MOTIVATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN IQBAL’S POETRY: A PATHWAY TO STUDENT CAREER PLANNING
Keywords:
Allama Iqbal, Career Path, Leadership, Student MotivationAbstract
Career path planning is an important aspect of student development; however, it is often overlooked in many educational institutions. This study examines the junction between motivational leadership and career planning using Allama Iqbal's poetic philosophy. This study seeks to extract motivational leadership attributes from Iqbal's Urdu poetry and investigate their usefulness in directing students toward meaningful and self-aligned career pathways. A qualitative methodology based on content analysis was used to evaluate selected poetic works from Iqbal's important texts: Bang-e-Dra (1924), Bal-e-Jibril (1935), Zarb-e-Kalim (1936), and Armughan-e-Hijaz (1938). The data were coded with NVivo software to discover recurring leadership themes and motivational elements. The findings show that Iqbal's verses contain a rich framework of transformational leadership elements such as idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and customized consideration. These characteristics are directly related to key stages of career planning, such as self-assessment, decision-making, and action implementation. The study provides a theoretical model of "Motivational Leadership for Career Path Planning" based on Iqbal’s philosophy.
It highlights the role of educators and mentors as inspirational leaders who help students develop self-efficacy, spiritual awareness, and meaningful aspiration. The incorporation of intrinsic and extrinsic motivating tactics derived from poetic symbolism results in a culturally relevant and comprehensive approach to student development. This study adds a new dimension to the conversation about career guidance and leadership by contextualizing traditional Eastern ideas in contemporary educational practice.
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