Introducing a new framework in authentic leadership development

A quantitative research by Dr. Leila Naderi who examined the effects of frequency of yoga practice on authentic leadership provides new findings:

YOGA FOR LEADERSHIP: EXAMINING THE EFFECTS OF FREQUENCY OF YOGA PRACTICE ON AUTHENTIC LEADERSHIP

Leadership behaviors are critical indicators of success or failure of an

organization. To succeed in today’s world, organizations should invest in developing

their leaders’ skills, capacities, and knowledge. The field of leadership is continuing to

grow and expand into new areas. One such emerging leadership style is authentic

leadership, which invests heavily on team members and consequently increases team

performance and organizational profit. There is a call for continuing to expand this field

by examining areas that might not have been previously seen as connected to leadership.

This study examined one such potential new area for leadership development,

yoga practice. Yoga is the integration of physical practice, meditation, and breathing

exercises. Yoga cultivates self-awareness, ethical behaviors, and spirituality while

improves inner peace, concentration, and wellbeing. As a society, we are always looking

for methods to increase leadership levels and improve leadership skills. Within this

search is a need for new training methods and ideas that can benefit leaders,

organizations, employees, and society as a whole.

This quantitative study examined the effects of frequency of yoga practice on

individual leader’s self-reported authentic leadership levels. The findings showed that

leaders who practice yoga consistently (four or more times per week) have significantly

higher self-reported authentic leadership levels. From one of the most ancient of

practices, yoga, this study may have located a whole new area of leadership development that is completely untapped and just waiting for further exploration for the betterment of organizations, leaders, and employees.