Author Description

The emergence in the last two and a half decades of the concept of leadership spirituality is a further indication of the increasing need for a more critical, inspired, and ethically responsible leadership. In order to illuminate this most striking new focal point in contemporary leadership theory and literature, this work aims to critically map the contemporary scientific literature on the subject, with a special focus on the valuation of Christian spirituality. Three key issues engage our attention: the emergence of spirituality in the leadership discourse; the inclusion or exclusion of spirituality from the Christian tradition(s) in that discourse; and the valuation of the particular contribution Christian spirituality can make in this context. In this regard our focus will be on the Catholic tradition. The final objective is to clarify in the perspective of scholars belonging to the Catholic tradition how the practice of Christian spirituality contributes to taking moral responsibility and to moral integrity. As such this work is a case and a building stone for a broader investigation on the link between ethics and spirituality in business. Answering fundamental questions about spirituality in leadership, the work establishes a link between spirituality and self-assessment. As such, it establishes that the reasons spirituality is valued in Leadership are more fundamental and not merely utilitarian (references to more efficient work or better economic results). Drawing critical insights from scholars the work does an indepth examination of the Catholic traditions (focusing on the Benedictine, Ignatian, and Opus Dei orders) and makes a case for how the practice of spirituality help with taking moral responsibility and for moral integrity. It shows how the Christian traditions represent not a static but transformative vision. This way the work becomes, therefore, a case and a building stone for a broader investigation on the link between ethics and spirit