Leadership & Organization Development Journal

Awakened leaders: born or made?

J oan F. Marques
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J oan F. Marques, (2010),"Awakened leaders: born or made?", Leadership & Organization Development
J ournal, Vol. 31 Iss 4 pp. 307 - 323
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Richard J . Leider, (2008),"The leader in midlife", Business Strategy Series, Vol. 9 Iss 3 pp. 115-118
J oan F. Marques, (2010),"Awakened leaders: who are they and why do we need them?", Development and
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Awakened leaders: born or made?
Joan F. Marques
Woodbury University, Burbank, California, USA
Abstract
Purpose This paper aims to review the leader of the twenty-rst century, the Awakened Leader.
Based on information, collected from 11 leadership thinkers and practitioners, literature review, and
the authors workplace observations, the article seeks to analyze some of the important experiences
and skills that make awakened leaders so outstanding.
Design/methodology/approach This study was conducted as a qualitative study of the
phenomenological kind, enriched with literature review. Interviews were executed from a
pre-validated interview protocol. The approach to the topic is: denition of awakened leadership;
review of the essence of awakened leadership; reasoning of the determination regarding this leader
being born or made; and perspectives toward awakened leadership.
Findings An interesting combination of qualities emerged for awakened leaders varying from
morals and values, ethics, integrity, honesty and trust, to kindness, forgiveness, courage, love, and
deep listening. As an interesting endnote the article explains why practicing awakened leadership is
easy and difcult at the same time.
Research limitations/implications The studies reviewed, although in-depth, applied to a small
sample of leaders, which makes generalization riskier. Because leadership is such a broad and
dynamic topic, literature review is never exhausted, and thus always relatively outdated.
Practical implications Leaders may reconsider the skills required for themselves and their
workforce to guarantee successful performance in an increasingly interconnected world. Leaders may
engage in reection and work toward stronger emphasis and development of skills in which they
consider themselves weak. Leaders may reexamine their work environment and consider how to
minimize the factors that complicate the practice of awakened leadership in their organization.
Originality/value The phenomenon of awakened leadership as an all-encompassing and
multi-applicable leadership trend is shown in the paper.
Keywords Ethics, Social values, Trust, Job satisfaction, Leadership, Justice
Paper type Case study
Introduction
The phenomenon leadership has been extensively studied in past decades. A brief
review of leadership styles developed throughout the years leads us to the following
incomplete results: resonant leadership (Boyatzis and McKee, 2005; Drath, 2006);
servant leadership (Greenleaf and Spears, 1977; Pierce and Newstrom, 2003); self
leadership (Manz, 1983; Pierce and Newstrom, 2003); laissez faire leadership (Knight
and Emmett, 1999; Frittz, 2005; Canty, 2006; Pierce and Newstrom, 2003); authentic
leadership (George, 2003); authoritative leadership (Fullan, 2003); coercive leadership
(Pierce and Newstrom, 2003; Hughes et al., 2002); charismatic leadership (Northouse,
2000; Pierce and Newstrom, 2003; Hughes et al., 2002); team leadership (Northouse,
2000; Pierce and Newstrom, 2003; Hughes et al., 2002); crisis leadership (Mitroff, 2001
and 2005); transformational leadership (Northouse, 2000; Pierce and Newstrom, 2003;
Hughes et al., 2002); and transactional leadership (Northouse, 2000; Pierce and
Newstrom, 2003; Hughes et al., 2002). The reason why the above results are labeled
incomplete is, because leadership is a highly dynamic and continuously evolving
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
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Awakened
leaders:
born or made?
307
Received January 2009
Revised May 2009
Accepted July 2009
Leadership & Organization
Development Journal
Vol. 31 No. 4, 2010
pp. 307-323
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
0143-7739
DOI 10.1108/01437731011043339
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topic, which entails that new denitions and styles of leadership are continuously
developed.
When applying a closer analysis, it becomes apparent that the common factor
missing in most of these theories is multi-applicability, which means that the majority
of these leadership styles are limited to either one type of leader, or one type of follower,
or one type of situation. While highly useful in particular settings, many of these
leadership styles are inapplicable in settings that deviate from the one they were
developed for. Yet, multi-applicability is increasingly becoming a requirement in the
continuously intertwining global village that is our world. Along with the concept of
multi-applicability arises the need for a meta-leadership style, which means, a
leadership style that is applicable under a broad variety of situations and with a broad
variety of followers, thus, highly exible.
Setting out a search for a meta-leadership, and thus multi-applicable leadership
style, the author of this paper conducted a series of interviews with eleven leadership
practitioners and thinkers. Through these interviews, along with a signicant portion
of literature review and workplace observations, the awakened leader emerged. This
paper will briey introduce the awakened leader, analyze some of the important
experiences and skills that make this type of leader so outstanding, and will conclude
with a brief reasoning why this leadership style is easy and difcult at the same time.
