Visionary Leadership in Christian Higher Education: A Qualitative Phenomenological Research Study

December 3, 2025

Visionary Leadership in Christian Higher Education: A Qualitative Phenomenological Research Study

Dorothy Foster | 2024

Abstract

Visionary leadership theory is built upon the premise that leaders cast a vision for followers by developing an image of the future and then inspiring followers to achieve that vision (Sashkin, 1996). Visionary leaders articulate where a group is going and encourage the group to innovate, experiment, and take risks in pursuit of the vision. How is visionary leadership demonstrated in Christian higher education, and how can today’s higher education leaders leverage visionary leadership? Two world-class Christian universities have emerged to become the largest private nonprofit universities in Virginia: Liberty University and Regent University. This qualitative phenomenological research study leverages heuristic phenomenology (Moustakas, 1990) to explore the visionary leadership of the founders of Liberty University and Regent University through the lens of their followers’ perceptions of leadership. In-depth interviews were conducted to explore visionary leadership traits that university employees witnessed firsthand. Implications are discussed for today’s higher education leaders and for future research on visionary leadership.

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