Leading with Soul

Leading with Soul is a short book that combines the story of a successful businessman, Steve Camden, and his spiritual coach, Maria, with ideas about meaning and leadership. The combination makes the book entertaining while leaving a clear message.

I got this book as a Christmas present and the day I started reading it I learned about a good friend, a mentor, almost a father, who passed away while I was on Holiday vacations. It made me think about the meaning of life and the purpose of our endless rush.

We have discussed about living a life of meaning but this book made me realized that it is not the same to talk about it, as an spectator in the audience, than taking the time to explore ones soul and find what really gives meaning to life.

Building on Joseph Cambell's hero journey Bolman and Deal present a similar journey to find ones meaning of life. They suggest that we all have four gifts to give: Authorship that comes from the pride of having done something;  Love, compassion and concern for others; Power as the capacity to make a difference, if power corrupts lack of power crushes the soul; and Significance, as the meaning but also the importance. By using this four gifts leaders can drive their organizations to higher levels of performance but more than results to another dimension of social interaction.

Leading with Soul was a timely read, a good book for the beginning of the year, a good book to accept the lost of a good friend, a good book to step down from the sideline and jump in the arena.