The LYLT Program for Emerging as an Authentic Leader

is an acronym for

and rhymes with the word ‘lilt’

(The LYLT Program promises to be a lilting experience!)

can also stand for

The ‘T’ in

&

Take your pick… All three, if you like!

What is

?

A unique online mentoring course that

offers a spirituality-based self-discovery

route to leadership development

* First, embark on your spiritual journey by learning meditation & a set

of spiritual breathing routines

* Next, discover your true self through introspection and connecting

with your spirit

* And, evolve into an authentic leader by understanding the ‘connection’

between your breath and your thought –

Let it be known, at this stage, that

Spirituality at the Workplace (aka Spirit at Work)

&

Authentic Leadership

are considered to be ‘emerging hot’ concepts of

the day among management experts…

…concepts that are being tested out and

successfully implemented in companies

large and small, all over the world…

…and are becoming topics for serious

research in leading b-schools.

But why have these concepts gained

importance, in the first place?

Here are some ‘obvious’ reasons:

Executive burnout, mid-life crises, lack of job

satisfaction, cut-throat competition,

malfeasance (at both organizational and

individual level), and that ever-present poser,

“Why this?”

The need for Spirituality at the Workplace

and Authentic Leadership is best captured

by this little story…

When Amory Houghton was to take over as CEO of Corning

Glass (now Corning Inc.), he received this piece of advice,

DECISIONS BASED ON

CORE VALUES

REGULATIONS

STANDARDS

LAWS LAWS

“Your decisions will always be based on

two concentric circles. In the outer circle

are all the laws, the regulations, and the

standards. In the inner circle are your

“core values”. Just make sure the decisions

you make as CEO remain well within the

boundaries of the inner circle.”

How often, in recent times, have we come across CEOs

straying outside the inner circle… maybe just a wee bit

outside, you know… to start with. When this happens,

the core values get stretched beyond the critical point

that separates the contrived from the naturally altruistic.

One little straying leads to another and very soon, a CEO

is no longer merely tempted to take a shortcut; he has

become adept at cutting corners… as also some of the

people working for him.

This is what is all about…

Staying vs Straying!

…is scalar in structure and design

The bottom rung (the starting point) is the innermost circle depicted in the figure to the right – Meditation. You climb your way up the spiritual ladder, as it were, to a state of Mindfulness. From here, it is only one step way to emerging as an Authentic Leader.

can also be depicted thus…

Spirituality at the Workplace

At the outset, I am clearing a misconception…

Being spiritual and being religious are two entirely different and discrete things.

A person could, however, be spiritual and religious though it’s not necessary that one stems from the other.

I could be deeply spiritual but not necessarily religious, and vice versa.

(Understanding this is important).

Spirituality at the Workplace

A 1997 study (Chris Schaefer & Jeri Darling, Spirit at

Work Newsletter) showed that roughly 80% of people

who declared they were spiritual also said they were

not committed to any religion.

(This, in and of itself, should be a solid case for fostering spirituality at

the workplace.)

Spirituality at the Workplace

What is Spirit? The word ‘spirit’ comes from two Latin words,

spirare (to breathe – verb) and spiritus (the breath – noun).

Spirit is something that is closely related to PraNa (प्राण, in

Sanskrit), the universal life force energy.

Our spirit uniquely determines our individuality – who we are.

Spirituality at the Workplace

The spirit

- is ensconced within the physical body at birth

- gets released at the time of death

- is subject to repeated and successive ‘birth and death’

(In Oriental literature, this is called the ‘wheel of life’)

Spirituality at the Workplace

The primary purpose of life is to enable the spirit to break

away from the cycle of birth/death/rebirth so that it can

become one with the Universal Spirit.

This calls for the life-form to become sublime or spiritual…

To become one – to blend, to merge – with the Universal

Spirit

Spirituality at the Workplace

Everyone of us can become sublime or spiritual, if and when

we start to feel the ‘nudge’ (of the inner calling). Most of us

fail to pay heed to the inner calling.

Spirituality at the Workplace

Before we proceed further,

let me declare firmly that

is not for all and sundry.

Spirituality at the Workplace

Only those who can feel, within themselves, an

inner calling

can benefit and evolve to become more sublime.

Spirituality at the Workplace

It is believed that some of us have to undergo

a cataclysmic personal experience

to be able to tune in to the

inner calling.

Spirituality at the Workplace

Now, let’s get back to

understanding ‘spirituality’, from a

workplace perspective.

