The Influence of Authentic Leadership in Creating Conditions for Optimal Learning: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Study

Learning is an evolution of thought grounded in the experiences, complexities, and fluidity of life. Embedded in optimizing that journey toward understanding is availing oneself of the introspective practices that foster self-awareness as a means to contribute, advance, and inspire the greater good in a particular sphere of influence. This path is reflective of the views held by scholars of antiquity who believed identity was an instrument for learning. However, implementing the conditions for optimal learning is fraught with innumerable challenges within the current construct of public schooling. Utilizing the lens of the hermeneutic phenomenological methodology, this study examined the experiences of seven individuals who attempt to employ an authentic lens in the midst of political demands that define the bureaucratic hierarchy of schooling. Amid the inherent obstacles of operating under such a system, their narratives provide avenues for identifying systemic inauthenticity as the foundation for policies that promote closed-loop thinking that runs counter to the essence of learning. An outcome that emerges from analyzing these lived experiences is the Sagacity of Learning framework that this study formulates and proposes as a mechanism to inspire a social movement that professionally reimagines the system of education in a way that embodies the essence of learning. Guided by a synergistic process, this framework provides the space for individuals to view growth and inspiration through the lens of a learner. In doing so, the conclusions drawn from this investigation demonstrate that authenticity creates the conditions for optimal learning, which becomes the catalyst for innovation and transformation within the public schooling system.

Grantor dc:publisher

Creighton University

Year dc:date.issued

2025

Author dc:creator

• Miller, Timothy, Richard

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Winter, Kathryn

• Authenticity
• Leadership
• Learning
• Optimal
• Self-Determination

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright is retained by the Author. A non-exclusive distribution right is granted to Creighton University and to ProQuest following the publishing model selected above.

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Repository record dc:identifier.uri

https://cdr.creighton.edu/handle/10504/161520

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:cdr.creighton.edu:10504/161520