If they choose to, business leaders can get all kinds of advice about how to steer their companies from books, conferences, and even magazines like this one. They can read about the attributes they must embody to inspire their institutions and their workforces. They can read about how to manage their time to develop a more conscious, thoughtful approach to their impact on others and become an inspiring role model. Recently, however, a small but growing cohort of leaders has gone further: They have been willing to open up about the spiritual foundations that guide their actions and outlook.
We are operating in an increasingly uncertain and unpredictable business and social environment. The unprecedented pace of change and the resulting sense of a lack of control are putting considerable strain on leaders trying to shepherd their organizations through volatility. The great uncertainty about the direction of AI adds another stressor.
At any time, but especially during times like these, seeking answers to dynamically complex issues solely through external sources of insight can be limiting and leave us feeling ill-equipped to deal with an uncertain future.
Leaders who can tune into their inner worlds through the pursuit of spiritual practices develop the ability to accurately define their current reality, lead more consciously, and tap into the wisdom that lies within us all, should we choose to access it. By spiritual, we don’t necessarily mean being part of an organized religion. One doesn’t necessarily correlate with the other. The spiritual attunement that leaders need can’t be based on external sources. Instead, it can be cultivated gradually by pursuing four qualities: character, mastery, wisdom, and equanimity.
Character
Character refers to the essential traits that define a person and is reflected in personal and professional conduct. The traits underlying impeccable character include honesty and kindness in speech, not stealing or cheating, not always focusing on personal gain, abstaining from sexual misconduct, and not willfully harming others. Abuse of intoxicating substances or other addictive behavior makes it hard to stay true to all four qualities and operate in a thoughtful and intentional manner.
Character hinges on carefully minding our physical, vocal, and mental actions. As the saying goes, “Watch your thoughts, they become your words; watch your words, they become your actions.” A leader’s words are significant and have an amplifying effect—unwinding them is terribly difficult.
As we have seen, leaders who are put on pedestals can quickly fall from grace because of unethical behavior. They might deceive others through exaggeration or withholding information, losing the trust of stakeholders.
Conversely, truth tellers who prioritize the collective benefit of stakeholders can last longer and create greater impact over time. Building character that makes a leader trustworthy, praiseworthy, and an inspiring role model requires spotless discipline at all times—including in one’s personal life. Living a virtuous life is hardly a trivial task. The forces of greed, hatred, lust, delusion, and ego can easily overpower us in moments of vulnerability.
Upholding the traits that define character starts with deep personal commitment and constant vigilance. It’s important to support this effort by surrounding ourselves with others who share these values. It can be just as important to avoid the company of those likely to lead you astray from your chosen code of conduct.
Mastery
While mastery in one’s chosen profession is certainly crucial to success, mastery over one’s mind is deeper and equally critical. An untamed mind is inherently distractible and can lead us toward negative outcomes. Mind mastery is essential to focusing all our attention and energy on the task at hand.
At a strategic level, mastery enables us to retain a holistic perspective when dealing with complexity and breaking a problem down into its key components. Mastery over our minds also allows us to follow the personal and professional codes of conduct we have chosen to embody. Without the ability to control our minds, we are more likely to fall prey to the negative tendencies that derail our intention to live a life of purity and purpose.
A 2010 study from Harvard psychologists Matthew Killingsworth and Daniel Gilbert showed that nearly half the time we are trying to focus on an activity—such as listening, analyzing, or planning—our minds wander.1 We find ourselves reminiscing about happy moments from the past or brooding over unfortunate incidents. We may be fantasizing about exciting future possibilities or obsessing about dreadful outcomes. While mentally preoccupied and distracted, we ignore the activity, action, or individual we meant to address, fail to maintain a neutral disposition toward an unfolding situation, or struggle to assess an opportunity or someone’s potentially valuable point of view. With true mind mastery, we can singularly focus on an activity, idea, or person without bias or judgment, retaining the freedom to act without prejudice, fear, greed, or self-centeredness.
