Abstract

Leadership theory has long treated introspection, autonomic self-regulation, and relational dynamics as separate domains, leaving practitioners without a unified framework that connects what happens inside a leader to what happens between a leader and those they lead. Distinct from empirical studies relying on primary data collection, this thesis employs a nonempirical, commentary-based synthesis methodology to construct a novel theoretical framework. The research gap informs the objective of the thesis, which is to establish a comprehensive neuro-relational model of introspective leadership that integrates Polyvagal Theory (PVT) and Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) theory. A further gap exists in that dominant leadership models, including servant, authentic, and transformational frameworks, neglect physiological dimensions in favour of follower outcomes and internalised behaviour. The resulting model connects relational effectiveness with a leader’s internal self-regulation system, establishing a neurobiological framework upon which decision-making can be anchored. The systematic review yielded a final peer-reviewed corpus of 43 scholarly sources, selected through PRISMA-guided screening and synthesised using a GIOIAinformed commentary approach. The commentary-based synthesis conceptualises introspective leadership as an integration of reflective self-awareness, autonomic selfregulation, and dyadic trust processes expressed through leader–member exchanges. The model draws on LMX to define relational outcomes, including mutual influence, trust, and safety, while PVT provides the biological mechanism through which neuroception of safety and emotional regulation operates. Model development was guided by criteria of logical coherence, explanatory power, parsimony, and heuristic value. The neuro-relational model’s principal contribution is integrating organisational leadership with neurobiological science, thereby offering a biologically-informed framework that can inform inclusive leadership practice, trauma-aware organisational responses, and ethical conduct. The model creates a recursive feedback loop informed by relationships, reflection, and physiology. Ultimately, this thesis advances the proposition that leadership effectiveness is substantially contingent upon a leader’s capacity for autonomic self-regulation, which shapes the quality and reliability of trust-centred leader–member exchange.