An examination of the role of mental complexity and power in leadership

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine the relationships between mental complexity, power, and leadership in administrative leaders in Catholic colleges who are members of traditionally underserved populations. Using the advance-inhibition theory of power championed by Keltner (Cho and Keltner 2020; Keltner 2017) as a guiding framework and a revised constructive developmental theory, focus groups and interviews were conducted with 10 cabinet level administrators from Catholic Colleges in the United States. Results indicated a general tendency for leaders to treat reports as one order of mental complexity less than their own common draw. Findings have implications for higher education leadership and may be used to further understand power dynamics and effective leadership in colleges throughout the United States.