Management & Leadership
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The Soul of Leadership: Unlocking Your Potential for Greatness
"Deepak Chopra lights the way to twenty-first century leadership, where consciousness, love, and compassion redefine the locus of power in relationships and organizations."-John Mackey, co-CEO Whole Foods Market
Bestselling author and spiritual guide Deepak Chopra invites you to become the kind of leader most needed today: a leader with vision who can make that vision real. Chopra has been teaching leadership to CEOs and other top executives for eight years, and the path outlined in The Soul of Leadership applies to any business, but the same principles are relevant in every community and area of life, from family and home to school, place of worship, and neighborhood. "At the deepest level," Chopra writes, "a leader is the symbolic soul of a group."
With clear, practical steps, you are led through the crucial skills outlined in the acronym L-E-A-D-E-R-S:
L = Look and Listen
E = Emotional Bonding
A = Awareness
D = Doing
E = Empowerment
R = Responsibility
S = Synchronicity
After identifying your own soul profile and the core values you want to develop, you can use these seven skills to allow your potential for greatness to emerge. Only from the level of the soul, Chopra contends, are great leaders created. Once that connection is made, you have unlimited access to the most vital qualities a leader can possess: creativity, intelligence, organizing power, and love.
The Soul of Leadership aims to fill the most critical void in contemporary life, the void of enlightened leaders. "You can be such a leader," Chopra promises. "The path is open to you. The only requirement is that you learn to listen to your inner guide." In this unique handbook you are shown how to do just that, in words as practical as they are uplifting. The future is unfolding at this very minute, and the choice to lead it lies with each of us, here and now.
Bestselling author and spiritual guide Deepak Chopra invites you to become the kind of leader most needed today: a leader with vision who can make that vision real. Chopra has been teaching leadership to CEOs and other top executives for eight years, and the path outlined in The Soul of Leadership applies to any business, but the same principles are relevant in every community and area of life, from family and home to school, place of worship, and neighborhood. "At the deepest level," Chopra writes, "a leader is the symbolic soul of a group."
With clear, practical steps, you are led through the crucial skills outlined in the acronym L-E-A-D-E-R-S:
L = Look and Listen
E = Emotional Bonding
A = Awareness
D = Doing
E = Empowerment
R = Responsibility
S = Synchronicity
After identifying your own soul profile and the core values you want to develop, you can use these seven skills to allow your potential for greatness to emerge. Only from the level of the soul, Chopra contends, are great leaders created. Once that connection is made, you have unlimited access to the most vital qualities a leader can possess: creativity, intelligence, organizing power, and love.
The Soul of Leadership aims to fill the most critical void in contemporary life, the void of enlightened leaders. "You can be such a leader," Chopra promises. "The path is open to you. The only requirement is that you learn to listen to your inner guide." In this unique handbook you are shown how to do just that, in words as practical as they are uplifting. The future is unfolding at this very minute, and the choice to lead it lies with each of us, here and now.
Editorial Reviews
"I greatly enjoyed Deepak's newest book The Soul of Leadership. From the chapter on synchronicity on, I couldn't put it down. It's got so many quality ideas that it must be read a second time. The book inspired me to become a better leader."
-George Zimmer, Men's Wearhouse
"The Soul of Leadership unfolds as an exceptional guide for remembering how to access the peace and clarity the soul brings to any vision, decision, action, or non-action. Deepak Chopra's latest book lights the way to 21st century leadership, where consciousness, love and compassion redefine the locus of power in relationships and organizations. A truly aware leader in touch with his or her soul will always be in the flow of the world. Like a tuned-in kayaker in white water, when you are in the middle of it, you continually contribute your own creativity and good intentions to the overall flow, while inspiring and empowering your team to do the same."
-John Mackey, co-CEO Whole Foods Market
"Leadership begins at home and in the heart. Deepak Chopra offers not only a blueprint, a step by step guide to releasing the power of leadership within each of us, but a powerful call to action. By evolving toward an ever higher level of spiritual awareness, we have the capacity to change our lives and the world itself. An insightful, inspirational and much needed book."
-William Cohen, Former United States Secretary of Defense
-George Zimmer, Men's Wearhouse
"The Soul of Leadership unfolds as an exceptional guide for remembering how to access the peace and clarity the soul brings to any vision, decision, action, or non-action. Deepak Chopra's latest book lights the way to 21st century leadership, where consciousness, love and compassion redefine the locus of power in relationships and organizations. A truly aware leader in touch with his or her soul will always be in the flow of the world. Like a tuned-in kayaker in white water, when you are in the middle of it, you continually contribute your own creativity and good intentions to the overall flow, while inspiring and empowering your team to do the same."
