Spiritual-Based Leadership Research Interview Excerpts

During each of our interviews with business executives and other leaders, we followed a specific, 1-1/2  to 2-hour interview format (see the left column to download the interview template). We began by asking them to share their career history and current responsibilities, and then asked in-depth questions about their spiritual view of life and personal spiritual evolution.

 

From there, we focused on the more practical aspects of their leadership and asked them to share stories that demonstrated how they lead from a spiritual basis. Finally, in the last portion of the interview, we asked a variety of questions about general issues of leading an organisation, such as their views on the purpose of business and their inner processes for making decisions.

 

This first list represents excerpts from the 33 interviews based on the broad categories we used in our interview template. Select a category below to download a file with excerpts:

• Spiritual view of life

• Distinction between spirituality and religion

• Purpose of business

• Importance of financial and productivity goals

• Defining and measuring success - for career and the organisation

• Developing an organisational culture

• Role of business in benefitting the local community, nation and society as a whole

• Relationship with other executives and stakeholders

• Continued growth as a spiritual-based leader

• Inner processes that guide decision making

• Guidance for aspiring spiritual-based leaders

This second list represents stories we collected from the 33 interviews based on the following broad business subjects. Select a subject below to download a file with stories:

• Business:

• Downsizing, selling or closing a business (9 stories)

• Failure of a business (4 stories)

• Mission, vision and purpose (4 stories)

• Role of spirituality in business (10 stories)

• Start-up, growth, merger, acquisition, or turnaround of a business (9 stories)

• Character:

• Character building (4 stories)

• Crisis intervention (9 stories)

• Ethics (7 stories)

• Integrity and conscience (6 stories)

• Miracles (3 stories)

• Employees:

• Stakeholder Relations:

  • Customer/client/vendor relations (10 stories)

  • Executive relations (6 stories)

  • Influencing others (6 stories)

  • Societal relations (5 stories)

  • Union relations (3 stories)