Journal of Educational Administration

Improving leadership by nurturing moral consciousness through structured selfreflection

Christopher M. Branson

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Christopher M. Branson, (2007),"Improving leadership by nurturing moral consciousness through structured
self-reflection", Journal of Educational Administration, Vol. 45 Iss 4 pp. 471 - 495
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Improving leadership by
nurturing moral consciousness
through structured self-reflection
Christopher M. Branson

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leadership

471

St Francis College, Brisbane, Australia

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Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this research is to report on research that explores the use of structured
self-reflection to nurture moral consciousness as a means of enhancing the moral leadership capacity
of existing school principals.
Design/methodology/approach Given that this research focuses on each participants subjective
reality, the epistemology of pragmatic constructivism was chosen to guide this qualitative study
supported by the theoretical perspective of symbolic interactionism. Furthermore, a case study was
chosen as the appropriate orchestrating perspective and an opportunistic sample of six school
principals formed the participants in this case study.
Findings Data from this research support the view that the moral consciousness of each of the
participating principals in this study was clearly enhanced by their experience of structured
self-reflection.
Research limitations/implications Due to the demanding nature of structured self-reflection
this approach takes a considerable amount of time. Also, as the reflection process is a very personal
experience, the amount of time taken will vary noticeably amongst the participants. In addition, the
ethical implications in facilitating structured self-reflection are an extremely important implication.
Participants must be made fully aware of the nature of such an experience so that not only can they
voluntarily choose not to participate but also that they avoid reflecting on past experiences that
engender sadness or anxiety within them should they choose to participate.
Practical implications Given the strong moral expectations now demanded of contemporary
leaders, which implies that this is not a natural trait, structured self-reflection affords a clearly
achievable means for nurturing a leaders moral consciousness as an essential step in their
professional development in moral leadership.
Originality/value The paper addresses the acknowledged blank spot in moral leadership research
by providing a practical and effective way for positively influencing the leaders moral leadership
development.
Keywords Leadership, Consciousness, Principals
Paper type Research paper

An emphasis on the essential role of moral judgement in leadership is now widely

identified within academic literature (Richmon, 2003; Campbell, 1997; Cooper, 1998;
Starratt, 2003). In changing and uncertain times, as experienced in todays world,
people want their leaders to act morally whereby they will not produce harm but rather
will show the virtues of doing good, of honouring others, of taking positive stands, and
of behaving in ways that clearly show that their own self-interests are not the driving
motivation behind their leadership (Cameron, 2003). People want leaders with moral
codes that are deep, innate, and instinctive so that they will not lose direction in the
face of uncertainty or pressures (Badaracco, 2006). Hence, there is now a clear
expectation that leaders will always act justly, rightly and promote good rather than

Journal of Educational
Administration
Vol. 45 No. 4, 2007
pp. 471-495
q Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0957-8234
DOI 10.1108/09578230710762463

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harm (Evers, 1992). Todays leaders are expected to demonstrate moral judgement by
being accountable to those they serve (Eraut, 1993).
By emphasising the essential role of moral judgement in leadership, the literature is
simultaneously acknowledging that such leadership is not a natural outcome. Moral
leadership is only achievable through deliberate and conscious intention (Taylor,
2003). It is far less likely to be achieved instinctively or unwittingly. Regrettably, many
leaders have had little or no formal exposure in regard to the nature of moral decision
making such that they are likely to lack a vocabulary to name moral issues or to be able
to articulate a moral landscape from which to generate an appropriate moral response
(Starratt, 2004). Hence, enhanced moral leadership depends on the leader knowing how
to interpret their personal reality more faithfully and this is not attained naturally
(Wilber, 2000b). Indeed, according to Langlois (2004, p. 89), it seems necessary to train
[leaders] in moral judgement and in ethics to render them capable of managing
according to a renewed and responsible form of leadership.
Accordingly, notions of professional reflection have offered an approach to
enhancing the moral compass of leaders beyond technical expertise (Richmon, 2003,
p. 43). In particular, it is argued that a process oriented focus on values contemplation
seems to be gaining momentum, and in some ways, provides a far more promising
direction for the future, than calls for the objectification of values through rational
arbitrary criteria. Since values are normally unconscious dimensions of a persons
inner Self (Branson, 2005), such a values contemplation process is about developing the
leaders moral compass by providing a means for making these unconscious values
conscious. It is about nurturing a moral consciousness, as explained by Frattaroli
(2001, p. 323):
When we talk about the goal of making the unconscious conscious we are really talking about
the concept of free will the idea that as we become more conscious we are less controlled by
our desires and have more possibility of autonomous conscious choice that is not biologically
determined. Where once [the leader] was controlled by the unconscious neurobiological forces
of the drives, [he or she] will become free to direct [their] life from the centre of [their]
self-reflective moral consciousness.

