Abstract
Despite the recognised importance of spirituality in leadership, a critical gap exists in translating Spiritual Leadership Theory's (SLT) aspirational qualities into consistent, ethical organizational behavior. The current leadership development lacks a formal, systematic coaching intervention that operationalizes spiritual principles within empirical frameworks. This study addresses both the practice gap (the absence of structured methodologies for cultivating spiritual leadership) and the knowledge gap (the need for empirically validated, culturally contextual models that measure spirituality epistemologically rather than ontologically, shifting from what spirituality is to how it is known and developed in leaders).
This study developed the Spiritual Leadership Coaching Model (SLCM) to integrate spirituality within workplace leadership and shift organizational decision-making culture. The primary objective translated SLT into consistent, ethical leadership behavior through systematic coaching intervention, with five sub-objectives creating an empirically supported framework for cultivating authentic, values-grounded spiritual leadership.
A qualitative multiple case study with quasi-experimental design employed three research phases. Five participants underwent four-month coaching interventions (six bi-weekly sessions with reflection journals). The data collection included pre-coaching interviews, Leadership Self-Reporting Assessment Tools (pre, mid, post-coaching), and Self-Reporting Bias Tools. The Conceptual Theoretical Coaching Model Framework of the study integrated SLT, Coaching Psychology, and Positive Psychology, introducing Dynamic Reflective Triangulation (DRT) for concurrent validity across inner experience, observable behavior, and theoretical outcomes.
The coaching intervention within the study effectively facilitated Spiritual Leadership emergence through guided reflection and values alignment. The coach's profile - combining professional competencies with cultivated inner qualities (hope/faith, altruistic love, vision, calling) - proved fundamental to SLCM efficacy. A cyclical mechanism of awareness, alignment, and embodiment was validated, with participants developing leadership identities marked by empathy and purpose.