In search
for Heart leadership
From the outset, HLU conducted a literature review and interviewed experts to determine the characteristics of heart-driven leadership.
Different approaches are possible:
- Psychometric tests administered by practitioners for a general audience (e.g., MBTI) or developed by psychologists for specific needs (e.g., the empathy quotient diagnosis for identifying autism spectrum disorders).
- Descriptive approaches to personality traits, especially for scientific publications (e.g., Dark Factor).
- Tests created by independent experts (e.g., intuition diagnosis).
- Other diagnostic methods for greater self-awareness (Kairios values perspective).
- Neuroscientific and biological approaches.
These various approaches have resulted in the creation of numerous freely accessible tests and questionnaires. We have selected a few that we consider particularly relevant. These allow managers to better understand themselves and engage in introspection, bearing in mind that it is always preferable to include a debriefing session with an expert in the test in question.
Multidisciplinary Study on Leadership Characteristics
We also conduct in-depth research in several disciplines (psychology, biology, neuroscience) to stay informed on key questions in the field:
- Do leaders have distinct biological characteristics (beyond psychological traits)?
- Can a leader be socio-perceptive? What is a socio-perceptive leader?
- Are certain types of leaders more likely to become contributive?
Here are a few publications that have caught our attention:
- Diller, S.J., Czibor, A., Szabó, Z.P. et al. (2021) The positive connection between dark triad traits and leadership levels in self- and other-ratings. Leadersh Educ Personal Interdiscip
- Hannah, S. T., Avolio, B. J. Walumbwa, F. O. 2011. Relationships between Authentic Leadership, Moral Courage, and Ethical and Pro-Social Behaviors, Business Ethics Quarterly
- Holt, Svetlana; Marques, Joan; Hu, Jianli; and Wood, Adam (2017) Cultivating Empathy: New Perspectives on Educating Business Leaders, The Journal of Values-Based Leadership
- Nofal, Ahmed Maged, Nicolaou, Nicos, Symeonidou, Noni and Shane, Scott (2018) Biology and management : a review, critique, and research agenda. Journal of Management.
- Sekerka, L.E., Bagozzi, Richard P. 2007. Moral courage in the workplace: moving to and from the desire and decision to act. Business Ethics: A European Review
- Van Vugt, M., & Grabo, A. E. (2015). The Many Faces of Leadership: An Evolutionary- Psychology Approach. Current Directions in Psychological Science.
- Van Vugt M, Hogan R, Kaiser RB. (2008) Leadership, followership, and evolution: some lessons from the past. Am Psychol.
A partnership with the Observatoire des Valeurs
A partnership with the Observatoire des Valeurs One of the key takeaways from this exploratory research is that diagnostic and evaluation approaches reach their full potential when they are debriefed with a specialist. This is why we established a partnership with the Observatoire des Valeurs, to ensure a lasting impact on participants in the ‘Straight from the Heart’ program and to contribute to ongoing action research.
- Carine Dartiguepeyrou, co-founder of the observatory, political science PhD, and futurist, has provided a summary and perspective on values-based leadership.
- Before each "Straight from the heart" program, she assesses the value systems (using the Kairios methodology) of each participant and then debriefs the results with them. Based on these assessments, Carine can analyze the value systems of each cohort. These analyses serve as essential tools for both individual and collective awareness.