Higher development, brain integration, and excellence in leadership

doi:10.1108/00251740910966631

Document Information:
Title:	Higher development, brain integration, and excellence in leadership
Author(s):	Harald Harung, (Faculty of Engineering, Oslo University College, Oslo, Norway), Fred Travis, (Center for Brain, Consciousness and Cognition, Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield, Iowa, USA), Warren Blank, (The Leadership Group, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA), Dennis Heaton, (Center for Brain, Consciousness and Cognition, Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield, Iowa, USA)
Citation:	Harald Harung, Fred Travis, Warren Blank, Dennis Heaton, (2009) "Higher development, brain integration, and excellence in leadership", Management Decision, Vol. 47 Iss: 6, pp.872 - 894
Keywords:	Brain, Consciousness, Human resource development, Leadership, Performance levels
Article type:	General review
DOI:	10.1108/00251740910966631 (Permanent URL)
Publisher:	Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Abstract:	Purpose – Today, there is a global need for more effective leaders. The purpose of this paper is to present a model of human development which covers the psychological, physiological, and sociological dimensions of leadership. Design/methodology/approach – The authors review three research studies in which they have investigated the relationships between consciousness, psycho-physiological integration, and leadership performance using physiological measures, psychological tests, and self-reports. Findings – These studies support the model that leadership ability is closely related to psycho-physiological refinement – the authors found that higher integration of the electrical brain activity, more mature moral reasoning, and more frequent peak experiences are found in top performers compared to average performers. Research limitations/implications – The high frequency of peak experiences among top performers reveals the importance of such gratifying inner experiences for the business community. Practical implications – The research suggests that practical methods for psycho-physiological refinement – such as the widely researched Transcendental Meditation technique – can be useful in developing more effective leadership. The brain integration scale presented here may be a reliable objective instrument for assessing an individual's leadership and performance capacity. Originality/value – A unique contribution of the authors' research is to recognize that integrity – an essential requisite for leadership – has a physiological counterpart in the integration seen in the functioning of the brain through electroencephalography.