Soulful Leadership Toolkit

Soulful leadership is characterised by one who acts in an authentic manner, seeking information that informs decisions and behaving in a manner that respects and honours the value of others. Soulful leadership is often informed by or tied to one’s spiritual awareness, and a desire for impacting the greater good. It is a form of leadership that relies on thoughtful intellection, honest and trusted relationships, effective problem-solving skills, a solid moral compass, and intuition with an eye on doing the right thing over that which is “just easier.” Ultimately, soulful leaders contribute to the ongoing prosperity and well-being of all involved – the leader, organisation, people (employees, customers, communities), and environment (health and resources).

A soulful leader is more likely to inject leadership with greater purpose and passion, and move it away from its current storyline of crisis toward one of greater trust, higher employee engagement, and fewer incidents of scandalous behaviour. Our mission is to foster the development of leaders with the knowledge, tools, and support necessary to bring out the best in the leader, and promote an environment that supports informed choice in the selection of one’s leadership style.

Arthur P. Ciaramicoli, Ed.D., Ph.D states in his research:

“What makes up the soul? Soul, is that intangible, invisible part of every human being that yearns for attachment to something deeper and broader than ourselves. A person who is soulful lives with purpose and a desire to be of service. He or she is not primarily motivated by status or image but has a natural interest in teasing out the potential of a family, community, corporation, community and nation. Soulful people lead with great passion, they are intimately aware of the structure of their organisation. They are interested in motivating from the bottom up, not from the top down. They know who cleans their office, who mows the lawn, who fixes their computers, who serves the food, who are the secretaries and the receptionists. They speak to everyone, no one person is seen as less valuable in the larger sphere than anyone else. Soulful people tend to lead balanced lives, they work with intensity, they play with intensity, but they know how to turn the dial down and enjoy life. They have an inherent love of young people, they love to educate, to witness the blossoming of young talent, whether it be their own children or the beginners in their businesses. They are the voice of reason in the face of conflict; they are not quick reactors but thoughtful contributors. They know how to listen as they are genuinely interested in understanding not only those like them but also those who on the surface seem different, they are known for finding the common ground”.