The leaders desire to nurture a moral consciousness should be fuelled by a desire to

live a better life, to make the world a better place, to care about the difference between
right and wrong, and to be passionately determined to make sound moral decisions
(Mackay, 2004).
To this end, this article reports on research that focuses on a means for developing
moral leadership through the nurturing of moral consciousness. Moreover, this
research explores the effect of a deeply structured process of self-reflection on the
nurturing of moral consciousness with six Catholic primary school principals in
Brisbane, Australia. The term, deeply structured, is used to highlight the two key
aspects of this particular process of self-reflection. First, the process involves deep
reflection. The participant is directed towards reflecting upon some of their deepest or
innermost aspects of their Self such as their self-concept, self-esteem, motives, and
values; aspects of their Self that are not normally part of their consciousness. Secondly,
the process involves structured reflection. The process is structured because the
participant is provided with a comprehensive set of guiding questions so as to not only
help overcome any lack of familiarity with reflecting upon their deepest aspects of their

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Self but also to help maintain the sequential development of the data as they move
through each subsequent dimension of their Self.
In the light of the outcomes of this research, it is proposed that structured
self-reflection offers a clearly effective means for nurturing a leaders moral
consciousness and, thereby, it can readily provide a key element in the development of
moral leadership. Given that moral leadership is now widely expected of all leaders, it
is recommended that such a process should be an integral part of every leaders
professional development.
Moral judgement in contemporary society
One of the most important outcomes of modernity is the establishment of human
individuality and autonomy (Taylor, 2003). Through modernitys commitment to
developing individuality, people are able to break loose from externally imposed rigid
moral rules and expectations. Within this worldview, the individual person has the
right to choose for themselves their own pattern of life, to decide in conscience what
convictions to espouse, and to determine the shape of their lives in a whole host of
ways that their ancestors were not able to do. It is presumed that the individual is able
to rationally think for themselves rather than rely upon socially given rules or dogmas.
Also, in moral decision making it is presumed that the individual can accept
responsibility for his or her own relative autonomous choices (Wilber, 2000a). The
belief is that reason, and reason alone, allows the individual to step outside their own
natural inclinations and act for the benefit of others, and to treat others as they would
wish others to treat them. Within modernity, it is presumed that a moral will is drawn
from the powers of reason within the person and not from some outside source such as
externally mandated social rules, customs, and obligations.
However, modernitys aspiration, the establishment of human individuality and
autonomy founded on rationality, is also its adversity. In regard to the development of
individualism, rationality leads to utilitarianism rather than enlightenment (Bellah
et al., 1985). Rationality reinforces the individuals objective view of the world while
simultaneously perverts their subjective view. Hence, according to Wilber (2000a, p.
754), a world lacking all qualitative distinctions is therefore construed, not according
to what is worth pursuing, but simply in terms of what works. In gaining the freedom
to objectively choose good over harm, the individual is likely to lose the broader vision
of a higher purpose in life (Taylor, 2003, p. 4). Modernitys way of enhancing
individualism through objective rationality causes a centring on the Self, which both
flattens and narrows our lives, makes them poorer in meaning, and less concerned with
others in society. Under these circumstances, utility replaces duty and being good
becomes feeling good (Wilber, 2000a) such that moral standards give way to
aesthetic tastes (Bellah et al., 1985, p. 60). Moral judgement is relegated to the
unpredictable realm of idiosyncratic, self-justified, and self-centred decision making.
Now, as the world moves towards postmodernity (Crotty, 1998; Hodgkinson, 2003;
Thornhill, 2000), the task is to redress this inherent problematic aspect of moral
judgement. To this end, Wilber (2000a) proposes that there are two challenges. The
first challenge for postmodernity is to bring back harmony and balance by integrating
what modernity differentiated. With respect to the process of moral judgement, this
implies that a postmodern perspective needs to reunite the objective and subjective
dimensions of moral decision making. The individual needs to be fully aware of not

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only the objective, the factual, and the irrefutable influences upon their choices, but
also they need to be aware of the subjective, the personal, and the inter-personal
influences upon their choices. Through being aware of the subjective influences in their
choices, the individual is more able to be true to their Self (Taylor, 2003, p.29). Rather
than being solely influenced by rational, technical, and instrumental reason, the
individual is encouraged to be true to their Self by listening to their inner voice as
expressed by their personal motives, values, feelings, and beliefs. Taylor explains that:

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Being true to [their Self] means being true to [their] own originality, and that is something
only [they] can articulate and discover. In articulating it, [they] are also defining [their Self].
[They are] realizing a potentiality that is properly [their] own. This is the background
understanding to the modern ideal of authenticity, and to the goals of self-fulfilment or
self-realization in which it is usually couched.

In this sense, moral judgements within a postmodern worldview present the individual
with a personal challenge of being true to their Self by making the choice that leads to
an enhanced internal sense of recognition, self-fulfilment and self-realisation rather
than some external physical benefit per se. That is to say, in every decision there lies
the one, best choice and it is essential to strive towards finding this choice from
amongst the many alternatives. Postmodernitys first step towards enhancing the
process of moral judgement is to enable the individual to become conscious of the
subjective wisdom that will help them to make this best choice but which currently lies
unconsciously within them.
The second challenge for postmodernity, according to Wilber (2000a), is to promote
a new social consciousness, a new awareness of how to synthesise and integrate a
seemingly chaotic world. With respect to the process of moral judgement, this implies
that a postmodern perspective needs to engender a sense of unity and interdependence
amongst people. Where modernitys rational objectivity leads to social fragmentation
(Taylor, 2003, p. 112) and disassociation (Wilber, 2000b, p. 115), the re-awakened
subjectivity of postmodernity must lead to social dialogue, relationships, and common
purposes. This form of re-awakened connectedness is essential because it is the means
whereby you pull yourself out of yourself and into the circle of intersubjective culture,
the circle of care and concern and relatedness and responsibility, where you begin to
see in others your own expanded Self, and extend care to each. You see the world
through the eyes of the other, and thus find a wider consciousness that shines beyond
the confines of the me and the mine (Wilber, 2000a, p. 166-7). Postmodernitys second
step towards enhancing the process of moral judgement is to nurture a transpersonal
sensitivity whereby the individual is able to become conscious of the need to have
empathy. Through having empathy the individual becomes conscious of how their
own sense of self-respect, dignity and integrity can be strengthened by showing
charity, care and compassion towards others. This form of consciousness aids the
process of moral judgement because it allows us to become better people. It opens us
to love and a genuine sense of community with our fellow human beings. It inspires us
to live in accord with our higher values, and to recognise and change the patterns of
suffering we inflict on ourselves as well as others (Frattaroli, 2001, p. 433).
In summary, this review of the process of moral judgement, as influenced by the
prevailing worldviews of modernity and postmodernity, promotes the view that the
development of moral leadership is contingent upon the nurturing of the leaders moral
consciousness. Nurturing of the leaders moral consciousness is about awakening their