Wisdom
A simple definition of wisdom is the ability to discern right from wrong, and to choose (and guide others) to make good choices in life and at work. Of course, exercising sound judgment is vital for any leader. Through practices that foster a deeper connection among mind, body, and purpose, the spiritually minded leader draws from the well of inner wisdom that governs their actions and choices.
This wisdom is innate in all of us if we can still the mind of its agitations and allow the purity in our thoughts to emerge. A jar of churning, muddy water makes room for clear water to emerge on top and silt to settle at the bottom only when it is kept still for some time. Likewise, the agitation that keeps us from accessing genuine wisdom can be tamed only with mental stillness.
Wisdom greatly improves our choices, of course. But it also deepens our insights into both familiar and unfamiliar tenets, such as the following:
- Change is the only constant—an experiential recognition that all universal phenomena are transitory by nature.
- The idea that we can be in full control of our life’s outcomes is an illusion.
- An unhealthy attachment to our sense of self or to views we hold dear can lead to agitation when that identity or those beliefs are challenged.
- Success and failure can be equally satisfying or unsatisfying, depending on what we value.
- An obsessive pursuit of “more” will never lead to inner fulfillment or contentment.
Leaders who have internalized such insights through lived experiences or deep inner work are more likely to guide their workforces to approach work and life more reflectively and to avoid making poor decisions for themselves and their organizations.
Equanimity
Equanimity is even-mindedness, calm, and an unshakable balance through all our ups and downs. Often confused with ambivalence, passivity, or indifference, it is actually a grounded, active approach to life’s vicissitudes.
Cultivating equanimity through chaos is a quality that distinguishes the best leaders. Today, organizations regularly make choices about strategy and execution with far less clarity about the future than before. New data, unexpected risks, geopolitical shifts, and disruptive technologies bursting onto the scene mean leaders may have to pivot constantly.
In such times of unprecedented uncertainty, workers hunger more than ever for clear guidance from their leaders. Only a leader with a balanced mind can offer them a balanced vision, helping ensure that actions and decisions do not come from a place of fear, anxiety, or self-centeredness.
An equanimous leader can set a future direction that is both adaptable and rooted in a company’s institutional purpose and values. They are also able to cultivate compassion toward those with opposing ideas and even toward those who test their patience with harmful words or actions. Leaders who can discern honest, helpful critiques from ones driven by malice or anger can help make constructive dialogue the norm and bring colliding ideas together in ways that most benefit the organization.
Practice makes purpose
Leaders who want to build character, pursue mastery, generate wisdom, and cultivate equanimity have several practices that can help them on their journey. The goal is to connect deeply with their inner realm and emerge with a personal leadership model rooted in purity and purpose.
While practices such as meditation offer the most direct route to inner connection and insight, other centering techniques can also still the mind. Journaling, nature walks, and immersive hobbies can help people discover that wellspring of innate wisdom that is often overshadowed by external stimuli and mundane pursuits.
One element that often emerges from such inner exploration is a clearer personal sense of purpose. Once this purpose is anchored in a leader’s mind, it allows them to think and act with greater clarity and conviction. It also has the cascading effect of energizing peer leaders and motivating the workforce toward collective action.
Leaders who would consider such inner exploration should start by asking themselves a set of questions to assess their own “spiritual quotient”:
- Character. What is my personal value system, and is it reflected in my daily habits and manner of engaging with others?
- Mastery. What methods am I (or should I be) using to pursue self-mastery in my professional and personal life?
- Wisdom. What belief system or insights guide my ability to act in line with my purpose?
- Equanimity. What helps me stay balanced in the face of turbulence, uncertainty, and criticism?
The goal is to find the techniques that help you build these four qualities and discover a more purpose-driven, holistic approach to leading yourself and others. Leaders who can connect with their inner worlds show up with a more coherent approach to governing themselves and guiding others. They become more likely to inspire their workforces and advance their organizations in a positive and thoughtful manner.
Related Articles
How leaders can tap the power of vulnerability
