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LOVE LOVE LOVE, May 9, 2005
By "I am I"
"All Leadership is Spiritual," says Jack Hawley. Though that concept sounds sweeping, reading through the book the reader evolves the thought that the concept was not alien after all. The book takes the reader through elements that leadership and spirituality in such a manner that the reader keeps wondering, `Why didn't this thought occurred in my mind earlier?' Probably, that is what makes this book wonderful.
The book introduces the concept of Spirit with the quote of Joseph Campbell by stating "There is a dimension of the universe unavailable to the senses". The book expresses Spirit as the Vitality/ Aliveness that dwells and also refers to Spirit as the source of energy within us and a part of us. As promised, the book goes beyond the theories of abstractness, and thus tries to explain the spirit of Spirit through the words of an IBM employee, who lives the spirit of the famed IBM Service standards and thus tries to communicate what spirit is about.
The book is laden with powerful anecdotes and stories, which, in addition to opening wonderful vistas of thoughts, brings to us memories when we were "spiritual", but never realized. From Alexander the Great's march into the Kulu valley in North Western India to a lovey-dovey incident between two small kids during a birthday party, these selected incidents do help the reader to stand aside, be a witness and then to merge in the nectar of Love. The reader will be able to find a number of autobiographical elements in the pages of the book, as the author has been successful in connecting with the deep yearnings of an individual. This connection that the author develops with a reader helps the reader to engross his attention to the book.
The book is divided into five sections. The first section is about Reawakening to Spirit in Management and Life, followed by the section that deals with Love and Reverence in Work and Life. The third section deals with realigning beliefs, thoughts and being, while the fourth section deals with strengthening personal and organizational integrity. The final section is about spiritual core of leadership. The book deals with various facets of a Leader like Leader as a Servant, Leader as a Steward, Leader as a Sense Maker, Leader as a Guide, Leader as a Yogi and yes, Leader as a Warrior too. The author travels 6000 years back to narrate a conversation between the warrior supremo Bhishma, who is on his deathbed, and Prince Yudhishtira, at the end of the fierce battle in Kurukshetra. The author soon takes the reader from this historical incident to the modern day business wonder of Hard Rock Café, an acclaimed chain of restaurants and its founder, Isaac Tigrett, who bought in "Spirit" and "Love" to his workplace, before leaving the company.
The book speaks about the `Reverence Continuum' in organizations, a model which raised eyebrows and quizzical looks when the author was introducing the model as part of a management development programme. The book while acknowledging the existence of organizations that are indifferent and apathetic, focuses its attention on those organizations that are "basically civilized". The reverence continuum thus moves from a Polite organization to a Caring organization. As per the book, increased levels of Caring take an organization from the state of Caring, to the state of Respect. Soon, increased levels of Respect, takes an organization, to the state of Reverence. The author says, "I know reverence sound far out, but think back to the best boss you've ever worked for or the best team you've ever worked on or the best subordinates you've ever worked with. Tell me; was there reverence in that situation?" Answering the question for ourselves will help us to question whether Reverence is so far-off after all.
The book also follows a movement when it speaks about Love (the "L-Word" as the author mentions it), which the author feels is a crucial idea that business people, scientists, doctors, teachers etc are reluctant to acknowledge. While reverence continuum was two dimensional, the books gets into a three dimensional mode when it speaks about the landscapes of Love. As per author, Love at its first parcel is the Ocean of Desire, a choppy gray-green sea. Following the mission arising from the Heart, an individual leaves the sea and soars over a Rich, Grassy Plain, an area where Love finds its expression as a cluster of emotions, thoughts and attitudes. Continuing with the Heart mission, one leaves the plains and reaches the Action Hills, where Love is the daily acts of Love that living beings perform. Soon the Action Hills are transcended, and the Selfless Mountains of giving are sighted, a landscape which can be equated to the overwhelming love that puppies and little children shower on each other. The Mountains slowly moves away to High Peaks, a landscape which is a magical mixture of "clarity and mist". Love here becomes pure energy. "Love here is the high inner knowing that we are one with all others" Bursting away from the Peaks, one soars into a Vast Quiet, a "landscape" of fearlessness, just Beingness.
This book which was published almost a decade back, in 1993, and hence well before the scandals that rocked the corporate world, gives clear indications to the erosion of character in the field of business, but does not venture to paint the business world black and dull. On the contrary, the author speaks about the growing influence the field of business and business books have in the life of everyone. The author utilizes the first available chance to mention that the book is a "spiritual adventure" and not a religious book. Going beyond the defined boundaries of religion, it looks into things you and me are concerned about, like security, purpose and meaning in life, love, peace, death etc. The book steers away from the "the ozone of theory," and thus looks into pragmatic ways of dealing with the reality of work place. Though the word "Dharma" in the title catches attention and brings in an oriental flavor to the book, the book rarely uses words from Oriental languages. Hawley expresses himself in a language which is simple, and affectionate.
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