Spirituality at the Workplace

Physical

Mental

Emotional

Spiritual

How we take care of our body; building

immunity against disease & illness

Our feelings & what we do about them.

How we deal with conflict

Deep ‘inner connect’ & being in tune with

the Universe. Be of service to others

How we think, decide & act. Problem

solving; logic & rationale

Spirituality at the Workplace

Physical

Mental

Emotional

Spiritual

How we take care of our body; building immunity against disease and illness

Our feelings & what we do about them. How we deal with conflict

Deep ‘inner connect’ & being in tune with the Universe. Be of service to others

How we think, decide & act. Problem solving; logic & rationale

Spirituality at the Workplace

For those that allow their Spiritual Energy to govern the

other three levels (Emotional, Mental, and Physical),

several “Good Business Practices” begin to manifest

routinely – check out the list on the following page.

Spirituality at the Workplace

• Come to expect the best from co-workers and get it too

• Work co-operatively, willing to be of service to others

• Communicate openly, without a ‘hidden’ agenda

• Empower those around them and yet ‘be there’, if needed

• Display integrity and trust through word and deed

• Problem-solving through Lateral Thinking

Attributes of those that allow their Spiritual Energy to govern

the other three levels - Emotional, Mental, and Physical

• Think creatively and innovatively

• Listen actively

• Visualize the ‘big picture’

• Act fearlessly and open-mindedly

• Face adversity in a stoic manner

And, above all, passionate about their ‘purpose and mission’.

Now, let’s move on to the subject of

Authentic Leadership…

The LYLT Program’s focus is only on

Authentic Leadership…

Why?

The world over, in economies capitalist or socialist,

leadership appears to be preoccupied with

(as Dr. Fiona Beddoes-Jones puts it)

“greed, competitiveness, testosterone,

ego and power,

combined with lack of empathy and compassion”.

Dr. Fiona Beddoes-Jones has a very rare PhD – in Authentic Leadership!

Corporate character is being called into question, not only with financial issues

(such as stock management and corporations ignoring generally accepted accounting

procedures), but also with regard to human resource issues and business ethics,

environmental policies, human rights, corporate contributions, community

development and workplace success.

Consider this statement by Dr Marschke et al in the paper: Business

Executives & Professionals Identify Relationship Between Spirituality at

Work and Job Satisfaction (2008, H Wayne Huizenga B-School, FL):

A 2009 research (by Management Today & Institute of

Leadership & Management) threw up an interesting finding:

About a third of 5700 employees at various levels had

no trust or low trust in their managements.

Wonder how many respondents, in this study, said, “No comment”!

But, in their heart of hearts, …??

Isn’t it time we asked ourselves this question?

“At work, do I feel I am important?”

Or,

“Am I made to feel I am impotent?”

Thanks to flatter organizations, more

employees, across the board, begin to feel

they want to be part of something

‘meaningful and worthwhile’.

They end up realizing that any stated vision,

aim or mission of the organization is ‘hot air’.

It’s almost as if they count for very little!

This results in high levels of ‘occupational stress’.

W.H.O. terms workplace stress a worldwide epidemic.

Goes without saying, stress at work must

be nipped in the bud.

Failing this, the rot spreads rapidly,

weakening the very foundations of the

organization, in its wake.

Enter, the Authentic Leader…

For this very purpose.

What sets an Authentic Leader apart?

And what is Authentic Leadership?

Authentic Leadership involves inspiring (not motivating,

but inspiring) the people in an organization through

faith (not belief, but faith) based on a vision of service

to all stakeholders.

Three words stand out…

“inspiring” as against “motivating”,

“faith” as against “belief”,

and

“service” that is outrageously “no holds barred”

Those that lead based on these tenets

are Authentic Leaders

Attributes of an

Authentic Leader Dr. Laura Reave of the Univ.

of Western Ontario states:

“Values that have long been

considered spiritual ideals,

such as integrity, honesty,

and humility, have been

demonstrated to have an

effect on leadership

success.”

She lists the following attributes:

- showing respect for others

- demonstrating fair treatment,

- expressing caring and concern

- listening responsively

- recognizing the contributions of others

- and engaging in reflective practice.

Integrity

Unarguably, the one attribute

that is in most demand and perhaps,

found most wanting in

today’s dog-eat-dog world.

Integrity

Is Integrity Important?

Is Integrity Required?

Is Integrity Mandatory?

