It is a lack of personal spirituality. Also in organisations. And I’m not talking about religion. It is not just a lack of spirituality either, it is a fear of spirituality and the stigmatisation that comes from that fear.
We are talking about anxiety, burnout and loss of meaning, loss of commitment. But we don’t talk about the fact that our souls have become bystanders. The word soul is even something we don’t want to use. Too esoteric, too limbic. Yet we do things with the soul, we are breathless, we breathe, the soul goes out from within. Ironic, isn’t it? Everything points to the soul – only the soul itself is lost.
And if the soul is missing, no amount of strategy, coaching, mentoring, therapy or new (local) government will help.
When the soul is left aside, we are driven by reason, fear and the need to control. When the soul (in business terms, commitment, meaningfulness) returns after the ego has matured, presence, meaning and true leadership at the person-to-person level are born. B2B and B2C becomes H2H.
And I’m certainly not talking about religion! Just about an inner contact with something bigger than our ego. That which gives meaning when the work, the success and the result no longer bear or we start looking for the ‘meaning of work’.
The body was bequeathed to the churches in about 1650 on the basis of a document, the body was bequeathed to the universities at that time. But religion is not a ‘home’ for most, and frankly, often understandably so. True personal spirituality does not need a mediator or dogmas, especially imposed ones, which many in history have been exposed to and therefore perhaps have a fearful attitude to spirituality.
It requires presence and contact with yourself. At first sight, trusting and listening to one’s inner feelings, noticing emotions, getting to grips with one’s inner echo, working with beliefs and projections, coming out of the victim-controller-rescuer triangle, etc. When this contact with what is happening inside ourselves is missing, we start to look for replacements:
– Charismatic leaders who tell you what to believe and do.
– Systems that promise a sense of security.
– Success that should bring peace, but brings anxiety.
The same pattern is now repeating itself in the elections.
We don’t elect ideas, we elect saviours.
Those who promise that “things will be OK now”.
When we are disconnected from ourselves, we give our power away – to the leader, to the party, to the leader, to the system. And then we feel betrayed.
In reality, we are only betraying ourselves. Just as I always repeat in my very practical leadership training courses: ‘Leadership begins where awareness begins. And awareness begins the moment we stop saving others and start looking at ourselves. A leader’s main tool is himself.”
Spirituality is not a luxury or a “soft issue”.
It is a prerequisite for the functioning of societies and organisations.
If we do not reconnect with ourselves, we will be looking for saviours forever.
👉 What is true spirituality for you and what are its practical outputs for you?
In my next book, I plan to discuss this more from a practical management experience perspective and I would be very grateful for any input!