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subjective wisdom and their transpersonal sensitivities in relation to the choices that
confront them. The concept of nurturing a moral consciousness within a leader is about
helping them to faithfully understand their life and to grow into a more rewarding life
(Harris, 2002). It is about enabling the leader to accept their feelings and emotions as a
valid source of wisdom towards determining whether or not they are who they want to
be and how they want to live. These kinds of questions open the leader to new ways of
looking at their leadership and the moral dilemmas they experience. Moral
consciousness also compels the leader to examine the motives, values, and beliefs
steering their lives and to look at the ways they have interpreted their experiences and
to assess the degree to which their current actions are living up to their aspirations and,
thereby, restoring their sense of self-achievement and self-actualisation. The
development of a moral consciousness within the leader is a journey to their
authentic Self that expresses their wholeness and fulfils their best potential. It frees the
leader from feeling that they need to copy what another leader might do by enabling
them to choose what is best for their Self and for those they lead. This is to say, the
development of moral leadership can be achieved through the leader being able to
recover contact with their authentic inner Self through the nurturing of their moral
consciousness (Taylor, 2003).
Shaping the research
In its most elementary sense, moral consciousness is about gaining self-knowledge
(Frattaroli, 2001; Harris, 2002). Developing a moral consciousness involves gaining
self-knowledge of ones inner world, to the finely differentiated layers and qualities of
private experiencing, and being faithfully aware of ones responses to any moral
dilemmas (Mackay, 2004). It is the Self having knowledge of both the mind and the
body as experiences. Through the gaining of self-knowledge, the person is more able to
transcend both their mind and their body and thus can be aware of them as objects in
awareness, as experiences. Hence, developing a moral consciousness requires taking
the less travelled path whereby we look honestly at ourselves and take responsibility
for our own faults (Frattaroli, 2001, p. 225). In this sense, moral consciousness is about
using self-knowledge to create a new personal meaning from all that the person does
and thinks about (Taylor, 2003. p. 26). It is about creating an inner voice that tells the
person what is the right thing to do.
From a more precise perspective, moral consciousness is about having
self-knowledge of personal motives, values, and beliefs (Hodgkinson, 1996). Given
that all moral judgements involve the making of choices, which are directly influenced
by personal motives, values, and beliefs, this means that the moral judgement process
is inextricably influenced by personal motives, values, and beliefs. Through the
gaining of self-knowledge about ones personal motives, values, and beliefs it is
possible to ensure that these are commensurate with achieving desired moral
outcomes. This is to say, through the knowing of personal motives, values and beliefs,
a person is more able to judge their own behaviour in order to ensure that it achieves
their personally desired moral standards. The knowing of personal motives, values,
and beliefs nurtures moral consciousness, which then enhances ones moral judgement
capacity.
Previous research (Branson, 2005) suggests that in order to gain self-knowledge of
the role played by personal motives, values and beliefs in influencing personal

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behaviour it is first necessary to know how these are formed. Unless the formational
elements of personal motives, values, and beliefs are clarified, they remain subliminal
and notional components of the inner Self, and the relationship between these and
behaviour remain concealed or misunderstood. Hence, it is essential to come to know
the inner antecedents of personal motives, values, and beliefs.
Drawing on literature from the fields of cognitive and behavioural psychology and
values theory, it can be seen that the Self is constituted from the integration of ones
self-concept, self-esteem, motives, values, beliefs, and behaviours (Griseri, 1998;
Hultman and Gellerman, 2002; Leary and Tangney, 2003; Osborne, 1996). All of these
components of the Self are formed during ones life experiences and become powerful
influences on how one experiences, perceives, and reacts to their reality. This means
that ones own self-concept is at the heart of how one behaves and this self-concept
indirectly influences behaviour through the sequential components of the Self of
self-esteem, motives, values, and beliefs. The integration of all of these components of
the Self influences the manner in which the individual thinks about, perceives, and
responds to his or her world. These components come together to form the core of the
Self, and the complexity of the Self evolves from these through the addition of other
cognitive, psychological, social and kinaesthetic processes.
In addition, the literature proposes that this indirect connectedness between the
self-concept and behaviours is made more complex by the decreasing degree of
consciousness that one has of ones beliefs, values, motives, self-esteem and
self-concept (Westwood and Posner, 1997). These components of the Self appear to be
ever-increasingly subliminal components and are little influenced by sensory feedback
from ones reality. They are inner, tacit, and increasingly intangible
behaviour-governing components of ones being. Hence, the seeking of
self-knowledge about ones inner Self is not a natural process and requires a
deliberate undertaking. In order to be able to effectively gain self-knowledge, people
require guidance in knowing what to look for in their Self, and they need to learn
self-reflective ways (Cashman, 1998; McGraw, 2001; Wilber, 2000a). Mostly, people
have limited self-knowledge.
The following conceptual framework (Figure 1) has been designed to illustrate the
understandings provided by the literature of how a persons behaviour is influenced by
the various components of the Self.
This conceptual framework not only highlights that ones self-concept is at the heart
of ones Self, by placing it at the core of the framework, but it also illustrates the
sequential order of the components as one moves from self-concept to behaviours. Also
highlighted is the understanding that ones level of conscious awareness of the role
played by each component in influencing the achievement of a desired purpose
typically increases as one moves out from the centre of the framework. People have
little or no conscious awareness of how their self-concept is influencing the
achievement of a particular desired purpose, whereas they are usually fully conscious
of how the achievement of this desired purpose is being influenced by their behaviour.
The final understanding conveyed by this conceptual framework is that each
component is not a discrete entity but rather, they are inter-related and inter-active.
The inner components are each antecedents of their adjacent outer component but they,
in turn, depend on feedback from their outer neighbouring component to maintain
relevance. In this way, each component helps to create the united Self.