Awakened leaders: who are they?
Before getting into some details of the ndings, it may be interesting to start with some
general conclusions and then work our way back to how these conclusions came about.
The name that was ultimately chosen for the leader to be described in this paper was,
The awakened leader. This name was derived from Buddhas (approximately
563 BCE) post-enlightenment answer to the question of a passer-by whether he was a
god, a magician, a wizard, or anything else, upon which Buddha simply stated, Im
awake (Korneld, 1999).
Awakened leaders, as the participants to this study agreed upon, are those who lead
from the heart and soul. They are the corporate, community, and household leaders,
ofcial or unofcial, who refuse to put on different hats when it comes to their
personality. They dont believe in parking their souls at the door (Rosner, 2001).
Awakened leaders practice a holistic and authentic approach in every environment and
at every time.
Why is awakened leadership important?
The urge to inquire about a different type of leader emerged from the current trend of
globalization, and with that, increased exposure of human beings from all walks of life
to different ways of acting, thinking, and interacting. It is common knowledge that the
internet, as a mass communication and meta-applicable source, has made our world
more interdependent than it ever was. Patki and Patki (2007) concur with these
perspectives in their assertion, Internet technology has impelled us to develop faith in
the modern practices of business, commerce, and trade. Offshoring has been viewed as
a global phenomenon on the economic frontier (p. 57). Cultures are now accessible to a
far greater extent, and communication between people from different continents
happens on a continuous and massive basis. It is no news that organizations, and
therefore their workforces, are increasingly diverging their operations over the globe,
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for purposes of efciency and effectiveness, in order to remain a player in their
oftentimes hyper-competitive eld of expertise. Collins underscores the above in his
statement, Large organizations are trying to make innovation a pervasive part of their
culture in a move reminiscent of the introduction of quality management in the 1980s
(p. 5). Collins (2007) continues, They want to make innovation a part of their
employees day-to-day lives, and nd ways to take advantage of their customers and
partners ideas as well (p. 5). Collins concludes, Part of the reason for this is pressures
such as globalization and the shifting role of the consumer enabled by the Internet
(p. 5).
Indeed, how easy has it become, thanks to the Net, to have parts of a job prepared in
the west, then continued by eastern colleagues located several continents away while
the westerners sleep, and ultimately nalized again in the west when the new workday
starts there? Thats efciency, effectiveness, and thus competitiveness, to the max, just
like Collins, Patki and Patki, and many other authors have conrmed.
Yet, efciency and effectiveness only go so far without leadership that facilitates
and embraces an environment of acceptance, willingness to understand, and mutual
respect. This is where the need for awakened leadership emerges. Leader
accountability has been hailed as both a proactive step in building and sustaining a
climate of trust and credible leadership and as a remedial step in restoring trust and
credibility once lost by the leader (Wood and Winston, 2005, p. 84). Contemporary
leaders at any level and in any type of setting, but particularly those at the helm of
organizations that operate in various continents, have to develop sensitivity toward
and insight into possible misunderstandings and subsequent conicts that can arise
among workers from various cultures, and thus, with various work ethics.
Born and made
The changing face of organizations, an increasingly competitive and globalized world
economy, and rapid changes in demographic trends are posing great challenges to
management (Ayoko and Hartel, 2006, p. 345). Due to these massive changes and the
consequential high demands of todays increasingly diversifying workforce, the need
for diversity leaders has tremendously augmented. Diversity leadership refers to
anyone that leads or manages a diverse or heterogeneous workgroup (Ayoko and
Hartel, 2006, p. 345).
When taking note of the above-posted demands on contemporary leaders, the image
of an awakened leader emerges. In their answers to the questions presented to them,
the participants to the study discussed in this paper indicated that an awakened leader
is a diversity-oriented and experienced one. Because the factor experience plays such
an immense role in the descriptions provided by the subjects in this study, they
concluded that an awakened leader is one that was born as all humans do, but made to
become an awakened leader. Made by life and made by the experiences he or she
obtained while growing up. Although, according to the interviewees, this leader may
have been born with certain skills that enhanced his or her chances and marked his or
her initial aspirations toward becoming a leader, the wakefulness within the leader was
derived through trial and error.
In many professional environments the phenomenon trial and error is taboo,
because it indicates a waste of time, money, energy, and prestige. However, the
participants to the leadership study conducted agreed that the making of an awakened
Awakened
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born or made?
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leader cannot happen in any other way than by trial and error, even though some of
them named it differently, and with the utilization of a signicant amount of time. This
may indicate that the case of the awakened leader may be one of the rare circumstances
where this phenomenon should be considered a good one.
