Conclusion: Led by the Spirit, Leading by the Spirit—A Biblical Perspective on Spiritual Leadership

Abstract

The excesses of abusive, ego-driven leadership have created a call for a more authentic and compassionate approach to leadership. For many, the concept of spiritual leadership provides an answer to this call, and the idea of spiritual leadership is now gaining traction in both academic and popular circles. Despite this growing acceptance, there remains a great deal of divergence concerning the definition and meaning of spiritual leadership (Benefiel, 2005b; Avolio et al., 2009). For many, “spiritual leadership” is a positive, value-based approach to leadership. For instance, Fry (2003) defines spiritual leadership as a set of attitudes, behaviors, and values that are focused on individuals’ needs for meaning and membership. His approach is similar to Cameron’s (2008) notion of positive leadership framework. According to Cameron, positive leaders “enable positively deviant performance, foster an affirmative orientation on organizations, and engender a focus on virtuousness (2008, p. 1).