The Spirituality Of Work And Leadership

In our postmodern, experience-oriented culture, people are longing for greater authenticity, integrity, and depth in their pastors and leaders. Board directors, church members, and staff alike are all eagerly seeking leaders who effectively integrate their spirituality and leadership. Pastors and executives, however, often struggle with knowing how to integrate their spiritual values and practices into their leadership and management roles. Designed for pastors, executives, administrators, managers, coordinators, and all who see themselves as leaders and who want to fulfill their God-given purpose, The Spirit-Led Leader addresses the critical fusion of spiritual life and leadership for those who not only want to see results, but who also desire to care just as deeply about who they are and how they lead as they do about what they produce and accomplish. Geoffrion creates a new vision for spiritual leadership as partly an art, partly a result of careful planning, and always a working of the grace of God

This is a book for people who want to understand how spiritual ideas can help humanize business. Within, Paul Gibbons, a founder of the workplace spirituality movement twenty years ago, suggests that spirituality touches on every aspect of the human experience at work, on every aspect of human capital, and on the purpose of business and the capitalist economic system.In Meaning, Joy, and Purpose he explores how we can recruit spiritual ideas to help humans find greater meaning and purpose in their work and to improve business practices - that is, to make business more human.The first volume covers individual-level topics only: meaning, work, workaholism, vocation and purpose, happiness, mindfulness, altruism, motivation, engagement, and leadership. The second volume (tentatively called Culture, Capitalism, Sustainability) turns first to talent, employer brand, ethics, service, culture, values, and profitability. Then it turns to 21st century capitalism with its great triumphs and some of its limitations, exploring how spirituality might help us create a more human-centered version of capitalism more fit for the 21st century.To that discussion, Gibbons brings two decades of scholarship in philosophy, psychology, and spirituality and four decades in business from the perspective of an investment banker, consultant and adjunct professor of business. I also bring my perspective as (former) CEO of a start-up founded to bring spiritual principles to development of senior business leaders and their teams.Here are the questions Gibbons tackles in Volume I:?What do we mean by "spirituality"? How is it different from religion??What is the relationship between religion and science??Is the world becoming more or less spiritual??What is the historical relationship between spirituality and work? Where does that leave us today??Can we prove workplace spirituality is of value? What is the evidence??What are the benefits of private prayer or meditation at work??What insight does spirituality give us into human motivation??What is the purpose of purpose??How do we create purposeful lives and organizations??What is the link between leadership and spirituality??Can spiritual experiences at work be cultivated??What would a spiritual consulting firm look like?

"Soul in the workplace is not a theological abstraction, but a way of being and doing. Each of the organizations Benefiel profiles...describes the profound role that awareness of soul, or spirituality, can play in leadership and organizational life." -- P. [4] of cover.

Over 1 million copies sold What every church will always need The need for talented, vigorous leaders in the church cannot be overemphasized. Such times demand active service of men and women who are guided by and devoted to Jesus Christ. With more than 1 million copies sold, Spiritual Leadership stands as a proven classic for developing such leadership. J. Oswald Sanders, a Christian leader for nearly seventy years and author of more than forty books, presents the key principles of leadership in both the temporal and spiritual realms. He illustrates his points with examples from Scripture and biographies of eminent men of God, such as Moses, Nehemiah, the apostle Paul, David Livingstone, Charles Spurgeon, and others. Featured topics include: The cost of leadership The responsibility of leadership Tests of leadership The qualities and criteria of leadership The art of reproducing leaders The one indispensable requirement of leadership Sanders holds that even natural leadership qualities are God-given, and their true effectiveness can only be reached when they are used to the glory of God. Let this classic be your guide for leadership, and watch how God works through you to do great things for His glory.

Spiritual Leadership in Action: The CEL Story is designed for thoughtful leaders working in the complexity and messiness of their daily organizational lives. It is a book first and foremost about people, about the ways they find purpose, creativity and meaning in their professional work; how they thrive in community and fulfill their deep desire to be of service to others against seemingly impossible odds and limitations. A study of how full human potential and creativity is released, how the spirit within, and without, can be experienced and manifested. It is also story of ordinary people achieving extraordinary results, individually and collectively; of people becoming more than they thought was possible; and having fun along the way. This is a practical book with reflections, legacy and “lessons learnt” to support and guide busy leaders who are looking for wisdom and to learn from the experiences and mistakes of others. Spiritual Leadership in Action: The CEL Story is the result of serious and rigorous academic research. It is a case study containing features, dilemmas and opportunities facing all leaders today. A leadership narrative of a professional community who learned to live and work together with respect and harmony. It is also the story of a CEO leader and the integration of her spiritual yearning and fulfillment manifested through her professional vocation and calling. In particular it explores how: • To create effective collaborative partnerships • To deliver outstanding value for money on limited resources in complex contexts • To develop excellent commercial practices within a public sector organization • To nurture the spirit, high energy and performance of everyone involved to ensure outstanding success on the triple bottom line This book challenges the reader to be bold, creative, reflective, trusting, even more allowing of their own spirit and leadership path, and to rise to even greater achievements; but most of all to fulfill their own deepest yearnings and potential and to become the very best of what they are meant to be, both as a leader and as a human being. An important feature in this book is that spirituality and religion are distinct, and that organizational spiritual leadership can be inclusive or exclusive of religious theory and practice. The Centre for Excellence in Leadership (CEL) serves as a role model for maximizing the triple bottom line through both personal and organizational spiritual leadership. CEL is a stellar example of an organization that embraced organizational spiritual leadership, the values of altruistic love, employee well-being, and sustainability while maintaining high levels of financial performance. Spiritual Leadership in Action: The CEL Story chronicles how, as CEO, Lynne Sedgmore led CEL through its spiritual journey, including several “Dark Nights of the Soul,” to a place of pre-eminence in the United Kingdom’s Learning and Skills sector.

Table of contents

Maximizing the Triple Bottom Line through Spiritual Leadership draws on the emerging fields of workplace spirituality and spiritual leadership to teach leaders and their constituencies how to develop business models that address issues of ethical leadership, employee well-being, sustainability, and social responsibility without sacrificing profitability, growth, and other metrics of performance excellence. While this text identifies and discusses the characteristics necessary to be a leader, its major focus is on leadership—engaging stakeholders and enabling groups of people to work together in the most meaningful ways. The authors offer real-world examples of for-profit and non-profit organizations that have spiritual leaders and which have implemented organizational spiritual leadership. These cases are based on over ten years of research, supported by the International Institute of Spiritual Leadership, that demonstrates the value of the Spiritual Leadership Balanced Scorecard Business Model presented in the book. "Pracademic" in its orientation, the book presents a general process and tools for implementing the model.

An insightful exploration into the role of spirituality in leadership. The contributors use thought-provoking examples to expand the definition of leadership to include the development of hospitable spaces for work life, services to both the organization and the community, and personal development of individuals within the organization. Leaders in business, public administration, and nonprofit organizations will gain personal insights into applying spiritual qualities such as justice, fortitude, and prudence to enhance personal fulfillment in the workplace and to strengthen the objectives and performance of their organizations.