The Loehr and Schwartz (2001) article is perhaps the best article we’ve read this term in OM8101, at least in terms of practical guidance for daily leadership. Developing an instrument to measure the four quadrants of the performance pyramid would be an interesting exercise, certainly worthy of doctoral dissertation research. Much focus has been put on the measurement of cognitive capacity through IQ, and recently on emotional intelligence. Finding or developing an academic instrument to measure and relate physical (capacity, fitness, health, ?) with a measure for spirituality would have some interesting avenues for exploration of leadership effectiveness. Anybody need a dissertation topic?
Loehr, J. & Schwartz, T. (2001). The making of a corporate athlete. Harvard Business Review, 79(1), 120-128.
Is there an academic instrument for measuring spirituality? It would seem to be the first step in the proposed dissertation research. Or is it enough to develop a tool for measuring the four quadrants of the performance pyramid?
Thanks for the BLOG – it’s one of the best I’ve seen!
Not to my knowledge, but I truthfully have not looked in to it. Development of such an instrument would be the really interesting part of such an effort.
Here is one reference to a dissertation I have found that uses an instrument to measure spirituality.
Field, D. (2004). The relationship between transformational leadership and spirituality in business leaders. (Doctoral dissertation, Regent University, 2004).(UMI No. 3117959).
Chess Players Instead of Leaders?
Chuck, skim reading the article (until I can print it out tomorrow), it seems that a lot of the instruments are based on non-physical activity, like “leadership.” Using techniques and tools from athletics/sports with modification for measuring intelligence (especially your “speciality” of emotional intelligence) should be testable on chess players. Chess players participate in a mostly mental competition, with definite emotional, psychological, and some physical characteristics. Chess players do better when they are physically fit and when they are healthy. They do worse when they are sick. There is a large pool of players to survey ranging in all ages and all occupations.