Holistic Leadership Defined

With the advent of a new century, the desire for organizational and global societal change is more prevalent than ever. Voices are being heard regarding the need for more holistic leadership that integrates the four fundamental functions that comprise the existence of the human being. These functions consist of 1) the body, which is the physical form), 2) the mind, which drives a logical and rational thought process, 3) the heart, which drives emotions and feelings, and 4) the spirit (Moxley, 2000, as cited in Fry, 2003). Holistic leadership is defined by Von Krosigk (2006) as the integration of the body, mind, and spirit and the ability to use one’s emotional intelligence to understand and make critical decisions that impact the organization on the whole.