The study
In order to obtain specic information about awakened leadership and to nd out
whether awakened leaders are actually possible in the opinion of established leaders,
the author set out to interview 11 leaders from a broad variety of backgrounds.
Selection of participants
The participants were all individuals that had demonstrated outstanding leadership
within as well as outside their organizations during an extended period of time. They
represented various environments: three held leadership positions in the academic
eld, yet were also highly instrumental in other settings where they performed in
executive positions as well; four were founders and presidents of their own
coaching-consultancy companies with high visibility and of international acclaim; two
represented the hard core business world, and held an impressive track record of 50 or
more years in leadership positions in various for-prot, non-prot and government
settings in the United States and Asia; one was the president of a major non-prot
entity in Southern California; and one was the director of a highly acclaimed art
institute in Los Angeles. Many of these participants had also written several books on
leadership, among which some bestsellers.
All of the participants were selected on the basis of their success as leaders, as
reected in their excellent reputation with employees and other stakeholders.
Purpose of the study
This study was conducted to describe the needs for leadership in these challenging
times of increased globalization and thus enhanced exposure to ambivalent
circumstances. It has been established by proponents as well as critics of the
globalization trend, that circumstances have become more insecure. Na m (2009), for
instance, indicates that globalization has brought a need for a different kind of
leadership. He does so by admitting, straight through his many optimistic reviews on
globalization, that there is still a gap between the need for effective collective action at
the global level and the ability of the international community to satisfy that need. He
even considers this the most dangerous decit facing humanity. Ukpere and Slabbert
(2009) paint a grimmer overall picture of globalization and its consequences by
indicating a positive correlation between globalization, unemployment, inequality and
poverty, and concluding that globalization has renewed the challenges of global
competition, has increased job termination, has caused wage reductions, and is
responsible for labor immobility and technological displacement of workers. Jacobs
and Blustein (2008) make the clearest point for the emerged need of a different kind of
leadership in these days of globalization. These authors assert, With the advent of
globalization, increased job ux, and at-will employment policies, feelings of insecurity
are becoming more prevalent, contributing to work-related stress, which in turn is
associated with lowered job satisfaction, elevated turnover intentions, and increased
cardiovascular risk (p. 174).
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In light of the above, the author wanted to examine what the leadership thinkers
and executives interviewed for this study identied as important traits and behaviors
for contemporary and future leaders, based on their experiences and perceptions.
The instrument of the study
This study was conducted in a qualitative manner, according to the phenomenological
approach. The reason for choosing this particular strategy was because a
phenomenological study according to Creswell (1998), describes the meaning of the
lived experiences for several individuals about a concept or the phenomenon (p. 51). It
is thereby advised to conduct extensive interviews with a small number of
participants, who all possess in-depth experiences in the area of study. The
participants were all long-time leaders, highly respected by their employees and other
stakeholders, and active in multiple settings. They were selected through snowball
sampling: the researcher started out with one leader-participant whom she was
familiar with, and requested from this participant some recommendations to other
leaders whom he or she perceived as awakened leaders. Subsequent participants were
also asked to recommend leaders whom they considered meeting the requirements of
awakened leaders.
In order to attain comparable data and be able to analyze the data more
systematically, all participants were asked the same set of questions, derived from a
pre-designed interview protocol, which was inspired by Creswell (1998). Creswell
suggests the research questions in a qualitative study to be open-ended, evolving, and
non-directional. As indicated before, the purpose of the interviews was to nd out what
these leaders perceived as important traits, skills, and behaviors of awakened leaders.
The participants were asked to describe an awakened leader, to provide words that
related to such a leader, to reect on things this leader would and would not do, to
contemplate on easy and difcult aspects of being such a leader, to describe the work
climate in an organization led by such a leader, and to point out reasons that could help
individuals transform to awakened leaders.
Data collection and processing
The interviews for this study were either conducted by email or through verbal
interviews. In case of the verbal interviews the data were transcribed and emailed to
the participants with the request to review, modify where necessary, and return with
their approval.
Once all transcribed interviews were received, the author developed a
horizonalization table, which places all answers to one question on one line, thereby
enabling a clear overview of all answers provided by all participants. The
horizonalization table also simplies the process of phenomenological reduction, which
entails clustering of answers with similar contents. From the phenomenological
reduction common themes emerged, which formed the elements that will be presented
in the next section.
The formation of an awakened leader
As could be extracted from the participants answers, many awakened leaders have
made their share of mistakes, and have experienced some pretty humbling situations
before they reached the stage of wakefulness. Many of the participants engaged in
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thorough self-reection when formulating their answers to the questions. They drew
the conclusion that trial and error was exactly what makes them such bright persons
today: They explained that they had been sleepwalking through life, and that
something drastic happened in their life, which woke them up. Overall they agreed that
it is exactly because of their blunders in the past that awakened leaders are now such
reliable, honest, fair, and exible persons to work with.
