A person must examine the meaning of the two key aspects of the phrase: the “spirit” and the “leader.” A common definition of spirit is “that which is traditionally believed to be the vital principle or animating force within living beings.” ie: the spirit relates to the deeper sense, meaning, or significance of something. A definition of the word 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.” ie: the leader is one who influences followers to think or behave in some way. When you combine these two terms it suggests that the leader who can incorporate spirituality into their leadership will be a leader who causes others to seek and understand their inner selves and who foster a sense of meaning and significance among his or her followers. One definition of spirituality in leadership is a holistic approach, in which the leader strives to encourage a sense of significance among employees.
Spiritual leadership involves application of spiritual values and principles to the workplace. The leader understands the importance of employees finding meaning in their work and demonstrates a genuine interest and concern for not only the employee, but the “whole” person. Spiritual leaders assist in finding meaning in their work by addressing fundamental questions such as:
Who are we as a team, department, or organization?
Is our work worthy? What is our greater purpose?
What are our values and ethical principles?
What will be our legacy?
The spiritual leader strive for a workplace that is truly a community, which consists of people with shared values, beliefs, and traditions.
Many employees look at the workplace as a way of finding meaning in their lives. In this day and age, employees think of their workplace as a community—even as “communities” that give meaning to people’s lives are ripped apart by modern styles of living.
Talent Power Partners works with organizations in high growth mode in supporting their Leadership Training Initiatives, through workshops and lecturettes, group alignment and one on one Executive Coaching. Visit us at www.talentpowerpartners.com