Presentation for Chapter 13. Spirituality Enhances Leadership

“Spirituality is meant to take us beyond our tribal identity into a domain of awareness that is more universal.” —Deepak Chopra

The idea of combining leadership with spirituality has been rebuffed, but not for any good reason. Information in this chapter does not discount religion as a spiritual base, but the construct is more “spirit” focused.

Tim Barnett authored “Spirituality in Leadership,” in which he defines the terms both separately and together:

Before a definition of spirituality in leadership can be provided, one must first examine the meaning of the two key aspects of the phrase: the ‘spirit’ and the ‘leader.’ One dictionary definition of spirit is ‘that which is traditionally believed to be the vital principle or animating force within living beings.’ Thus, the spirit relates to the deeper sense, meaning, or significance of something. A dictionary definition of the leader is ‘one who shows the way by going in advance; one who causes others to follow some course of action or line of thought.’ Thus, the leader is one who influences followers to think or behave in some way.

Combining the two terms suggest that the leader who incorporates spirituality into his or her leadership will be one who causes others to seek out and understand their inner selves and who fosters a sense of meaning and significance among his or her followers.

Therefore, if we believe that the workplace is a community of people, a spiritual leader is one who helps set the pace by promoting shared traditions, values, beliefs, and ethical standards. Barnett further advocated that spiritual leadership helps others find meaning at work by asking questions such as the following:

Who are we as a work team, department, or organization?

Is our work worthy?

What are our values and ethical principles?

What will be our legacy?

In “Spiritual Values and Practices Related to Leadership Effectiveness” by Laura Reave, she reported reviewing over 150 studies dealing with this subject matter. Her research concluded: There is a clear consistency between spiritual values and practices and effective leadership. Values that have long been considered spiritual ideals, such as integrity, honesty, and humility, have been demonstrated to have an effect on leadership success. Similarly, practices traditionally associated with spirituality as demonstrated in daily life have also been shown to be connected to leadership effectiveness.

All of the following practices have been emphasized in many spiritual teachings, and they have also been found to be crucial leadership skills: showing respect for others, demonstrating fair treatment, expressing caring and concern, listening responsively, recognizing the contributions of others, and engaging in reflective practice.

Martha Lagace, Sean Silverthorne, and Wendy Guild wrote “Does Spirituality Drive Success?” They told the story of Ricardo Levy, who attended, along with fellow executives, a session on spirituality at the Harvard Business School.

They noted: According to Ricardo Levy, chairman of Catalytical Energy Systems, executives are trained for action—contemplation is not part of their rulebook. In his own career, however, he discovered the need for spiritual guidance in crucial decisions, especially those that affect other people such as employees.

These are Levy’s guidelines:

· Quiet the mind.

· Reach deep inside.

· Go beyond the ego to hear the inner voice.

· Don’t fear ambiguity; rest in the unknown.

Stay humble in the face of temptation and power.

Lagace and her coauthors added, “Asked by a member of the audience for his definition of success, Levy said, ‘I’d rather use the word fulfillment. Success is a metric; you never have enough. But only you can define fulfillment. We as individuals are the only judges.’”