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Figure 1.
A diagrammatical
representation of the
various component of the
Self as presented by the
literature, which shows
how these components are
able to interact in order to
influence a persons
behaviour

Although it is possible to view these common general components as forming a united

Self, it must be realized that each Self is unique to the individual person (Elliott, 2001).
The manner by which these components interact is very idiosyncratic because each
persons subliminal interactive processes are unique and distinctive. A similar act
evinced by two different people, even in apparently identical circumstances, is likely to
reflect quite unique ways of blending their own Self components. Furthermore, these
components of the Self influence how one understands and interacts with all of ones
reality and are not limited to just one aspect of ones life. Ones beliefs, values, motives,
self-esteem, and self-concept are not only unique to the individual but also they are
relatively consistent and impact in a similar way on all aspects of ones life.
With respect to this particular research, this means that in order to nurture a
leaders moral consciousness, it is necessary to devise a means by which he or she is
able to gain self-knowledge of their inner Self. The leader must be able to come to know
how their self-concept and self-esteem is influencing their motives, values and beliefs
and, thereby, impacting on their leadership behaviour. In this way, the leader is able to
consciously monitor their inner influences as they attend to moral issues in order to
ensure that they are able to act freely in achieving the best moral outcome.
In order to meet the challenge that this creates, it is noted that Wilber (2000b, p. 243)
posits that consciousness is not part of the brain. The mind, or consciousness, is the

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interior dimension, the exterior correlate of which is the objective brain. The mind is an
I, the brain is an it. You can look at a brain, but you must talk to a mind, and that
requires not just observation but interpretation. Moreover, this essential task of
interpretation can only be accomplished through introspection and self-reflection
(Frattaroli, 2001). The person must learn to interpret the depths of their inner Self more
adequately and more faithfully so that their inner influences on their life become more
transparent (Wilber, 2000a). However, most people do not have such self-knowledge as
this commitment to introspection through reflective self-inquiry and reflective
self-evaluation is not something people do naturally, do accurately, or that
automatically influences their behaviour (Bandura, 1986; Hall et al., 1998;
Hodgkinson, 1996). Genuine self-knowledge depends upon an avoidance of being
false to ones real Self and this requires deep personal honesty and arduous effort
(Trilling, 1972). Self-knowledge can only be formed within people who have a strong
motivation to know more about their own inner Self and to value gaining an accurate
image of their authentic Self. People need to learn how to be appropriately introspective
as a means of increasing their consciousness.
Hence, the research approach used in this study followed the lead presented in the
literature of a deeply structured approach to introspection and self-reflection (Lord and
Hall, 2005, p. 592). Deeply structured self-reflection incorporates learning how to
personally articulate ones self-concept and core values so as to construct
sophisticated understandings of situations that can be used to guide thoughts and
behaviors. At the heart of such a deeply structured process of self-reflection is the
need to assist the person to come to know their self-concept. Increasing the persons
knowledge of their self-concept is essential for the nurturing of personal authenticity
(Van Knippenberg et al., 2005). It is through coming to know and understand their
self-concept that the person is able to develop an appropriate meaning system from
which to feel, think and act with authenticity (Shamir and Eilam, 2005). This meaning
system arises from having a deeper awareness of their feelings, beliefs, values,
motives, and behaviours (Leary and Tangney, 2003, p. 27). As a result, the person is
then able to act in accordance with appropriate feelings, beliefs, motives, and values. In
this way, according to Taylor (2003, pp. 27, 74), introspection and self-reflection
provides moral salvation because it helps to recover the persons own authentic
moral contact by pointing them towards a more self-responsible form of life.
Furthermore, the literature proposes that it is through reflecting upon their personal
narratives (Sparrowe, 2005, p. 11), or life-stories (Shamir and Eilam, 2005, p. 6), that
the person is able to come to know their self-concept.
Based on these understandings, this research used an inside-out approach in
implementing a deeply structured self-reflective process. By this it is meant that the
participants were provided with a comprehensive set of guiding self-inquiry questions
that commenced with the inner-most core component of their Self, their self-concept,
and then progressed sequentially outwards through their self-esteem, motives, values,
beliefs and, finally, behaviours. The aim of this process was to, first, isolate and
examine a key influential personal image held in the participants self-concept and,
then, to sequentially trace the impact of this image through their self-esteem, motives,
values, beliefs, and behaviours. According to the literature, these key influential
personal images are formed during a unique life experience, called a trigger event
(Gardner et al., 2005, p. 344) or defining moment (McGraw, 2001, p. 98), which can

