Conceptualising spiritual leadership in secular organizational contexts and its relation to transformational, servant and environmental leadership

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the concept and context of spiritual leadership in secular organizational contexts and to highlight some ways in which spiritual leadership relates to other existing value‐based theories such as transformational, servant and the emerging environmental leadership.Design/methodology/approachA review of scholarly works on spiritual leadership is presented.FindingsThe paper concludes that, while some synergies exist between spiritual leadership and other value‐based theories, a deepening of the theoretical understandings of spiritual leadership in relation to other leadership theories is necessary.Practical implicationsHaving identified the qualitative and quantitative benefits of spiritual leadership as well as some possible dangers in implementation strategies, a clarification of its nature in relation to other leadership theories will assist organizations considering its role and how it might be developed among personnel.Originality/valueThe paper makes an unusual contribution in highlighting and clarifying the relationship of spiritual leadership to other value‐based leadership theories and contributes to critical and theoretical understandings, essential in developing spiritual leadership from its status as a concept to one as a potential workable paradigm within organizations.