Formational leadership : Wesleyan spirituality and psychological growth as means of facilitating spiritual and emotional maturity and counteracting toxic leadership

Abstract

This dissertation addresses the problem of toxic leadership, especially in Christian contexts. Toxic leadership behaviors of narcissistic and obsessive-compulsive leaders will be emphasized. To counteract toxic Christian leadership, this dissertation proposes a leadership development model, called formational leadership, which is based on Wesleyan spirituality. Formational leadership emphasizes the spiritual, emotional, and ethical development processes in the leader and includes an analysis of orthokardia, orthodynamis, and orthopraxis. These components have a circular relationship with one another. Orthokardia includes the concepts of spiritual and emotional maturity that a Christian leader needs to develop in order to become an ethical and effective leader. Orthodynamis includes right power and influence motives based on Christian affections that should inform formational leadership. Orthopraxis refers to right and just leadership behaviors informed by Wesley’s social holiness and justice values that need to be adopted as organizational core values. The implications of these components for leadership development are outlined in chapters 4-6 that include practical steps for helping toxic leaders change their dysfunctional and sinful intentions and behaviors.