Leadership and Spirituality

[Admin]

Spirituality and Leadership Discussion Thread
What do you think of the following below? How do we, you and I, actually do this on a day to day basis?

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"... the meaning of ...spirit and leader...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. ... 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. Thus, one definition of spirituality in leadership is a holistic approach to leadership in which the leader strives to encourage a sense of significance and interconnectedness.”

Spirituality in leadership does not require that the leader adhere to a particular religion or that he or she attempt to convince subordinates to pursue a specific set of religious principles. While leaders who emphasize spirituality may base their leadership approach in a religious tradition, they may also have so-called "non-traditional" religious beliefs or may not adhere to any particular religion at all. Spiritual leadership tries to assist others in finding meaning in their work by addressing fundamental questions such as:
• Who are we as a work 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 strives [to create] a community, consisting of people with shared traditions, values, and beliefs. Spirituality in leadership implies that the focus will be less on formal position power and more on people; less on conformity and more on transformation and diversity; and less on controlling and more on partnership, collaboration, and inspiration. Spirituality in leadership is more concerned with the development of [people] as "whole people"—people who exhibit compassion to other employees, superiors, subordinates, and colleagues.

[Jacob W.]

My first thought when reading through this was the success of many of the smaller companies out there (specifically the "organic"/"Carrboro" type of operation). While their business practices may not always make sense from an accounting point of view, they appeal to many consumers because of their non-conformity and focus on wider issues. I believe these companies remain competitive because of a dedication from their leadership to foster a sense of meaning in the work of the company. Because of these policies, the companies attract dedicated people who share a similar set of beliefs who will work harder to accomplish the goals of the company because they are aligned with the employees' personal goals. I also think that it's interesting that this sort of social responsibility/spirituality in small business has been making an impact in the way "traditional" companies are run (ie, more are now "going green" or taking on social projects).

Anyway, those were just some initial thoughts/stream of consciousness, sorry if it's incoherent.

[AJ R.]

Defined as in the quote, spirituality in leadership is an opportunity to maximize the potential of the followers. Although group members or hired hands may be best suited for a completing a particular job, by allowing them to maintain a sense of individuality, or personality, a leader may foster these individual strengths. The very benefits of working in a group come from the hope that the team may become more than the summation of its parts. Further, as Dr. Schwarz described, a respect for each individual's personal, or spiritual, role in the process leads to mutual accountability.

Farmer created a well defined sense of the purpose of PIH's work, values, purpose, ethical principles, and even an internal language. Even when he disagreed in the work that Jim Kim did at times, by having an interconnected path and similar set of views, Jim Kim was able to take a leadership role in his own way but still advance the impact of PIH and add to its legacy.

[Lindsey]

I like the direction that both Jacob and AJ have taken and I've been sitting here thinking about how/if it can apply on a larger scale. I think one of the things that make small business models or movements feel so good is the perception that its parts gladly move together, of their individual free will, toward a greater goal. The successes we see using these models are always inspiring to those of us who fancy ourselves future leaders. Jacob's going green idea is where I connected up to larger endeavors--isn't Walmart trying to market greener/organic products of late? Not to be a Debbie downer, but I see this as big business using the emotional power of shared purpose for marketing rather than true spiritual leadership. While they may be going green, Walmart has had plenty of trouble treating its employees fairly, let alone as individuals.
The tough thing about these huge corporations is that their size (to me) precludes them from fostering any environment that truly nurtures its employees' growth and betterment through their work. My wonder is: Is there a way to scale up without losing the 'spirit'?

[Adriel]

I cant really see how we could describe a company like Wal-Mart as "spiritual", but Jacob and I have been doing a pretty well known workout program called Crossfit. It has become pretty big both nationally and globally. Some people follow the program religiously and really live their life by their motto "forging elite fitness". From their ridiculous diets to multiple Work outs a day. I think this, in a sense, is pretty spiritual.

[Weaver]

I was thinking about Lindsey's point about Walmart and other large corporations using the emotions of their employees and customers as a marketing tactic. Look at foreign-owned Chrysler's Super Bowl ad, featuring Marshall Mathers, III. The themes of Detroit (the good, the bad, and the ugly), its people, and their struggles and tenacity were, for me at least, much more memorable than the midsize Chrysler 200 sedan, which was not even seen in full until the end of the commercial. To me, this ad was almost a sarcastic, post-apocalyptic follow-up to "What's good for GM is good for America," in which the remnants of the once powerful auto industry are using Detroit's favorite son to mobilize, energize, and unite the remaining residents of the city to fight a battle against some unknown force. I'm not an expert, but I doubt the 200 will be the game-changer that will bring Chrysler or Detroit back into its glory days. In fact, it seemed as if the car was forced into the end of a speech that was addressed to unify the people of Detroit and America behind the auto industry, which for decades has been the center of Detroit's economic, social, and political livelihood, as it tries to reassert itself following bankruptcy. To me, this was clearly an attempt to make a company appear spiritual, both for its benefit and the benefit of the people working for it.

[Weaver]

[Kelly B]

The previous posts have provided a lot of food for thought, which has led me to think about some of my previous jobs at large and small companies. Right after graduating from DUKE I worked at Starbucks and John Deere, both of which are massive, global companies. Based on the previous posts and given the size and financial motivations of both these companies I guess one would expect them to be without significant cohesion or "spiritual" direction. However, in the short time I spent as an employee at both companies, I really felt like I was a worthwhile and significant part of a larger team, working in my small way to make a difference for the company. On the other hand, during my time off before starting medical school, I also worked at 2 smaller, pharmaceutical-industry related companies, one of which had less than 70 employees. At both of these companies I pretty much felt like a drone at a bee hive, doing what I was told, without feeling like I was a part of anything bigger. There was no sense individuality or the opportunity to grow as an employee or as a person. That being said, I wonder if the "spirituality" and cohesiveness of an organization is not just related to it's size, but maybe to the industry it services. John Deere and Starbucks, both large companies, have service-oriented mottos that put their customers at the heart of their work, while Cato Research and CGIRB, both smaller companies, service large pharmaceutical companies that are all about the bottom-line cost value.

[Megan]

Seeking to incorporate spirituality speaks to the importance of recognizing that those who are under one’s leadership are not required to have the same exact meaning behind the shared ‘destination/accomplishment’ in mind. Instead, it is recognizing how each member has the potential to contribute/shape/support the ‘journey’ along the way – allowing for creativity, quality, and even enjoyment of the journey itself. This is where I agree with many of the previous posts. It’s much easier for a leader to pay attention to the details and quality of a ‘community’ if the community is smaller (and/or really well organized). It’s also easier for the leader to connect with members of that community if there is a common goal in mind because it opens the door for connecting in a way that lends to motivation. Furthermore, receiving constructive feedback maintains that motivation and allows members to esteem their contributions to the larger effort.

Farmer’s advocacy for the poor, I would argue, is most effective when he appeals to the common overarching goals he has with others, regardless of if they attribute the same meaning to reaching those goals. Not every person who contributes to PIH has the same drastic outlook or desire to reach out to the impoverished as Farmer. To them, donating could mean anything from “it’s a good cause” to “I have a little money left over, so why not?” to “well, if you’re going to play the guilt card” to “what else do you need? It’s yours”…; you get the idea. The point is, Farmer is considered a rather effective leader due to the profound impact he has had through PIH in Haiti and elsewhere across the globe; but, it has taken every single contribution of time and money to reach that goal and to sustain the efforts of PIH. An effort may be able to take root, but it cannot be adequately maintained for long without appealing to spirituality.

[Doug]

I think there are really two discussions to be had on topics that, although related, cannot be conflated without losing an important distinction. The distinction I feel is critical to this conversation is to decide whether spirituality is defined as a religious or "spiritual" feeling/phenomenon or defined as a motivating force uniting a group of people working toward a common goal.

If we are discussing the first of the two, spirituality is one arbitrarily chosen method of unification among many; the consequences of introducing it into the workplace will vary widely based on the composition of the group in question and the beliefs and attitudes of the individual members. Perhaps the most useful function of "spirituality" in the workplace would be to ensure a group with relatively homogeneity by driving away potential members with dissenting views. However, homogeneous groups are prone to collapse under conditions that challenge their shared world view.