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occur at any time throughout the life of a person. A vital understanding about this
image is that it is created from an interpretation of the particular life experience. It is
not formed on factual evidence but rather on subjective perceptions and
interpretations. Despite this lack of objectivity associated with the created image,
the persons physical and emotional response to this unique life experience is then
reproduced through a process known as repetition compulsion (Frattaroli, 2001,
p. 196) whenever their mind interprets another life experience as having essentially the
same important characteristics. Hence, the self-concept image, formed during a unique
life experience, continues to be at the centre of the participants response to new life
experiences. Reflecting on the original life experience, and its inherent personal images
and emotions, helps to clarify current behavioural responses to situations perceived as
having similar defining characteristics.
Theoretical framework
In the light of the need to implement research that explores aspects of each
participants unconscious world, the epistemology of pragmatic constructivism was
deemed appropriate for this research study because of its acknowledged suitability
when searching for knowledge in the little known or hidden subjective realm (Heck and
Hallinger, 1999). Pragmatic constructivism operates within a problem-based
framework that focuses on the research problem and gives priority to doing rather
than knowing (Burbules, 2000; Schwandt, 1994). Such research begins with exploration
of the human activity from the perspective of the individuals conscious thoughts or
awareness as it emerges from within the practical conflicts associated with the activity.
In line with these arguments in support of pragmatic constructivism, the theoretical
perspective of symbolic interactionism informed this study. This theoretical
perspective was deemed appropriate to a research problem that focuses on the
relationship between participants behaviour and its antecedent dimensions in their
inner Self and was pragmatic in nature. As an approach to research, symbolic
interactionism explores how people have made sense of their world in a dynamic
process of social interaction and offers an approach to social inquiry that fits the
doctrine of pragmatism (Charon, 2001).
Mindful of the principles of symbolic interactionism, a case study was chosen as an
appropriate orchestrating perspective for this research study (Merriam, 1998;
Sarantakos, 1998). A case study describes an approach to research that allows an
investigation to focus on a contemporary phenomenon within its real-life context by
enabling the research to retain the holistic and meaningful characteristics of the real
life event (Burns, 1995). Within this research, the boundaries of the case were defined in
terms of Catholic primary school principals within the Brisbane Catholic Education
system of schools. Furthermore, this was an instrumental case study (Stake, 2000), as
the case was mainly being examined to provide insight into a certain issue. The
learning gained from this particular case was used to provide insight into the use of
structured self-reflection for nurturing moral consciousness.
To complete this case study, an opportunistic sample of six primary school
principals from the Brisbane Catholic Education system of schools in the Australian
State of Queensland, commenced a comprehensive application of the structured
self-reflection process. An opportunistic sample was used due to the logistical
constraints of finding a mutually convenient time for all the participants and the

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researcher to meet in order to complete the self-reflection process. This particular

sample was formed simply from those experienced principals willing to volunteer to be
involved. Given that this research was an exploratory study, the use of an
opportunistic sample was deemed appropriate because the specific results were not
intended to be generalised to a wider population (Burns, 1995). In this research, the
results are seen as being specific to the respective participant. However, the process,
itself, is promoted as being of benefit to others. It is the process that can be generalised,
not the results. From a general perspective, the results only provide an insight into the
success of the process. On the other hand, the results formed from the analysis and
interpretation of a particular principals data are specific to that participant and are not
seen as applying to anyone else.
Viewing the data
A visual display instrument was developed to not only help summarize the outcomes
from the principals self-reflection process but also to help create a holistic overview of
how the principals behaviour is affected by the interconnectedness of all of the inner
components of their Self. This visual display instrument directly reflects the previously
presented conceptual framework (Figure 1), which was designed to illustrate the
understandings provided by the literature of how a persons behaviour is influenced by
the various components of the Self. The extreme left-hand column displays the
principals reflections on a self-concept defining life experience. This moment is
described in brief, along with a general description of the likely personal image
captured at this moment in the principals self-concept. Each subsequent column then
illustrates how this self-concept image has influenced the development of the
principals self-esteem, motives, values, beliefs, and behaviours.
Each of these visual displays shows how particular self-concept images, although
formed at various stages and in a variety of different contexts of life, are still being
used to influence the leadership behaviour of the respective principal. Furthermore,
each visual display describes how a particular self-concept image has influenced the
adoption of certain personal motives, values, and beliefs and how the respective
principal applies these to their leadership behaviour. Having this deeper perspective
enables the principal to reflect more critically on their actual motives, values, and
beliefs in order to determine whether or not these are always a positive and helpful
influence on their leadership behaviour. The self-reflective process, supported by data
illustrated on the visual display, provides the participating principal with the
opportunity to nurture their moral consciousness by enabling them to take control of
any actual personal motives, values, or beliefs that have previously been tacitly
influencing their leadership behaviour in ways that were contrary to what they
wanted. In this way, the self-reflective process and the visual display provide a means
for each principal to ensure that their leadership reflected their true Self so that they
could act in a more morally acceptable way.
A sample of seven visual displays follows and this includes visual displays
developed:
(1) by both male and female principals;
(2) from affirming and non-affirming life experiences;
(3) from early childhood life experiences;

(4) from recent life experiences;

(5) from life experiences that lasted for only a matter of minutes;
(6) from life experiences that were ongoing for a number of months or even years;
and
(7) from two different life experiences but by the same principal.

