baldrige award recipients. Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion, 14(1), 22–47.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garcia-Zamor, J. C. (2003). Workplace spirituality and organizational performance. Public Administration Review, 63(3), 355–363.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ghasemizad, A., Zadeh, M. A., & Bagheri, S. (2012). A study of the relationship between teachers and principals’ spiritual leadership, quality of work life, job satisfaction and productivity. American Journal of Scientific Research, 49, 11–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gilbert, F. W. (1996). Spiritual leadership: Fulfilling whole-self needs at work. Leadership and Organization Development Journal, 17(5), 11–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hackett, R. D., & Wang, G. (2012). Virtues and leadership: An integrating conceptual framework founded in Aristotelian and Confucian perspectives on virtues. Management Decision, 50(5), 868–899.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hammad, W., & Shah, S. (2019). Leading faith schools in a secular society: Challenges facing head teachers of Muslim schools in the United Kingdom. Educational Management Administration and Leadership, 47, 943–959.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harmon, F. G. (1996). Playing for keeps. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunsaker, W. D. (2020). Spiritual leadership and employee innovation. Current Psychology, published online.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jeon, K. S., Passmore, D. L., Lee, C., & Hunsaker, W. (2013). Spiritual leadership: A validation study in a Korean context. Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion, 10(4), 342–357.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karadağ, M., Altinay, F., Gazi, Z., & Dagli, G. (2020). Effect size of spiritual leadership: In the process of school culture and academic success. SAGE Open, 10, 215824402091463. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244020914638

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaya, A. (2015). The relationship between spiritual leadership and organizational citizenship behaviors: A research on school principals’ behaviors. Educational Sciences: Theory and Practice, 15(3), 597–606.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading change. Harvard Business School Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krishnakumar, S., Houghton, J. D., Neck, C. P., & Ellison, C. N. (2015). The “good” and the “bad” of spiritual leadership. Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion, 12(1), 17–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lips-Wiersma, M., & Morris, L. (2009). Discriminating between ‘meaningful work’ and the ‘management of meaning’. Journal of Business Ethics, 88(3), 491–511.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lips-Wiersma, M., Dean, K. L., & Fornaciari, C. J. (2009). Theorizing the dark side of the workplace spirituality movement. Journal of Management Inquiry, 18(4), 288–300.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malphurs, A. (1996). Values-driven leadership: Discovering and developing your core values for ministry. Baker Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Milliman, J., Czaplewski, A. J., & Ferguson, J. (2003). Workplace spirituality and employee work attitudes: An exploratory empirical assessment. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 16(4), 426–447.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nicolae, M., Ion, I., & Nicolae, E. (2013). The research agenda of spiritual leadership: Where do we stand? Review of International Comparative Management, 14(4), 551–556.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oh, J., & Wang, J. (2020). Spiritual leadership: Current status and agenda for future research and practice. Journal of Management, Spirituality & Religion, 17(3), 223–248.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oplatka, I. (2022). Towards the post-neoliberal era in education: Some speculations about future directions in educational leadership. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 25(4), 664–674.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oplatka, I., & Hassan, T. (forthcoming). Leading schools spiritually: Some speculative insights into Arab societies. International Journal of Leadership in Education, published online.

    Google Scholar 

  • Özgenel, M., & Ankaralıoğlu, S. (2020). The effect of school administrators’ spiritual leadership style on school culture. Spiritual Psychology and Counselling, 5(2), 137–165.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reave, L. (2005). Spiritual values and practices related to leadership effectiveness. The Leadership Quarterly, 16(5), 655–687.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sanders, J. E., Hopkins, W. E., & Geroy, G. D. (2003). From transactional to transcendental: Toward an integrated theory of leadership. Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, 9(4), 21–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheikh, A. A., Inam, A., Rubab, A., Najam, U., Rana, N. A., & Awan, M. (2019). The spiritual role of a leader in sustaining work engagement: A teacher-perceived paradigm. SAGE Open, 1–15.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sprung, J. M., Sliter, M. T., & Jex, S. M. (2012). Spirituality as a moderator of the relationship between workplace aggression and employee outcomes. Personality and Individual Differences, 53, 930–934.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sweeney, P., Hannah, S. T., & Snider, D. M. (2007). The domain of the human spirit. In D. M. Snider & L. J. Matthews (Eds.), Forging the warriors character (pp. 23–50). McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tennant, M. (2012). The learning self: Understanding the potential for transformation. Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang, M., Guo, T., Ni, Y., Shang, S., & Tang, Z. (2019). The effect of spiritual leadership on employee effectiveness: An intrinsic motivation perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 2627–2638.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weinberg, F. J., & Locander, W. B. (2014). Advancing workplace spiritual development: A dyadic mentoring approach. The Leadership Quarterly, 25, 391–408.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zinnbauer, B. J., Pargament, K. I., Cole, B., Rye, M. S., Butter, E. M., Belavich, T. G., et al. (1997). Religion and spirituality: Unfuzzying the fuzzy. Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, 36, 549–564.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zou, W., Zeng, Y., Peng, Q., Xin, Y., Chen, J., & Houghton, J. D. (2020). The influence of spiritual leadership on the subjective well-being of Chinese registered nurses. Journal of Nurse Management, 28, 1432–1442.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Arar, K., Oplatka, I. (2022). Spiritual Leadership. In: Advanced Theories of Educational Leadership. Policy Implications of Research in Education, vol 14. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14510-0_10

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-14510-0_10

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-14509-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-14510-0

  • eBook Packages: EducationEducation (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics