SOUL OF LEADERSHIP
SOUL OF LEADERSHIP – BASIL SPRINGER COLUMN WHICH APPEARED IN THE BARBADOS ADVOCATE’S BUSINESS MONDAY ON OCTOBER 21, 2013
“This God – His way is perfect; the promise of the Lord proves true; He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him.” – Psalm 18:30
The universe we live in is governed by divine spiritual laws. Sometimes our egos get the better of us and we are tempted to create our own laws and inevitably we encounter an inconsistency and our laws let us down. Many of us keep repeating mistakes, others rise to the occasion and seek refuge in the network of divine governance which is there to be accessed whenever we want.
This week, as I was reflecting on the changing scenes of my life and readjusting my sights to my new horizons, I was presented with 10 spiritual affirmations which read as follows: (1) I am successful in everything I do, (2) My life is filled with abundance, (3) Every cell in my body vibrates with positive energy, (4) I am worthy of love, (5) I easily manifest my dreams, (6) I am calm and relaxed in every situation, (7) Money flows freely and abundantly into my life, (8) My potential is limitless, (9) My heart is a magnet that attracts more of everything I desire and (10) I radiate love and happiness every single day. I keep these affirmations handy so that I can revisit them daily.
This took me back almost 10 years when I was interviewed by Chester Connell of CBC Radio. He questioned me on the sequence of events in my life which led up to the recognition that spiritual capital should be included in a country’s capital asset base along with intellectual, social, cultural, human, natural, physical and financial capital.
I indicated the following: I had a Christian upbringing, the principles of which remained with me. I was exposed to ‘The Power of Positive Thinking’ by the Rev. Norman Vincent Peale, as a teenager, and about 30 years ago I read ‘The Ten Demandments of Prosperity – Dynamics of Successful Living’ by Dr. Stuart Grayson. More recently, I have been influenced by the presentations of Pastor A.R. Bernard of Christian Cultural Center of Brooklyn, New York.
One of the major influencers in my life is Dr. Deepak Chopra whose work is steeped in both Western and Eastern philosophies and he today directs The Chopra Foundation in Costa Del Mar, California. He is the author of more than 60 books, many of them best sellers. The first Chopra book that I read was ‘Ageless Body, Timeless Mind’. This book totally consumed my attention like no other book had done before. In the mid-80s, I was privileged to attend a weekend seminar in New Jersey with Chopra with my Aunt Iris, who is now a nonagenarian still comfortably reading and observing in the New York-New Jersey area.
All of these influences have molded my philosophy of living today. After reflecting on this sequence, we addressed the question: ‘What is the purpose of life?’ I shared with him the principles which guide my own life, which are: communicating with God; being of service to others; and identifying that which is unique about me and using it in the service of others.
I have found that repeating the above affirmations on a daily basis, puts me into a mindset that harmonises with the spiritual environment.
This weekend, as a sequel to the affirmations, I was invited to watch, on YouTube, a lecture in a series at LinkedIn’s headquarters by Deepak Chopra which was based on his new book “The Soul of Leadership: Unlocking Your Potential for Greatness”.
A review of the book reads: “Leadership is the most crucial choice one can make – it is the decision to step out of darkness into the light. Bestselling author and spiritual guide Deepak Chopra invites you to become the kind of leader most needed today: a leader with vision who can make that vision real. Chopra has been teaching leadership to CEOs and other top executives for eight years, and the path outlined in The Soul of Leadership applies to any business, but the same principles are relevant in every community and area of life, from family and home to school, place of worship, and neighborhood.” “At the deepest level”, Chopra writes, “a leader is the symbolic soul of a group.”
The review goes on to say: “With clear, practical steps, you are led through the crucial skills outlined in the acronym L-E-A-D-E-R-S: L= Look and Listen; E = Emotional Bonding; A = Awareness; D = Doing; E = Empowerment; R = Responsibility; and S = Synchronicity. After identifying your own soul profile and the core values you want to develop, you can use these seven skills to allow your potential for greatness to emerge. Only from the level of the soul, Chopra contends, are great leaders created. Once that connection is made, you have unlimited access to the most vital qualities a leader can possess: creativity, intelligence, organising power, and love.
“The Soul of Leadership aims to fill the most critical void in contemporary life, the void of enlightened leaders. ‘You can be such a leader,’ Chopra promises. ‘The path is open to you. The only requirement is that you learn to listen to your inner guide.’ In this unique handbook you are shown how to do just that, in words as practical as they are uplifting. The future is unfolding at this very minute, and the choice to lead it lies with each of us, here and now.”
Caribbean leaders in the public and private sectors would do well to avail themselves of any opportunity to read Chopra’s latest book and to listen to his engaging presentations on YouTube.
(Dr. Basil Springer GCM is Change-Engine Consultant, Caribbean Business Enterprise Trust Inc. – CBET – Columns are archived at www.cbetmodel.org).