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In this way, this limited but diverse sample of visual displays is able to demonstrate
the success of the structured self-reflection process in nurturing the moral
consciousness of each participating principal.
Discussion
Where once what it meant to live a moral life was dictated by external sources and
reinforced through social roles and responsibilities, now a moral way of being is a way
of being human. Hence, ones morality flows from ones humanity (Starratt, 2003,
p. 137). Furthermore, Starratt adds that there are, three qualities of a fully human
person; autonomy, connectedness, and transcendence. These are the foundational
human qualities for a moral life; it would be impossible to be moral without developing
these qualities. The data, as presented in these visual displays, show that the use of
this deeply structured approach to self-reflection has enhanced the moral
consciousness of the participating principals as each has become more autonomous,
connected, and transcended. Furthermore, by nurturing each principals moral
consciousness, the deeply structured process of self-reflection has enhanced each
principals moral leadership capacity.
First, striving for autonomy as a means of enhancing ones morality is about
developing self-truth (Starratt, 2003, p. 137), or self-determining freedom (Taylor,
2003, p. 27) or free will (Frattaroli, 2001, p. 323). As a person becomes more conscious
of all the factors that are impacting on their moral judgements they are less controlled
by their self-centred desires and have more possibility of making an autonomous
conscious moral choice. The person becomes free to direct their life from their
self-reflective moral consciousness. Moreover, the greatest source of influence over the
behaviour of a person comes from their inner Self where unconscious motives, values,
and beliefs influences at least 70 per cent of their daily behaviour (OMurchu, 1997,
p. 138). A persons will is not free when it is being largely controlled by unconscious
influences. This is manipulated will rather than free will. Hence, the development of a
leaders autonomy is dependent upon bringing these normally powerful unconscious
instinctual influences into consciousness and under direct control.
By means of this deeply structured approach to self-reflection, the principals in this
study were readily able to clearly distinguish their inner influences on their leadership
behaviour, including their self-concept, self-esteem, motives, values, and beliefs. They
were very definite and specific about the previously unconscious influences they
selected as being integral to their Self as a consequence of a particular life experience.
Knowledge of the likely antecedent determinants of their leadership behaviour enabled
each of the participating principals to have enhanced clarity and greater certainty
about their behaviour. Moreover, this self-knowledge was further reinforced by these
tangible links between the principals behaviours and its inner antecedents being
clearly illustrated in a visual display. In this way, each of the participating principals
became explicitly conscious of what had previously been unconscious influences on

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their leadership behaviour and, thereby, was more readily able to initiate truly
autonomous behaviour. That is to say, the nurturing of each principals moral
consciousness through experiencing structured self-reflection has increased their
autonomy and, thereby, enhanced their moral leadership capacity.
Secondly, the pivotal role of connectedness in moral consciousness, claims Harris
(2002, p. 215), can be clearly seen by examining the roots of the word, consciousness.
Here, it is found that consciousness comes from the Latin con, which means with, and
scio, which means to know. Consciousness is knowing with and this makes it a
relational activity. Consciousness requires an I and a We; two distinct entities
capable of forming a relationship. Developing a moral consciousness is not only about
coming to know ourselves, but it is also about knowing how to relate to others in a
more mutually beneficial and rewarding way. A persons morality crucially depends on
dialogical relations with others (Taylor, 2003). In particular, developing a moral
consciousness is about realising that we all create self-fulfilling prophecies in our
interactions with others. We expect people to behave according to our projective
expectations and without intending it we elicit in them reactions that confirm those
expectations (Frattaroli, 2001, p. 231). Hence, an important aspect of nurturing a moral
consciousness is about recognising personal, unconscious, self-imposed relationship
inhibitors. Once these are made conscious they can be removed in order to expand the
range of people with whom we can empathise and whom we can recognise as part of
our moral responsibility.
This outcome is reflected in the research data from this study. Each of the
participating principals not only went on a journey of self-discovery and uncovered
their inner Self but also they became more aware of how some of their inner values and
beliefs were restricting aspects of their relationships. By knowing and understanding
their inner Self they became more discerning about their leadership behaviours,
particularly in regard to how the inappropriate application of some of their values was
hampering their leadership behaviours by diminishing the positive effect they were
having with some members of their school community.
For example, Principal A (see Figure 2) was able to recognize that his struggle to
cope with group and committee meetings resulted from his strong commitment to
valuing independence. However, by knowing the origins of this value empowered him
to begin to redress this weakness in his leadership by using affirming techniques
towards other group members whenever he became aware that he was waning in his
commitment to the group or committee activity. In the experience described by
Principal B (see Figure 3), his fathers very considerate, dignified and respectful
response to a seriously careless incident with matches had resulted in Principal B (see
Figure 3) developing a strong commitment to the values of safety and predictability.
Unfortunately, in his current role as a principal, which regularly involves high risks
due to a seemingly endless demand for change and accountability, these values
constantly induced unease, hesitation, and indecision. By being aware of these values,
and realising that their strength is related to his deep regard for his father rather than
their inherent importance, enabled Principal B (see Figure 3) to more confidently
engage in taking risks and to more openly deal with unfamiliar responsibilities within
his school community. Similarly, Principal C (see Figure 4) came to realize that she did
not have to be solely dependent on her self, but rather it was better for her to empower
others and to value their contribution. Principal D (see Figure 5) had grown up

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Figure 2.
The outcomes from part of
the deeply structured
self-reflective process for
Principal A

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Figure 3.
The outcomes from part of
the deeply structured
self-reflective process for
Principal B

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Figure 4.
The outcomes from part of
the deeply structured
self-reflective process for
Principal C

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Figure 5.
The outcomes from part of
the deeply structured
self-reflective process for
Principal D

