Impact of integrated yoga module on leadership competencies of managers based on vedanta model of leadership

Abstract

Leadership remains one of the most researched topics but scientific mechanisms behind the phenomenon are not yet known completely. This research work was organised with two major tasks – Developing ‗Vedanta Model of Leadership‘ which is based on extensive literature research of ancient texts especially Advaita Vedanta of Adi Shankaracharya and providing empirical evidence with yoga intervention using modern theories and measurement tools based on them. The purpose of this research was to explore the impact of Integrated Yoga Module on Leadership competencies with three measurements scales - Indian Transformational Leadership (ITL), Decision Making Style, Quality of Life (QOL) and Guna Personality Inventory and test model for leadership phenomenon. We conducted the Randomized control trial study on total 126 Managers with 90 days of intervention. Integrated Yoga Module (Yoga group) (n=63) and Physical Exercise (PhyEx group) (n=63) participants. Experiments revealed that Leadership competencies are affected by both Integrated Yoga Module and Physical Exercise significantly (p<0.001). RM ANOVA results show that Yoga group has shown high effect size than Physical Exercise and has consistent significant effect over repeated measures. Integrated Yoga Module has positive impact on most of domain variables of Indian Transformational Leadership, Decision Making Style and Quality of Life with emotional and cognitive domains requiring willpower and self control while Physical Exercise has partial inconsistent impact only on few domains of the Leadership Competencies. Integrated Yoga Module increases Satva Guna and Physical Exercise increases Rajas guna while both reduce Tamas Guna in Human System.