-John Mackey, co-CEO Whole Foods Market
"Leadership begins at home and in the heart. Deepak Chopra offers not only a blueprint, a step by step guide to releasing the power of leadership within each of us, but a powerful call to action. By evolving toward an ever higher level of spiritual awareness, we have the capacity to change our lives and the world itself. An insightful, inspirational and much needed book."
-William Cohen, Former United States Secretary of Defense
Readers Top Reviews
Lachlan Noah Samue
This book has already changed my life by giving me the clearest understanding of my creative energy that I have ever read, and yet it is only a step in the journey which started 40 years ago. My progress is speeding up as I pass my 70th year, a bit like a lawn mower just before it runs out of petrol, but very exciting. This book is like a super charger for my soul, such a blessing. Thank you Deepak.
LDAT
I am always hesitant with books that could be construed as self-help, because in most cases if you're a self-aware person it's just a reminder of things you already know. This book is different. While it is a reminder, it is a workbook. A way to identify your leadership beliefs vis-a-vis your environment. I borrowed it from the library and after that, I knew I had to have this in my library. While most people find the way to lead is separating their personal life from work life, if you are a person who seeks to bring your soul to work and are looking for direction on how to do that this is a fantastic start.
ElCano Guerrero
I rated five (5) stars "The Soul Of Leadership" because with it Deepak Chopra makes and in depth penetration of the human soul with the purpose that the interested reader that follows the book guide himself through the different relationships in his life experiences. The potential reader should not be confused by the title of the book and think that it is for persons that are currently considered leaders according to our usual leaders standards. The book goes far beyond the current leaders standards and asserts that synchronicity of the soul is the hidden support of real visionary leaders which any of us can attain revising and following our beliefs accordingly. I strongly recommend reading and absorbing in depth the soul nourishment offered by Deepak Chopra with this book.
Chrissy
I love the content that teaches how to lead soulfully, for the good of individuals, your organization, and yourself. Learn how to grow along with everyone you lead as you thoughtfully implement Deepak's strategies. I like the book better than the audio book, as Chopra's intonation and some pronunciations can be distracting (at least to me). But I still listen to him when I drive so that I can continue thinking about this great work.
Annie
I am a huge fan of writings from Deepak Chopra. This is an amazing book and has great insights to help us along the leadership path. I also had a great experience with the shipper. No problems!!!
Short Excerpt Teaser
Part One
L-E-A-D-E-R-S
One
L = Look and Listen
Great leaders have a vision, and the ability to manifest it. Defining your own vision begins with looking and listening. You look and listen to the situation around you, but you also look and listen inside. Four steps are involved:
Impartial observation-Look and listen with your senses.
Analysis-Look and listen with your mind.
Feeling-Look and listen with your heart.
Incubation-Look and listen with your soul.
Once you have gone through these four steps, your personal vision can begin to express itself.
The best qualities you can have when starting your career are passion, core values, and dedication to a purpose. These are the elements from which a vision is forged. When you talk to the most inspiring leaders, the kind I call successful visionaries, it turns out that they all began with passion and a view of the big picture. They brought dedication to a deeply felt purpose. They held core values that they were not willing to surrender. In order to find greatness in yourself, these elements should be your primary focus.
Over the years, researchers have tried to find external reasons for the rise of successful leaders. Based on this research, it might seem that being born into wealth, going to the best schools, associating with other successful people, and scoring high on IQ tests would more or less guaran- tee that a person would turn into a leader. But as we all know, you can start with nothing and still emerge as a great leader, whereas you can start off in life with any number of advantages and achieve little or nothing of value. External advantages give anyone a head start, but they are not a guarantee of success.
So what if we reverse this approach and look instead at things that we all possess? Everyone knows how to look and listen-these are the basic tools of perception. But in a leader they grow into something more. A leader is responsible for having a vision, which must be clear enough to guide others and inspire them. Having articulated her vision, a leader must be able to manifest it. The greatest ideas are nothing more than daydreams until they are pushed to become reality. If you want to be a successful visionary, here is where the journey begins, with two crucial questions: What is my vision? How can I make it happen?
No vision is created in a vacuum. It emerges from the situation at hand. That situation can be a crisis or a routine project, a management problem or a financial emergency, anything that requires a leader to offer guidance, to assess the situation by looking and listening at the deepest level possible. This pertains to parents and sports coaches, mentors and counselors, managers and CEOs. Anytime you are called upon to guide, teach, command, motivate, inspire, or plan, opportunity is knocking.
Imagine three people seated on a couch in an outer office, all dressed in their best business attire. The office itself belongs to a venture capitalist who has agreed to give each of them a half hour to present a proposal for a start-up company. Success or failure depends upon this meeting. Who among the three will emerge as a leader, the one with the best chance of persuading the venture capitalist?
The first person feels so nervous his palms are sweaty. He tries to make casual conversation but realizes that he's babbling, so he falls silent. He closes his eyes, reviewing one last time the speech he is going to make. He got very little sleep the night before, having spent hours going over every word of his presentation. He keeps thinking one thing: Now or never. It's do or die.
The second person looks much calmer. He's quite confident, in fact. He believes in his idea; he's certain his new business will succeed once he finds a backer. Tall and clear-eyed, he's used to being looked up to. In the back of his mind, he wonders if he can talk the venture capital- ist into going out for a round of golf or a pickup basket- ball game. One-on-one has always been his best mode of persuasion.
The third person is scanning the room with open curiosity. She notices the rich Oriental rug and fresh flowers on the reception desk, but she's more interested in the employees going in and out of the venture capitalist's inner office. They're dressed in jeans and skirts, not suits. They look focused and intent but not stressed. Checking inside herself, the third person feels much the same way. Whatever happens, she's open to the outcome. Once she sets eyes on the venture capitalist, she'll know what kind of personality she's dealing with and respond accordingly.
Of these three people, the first one isn't looking and listening to much beyond his own feelings, which are tense a...
L-E-A-D-E-R-S
One
L = Look and Listen
Great leaders have a vision, and the ability to manifest it. Defining your own vision begins with looking and listening. You look and listen to the situation around you, but you also look and listen inside. Four steps are involved:
Impartial observation-Look and listen with your senses.
Analysis-Look and listen with your mind.
Feeling-Look and listen with your heart.
Incubation-Look and listen with your soul.
Once you have gone through these four steps, your personal vision can begin to express itself.
The best qualities you can have when starting your career are passion, core values, and dedication to a purpose. These are the elements from which a vision is forged. When you talk to the most inspiring leaders, the kind I call successful visionaries, it turns out that they all began with passion and a view of the big picture. They brought dedication to a deeply felt purpose. They held core values that they were not willing to surrender. In order to find greatness in yourself, these elements should be your primary focus.
Over the years, researchers have tried to find external reasons for the rise of successful leaders. Based on this research, it might seem that being born into wealth, going to the best schools, associating with other successful people, and scoring high on IQ tests would more or less guaran- tee that a person would turn into a leader. But as we all know, you can start with nothing and still emerge as a great leader, whereas you can start off in life with any number of advantages and achieve little or nothing of value. External advantages give anyone a head start, but they are not a guarantee of success.
So what if we reverse this approach and look instead at things that we all possess? Everyone knows how to look and listen-these are the basic tools of perception. But in a leader they grow into something more. A leader is responsible for having a vision, which must be clear enough to guide others and inspire them. Having articulated her vision, a leader must be able to manifest it. The greatest ideas are nothing more than daydreams until they are pushed to become reality. If you want to be a successful visionary, here is where the journey begins, with two crucial questions: What is my vision? How can I make it happen?
No vision is created in a vacuum. It emerges from the situation at hand. That situation can be a crisis or a routine project, a management problem or a financial emergency, anything that requires a leader to offer guidance, to assess the situation by looking and listening at the deepest level possible. This pertains to parents and sports coaches, mentors and counselors, managers and CEOs. Anytime you are called upon to guide, teach, command, motivate, inspire, or plan, opportunity is knocking.
Imagine three people seated on a couch in an outer office, all dressed in their best business attire. The office itself belongs to a venture capitalist who has agreed to give each of them a half hour to present a proposal for a start-up company. Success or failure depends upon this meeting. Who among the three will emerge as a leader, the one with the best chance of persuading the venture capitalist?
The first person feels so nervous his palms are sweaty. He tries to make casual conversation but realizes that he's babbling, so he falls silent. He closes his eyes, reviewing one last time the speech he is going to make. He got very little sleep the night before, having spent hours going over every word of his presentation. He keeps thinking one thing: Now or never. It's do or die.
The second person looks much calmer. He's quite confident, in fact. He believes in his idea; he's certain his new business will succeed once he finds a backer. Tall and clear-eyed, he's used to being looked up to. In the back of his mind, he wonders if he can talk the venture capital- ist into going out for a round of golf or a pickup basket- ball game. One-on-one has always been his best mode of persuasion.
The third person is scanning the room with open curiosity. She notices the rich Oriental rug and fresh flowers on the reception desk, but she's more interested in the employees going in and out of the venture capitalist's inner office. They're dressed in jeans and skirts, not suits. They look focused and intent but not stressed. Checking inside herself, the third person feels much the same way. Whatever happens, she's open to the outcome. Once she sets eyes on the venture capitalist, she'll know what kind of personality she's dealing with and respond accordingly.
Of these three people, the first one isn't looking and listening to much beyond his own feelings, which are tense a...