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believing in, and being affirmed for, his ability to think divergently and spontaneously.
Indeed, he often sought approval through his ability to think differently to that of
others. However, this self-perception had the added effect of making Principal D (see
Figure 5) believe that he could not plan strategically and that he could not think
logically and sequentially. However, by being guided through a deeply structured
self-reflection process that focussed on a quite recent life experience, Principal D (see
Figure 5) was able to dramatically alter this influential image in his self-concept. In
having to organise a major fund-raising event, Principal D (see Figure 5) realised that
he had readily applied strategic planning skills. As a result, he now felt far more able to
become actively engaged with his school community in essential strategic school
development planning and other responsibilities where logical sequential thinking was
necessary. With respect to Principal Es (see Figure 6) particular self-reflective process,
the opportunity to realise the inaccuracies of his interpretation of a life experience, in
which he had felt extremely foolish and incompetent, provided him with the resolve to
overcome his misplaced sense of pride, caution, and self-comfort. He realised that a
misinterpretation of a childhood experience was still causing him to believe that his
credibility depended on him avoiding ever making a mistake or putting himself in an
unfamiliar position where he might finish up feeling foolish. This often prevented him
from wholeheartedly mixing with his school community during times that lacked
familiarity, predictability or control. By personally redefining the essential values
inherent in his credibility as a principal, and acknowledging the benefits to all of him
not having to always look and act perfectly, Principal E (see Figure 6) felt more able to
consistently be the type of principal he wanted to be for his school community. Finally,
the self-reflective process used in this study provided Principal F (see Figure 7) with
the means to more carefully consider the full impact of solely depending upon a strong
public presence for the gaining of his sense of leadership credibility. In each of these
situations, the structured self-reflection process provided a means by which the
principal could build a stronger connection to their school community. Furthermore, by
feeling more connected to their school community, the principal also felt more morally
responsible towards the community as well.
Finally, the concept of transcendence within the context of morality encapsulates
the essential commitment to continually strive to be a better person. To this end,
Wilber (2000a, p. 264) proposes that increasing interiorization increasing
autonomy decreasing narcissism. In other words, the more self-knowledge a
person has of their inner Self then the more detached from that Self they become, the
more they can rise above that Selfs limited perspective, and so the less self-centred
they become. The more clearly and faithfully a person can subjectively reflect on their
Self, the more they can transcend their innate personal desires in order to consider
what is in the best interests of others. This is supported by Taylors (2003, p. 39)
concept of horizons of importance where he suggests that:
The ideal of self-choice supposes that there are other issues of significance beyond self-choice.
The ideal couldnt stand alone, because it requires a horizon of importance, which help define
the respects in which self-making is significant. Unless some options are more significant
than others, the very idea of self-choice falls into triviality and hence incoherence. Self-choice
as an ideal makes sense only because some issues are more significant than others.

As long as most of the inner influences on our behaviour remain within our
unconscious there is little choice in how we respond to moral dilemmas. However, by

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Figure 6.
The outcomes from part of
the deeply structured
self-reflective process for
Principal E

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Figure 7.
The outcomes from part of
the deeply structured
self-reflective process for
Principal F

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making these inner influences part of our consciousness, then we do have self-choice in
regard to whether or not they are appropriate. As unconscious influences, our inner
influences automatically seek largely self-interests. On the other hand, as conscious
influences, our inner influences can be controlled and directed towards seeking
horizons of greater importance where consideration is given to what is ultimately in the
best interest of all. In this way, such transcended behaviour achieves moral outcomes.
When applied to leadership, this understanding necessitates that moral leaders need
to become conscious of how their inner dimensions of their Self can be controlled and
redirected towards achieving better, more transcendental, consequence. Within this
research study, this particular outcome was described by Principal C (see Figure 4) as
feeling liberated by this self-reflective process and this description was unanimously
supported by all participants. By coming to understand how the inner dimensions of
her Self had been formed, this principal felt liberated from feelings of solitariness. For
the first time Principal C (see Figure 4) could understand why she was so very
discerning of others and why she had developed dogged determination and
perseverance for doing what she considers is right even amid stern opposition. By
doing what she considered to be right as a young girl, Principal C (see Figure 4) was
able to affirm herself and take pride in her achievements, which enabled her to
outwardly ignore the taunts of her peers, which were linked to her having no teeth. The
way Principal C (see Figure 4) had interpreted this defining life experience resulted in
her valuing her own courage, independence, loyalty, self-control and determination and
caused her to believe that she did not have to work with others. Working solitarily in
isolation from the opinions or affirmation of her peers was of little concern to Principal
C (see Figure 4) provided she was confident she was doing what was expected of her by
those in authority. Moreover, being able to work by herself had, in many ways, become
a preferred behaviour for Principal C (see Figure 4). However, now armed with
knowledge and understanding about the beliefs, values, and motives underpinning this
behaviour, Principal C (see Figure 4) felt quite able to not only willingly work more
closely with others and to empower others to do things for her, but she also felt more
able to accept praise and affirmation from others. This transcended understanding
about her Self had increased Principal Cs (see Figure 4) confidence as a leader as she
was able to put herself in situations in her school community that she would have
previously avoided. Rather than continuing to act from a need to preserve her own
inner motive to feel in control, Principal C (see Figure 4) can now choose to act in ways
that are far more inclusive of others and are more likely to diversify the achievements
of the whole school community.
Hence, it is claimed that the structured self-reflection process used in this study has
nurtured the moral consciousness in each of the participants. This process of
structured self-reflection has enabled these principals to clarify their thinking, to raise
their self awareness, to get in touch with their inner world, and to develop more
mutually beneficial professional relationships in their school communities. Hence, this
process has enhanced each principals autonomy, connectedness, and transcendence
thereby increasing their moral leadership capacity.
Moreover, this finding suggests that if the attainment of moral leadership practices
is desirable then there is a need for the professional development of leaders to move
beyond a dominant focus on professional behaviour and to challenge leaders to
overcome their natural shortcomings in the development of their moral consciousness

by engaging in deeply structured self-reflection. As claimed by Lord and Hall (2005,

p. 592):

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An adequate model of leadership skill development needs to go beyond traditional

discussions of training or self-directed learning, which tends to focus on the acquisition of . . .
surface structure skills. Such surface approaches minimize consideration of the deeper,
principled aspects of leadership that may be especially important for understanding the
long-term development of effective leaders.

