Transformational Leadership in the Life and Works of C.S. Lewis Crystal L
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East Tennessee State University Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University Electronic Theses and Dissertations Student Works 5-2012 Transformational Leadership in the Life and Works of C.S. Lewis Crystal L. Hurd East Tennessee State University Follow this and additional works at: https://dc.etsu.edu/etd Part of the Literature in English, British Isles Commons Recommended Citation Hurd, Crystal L., "Transformational Leadership in the Life and Works of C.S. Lewis" (2012). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1413. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1413 This Dissertation - Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Works at Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Transformational Leadership in the Life and Works of C.S. Lewis _____________________________________ A dissertation presented to The faculty of the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis East Tennessee State University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Education ______________________________________ by Crystal Hurd May 2012 ____________________________________ Dr. Jasmine Renner, Chair Dr. Catherine Glascock Dr. Virginia Foley Dr. Phyllis Thompson Keywords: C.S. Lewis, Transformational Leadership, Pseudotransformational Leadership, Hitler, The Chronicles of Narnia, Aslan, Ransom Trilogy ABSTRACT Transformational Leadership in the Life and Works of C.S. Lewis by Crystal Hurd The author of this study explored the works of C.S. Lewis as well as memoirs and scholarship concerning his work to illustrate his transformational leadership. Works reviewed included Lewis’s fiction, such as his science fiction trilogy and his children’s series, The Chronicles of Narnia, as well as his works of nonfiction, such as essays that addressed social issues. The secondary aim for the author of this study was to determine whether the transformational qualities Lewis exhibited also existed in his characters. Transformational leadership served as the conceptual framework for the descriptive explanatory qualitative design. Essentially the study analyzed the primary works of Lewis and subsequent scholarship through the lens of transformational leadership. Data collected included document review, interviews with Lewis scholars, and observations. Synthesis of the data revealed that Lewis possessed the 4 qualities of transformational leadership established by Bass (1985). Derived from a blended evaluation of scholarship, observational data, and interview responses, findings indicated that Lewis exhibited the 4 qualities of transformational leadership: Idealized influence, Inspirational Motivation, Intellectual Stimulation, and Individual Consideration. In 2 addition, Lewis created a transformational leader in Aslan from The Chronicles of Narnia and depicted pseudotransformational leadership in both his science fiction trilogy and The Chronicles of Narnia. The author of this study explored a contextual and historical view of Lewis as a veteran of World War I and a voice of hope during World War II. During the period pseudotransformational leadership existed in the reality of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime and echoed in the literature of Lewis in the N.I.C.E. organization from the science fiction trilogy and Shift from The Chronicles of Narnia. Recommendations for further study encourage future scholars to expand the roster of transformational leaders to include artists and thinkers and to examine various aspects of Lewis yet needing research. 3 Copyright 2012 by Crystal Lynn Hurd All Rights Reserved. 4 DEDICATION To my husband who allows me to chase my dreams, to my parents who instilled in me the desire to dream, and to my Savior who is the architect of dreams. 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To the eternal Author, my Lord and Savior, whose love and mercy have lifted me up, given me a vision and opportunity to achieve that vision, and taught me what grace means. Since the day that I bowed my head and accepted You, everything has changed. You are the ultimate transformational influence. Thank You for the life You have given me. I am unworthy, but I am grateful. To my longsuffering, wonderful husband Aaron, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to follow my dreams. You saw in me what I could not see in myself. You have equipped me with the courage and confidence to face my challenges. Also, thank you for tolerating my mistress these last few months. You have waited patiently while I sequestered myself to read and write. Few spouses would have brooked the loneliness. You took me out for ice cream and cheered me on through the stress and setbacks. Throughout this long journey, you have sustained me. I cannot thank you enough. I (now and always will) love you. To my mother and father, Gary and Sandra, thank you. You read to me as a child, made sure I did my homework, and have supported me throughout my life. I am eternally blessed to have such wonderful parents. Most importantly, thank you for introducing me to my Savior and modeling the Christian walk for me. Your love and devotion are a constant source of inspiration for me. A special thanks to my grandmothers, Irene and Bertie. To my dissertation committee, Drs. Jasmine Renner, Catherine Glascock, Virginia Foley, and Phyllis Thompson, thank you so much for your guidance and assistance. I would not be achieving this milestone without your help. A special appreciation is necessary to my chair Dr. Jasmine Renner for the amazing love and support you have provided throughout my progress. 6 Your patience is saintly. You have molded this mesh of quotes and observations into scholarly research and have done an admirable job. I aspire to be the kind of person you are. A very special thank you to my contributors: Will Vaus, Dr. Bruce Edwards, Alexander Smith of Belfast, Northern Ireland, Dr. Louis Markos, Dr. Devin Brown, Dr. Allen Jessee, Dr. Gayle Anacker, Dr. Robert MacSwain, and Dr. Alan Jacobs. Thank you so much for responding to my email and validating my research with your wisdom. Just as Lewis answered every letter, you have extended your kindness and answered my request. I cannot thank you enough for all you do for Lewis’s legacy and scholarship, which continually inspire me. To my best friend Jamie Maiden and my small group members, thank you so much for the love, prayers, and support. I am blessed to have each of you as cheerleaders. I am eternally grateful. Finally, to C.S. Lewis, who lived a life of humble obedience and became an exalted servant. You proved that leadership is truly about serving. I expect to see you when I pass from these dim shadowlands into the glorious beyond, strolling with saints or perusing through a meadow as you envisioned George MacDonald in The Great Divorce: “His eyes had a far-seeing look of one who has lived long in open solitary places; and somehow I divined the network of wrinkles which must have surrounded them before re-birth had washed him in immortality” (1973/1946, p. 337). 7 CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................................2 DEDICATION .................................................................................................................................5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................................6 LIST OF FIGURES .......................................................................................................................13 Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................................14 Lewis the Leader? ..................................................................................................15 Classifying Lewis...................................................................................................15 Leadership: A New Perspective .............................................................................16 Transformational Leadership .................................................................................18 Modernity and Contrasting Examples of Leadership ............................................20 Purpose of the Study ..............................................................................................24 Research Questions ................................................................................................25 Statement of Researcher Bias and Perspective - “Steak or Soup?” .......................25 Significance of the Study .......................................................................................27 Overview of the Study ...........................................................................................28 2. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ........................................................................ 29 Defining the Indefinable ........................................................................................29 Early Reflections on Leadership ............................................................................30 The History of Leadership Theory—Trait Theory ................................................33 The Seeds of Transformational Leadership ...........................................................35 8 Charisma ................................................................................................................35