Self-directed Leadership Research Articles

SAVILYDERYSTĖ JŪRŲ VERSLE: PASAULIETINĖS IR TRANSCENDENTINĖS VERTYBĖS

Self-leadership as self-directed leadership is based on the values of the whole person according to all his/her natural needs to strive not only for their sociobiological satisfaction, but also for God, a spirituality, nobility, higher meaning based on incomparable ideals. The pursuit of values is aided by following leaders, including clergy as moral authorities. This is especially necessary from a point of view of the special psychological experiences in the maritime business. The moral and business authority of the leader is valid for employees as the most important psychological support for their activities. Transcendental motivation is noble and very practical in all cases of professional and personal life. Ideally, becoming a leader is based on authentic following God as the great Leader. There are many opportunities to strengthen the self-leadership of maritime business participants on the basis of secular values. The difference is that parents, brothers or sisters, a friend, a clergyman, TV shows, and movies are more involved in the formation of sociocentric values. Parents, wife, familiar seafarer, teachers, board leaders or leaders in a port company, clergyman, TV shows, films, and NGOs are the most significant moral authorities for the transcendent values of maritime business participants.

Mindful Leader Development: How Leaders Experience the Effects of Mindfulness Training on Leader Capabilities.

Mindfulness training is a novel method of leader development but contrary to its rising popularity, there is a scarcity of research investigating how mindfulness training may affect leader capabilities. To gain a better understanding of the potential of a new research field, qualitative research is advantageous. We sought to understand how senior leaders experience the impact of mindfulness training in their work lives and leadership ability. The sample comprised 13 leaders (n = 11 male) working in six organizations that completed a 10-week workplace mindfulness training (WMT). We conducted semi-structured interviews 6 to 12 months following course completion. We analyzed the data following thematic analysis steps and based on these findings, we devised a framework of the perceived impact of mindfulness training on self-leadership and leadership capabilities. We show that WMT exhibited impact on three self-leadership capacities: mindful task management, self-care and self-reflection and two leadership capacities: relating to others and adapting to change. Participants’ recounts additionally suggested effects may expand to the level of the team and the organization. We show that WMT may be a promising tool for self-directed leadership development and outline avenues for future research.

IT-enabled awareness and self-directed leadership behaviors in virtual teams

Despite the pervasiveness of self-managing virtual teams, organizations find it particularly challenging to motivate virtual team members to exhibit and manage their leadership behaviors. This study contributes to virtual team leadership literature by specifically shedding light on how distinct awareness forms enabled by information technology (IT) signal important cues to virtual team members to self-lead, that is, self-direct their leadership behavior in their team. Our results reveal that IT-enabled disclosure awareness is key to inducing several leadership behaviors: directive leadership, supportive leadership and interpersonal helping. Further, for directive leadership and interpersonal helping, the relationship is contingent on IT-enabled task knowledge and IT-enabled presence awareness. At low IT-enabled task knowledge awareness or high IT-enabled presence awareness, virtual team members who perceived IT-enabled disclosure awareness employed directive leadership and interpersonal helping. Opposite results were found at high perceived IT-enabled task knowledge awareness and low perceived IT-enabled presence awareness. This research highlights the critical role played by specific awareness forms enabled by IT in motivating virtual team members to engage in self-leadership.

Unlocking Women’s Leadership Potential

Women in academia face unique challenges when it comes to advancing to professorship. Using latest research about gender and academic leadership, we present a training curriculum that is sensitive to the unique demands of women in and aspiring to leadership positions in academia. The context-specific and evidence-based approach and a focus on self-directed leadership development are unique characteristics of the training. It aims to enhance women’s motivation to lead, increase their knowledge about academic leadership, and empower them to seek the support they need to proactively work toward appointment to a professorship. We also delineate an evaluation framework, which addresses these targeted outcomes. The findings from a pilot program in Germany confirmed that the curriculum is effective in developing women as academic leaders. The discussion highlights the significance of a context-specific and evidence-based approach to women’s leadership development in academia.

Students’ Self-identified Long-term Leadership Development Goals

Leadership development goal statements of 92 undergraduate students enrolled in a multi-year self-directed leadership development program were analyzed using content and thematic analyses to investigate patterns of similarities and differences across gender and race. This qualitative analysis utilized a theoretical framework that approached leadership typed traits, skills, or behaviors (Northouse, 2009). Significant differences emerged by gender; women were more interested in developing leadership-oriented traits while men displayed more interest in developing specific skills. No differences emerged across racial groups.

Students’ Self-identified Long-term Leadership Development Goals: An Analysis by Gender and Race

Leadership development goal statements of 92 undergraduate students enrolled in a multi-year self-directed leadership development program were analyzed using content and thematic analyses to investigate patterns of similarities and differences across gender and race. This qualitative analysis utilized a theoretical framework that approached leadership typed traits, skills, or behaviors (Northouse, 2009). Significant differences emerged by gender; women were more interested in developing leadership-oriented traits while men displayed more interest in developing specific skills. No differences emerged across racial groups.

The Role of Self-Reflection, Emotional Management of Feedback, and Self-Regulation Processes in Self-Directed Leadership Development

This article presents and explores a framework of self-directed leadership development (SDLD) to advance conceptual understanding and practical applications for self-development approaches to development of leaders in organizations. Drawing on a diversified literature associated with experiential learning, emotion research, and social cognitive theories of change, the nature of self-development is explored. It is argued that underpinning effective self-development is the integrated operation of three metaskills—skills that are required for the development of other skills—relating to one’s ability to manage emotional reactions to feedback, to carry out effectively the practice of self-reflection, and to enact self-regulatory processes for development. The SDLD framework extends formal organization-based leadership-development practices and integrates multiple processes to aid leaders and human resource development (HRD) practitioners in the promotion and enactment of leadership self-development. The framework also provides guidance for HRD research on self-development and a number of research implications are presented.

Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Diego, California.

This article outlines the process and status of implementing self-directed nursing leadership teams at the San Diego Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Perspectives from a staff nurse and nurse practitioner, clinical specialists, nurse managers, and the director of the nursing service contribute to an overview of this endeavor. Difficulties of decentralizing management functions within a centralized system are discussed, as well as considerations and strategies prior to initiating change. Integration of self-directed leadership and total quality management principles are explored.