Integrity

Let’s take a close at what “integrity” is.

Then, you be the judge and answer the

three questions on the previous slide.

Integrity

Dictionary meanings of the word “integrity:

1. Adherence to moral and ethical principles;

Soundness of moral character; Honesty

2. The state of being whole, entire or undiminished

3. A sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition

Synonyms:

Rectitude, probity, virtue

Integrity

Just a gentle reminder, at this stage.

If you are wondering why we are harping on seemingly

non-business issues, stop awhile to think about all the

corporate scandals that have rocked the business world

in recent times, the world over.

Integrity

It’s almost as if corruption and malfeasance

have become the new buzzwords in business.

And compare this with the ‘mission statements’ below:

- We act with integrity in everything we do…

- Excellence is at the root of all we do; so is integrity…

- Our guiding principles are integrity and honesty…

- Integrity, sincerity, transparency in all we say and do…

Integrity

Can these two extremes co-exist?

Is it possible that in a company with integrity embedded

into its raison de vivre, as it were,

there can be elements that are corrupt and indulge in

deliberate acts of malfeasance?

And if yes, how and why?

In one early slide, we saw how leaders stray

outside the inner circle (knowingly?) but manage

to stay within the outer circle.

“We are on the right side of the law” –

they rationalize!

Integrity

For every CEO that gets caught with his hand

in the cookie jar, there must be many that

‘escape’ with their images intact, if not

enhanced.

The ones that manage to avoid the net are

the ones that actually get ‘glorified’ for

their derring-do.

Integrity

So, there you have it…

Three reasons why

covert corruption

may co-exist with

stated integrity.

1. Rationalizing

(everybody does it!)

2. Interpreting ‘integrity’ differently

(not broken any law!)

3. Mass-media driven ‘grapevine’

(Boy! That was gutsy!)

It’s important to note that integrity is essentially an

individual perspective, regardless of what may (or may

not) be stated on the “Our Values” statement of the

organization.

What an organization says could well pass off as

mere rhetoric but how an individual acts can only

be pretentious or even specious.

In fact, it is surprising why organizations choose to

declare their actions are based on integrity and honesty.

As if people would not do business with them otherwise.

Is this a kind of “confession in reverse”?

If anything, such declarations may act as a shield

to unscrupulous individuals in the organization

to keep “straying”.

Business enterprises would do well to breed integrity

within the organization and maintain a low profile

so that the actions speak for themselves.

Here’s the home truth:

People who trust you will tell others about it.

People who don’t trust you will also talk about it.

The goodwill created by people’s trust in you

is the most valuable ‘asset’ you can have.

Warren Buffet’s advice:

“When you hire, look for three qualities: integrity,

intelligence, and energy… in that order. If integrity

is lacking, the other two can kill you.”

Starbucks founder Howard Schultz

has this to say:

“We will not compromise our ethics or integrity in

the name of profit.”

We saw earlier how covert corruption can co-exist

with stated integrity at some places.

Just how serious an organization is about integrity

is determined by how it deals with internal whistle-

blowers who report misconduct.

Does it deal with it fairly and squarely or attempt to

sweep it under the rug?

Let’s go back to the slide that talked about

Authentic Leadership…

Authentic Leadership

involves inspiring the

people in an

organization through

faith based on a vision

of service to all

stakeholders.

Three words stand out…

“inspiring” as against “motivating”,

“faith” as against “belief”,

and

“service” that is outrageously “no holds barred”

Add the fourth word “integrity”,

and we can complete the picture on

Authentic Leadership, as shown in the next slide.

Those that lead based on these tenets are

Authentic Leaders

Well…

Would you like to be an Authentic Leader?

offers a comprehensive ‘solution’ to executives

and entrepreneurs seeking to make a paradigm

shift in their careers & lives in a wholesome, deep-

down satisfying way…

By becoming Authentic Leaders.

Enrollments open at www.thelyltprogram.org

The following links gave valuable insights on integrity:

http://blogs.hbr.org/2011/02/why-integrity-is-never-easy/ http://www.forbes.com/sites/amyanderson/2012/11/28/success-will-come-and-go-but-integrity-is-forever/ http://www.ibtimes.com/fighting-words/wake-corporate-scandals-reminder-integrity-good-business-1402617 http://www.businessinsider.in/Great-Leaders-Treat-Integrity-As-A-Habit/articleshow/27872555.cms

Acknowledgements