On the other hand, we could define "spirituality" in broader terms (encompassing even the first definition) as any motivating force uniting a group of individuals working toward a common goal. This seems to be a pursuit with great promise for the group in question. Any time a community is able to unite around shared values, increased productivity in meeting those goals is ensured, particularly when dogma and conformity are avoided. However, this definition of "spirituality" strains the meaning of the term, I would argue, past the breaking point. The benefits of such a motivating force and best practices for fostering its growth and maintenance are discussions worth having, but perhaps using more precise language.

[Angie]

First, I just wanted to play devil's advocate with Doug's two definitions of spiritiality. Since the first definition of spirituality (as a religious or spiritual phenomenon) is included in the second definition (as a uniting force), I do not see how one can say that the first will collapse with challenges to their world view. It would seem that in both definitions of spirituality, the groups would grow stronger with challenges if they are truly united.

Secondly, it seems that the general definition of spirituality as defined by the original quotation is really just a central dogma or vision that is shared by the organization and its members. It reminds me of my work with Teach for America because it is very goal oriented--from the day to day academic or behavioral goals for individual students to the 15 year plan for the organization as a whole. However, the most important part of the goal is the deeper meaning for the future of individual students and the educational system as a whole. Even when Teach for America recruits its members, they ensure that each person that wants to join is tied emotionally to the cause of closing the achievement gap. As each member continues in the organization, there are always reminders of this deep "spiritual" drive behind the organization.

Just like organizations devoted to "Going Green" or Farmer appealing to common goals he shares with others to ask for donations, it is the overall "Big Goal" or vision that seems to provide that "spiritual" element to a good leader.

[Adam]

All of you have made important points.
Some additional thoughts:
I think most of us agree that spirituality in our lives is important- that we believe in or desire something beyond ourselves.
For many people, a spiritual approach involves faith and religion.
For others, it is a common vision that commits itself to helping others achieve their greatest potential.
Both can co-exist, but we frequently don't talk about our vision or work in these terms with colleagues in medicine.

A commitment to helping medical students, and you specifically, achieve your leadership potential underlies a great deal of my approach and desire to teaching this course.

The serious discusion of this issue as you have done shows it can infuse our lives, our work and our discussions with each other.
Thank you to all the excellent and challenging thoughts put out there thus far.

[Adam]

I wanted to spark a discussion thread on one issue that we have not yet dealved into - how DO we foster this type of leadership with one another on a daily basis?

A few suggestions from my experience and few observations from Mountains Beyond Mountains. Feel free to add your own.

1. Focus on the meaning, intent and direction of words you use and others use every day. For instance, try to make sure that your words are used to elevate people and not bring them down- gossip is like a poison arrow really- once unleashed, it cannot be taken back- lowers the perosn mentioned and you too. If you hear others gossiping, object or move away- it also brings you down just to hear it.
2. Read books about these topics- I just read one this past weekend called "Have a Little Faith" by Mitch Albom- reinforced what I want to do
3. Incorporate a desire for spiritual leadership somehow in your vision
4. Ask others what they want to achieve- today, tomorrow and next week- ask them then if you can help them in any way?
5. I think Tracey Kidder actually displays incredible spiritual leadership in his writing and actions about PIH.

[Cameron]

Building on Dr. Goldstein's ideas I agree that daily spiritual leadership can be achieved through service. Finding out the goals of your mentees and doing whatever you can do to help them reach their goals is powerful. From the viewpoint of the mentee it is like having your prayers answered. I've experienced that personally from being a mentee so I try to replicate that when I am in the role of mentor. Selflessness to me is ulitmate spirituality in action. That and prayer. Being selfless will give you the opportunity to be there for someone else, which takes sacrifice, but the potential pain or loss with that sacrifice can birth something even greater than had that person not taken that opportunity to make it. One mentor of mine gave the example that when you cut into your study time to take the time to mentor someone who needs you, you will actually return to your books reinvigorated and actually get more done than before if you had not done it. I noticed that statement to hold true in college and in medical school.

[DeAnna M]

This is a very interesting topic and question. I think that not only is spirituality have a religious component, but it is also who you are “having a good spirit”. I think when you are a leader it is important to realize that you are not alone and there is a higher power. You should always be aware of how your attitude and actions are affecting others. I think every action that you take goes back to who you are and the confidence you have in yourself. When you have a strong spiritual foundation, this often all comes together and seen in your every action as a person and as a leader.

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