In order to nd out what some of the elements are that make up for an awakened
leader, the author compiled the responses from the participants to several of the
interview questions. The following attention points emerged.
Morals and values
Awakened leaders may have been confronted with issues that caused them to question
their morals and reconsider them. As one of the participants put it, Sometimes we
have to be challenged by the opposite of our beliefs before we learn to respect other
perspectives. Due to confrontations with intensely mind-boggling circumstances in
life, awakened leaders have learned to understand different perspectives, which, in
turn, made them reevaluate their own morals and values in order to conclude whether
they still made sense, or whether they needed to be modied. This, then, is how they
obtained moral intelligence, which, according to Lennick and Kiel (2006), is the mental
capacity to determine how universal human principles should be applied to personal
values, goals, and actions (p. 13).
Ethics
Kubal et al. (2006) agree, organizations cannot afford the risk of not investing their
time or resources in developing a comprehensive approach to corporate ethics (p. 5).
Work related ethics in particular, surface in everyones life. They can be small or big
issues, but they lead to the insight that ethics, like morals and values, are subjective
perspectives, which are heavily culture bound. Awakened leaders are not spared from
ethical dilemmas. And sometimes it is one such dilemma that causes a leader to become
wakeful. It can be a case of a co-worker who got red due to unethical behavior; but it
can also be the making of a decision, whereby ethical considerations drove the leader
toward choosing for the less advantageous alternative for the sake of ethicality. But
seeing what loss of ethics can do to people usually strengthens the leader in his or her
ethical standpoints.
Integrity, honesty and trust
In an analysis of Csorbas book Trust, Businessline (2006) cites, There are three things
that make leaders trustworthy. One, a track record of credibility and reliability. Two,
not making bad decisions willfully or consciously. And three, acting and leading with
wisdom and integrity (p. 1). We all know how bad it feels when we get confronted with
people who dont hold their side of a bargain, and damage our trust with that.
Awakened leaders, on their way to becoming who they are, have also experienced their
share of dealing with these people. And it taught them an important lesson: to keep
their word when they give it, in order to avoid being perceived as untrustworthy. They
know too well what it feels like to get disappointed by others deceitful behavior. And
they learn from it.
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Vision
Either through reading, listening, or immediate experience, awakened leaders have
learned the importance of having a vision and communicating it properly. Hamm
(2006) stresses, CEOs who fail to dene success and communicate their vision of it,
and fail to make their expectations clear to employees, produce meaningless cultures
(p. 114). Awakened leaders have seen too many organizations oating around, either
without a long-term perspective, or with one that is obsolete, because it is a hundred
years old. So, they learn from that. They see mergers and acquisitions from gigantic
companies go sour due to lack of vision, and insufcient consideration of a strategy
after the fusion. And they learn from that.
Respect
In his review of the most important strengths of leaders and workers in billion-dollar
or blueprint companies, Thomson asserts, they must have complete trust in and
respect for one another (Thomson, 2006, p. 22). In private as well as in professional
situations, awakened leaders have learned the value of showing respect. They may
have made their own share of mistakes in this regard as well. After all they, too, were
once rebellious teenagers and know-it-all youngsters who did not feel that anyone
could teach them anything. But they woke up: oftentimes through pain and shame. Yet,
they learned from it.
Passion
Boyatzis et al. (2002), discuss a necessary process of awakening, through experiences of
life, which they consider healthy and necessary (p. 86). They stress, leaders need to
go through [the awakening process] every few years to replenish their energy,
creativity, and commitment- and to rediscover their passion for work and life (p. 86).
An interesting side note presented by several of the participants to this study was
that awakened leaders rarely become leaders in the work environment where thee
started at an early age. The participants considered this a positive fact, which they
claried by asserting that we all need exposure to multiple environments in order to
learn the differences and determine what we really want. They claried that, due to
their encounters with people from various walks of life, awakened leaders learned to
distinguish the different types of characters one needs to work with: from passionate
ones to ever-dissatised ones. This is how awakened leaders determined whom they
should adopt as role models. And they learned from that.
Commitment
Bell and Taylor, as cited in Moore and Casper (2006) state, Since most of todays
organizations seek greater levels of commitment, production, and efciency, from
employees, they must begin to care for the whole person (p. 109).
In their elaborations of this theme, the participants to the study claried that
awakened leaders matured through their encounters with people who were committed
to their goals, and those who just performed for a paycheck. The participants
concluded that awakened leaders, on their way to maturity, considered these extremes
and all the shades in between, and realized that commitment is a great asset, as long as
it does not turn into obsession. So, they learned from that as well.
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Compassion
In their review of a leaders roadmap to renewal, McKee et al. (2006) afrm, The rst
element of renewal is mindfulness, or living in a state of full, conscious awareness of
ones whole self, other people, and the context in which leaders live and work (p. 1).
This afrmation illustrates these authors full agreement with the concept of what we
call wakefulness in this paper. McKee et al. (2006) continue, The second element,
hope, enables leaders to believe their vision of the future is attainable, and to move
toward their goals while inspiring others to reach for their dreams as well (p. 1). Vision
was described earlier as one of the important trial and error points through which
leaders ultimately become wakeful. Finally, focusing on the attribute under review
here, compassion, McKee et al. (2006) avow, When leaders experience the third critical
element for renewal, compassion, leaders understand peoples wants and needs and feel
motivated to act on their concern. The real solution lies in renewal, which is a function
of leaders individual capacity for mindfulness, hope and compassion (p. 1).
The participants to the study presented in this paper agreed that awakened leaders
encountered great compassion as well as a total lack thereof in both work- and private
environments. They concurred that awakened leaders have learned the upside and
downside of both extremes. Excessively compassionate people run the risk to fall prey
to ruthless abusers, and may run into situations where all their time and energy gets
absorbed by other peoples problems. Those who are entirely deprived of compassion
are usually disliked and will not be supported when they need their followers to do so.
In private circumstances, they will often end up alone. The study participants agreed
that awakened leaders have seen these extremes, and learned that balance is crucial.
Justice
Baker et al. (2006) explain, employees reciprocate fair and just treatment by [their]
organization with feelings of affective commitment (p. 849).
A few of the participants to the study described in this paper explained that
awakened leaders sense of justice may very well have been derived from rather painful
circumstances in their past. One participant elucidated that these circumstances may
even pertain to the leaders closest circles. However, all participants agreed that
awakened leaders have learned, not without suffering, that justice should be done; even
if it has to be geared toward those they love most. Awakened leaders know that,
ultimately, everybodys best interest is served when justice is done.
Kindness
Leadership borne of understanding, gratitude, kindness, forgiveness, and compassion,
inspires people to give their best (Gunn, 2002, p. 10).
In the here conducted study the participants also agreed on kindness. They felt that,
whether it was through personal experience or the observation of arrogance applied
toward someone close, awakened leaders acknowledge the value of kindness. In their
opinion this, too, has been a lesson, which awakened leaders learned through life. A
few of the participants added that the awareness about the value of kindness could
very well emerge from a positive experience: the leader could have encountered a
person who was very kind to him or her; an act that may have been crucial at the
moment when it was delivered. This experience of kindness may have opened the
leaders eyes for the value of being kind to others in return. Yet, stressed another
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participant, kindness does not mean giving in to everything. It means: bringing your
point across with appropriate respect to others and their perspectives.
Forgiveness
In an article that highlights the potential impact of virtues in organizations,
particularly the power of forgiveness to affect individual and collective outcomes,
Cameron and Caza (2002) describe the strategies of extraordinary organizations as
follows: Especially on the human dimension, these organizations engender
virtuousness in relationships and in the treatment of people. When they downsize
they do so with caring and compassion. When they recover from crises they do so with
maturity, wisdom, and forgiveness (p. 33).
It was a common opinion of the participants to the study here reviewed, that
awakened leaders have encountered forgiveness in their lives: from parents, siblings,
children, spouses, friends, or colleagues. The participants explained that, once a person
receives forgiveness from others, he or she will understand how good it feels, what a
humbling experience it is, and how it will make an individual with good intentions
strive to be much better than before. All participants agreed that awakened leaders
have learned the lesson of forgiveness well, and have consequently mastered the art of
applying it in every setting where they operate.
Courage
Courage is denitely one of the important aspects of awakened leadership. Walters
(2006) underscores this when he states, New-era leaders are catalyzed and fueled by
several inner-attractors that organize and mobilize the leaders priorities and activities
vision, intention, courage and mastery (p. 3).
Without having learned this lesson, awakened leaders would probably not be
leaders. As one of the participants emphasized, Living takes courage. And leading
takes courage. From the various statements of the participants it could be concluded
that awakened leaders have learned that nothing will happen without someone being
courageous to set a rst step. So, they learned that they might as well be that person.
One participant claried that courage does not always pay off in terms of material or
nancial turnout, yet it always leads to enrichment of experiences and insights. So,
awakened leaders value that.
Love
This lesson may be the most precious one of all. In general, all participants agreed that
love is the ultimate caring concern an individual develops through life, on his or her
way toward awakened leadership. They also agreed that it has everything to do with
empathy, understanding, and acceptance. Bepko (2005) concurs, Leadership is
enhanced by breadth of interest and love for the many things of beauty in lives (p. 587).
It is Bepkos opinion that You should love what you do, if you can, and do it to the best
of your ability (p. 590). A few participants noted that, in awakened leadership, it is not
only important for the leader to love what he or she does, but also to make his or her
workforce feel appreciated. Buchanan (2004) quotes CLC managing director Jean
Martin as follows: Some organizations are enjoying up to 20 per cent higher levels of
employee performance not because they pay more or provide better benets but
because they let each employee know how important they are to the success of the
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business (p. 19). Martin further afrms, that these companies give their workers lots
of opportunities to contribute, and help them believe in the worth and credibility of the
organization (as cited in Buchanan, 2004, p. 19). Love, in this perspective, has
everything to do with learning that diversity is a good thing, and that people from
different backgrounds and cultures ultimately bring about greater insights. This was
also stressed by several of the participants to the study on awakened leadership. These
participants emphasized that love in a leader-follower relationship also has everything
to do with knowing what the right actions are. They underscored that it has everything
to do with realizing that the differences among people were not implemented without
reason, but that there was a purpose for these differences. Awakened leaders have
learned to love people from all walks of life equally, and to respect them equally, even if
they dont always understand them. Yet, in such cases, these leaders will seek to
understand their people, even if it takes time. Thus, these leaders have learned the
essence of love.
Deep listening
Winslow (2002) cites Ann Coombs, president of Coombs Consulting Ltd in Canada and
the author of The Living Workplace: Soul, Spirit and Success in the 21st Century, who
explicates, The living workplace will be created and sustained by leaders and
individuals who love to lead and practice deep listening. They listen with their whole
mind, body and spirit and consider the long path of individuals souls (p. 1).
On our way through life we learn that there is a difference between hearing and
listening. And between listening and listening. The participants to the study here
described, concurred that awakened leaders have learned that people greatly
appreciate it when you listen to them with more than just your ears. These leaders may
have learned this because they were once (or more than once) also granted the art of
being listened to with more than ears alone. So, these leaders have learned to focus on
their counterpart in a dialogue. And listen deeply. And this has been valuable toward
their awakening.
Inspired and inspiring
In a review of Godfathers Pizzas Chairman and business evangelist Herman Cain,
Rooney (2002) points out that there are three things a leader must do:
(1) Remove barriers that prevent people from being self-motivated.
(2) Obtain the right results by working on the right problems.
(3) (Inspire) the passion within people to perform better than expected (p. 30).
Through the various interviews for this study it became clear that awakened leaders
are those that have obtained inspiration from various sources. No one develops special
skills without inspiration. This inspiration, as one participant put it, can come from
other human beings, but also from other living entities such as animals or plants, or
nature in its entirety. Awakened leaders have learned from the sources of inspiration
they encountered through life. One of the most important overarching lessons they
adopted from being inspired is, that it is crucial to have a source of inspiration. So, now
that they became awake, they do their utmost to also become a source of inspiration to
others. This can be seen in their way of communicating with others: the time they take
to listen; to encourage; to provide guidelines; and to be available when needed. Inspired
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leaders know rst and foremost the essence of being available. Because they have been
there, these leaders know that people sometimes just need an open ear for their issues,
since most of the time they already know the answer. All they need is to hear
themselves formulating it. And by listening, awakened leaders enable that process to
happen. And dont think that awakened leaders dont need continued inspiration: they
do. This was underscored by several of the interviewed individuals to this study.
However, the participants felt that awakened leaders know by now where to get their
inspiration. They open themselves to others, and to experiences, and they have a frame
of mind that absorbs in a constructive way. So they learn and get inspired by things
that may not be of inspiration to others. They can get inspired by the simplest things,
because they have developed an open mind, and they try to perceive things with an
unlearned attitude: not with preconceived opinions, but with openness. This, then, is
the cycle of being inspired and serving as an inspiration at the same time. Awakened
leaders understand and practice that.
Authenticity
Harvey et al. (2006) dene authentic leaders as leaders who possess self-awareness of,
and act in accordance with, their values, thoughts, emotions, and beliefs, and
understand the moral implications of their actions(p. 1). It is the opinion of Harvey
et al. (2006) that authenticity implies an accurate and balanced attribution style (p. 1).