This research supports the view that leaders need help and guidance in the essential
area of making explicit their inner Self so that they can more fully critique the
antecedents of their behaviour and nurture moral leadership practices. This finding
promotes the importance in the professional development of leaders for focussing on
reviewing the formation of their inner Self over a lifetime. Such professional
development should challenge leaders to achieve a greater congruence amongst their
inner Self, the moral standards that they would aspire to, and their leadership
behaviour. Moreover, this finding suggests that deeply structured self-reflection can
offer a very important contribution to the professional development of moral leaders.
Be that as it may, some caution needs to be noted in regard to the use of a deeply
structured processes of self-reflection. Ethical research standards must be maintained
at all times in order to ensure the mental and emotional well-being of each participant.
Given that this process encourages the participants to reflect on life experiences in a
very comprehensive way, such that they engage in considering deeply personal
understandings of their Self, the principals in this study were made fully aware of this
requirement before they were invited to volunteer to take part in such research. Also,
they were strongly encouraged to totally avoid any reflection on a life experience that
aroused feelings that might have led to unsettledness, discomfort, or sadness. It is only
necessary that some, not all, defining life experiences are reflected upon. Hence, an
opportunity always exists for the participant to avoid considering any unpleasant life
experience. Finally, it was made clear to the participating principals that the very
personal nature of their data meant that there was no expectation that they would have
to share their stories, their Self insights, or their personal learnings unless they chose to
do so. The desired outcome from the group discussions was in regard to surfacing
general learnings about the process and its perceived effect on enhancing moral
leadership practices.
In addition to these ethical considerations, the participating principals also required
a tranquillity of mind in order to benefit from this process. Not only did they need to
be at peace in their mind with respect to the impact of their self-reflection on their
understanding of their Self from each of their chosen life experiences, but also they had
to have some high degree of confidence in themselves in their current performance as
an educational leader. They needed to be able to mentally and emotionally escape from
any immediate school related demands and they needed to be able to accept that, while
they might be doing a good job as a principal, they could still improve. Having
experienced the demands of involvement in a deeply structured process of
self-reflection, the principals in this study were united in their view that principals
in intensely challenging school situations, or relatively inexperienced school principals,
would likely be unable to sufficiently release their minds from the everyday pressing
demands of their current role so as to allow for a full consideration and exploration of
their inner Self.

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A final insight gained by this research into the effects of deeply structured
processes of self-reflection is that this approach takes a considerable amount of time
and a great deal of commitment and courage. To ensure the proper continuity is
maintained as the procedure moves through the sequential inner components of the
Self, sufficient time must be assigned for appropriate discernment at each component.
The quality of the discerned data at each subsequent component is dependent upon the
quality of the previously discerned data. Also, only one self-concept image can be
reviewed through this process at a time. While all of the data gathered from this single
image will provide powerful insights, a more holistic and balanced perspective can
only be gained from completing the procedure with a number of different images. To
do this not only takes commitment but also courage. The principals in this study
required commitment as they needed to repeat the whole procedure a number of times
and to carefully consider each element of the procedure throughout this demanding
time. In addition, the principals needed to have courage because the procedure required
that they looked at defining moments in their life experiences not only accurately but
also with complete openness and honesty.
Conclusion
Since moral leadership is now deemed essential, it is fundamentally important for the
professional development of leaders to incorporate experiences that are able to nurture
their moral consciousness. Moral consciousness is not just another inherent dimension
of leadership; it is the essence of contemporary leadership. It is only through the
authentic application of moral consciousness can leadership rise above ignorance,
inexperience, and self-interest that regularly impede moral judgement. Through the
development of moral consciousness, the leader is able to gain the most appropriate
knowledge, wisdom, sensitivity, and insight for ensuring that they can successfully act
justly, rightly and promote good.
To this end, this particular study focussed its attention on this relatively neglected
but vitally important aspect of moral consciousness in the development of moral
leadership. Here it is found that everyones life is dictated to a significant degree by
their repetition compulsion. People spend most of their time reacting automatically
rather than acting self-reflectively and tend to respond to situations and people
according to stereotyped personal routines that are essentially involuntary reflex
reactions. Moreover, these personally conditioned reflex reactions are more attuned to
self interests rather than common interests and, as such, they diminish the persons
capacity to act morally.
By means of a deeply structured process of self-reflection, this research enhanced
the moral consciousness of each of the participating principals by overcoming their
tendency to initiate such involuntary reflex reactions. The structured self-reflection
process freed the principals from some of their automatic emotional and behavioural
routines formed by their normal repetition compulsion processes so that they could
become the conscious authors of their life. Through this guided process of
introspection, important parts of the principals concealed unconsciousness were
brought into the accepting light of consciousness in the dual process of not only
self-discovery but also self-actualisation. By learning how to pay attention to their
inner world, to the finely differentiated layers and qualities of their private Self, each of
the participating principals was able to develop greater autonomy, connectedness, and

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transcendence. That is, their moral leadership capacity was enhanced. The experience
of structured self-reflection provided each of the participating principals with dawning
recognition of a specific means for personally achieving not only a more fully human
life but also, a life that is more morally accountable.
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Corresponding author
Christopher M. Branson can be contacted at: cbranson@bne.catholic.edu.au

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