Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Organizational Leadership

First Advisor

Marilou Ryder

Second Advisor

Peg Klein

Third Advisor

Lisa Simon

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Catholic leaders who embody Pope St. John Paul II’s feminine genius traits (i.e., receptivity, sensitivity, generosity, and spiritual motherhood) and how these traits shaped their leadership identity and influence within Catholic institutions. Methodology: Six Catholic leaders with at least three years of exemplary leadership were recruited among three groups: clergy, consecrated religious, and laity via convenience and snowball sampling. Data were collected through Zoom and in-person interviews. The interview questions aligned with the five research questions. After the interview, participants reviewed an AI-generated transcript for accuracy and were given a 5-day window to make corrections.

Findings: The findings were organized into sixteen themes and four key findings. All participants resonated with all four traits. Study participants described receptivity as listening and collaboration, sensitivity as seeing the person rather than the issue, and generosity as a costly gift of self, with all six turning to faith for renewal. Spiritual motherhood presented across gender, with male study participants reframing it as spiritual fatherhood. The traits functioned as an interconnected approach, with study participants describing four traits that build on and depend on one another. Community as a shared thread across all four traits, implicitly and explicitly, points to what these leaders built. Relational leadership emerged underneath all four traits, pointing to how these leaders led.

Conclusions: In practice, receptivity was described as an active, discerning openness. Sensitivity was described as a way to see people rather than issues, and as generosity that costs leaders and is renewed by faith. Spiritual motherhood resonated across gender. These traits worked together to build community and strengthen relationships in Catholic organizations.

Recommendations: Organizations could foster listening, collaboration, and discernment through retreats, spiritual guidance, and balanced workloads. They could also explore spiritual motherhood and fatherhood as leadership traits alongside secular models. Individual leaders could practice thoughtful responses in difficult conversations while maintaining boundaries to avoid depletion.

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