On the journey toward wholeness in leader theories

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to present a holistic intra-individual perspective on leaders, which focuses on four components of the inner person of the leader; Being, Cognition, Spirituality, and Emotion, and on the observable components of Behavior and Relationships. Design/methodology/approach - Existing leadership literature is appraised within the context of the model. Previously-proposed interrelationships among the components are enumerated. The paper suggests implications of the model regarding research content and methodology as well as leader development. Findings - The model implies that all components should be included in research and that interrelationships among components should be explored. Also implied is the use of methodological pluralism. Practical implications - Leaders should attend to all components in the model in their self-development efforts. Originality/value - The paper takes an unusual approach to understanding leadership: an individual-level holistic perspective.