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Meaningful Leadership: How Can Leaders Contribute to Meaningful Work?

Author

Listed:
  • Sandrine Frémeaux

    (Audencia Recherche - Audencia Business School)

  • Benjamin Pavageau

    (EM - EMLyon Business School)

Abstract

This study addresses the question of how leaders can contribute to their own meaningful work and to the meaningful work of their employees. Based on 42 interviews with leaders, including 27 life story interviews, our article examines the extent to which leaders give meaning to leadership practices that are regarded by the existing literature as factors contributing to meaningful work. This article provides new insights into the concept of meaningful leadership that complements meaningful work theories. Our first contribution is identifying new components of meaning related to leadership activity: moral exemplarity, self-awareness, personal or professional support, community spirit, shared work commitment and positive attitude towards individuals and situations. Second, we also delineate the dynamics of meaningful leadership related to leaders' past experiences and employees' meaningful work. We contend that awareness of these components and dynamics can help leaders encourage employees' meaningful work while making sense of their own leadership activity.

Suggested Citation

  • Sandrine Frémeaux & Benjamin Pavageau, 2020. "Meaningful Leadership: How Can Leaders Contribute to Meaningful Work?," Post-Print hal-03232782, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03232782
    DOI: 10.1177/1056492619897126
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-03232782
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Jehanzeb Khan Gurmani & Noor Ullah Khan & Muhammad Khalique & Muhammad Yasir & Asfia Obaid & Nur Ain Ayunni Sabri, 2021. "Do Environmental Transformational Leadership Predicts Organizational Citizenship Behavior towards Environment in Hospitality Industry: Using Structural Equation Modelling Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-29, May.
    2. Louis W. Fry & Mai Chi Vu, 2024. "Leading Without a Self: Implications of Buddhist Practices for Pseudo-spiritual Leadership," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 190(1), pages 41-57, February.
    3. Sandrine Frémeaux & François Henry, 2023. "Temporality and Meaningful Entrepreneurship," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 188(4), pages 725-739, December.

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