Corporate values as multi‐level, multi‐domain antecedents of leader behaviors

Purpose – This paper seeks to argue that leadership is a purposive process, which is value‐transcendent, and to suggest that organizations, and leadership systems within organizations, are governed as much by beliefs as by rationality and outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides a model which incorporates three sets of value‐anchored antecedents as predictors of leader behavior is presented: work values including the Protestant work ethic and work involvement, leadership values including corporate stewardship, accountability and spiritual values including trust, humility, stewardship and community. Findings – The paper is consistent with research that supports the role values play as personal and organizational phenomena as well as research that indicates that values and beliefs are instrumental determinants of organizational culture. Originality/value – By including spiritual values as a domain of corporate values and predictors of leader behavior, the author is expanding existing value typologies and opening the discourse toward a values‐based, spiritually anchored paradigm of leadership.