This trio suggests that organizations can take an active role in the development of
authentic leaders by making leaders aware of the factors that might promote
inaccurate attributions (p. 1). Goffee and Jones (2005) feel that authenticity, to them,
has less to do with sincerity, honesty, and integrity, and thus an expression of
genuineness, but more with what other people see. These authors claim that
authenticity can, to a great extent, be controlled (p. 1). Goffee and Jones further assert,
Establishing ones authenticity is a two-part challenge. You have to consistently
match words and deeds. You also have to get people to relate to you. Authentic leaders
seem to know which personality traits they should reveal to whom, and when (p. 1). In
their elaboration, Goffee and Jones (2005) avow, Highly attuned to their environments,
authentic leaders rely on an intuition born of formative, sometimes harsh experiences
to understand the expectations and concerns of the people they seek to inuence (p. 1).
Goffee and Jones conclude, They retain their distinctiveness as individuals, yet they
know how to win acceptance in strong corporate and social cultures and how to use
elements of those cultures as a basis for radical change (p. 1).
Although Goffee and Jones perspectives are interesting they differ from the very
denition of authenticity, being, The quality or condition of being authentic,
trustworthy, or genuine (Dictionary.com, 2006).
The participants in this leadership study were far more in line with the denition of
authenticity from Dictionary.com presented here above, and the statements from
Harvey, Martinko, and Gardner posted earlier. It was the participants opinion that
awakened leaders practice authenticity in the sense of being genuine and not in the
sense of what they think others would want to see or hear. Although worded slightly
differently by the various interviewees, they all seemed to agree that awakened leaders
have concluded that it is too much hassle to put on different hats under different
circumstances, and to play different roles in front of different audiences, which would
be in line with the authentic leadership pattern that Goffee and Jones described.
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One of the 11 leadership thinkers and practitioners interviewed for this paper stated
that, if you always tell the truth, you dont have to remember. Awakened leaders are
aware of that, and live like that. They refrain from adopting different attitudes and
behaviors, because they know that there are far more important things in life than
putting up fronts. And thats the power of authenticity: honesty, and
straightforwardness, which translates to others as simplicity, or the way of being
uncomplicated. And what is more rewarding than being valued for your simplicity? No
one has to worry about your hidden intentions: everyone knows where they stand with
you. Thats what awakened leaders are about.
Connection with ones being; ones spirit
Leaders who have the presence of mind to simply be know in their hearts that correct
action ows naturally from being fully awake. They see life as an intricate order, a
ceaseless dance of energy where cause is effect and effect is cause (Gunn, 2006, p. 12).
Focusing on the connection with the source inside, Gunn (2006) emphasizes,
Reecting deeply, [leaders] may discover a hearts desire that connects them and their
institutions to mankind. That connection liberates human energy and helps them focus
it on accomplishment that benets the greater good. And irresistible force begins to
emerge (p. 12).
It was repeatedly emphasized by the participants in this study that awakened
leaders are good listeners, because they know that sometimes all people need is an ear,
for they already know the answers to their problems. Awakened leaders, according to
the thinkers that contributed to this study, apply the strategy of listening because they
have learned through self-reection. They know that it is not more than fair toward
oneself to take some time off through the day for contemplation, and for turning to the
source of wealth and knowledge within, in search for answers. Awakened leaders have
learned that, by doing so frequently, the connection with their core becomes easier, and
can be done more swiftly if they do it often enough. So, awakened leaders turn inward
regularly for answers. It should be stressed here that the process of turning inward has
nothing to do with religion, as was also claried by the participants in this study. The
variety of environments from which these participants derived should already be an
indicator that awakened leaders can be found among all groups: among people from
various religions, and among people who dont practice any religion. Spirituality is not
the same as religion (Brandt, 1996), and neither is the connection with ones inner self,
in order to formulate who one is; in order to know ones strengths and weaknesses,
likes and dislikes, and the boundaries of ones acceptance; and in order to get to know
oneself better.
Multi dimensional
A multidimensional approach is almost inevitable in todays multi-continental, and
multi-ethnic work environment. Sisaye (2005) conrms, in organizations, the
management of teams is multi-dimensional, involving the simultaneous use of
normative, remunerative and coercive control mechanisms (p. 51). In line with the
above, the study participants agreed that awakened leaders apply their leadership
styles to the situational-, follower-, and environmental needs they encounter. The
participants further asserted that, aside from their multi dimensional leadership style,
awakened leaders have learned to see things in different dimensions. Therefore, they
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make their decisions as such. A few of the participants elaborated that awakened
leaders carry the conviction that, if you allow yourself to be driven by the right causes,
the rewards will follow. At least half of the participants afrmed that awakened
leaders are therefore never primarily money-driven. They know that the bottom line
will ultimately be served in much more rewarding ways if the people and the
relationships are maintained. The majority of participants concluded that awakened
leaders are relationship oriented, rstly because they like developing relationships and
because they know the mutual value of maintaining them; and secondly because they
know how important good relationships are for the advancement of their organization.
