Soul at Work: Spiritual Leadership in Organizations

by Margaret Benefiel

Dozens of books about spirituality and management have demonstrated the yearning for spirituality in the workplace that exists in people like Kerry Hamilton. No longer content to abide the widening chasm between their deeply-held values and the all-too-common business practices they encounter, these readers long for congruence between their values and their work. They wonder whether the days of the giants of corporate character like Johnson & Johnson, businesses who believed that integrity and profitability could co-exist, are gone for good. Are we living in a state of business and organizational entropy? Are we doomed to endless repetition of the Enron, Worldcom, and Global Crossing scandals? Must integrity and profitability now be opposed? What has happened to American business, healthcare, and non-profits in the last forty years?

Soul at Spiritual Leadership in Organizations demonstrates vividly that another way is possible, based on the contemporary restoration of the partnership between integrity and profitability. It translates the core of what companies like Johnson and Johnson stood for forty years ago into contemporary forms. Through compelling stories of contemporary businesses, healthcare organizations, and nonprofits, Soul at Work shows how integrity, profitability, and personal and organizational transformation are all of a piece.

Genres: Spirituality, Business, Leadership, Nonfiction

159 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2005

About the author

"Soul of a Leader" with Dr. Margaret Benefiel

In your leadership roles (at work, at home, in your faith community, etc.), do you feel isolated, misunderstood, or on the edge of burnout? Is your soul withering under the strain of the demands on you?

From Dr. Margaret Benefiel's talk on her new book, "The Soul of a Leader", you'll learn:
How to be your best self as a leader
How to keep your soul thriving in the midst of the demands on you
How to recognize which strains are normal and which are the danger signals of burnout
How to use the challenges of leadership to develop as a leader and to develop your organization
Simple practices you can use to be a more effective leader

This event is for parents, committee chairs, and teachers, as well as for CEOs, and government leaders. Whatever your sphere of influence is, come learn how to be a more effective and fulfilled leader within that sphere.

Dr. Margaret Benefiel teaches at Andover Newton Theological School in Boston. She is the CEO of ExecutiveSoul.com, working as a consultant and trainer with businesses, nonprofits, healthcare agencies, and churches on the intersection between spirituality and business. She is the author of "Soul at Work: Spiritual Leadership in Organizations" as well as her new book, "The Soul of a Leader: Finding Your Path to Success and Fulfillment." She has keynoted everything from the Missouri Hospital Association Annual Meeting to the Business Ethics Conference of the European Ethics Association. She lives in Boston."

Reviews

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful read with congregation council! I especially appreciated that it was not FOR church settings necessarily, but too often soul tending is assumed but absent. Individual and organizational discernment processes and spiritual transformation patterns were especially helpful. There was plenty of room for conversation as well as practice in using this book for grounding time. I highly recommend as a resource for leadership groups to work through together!

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very thoughtful book about organizations whose reasons for existence go beyond the norm. There are great specifics about leadership and organizational practices and powerful connections to the human quest for meaning and excellence. Wonderful!

[Shar · Rating 3 out of 5]

An i teresting take on conducting organizational action around the turnkey of spirituality.

[Susanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as part of an assignment and I actually chose this one because I found it generally the most appealing. the stories were funny and actually triggered a lot of ideas also besides the concept of soul at work for me. Though I felt the whole book was focusing too much on religion. Except the conclusion was amazing and really put everything for me in a nutshell.
I believe this is an important read for everyone who thinks about changing his or her organization in this way as there are a lot of real life examples to draw from.

[Gail]

I just started reading this book. Found out about it on a notice that the author is coming to Chelmsford Public Library. I am especially interested in the possibilities that there are really instances where one's spirituality and way of being can integrate into the workplace.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book did not excite me. It was okay...loved the stories about Southwest Airlines, but the rest were not all that compelling to me.

[Drshar · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important read with executives in round table discussions on work and spirituality.