Until recently, mentioning spirituality in the context of work, management or leadership sounded like a proselytising process, an attempt at converting the workplace to a religious domain.

Yet, the notion of spirituality - not the same thing as religion - is today penetrating into various aspects of our life. Among these is the accelerating call for spirituality in the workplace since it reflects a universal human need.

More researchers and authors are focusing their studies on applying spirituality to specific fields at personal, group and organisational levels. International conferences, both academic and professional, are offering an increasing number of sessions with the word 'spirituality' in their title.

In particular, there is a new openness in management and leadership to the recognition of our spiritual nature.

Leaders are becoming more and more concerned about integrating their spirituality in their work, realising that such an integration leads to positive changes in their relationships and effectiveness.

Spirituality

The term spirituality is hard to define because it involves objectifying and categorising an experience and a way of being which at its core is very subjective. It is the vital principle or animating force within us; that which gives real sense and meaning to something.

Spirituality is to be distinguished from religion. Religion includes beliefs, rules, structures, institutions and tradition. Spirituality is about the inner journey, it is a highly personal experience. There is an experience of a force greater and beyond the individual.

In the workplace, spirituality is expressed as a set of shared values, attitudes and behaviours within a work organisation. But there is no adherence to a particular religion or institution. Rather it empowers and facilitates one's spiritual growth in everyday life.

Spiritual leadership is a holistic approach to leadership which incorporates body, mind, heart, and spirit. Its goal is to "create vision and value congruence across the strategic team, and individual levels" (Louis Fry, Toward a theory of spiritual leadership). Ultimately, it fosters higher levels of organisational commitment and productivity.

The spiritual leader appeals to an intrinsic motivation of the followers by inspiring them towards a faith/hope vision and altruistic love. He or she does this through personal example in words and deeds.

We are here dealing with an ethics- and a value-based leadership model. In the case of companies, through spiritual leadership a whole organisational development and transformation occurs. In a way, this approach resembles Stephen Covey's famous "principle-centred leadership".

In reality, leadership should facilitate the discovery of spirituality. When leaders are operating at a spiritual level, they consider their leadership from a position of being, rather than doing. The spiritual development of the individual and the organisation becomes a necessity not a luxury.

Leading from a spiritual perspective

In practice, how does all this apply to leadership at the personal, group, organisational and society level? Here are some suggestions which leaders may find helpful in implementing a spiritual approach in the organisation they lead:

• Encourage employees to see their work as a spiritual path, an opportunity to grow personally and to contribute to society in a meaningful way;

• Help them develop integrity, honesty, authenticity and to live their values more fully in the workplace;

• Design organisational structures which support the spiritual growth of employees;

• Organise a residential retreat for your top executives, inviting them to share their spiritual journey and their work journey;

• Have a 'silent room' at the workplace where employees can spend a few quiet minutes when things get too stressful;

• Know yourself: Self-awareness helps you reflect on your leadership style, to examine your decisions and actions, and to assess your behaviour in terms of your deepest held values;

• Be congruent and authentic: Be yourself and don't just play a role. Let your employees see the more human, vulnerable part of you without fear of losing your power. Let your employees feel free to express their feelings and ideas;

• Trust your 'inner voice': in your choices and decisions, listen attentively to what the deeper self within you indicates to you;

• Maintain a spiritual practice, like spending time in nature, meditation, prayer, writing your journal, listening to music, reading inspirational literature, practicing yoga, focusing, etc. You become calmer, more centred, creative and energetic.

We need to train and form leaders to develop knowledge, skills and attitudes to become spiritual leaders.

This task will be achieved not simply by offering special courses to acquire the necessary knowledge, nor merely by learning to practise certain leadership skills or techniques, but through an internal personal transformation, a conversion of the heart, and a radical change in one's attitudes, values and style.

Christian leadership

I would like to add a note on leadership in the Christian context, besides spirituality in general. What I have already said is compatible with our Christian faith. Most of it is already found in the Christian tradition and corresponds to humanistic values.

What in spirituality may be considered as a source of energy in our life and in the universe, for us that would correspond to a transcendent divine power we call a loving, personal God.

Specifically for Christians, Christ turns out to be the model of a leader who taught and lived the principles, values and practices mentioned. This is quite well illustrated in a book called Jesus CEO by Laurie Jones.

The author shows how Jesus, as a spiritual leader, put into practice the qualities of an ideal CEO. To cite only a few examples: "He communicated a vision to his followers, declared his mission, established an action plan, formed a team, was aware of his resources, led by example, had internal anchors, was transparent and open to people and to their ideas."

To these I would also add: "He had clear goals to accomplish and enabled his followers to achieve them together with him, He recruited personnel and gave them solid training in view of the objectives to be attained; He motivated and inspired his followers giving them a sense of direction; He developed good interpersonal relations, and he certainly took risks in being a creative innovator and agent of change."

Fr Darmanin is a clinical psychologist who specialised in the psychology of leadership and conducted several training workshops for leaders both locally and abroad.