Spiritual-Based Leadership

Abstract

The chapter argues for high-integrity and high-responsibility business. At the individual level, it is simply soul satisfying, an exercise of our spiritual nature. At the corporate and community level, it leads to attracting more investors, more business and more talented people. At the societal level, it increases our confidence and competence in the power of goodness. High-integrity and high-responsibility business requires transformational leaders who base their leadership on their spiritual roots and values. He believes that a company that successfully integrates performance and community responsibility will thrive. This can occur best when leadership is firmly grounded in spiritual principles; business skills are applied with excellence, and people strive to “walk the talk” and apply high values to their company’s products, communications, and internal management practices.

Leaders in world business are the first true planetary citizens. They have worldwide capability and responsibility; their domains transcend national boundaries. Their decisions affect not just economies, but societies; and not just direct concerns of business, but world problems of poverty, environment, and security. World business will be a key actor in the ultimate resolution of the macro-problem. It crosses national boundaries with much more ease than do political institutions and the business corporation is far more flexible and adaptive organization than the bureaucratic structures of government.

(Willis Harman, author of Global Mind Change)