Spirituality in Organizational Strategy - Essay Example

? Unit Introduction Summary For one to be a leader, he or she should have a guiding purpose or vision. Additionally, he should have a clear mind of what he wants to achieve personally and professionally. He pursues his goals despite the setbacks in the organization. Spirituality in an organization is essential. Senior leaders of the organization should be able to embrace it strategically and use it as a determinant of organizational performance. A leader should have emotional intelligence which will help support the spirituality of an organization. Casey claims that if a leader does not have emotional intelligence, it will be hard for him of her to embrace spirituality in his organization (34-46). Recently, there has been a major debate on business and spirituality, where many leaders have advocated for a link between issues of the soul and corporate success. However, there is some irony in this spirituality and business juxtaposition if a leader decides to reflect upon the signs of corporate scandals that have been brought by multiple legal and ethical lapses that occur in any organization. However, one would be cynical to think that spirituality phenomenon is a reason of many contradictions in organizations. This paper aims to explain why spirituality in an organization is strategically important and how leaders can use it as a determinant of organizational performance. Leaders often doubt spirituality that is used outside any religious meetings, and therefore, this paper will discuss useful objectives that can be internalized into an organization strategy and how organizational leadership can affect their success. A leader is someone who is capable of influencing his followers to behave or think the same way. Spirit on the other hand, can be defined as a vital force within living beings. If we combine the two terms, it suggests that a leader is someone who can understand and seek out his inner self as well as fosters the same meaning to his employees. Srivastra asserts that spirituality in leadership is an approach in leadership where a leader will strive to influence a sense of interconnectedness and significance among his employees (45-67). Spirituality in leadership therefore, involves principles and spiritual values in the workplace. If a leader is spiritual he will understand the significance of employees finding meaning in the work, which demonstrate a genuine concern for the particular person and not just workers. Spirituality in leadership will help assist employees find meaning in their duties by addressing important questions like the great purpose of their work as well as the worth of their work. Additionally, it will help them in defining their ethical values and principles, legacy and who they are in the organization. Therefore, a spiritual leader will try hard to make his workplace a community, consisting of employees with shared beliefs, values and traditions. Such leadership will also focus more diversity and transformation, rather than on people and power as well as controlling. It will also focus on inspiration and collaboration (Nandam 23-46). However, this does not mean that being a spiritual leader, a leader should adhere to a particular religion or attempt to convince his employees to pursue specific religious set of principles. It is concerned more with the growth of the workers as an individual person, people who show off their compassion to their customers, superiors, employees and subordinates (Bubna 34-88). Spirituality in an organization is important because the employers in the workplace will be able to find the meaning of their lives. In the world today, most of the employees look up to their workplace as one of the ways of defining their lives as well as give meaning to their lives that is torn apart by modern way of living. For example, back then people lived as close knit family, including their extended family, but the world today has changed because nuclear family is not enough to give an employee emotional support and therefore, finds solace at their work place to help them give meaning into their lives. Lack of spiritual leadership has led to loss of connectedness and identity in employees’ lives, because the work place does not provide a place for maturity, self-understanding, and personal growth (Bolman 23-66). Basically, people tend to find solace in spirituality and as a way of self identity. Therefore, spiritual leadership will help find a sense of connection and identity in their workplace. They will be able to spend longer periods in one place and their careers because they find solace in their workplace. Workplace in any organization should not be only a place where employee works, but a place where people will be able to socialize, find a sense of fulfillment and form friendships. Additionally, it should also be a place where employees will attempt to find meaning of their work from their daily activities that fit within their fabric of individual lives. Casey claims that both spirituality in the workplace and leadership are some of problems which affects the quality of life in any organization (34-46). Therefore, senior leadership can internationalize spirituality in an organization by; influencing their employees to have a strong sense of spirituality that will affect their emotions, attitudes and behaviors positively. Leaders can also influence their subordinates to pursue spirituality in their own lives by, increasing approach on empathy, encouragement, service and empathy. Srivastra contends that the greatest aspect of leadership is where leaders assist their employees find purpose and meaning in their work as well as fosters a sense of community among them (45-67). Therefore, senior leadership should be able to come up with spiritual programs that will help their employees find purpose in their day to day duties. Bolman (23-66), claims that spirituality in leadership does not involve a chain of command or directives, but rather transformational leadership, which will help his followers, and values of an organization contribute to worthwhile and valuable goals. There are also two sets of leadership approach that are closely related to the perception of spiritual leadership. For example, servant leadership is where leaders include stewardship, commitment to professionalism, spiritual and personal growth of their employees. It will also be in consistent with aspects of religion. On the other hand, a transformational leader will focus on the charisma to being an effective leader. Therefore, for spiritual leadership to occur in an organization, senior leaders should opt for servant leadership where they will incorporate spiritual ideas in their organization An organization that embraces spiritual leadership will help in creating a workplace that is more humane in the sense that it provides a sense or shared and community purpose. Additionally, it will also lead to a great perception of trust, commitment among the workers, and organizational support which have a positive effect on the performance of the organization. However, as Bolman (23-66) claims, spirituality in leadership should not be perceived as a tool for creating positive organization outcomes, but rather as a genuine belief on the part of senior leadership. In any organization, senior leadership can affect the success of the organization as well as employees growth. If an organization is not based in spiritual leadership of an organization, then the employees will not be able to work as a community towards the success of a common goal. As Bolman (23-66) claims, spiritual leadership helps the leaders to have a feeling of empathy where by they are concerned with their subordinates needs and feelings. They are also able to develop their abilities, in addition to, leveling new opportunities and ideas as well as politically aware of their employee’s structure and needs. To add to this, if an organization does not have spiritual leadership, it will end up spending more time and effort in activities that are not productive because leaders do not have trust on their employees and therefore, opt for drawing procedures even for simple things. There will also be a lack of creativity if there is no trust in an organization since the employees will be busy protecting their own backs. Conclusion Spirituality in an organization is strategically valuable, in the sense that it helps influence a sense of interconnectedness and significance among the employees. Additionally, it helps defines principles and spiritual values in the workplace. If a leader is spiritual he will understand the significance of employees finding meaning in the work, which demonstrate a genuine concern for the particular person and not just workers. It also helps in creating a workplace that is more humane in the sense that it provides a sense of shared and common purpose. However, leaders can internationalize spiritual leadership by providing a transformational leadership which will help their followers and values of an organization contribute to worthwhile and valuable goals. . If an organization is not based in spiritual leadership the employees will not be able to work as a community towards the success of a common goal Work Cited Bolman, L.G., and T.E. Deal. "Reframing Ethics and Spirit." Business Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003, Pg 23-66 Bubna-Litic, D. Spirituality and corporate social responsibility: Interpenetrating worlds. Farnham, England: Gower. (2009), Pg 34-88.Pri Casey, C. Critical analysis of organizations: Theory, practice, revitalization. London: SAGE. (2001). Pg 34-46, Print Srivastva, S. Organizational wisdom and executive courage. San Francisco, Calif: New Lexington Press.(1998), Pg 45-67, Print. Nandram, Sharda S. Spirituality and Business: Exploring Possibilities for a New Management Paradigm. Berlin: Springer, 2010, Pg 23-46, Print. Read More