The relationship between spiritual intelligence, mindfulness, and transformational leadership among public higher education leaders

Abstract

Since the mid-1990s, researchers have grown increasingly interested in the effect of spirituality on a person's ability to lead others. The spiritual leadership literature has expanded to include the role of spirituality in particular leadership settings, such as higher education, and within particular leadership types, particularly transformational leadership. To date, most research in this area has been theoretical in nature, with very little qualitative or quantitative research being conducted. In an effort to study spirituality more empirically, researchers have begun to consider the role of spiritual intelligence and mindfulness, both of which can and have been studied quantitatively in fields outside of higher education leadership. This research fills a gap in the literature by examining whether or not theoretical similarities seen in the literature between spiritual intelligence, mindfulness, and transformational leadership were observed when the variables were studied quantitatively within a public higher education setting. The following research question was posed: to what extent are the characteristics of spiritual intelligence and mindfulness associated with transformational leadership among leaders within the University of Maine System (UMS)? To answer this question, UMS supervisors and academic chairs were given an electronic survey measuring levels of spiritual intelligence, mindfulness, and transformational leadership. Results were analyzed to determine whether or not statistically significant relationships existed between variables. Findings suggest that statistically significant positive relationships exist between spiritual intelligence, mindfulness, and transformational leadership. These findings may help public higher education leaders recruit, hire, promote, train, and develop future leaders in a more complete, holistic, and effective manner.

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