An Integrative Literature Review of Responsible Leadership: Knowns, Unknowns, and Implications

Abstract

This article aims to understand what we do and do not know concerning the construct of Responsible Leadership plus address directions for the future. Since the development of the Responsible Leadership for Performance theory (Lynham, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004), consistent description of Responsible Leadership has lacked, creating tension between increasing interest in Responsible Leadership without a common framework to guide inquiry. Through an integrative literature review we offer descriptive themes of Responsible Leadership from literature including why and how people have written about the construct, as well as unaddressed questions and implications for research, theory, and practice.