Character Development through Spiritual Leadership

How to develop the character of leaders is a challenging question pursued by managers, psychologists, and consultants. To address this question, the authors introduce a developmental model for character growth. The model proposes that the integration of the leader’s core values and beliefs into the self-identity is at the heart of character development. The supporting character strengths of agency, self-awareness, selfregulation, self-motivation, and social awareness and connection to others assist in the internalization and integration of core values, beliefs, and moral standards into leaders’ identities and also ensure consistent moral and ethical behavior. The authors then introduce the spiritual leadership model and discuss how it can be used to develop character in the workplace. Implications for theory, research, and practice of character development through spiritual leadership are discussed.