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Research: Leadership in Positive Psychology

The following links are some of our favorite research articles linking leadership research with Positive Psychology. Please share your favorites with us as well by either posting your favorites on our LinkedIn group, or by sending them to ppl@louisville.edu.


  1. Cornum, R., Matthews, M. D., & Seligman, M. E. (2011). Comprehensive soldier fitness: building resilience in a challenging institutional context. American Psychologist66(1): 4-9. https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fa0021420
  2. Crossan, M., Mazutis, D., Seijts, G., & Gandz, J. (2013). Developing leadership character in business programs. Academy of Management Learning & Education12(2), 285-305. https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/amle.2011.0024a
  3. Quinn, R. W., & Quinn, R. E. (2015). Lift: The Fundamental State of Leadership (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler. https://www.amazon.com/Lift-Fundamental-Leadership-Ryan-Quinn/dp/1626564019/ref=sr_1_3?crid=2TUJXR2IWLUXA&keywords=lift+the+fundamental+state+of+leadership&qid=1582921914&sprefix=lift%3A+the+fund%2Caps%2C190&sr=8-3
  4. Sosik, J. J., Gentry, W. A., & Chun, J. U. (2012). The value of virtue in the upper echelons: A multisource examination of executive character strengths and performance. The Leadership Quarterly23(3), 367-382. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1048984311001330
  5. Spreitzer, G. M. (2006). Leadership development lessons from positive organizational studies. Organizational Dynamics35(4), 305-15. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2006-20106-001
  6. Vacharkulksemsuk, T., & Fredrickson, B. L. (2013). Looking back and glimpsing forward: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions as applied to organizations. In Advances in positive organizational psychology. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/S2046-410X(2013)0000001005/full/html?queryID=36%2F5405164