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“Corporations will require extraordinarily committed and creative employees to permit them to survive and prosper in a turbulent and highly competitive marketplace."
~J.H. Greenhaus, Business Management Professor
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For many years, we've been interested in understanding the integration of spirituality and leadership. We've wanted to see business and organizational leadership beyond the lens of management science education, which traditionally focuses on marketing, finance, and statistics. We've learned that it is possible to look at organizational life through the lens of spirituality. Max Van Manen, who talks about learning through our experiences, puts it this way: "…the practice of living makes it possible for the person to be engaged in more reflective praxis. By praxis, we mean thoughtful action: action full of thought and thought full of action."
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"…the transforming leader looks for potential motives in followers, seeks to satisfy higher needs, and engages the full person of the follower…"
~Leadership by James MacGregor Burns
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We've been applying this lens of integrating spirituality and leadership to business organizations. We've been listening to the challenges that we face in our businesses today. There is a growing need for leadership perspectives and workplace processes that go beyond the traditional systems and models of management. With the advent of automation and contingency work for a few dollars/euros a day on the rise, the connection between customers, employees, and their organizations have diminished.
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Spirituality and Business Transformation with CEOs "Listening is a characteristic of leadership."
~CEOs and Leaders in Dr. Geaney's Leadership Survey"
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Many business leaders want to develop and practice a higher level of leadership perspective that connects customers and employees conceptually, focuses on vision, purpose, and meaning, creates stronger communities, and encourages the whole person. Leaders and followers are asking the question, "How do I integrate spirituality in my leadership and organization? How do I operationalize this leadership perspective?"
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"In the workplace, we are dealing with people as whole people, and we need to deal with them emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually… resulting in phenomenal performance and productivity."
~CEO of a Software Technology Firm in Dr. Geaney's Research
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