Fulllment
In Strategic Direction (2004) it is stated that successful organizations break their
strategies down into three segments:
(1) supply identifying, developing and retaining talent through internal training and
external recruitment;
(2) fulllment motivating individuals to perform and succeed in challenging roles aligned
to the organizations strategic goals; and
(3) deployment the art of positioning the right people in the right jobs, all the time (p. 34).
Awakened leaders implement all three segments mentioned above, but when it comes
to the second segment, fulllment, trial and error in life is denitely the source of
knowledge for these leaders. This radiated throughout the interviews with the
participants of the leadership study here reviewed. The participants felt that awakened
leaders have learned that there is no gratication in material and nancial afuence
without fulllment. They reect on that experience toward themselves as well as those
they surround themselves with. They strive, in the rst place, for everyone to have a
sense of fulllment with what they do. And, as stated earlier, they know that nancial
and material rewards will follow once a person is doing the thing he or she gets a sense
of fulllment from. So, according to the sources for this study, fulllment is very high
on the agenda of an awakened leader.
Initiative
An interesting example of a company that optimally implements initiative, and
reaps the benets of this implementation broadly, is 3M. Roepke et al. (2000)
explain, The companys culture fosters a spirit of entrepreneurship. William
L. McKnight, who became president in 1929 and chairman of the board in 1949,
created a corporate culture that encourages employee initiative and innovation and
provides secure employment (p. 327). Roepke et al. subsequently present
McKnights basic rule of management, as it was laid out in 1948: As our
business grows, it becomes increasingly necessary to delegate responsibility and to
encourage men and women to exercise their initiative. This requires considerable
tolerance (p. 327). The rule concludes, Those men and women to whom we
delegate authority and responsibility, if they are good people, are going to want to
do their jobs in their own way (p. 327).
Corresponding to the above, the study participants asserted that awakened leaders
have learned that nothing comes from waiting for others to do it for you. So, they take
initiatives. And with that, they are aware that not all initiatives work out, but they are
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still willing to go for it. Some of the participants stressed that awakened leaders
perceive failed initiatives as life-lessons toward better ones. So they go for what they
believe in, even if it takes a while. They develop creativeness to get there. And they
usually get there. They also realize that there are many people who may stand behind
an idea, but who lack the willpower or courage to take the initiative to realize it. So, the
awakened leader steps forward and creates a structure; a platform. And then he or she
nds others to join in.
Change
Ostroff (2006) distilled ve principles that underlie successful change efforts:
(1) Improve performance against [organizational] mission;
(2) win over external and internal stakeholders;
(3) establish a road map;
(4) recognize the connections among all the organizational elements; and
(5) be a leader, not a bureaucrat (p. 141).
All participants agreed that awakened leaders have learned, through many
experiences, that one cannot survive in todays world without being amenable to
change, because changes are continuously brought upon us. It was the participants
opinion that awakened leaders have also learned that the most effective way to deal
with change is to be just one step ahead, and reinvent oneself on a regular basis. How?
By keeping track of developments in ones interest areas; by adopting a pro-learning
mindset; and by refusing to let setbacks prevail. To quote one of the participants,
[Awakened leaders] know that setbacks always occur in everyones life, but that it are
the losers who dwell on them, while the winners look for the lessons to be learned from
these setbacks and the opportunities hidden within or behind them.
Difcult and easy at the same time
To briey summarize some additional responses from the participants as an endnote to
this review: Awakened leadership can be considered difcult and easy at the same
time. Difcult because society, with its ongoing codes of conduct, and particularly its
ingrained sense of individuality, may not yet be as widely prepared to embrace the
awakened leader and his or her sense of unity and mutuality in moving ahead; and
easy, because the awakened leader, once accepted, does not have to remember different
behavioral patterns in different environments. This leader remains the same, whether
alone, with a small or large group of people, in front of an audience, or among friends:
Graceful, kind, empathetic, respectful, and down-to-earth.
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About the author
Joan F. Marques (www.joanmarques.com) facilitates courses in business and management at
Woodbury University in Burbank, California. She has authored and edited seven books on the
topics of Leadership and Global Awareness, and is currently in the process of publishing several
new ones on Workplace Spirituality and Personal Excellence. She presents a weekly radio
column in The Netherlands, writes a weekly newspaper column in Suriname, and regularly
co-organizes and presents workshops for business and non-prot entities in the Los Angeles
area, through the Business Renaissance Institute, which she co-founded in 2004, and the
Academy for Spirituality and Professional Excellence, ASPEX, which she co-founded in 2006. Dr
Marques holds a Bachelors degree in Business Economics; a Masters degree in Business
Administration; and a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership. Joan F. Marques can be contacted
at: jmarques01@earthlink.net
Awakened
leaders:
born or made?
323
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