Higher development, brain integration, and excellence in leadership

Abstract

Purpose

Today, there is a global need for more effective leaders. The purpose of this paper is to present a model of human development which covers the psychological, physiological, and sociological dimensions of leadership.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors review three research studies in which they have investigated the relationships between consciousness, psycho‐physiological integration, and leadership performance using physiological measures, psychological tests, and self‐reports.

Findings

These studies support the model that leadership ability is closely related to psycho‐physiological refinement – the authors found that higher integration of the electrical brain activity, more mature moral reasoning, and more frequent peak experiences are found in top performers compared to average performers.

Research limitations/implications

The high frequency of peak experiences among top performers reveals the importance of such gratifying inner experiences for the business community.

Practical implications

The research suggests that practical methods for psycho‐physiological refinement – such as the widely researched Transcendental Meditation technique – can be useful in developing more effective leadership. The brain integration scale presented here may be a reliable objective instrument for assessing an individual's leadership and performance capacity.

Originality/value

A unique contribution of the authors' research is to recognize that integrity – an essential requisite for leadership – has a physiological counterpart in the integration seen in the functioning of the brain through electroencephalography.

Citation

Harung, H., Travis, F., Blank, W. and Heaton, D. (2009), "Higher development, brain integration, and excellence in leadership", Management Decision, Vol. 47 No. 6, pp. 872-894. https://doi.org/10.1108/00251740910966631