Institutional Leadership, Values, and Emotions

In this chapter, we will expand the scope of institutional leadership by exploring the role of emotions and values. We understand institutional leadership as a process that adapts to dynamic social changes and upholds desirable standards through values and work on emotions. Protecting and promoting values are priorities for this leadership tradition; however, their relationship to emotions has not been adequately theorized in the existing literature. Rereading the predecessors of institutional leadership (Selznick and Barnard), as well as reviewing existing studies within the field, we have identified three pathways investigating the relationship between emotions and values. The first pathway combines the dimensions of values and emotions. The second pathway focuses on research that highlights how emotions play a role in strengthening and activating values. The third pathway explores the connection between emotions and values, providing insights into reflexivity and sensemaking in institutional leadership. We have found that recognizing emotions alongside values in the last pathway includes four qualities: fostering relational practices within organizations, establishing motivational objectives, promoting leadership coherence, and initiating moral dialogues. Finally, we pave the way for further research on the impact and importance of emotions and values within the institutional leadership tradition and how it develops, strengthens, maintains, and in some situations disrupts institutional leadership work.