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The Soul of a Leader: Finding Your Path to Success and Fulfillment | 
 enlarge | Author: Margaret Benefiel
Publisher: The Crossroad Publishing Company
Category: Book
List Price: $16.95
Buy New: $10.03
You Save: $6.92 (41%)
New (32) Used (12) from $9.50
Avg. Customer Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 50252
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 192
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.5
ISBN: 0824524802
Dewey Decimal Number: 658.4092
EAN: 9780824524807
ASIN: 0824524802
Publication Date: September 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Condition: Brand new Book, ALL days Low Price !
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Product Description
Demonstrating the principle that soulfulness at work is a way of being and doing, this guide provides new perspectives on the qualities of leadership. Three main sections elaborate on the themes of choosing the path, staying on track, and persevering to the end. Drawing from interviews with outstanding leaders—including Tom and Kate Chappell, the founders of Tom’s of Maine; Bob Glassman, co-chairman of Wainwright Bank & Trust; Desmond Tutu; and The Edge of rock band U2—and supported with guided questions in each section, this book is an essential addition to the bookshelf of anyone who wants to lead with soul. In an environment where leaders are rewarded for their drive, decisiveness, productivity, and long work hours, the spiritual well-being of a leader may get short shrift, and harm can come to both the leader and the organization this individual serves. Challenging the assumptions that effective leaders must sell their souls, cut corners, cook the books, and let go of their vision, a new model of spiritual leadership is offered. Teachers, parents, committee chair leaders, and other individuals in organizations of any size are exhorted to aim higher and lead with soul in any sphere, large or small.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
practical advice and encouragement December 28, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
What this book does so generously is illustrate the ways that people are making ideas about a soul-driven way of doing business work in their own institutions. So often people feel that it can't be done, but when you look at all these stories laid together, contrasted and compared, you see a conclusive rebuttal to that argument. It's not just theory, but practical advice from folks who have been there, and will be a welcome companion to change agents everywhere.
The Courage to Follow Your Heart, and Listen to Your Spirit December 25, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
"The Soul of a Leader" is an exceptional book. Beautifully written by Margaret Benefiel, it tells of the journey taken by some remarkable men and women, who are not only successful in the way the world would determine it, but are most impressive in how they have gone about gaining that success. By considering their employees, the community they work in, and the environment they live in, they have created a new way of doing business, one that flourishes in every area and brings balance and meaning to everything they do, adding joy to prosperity, and strength during the lean times.
It is a courageous path; you have to take risks, accept failure when it might come and learn from it, and keep moving forward with perseverance. Most of all you must listen to your heart and follow its leaning. We have in each chapter many stories of people from various walks of life. We read about Rabbi Samuel Karff, co-founder of the Sacred Vocation Program, which teaches health workers to incorporate spirituality into their work, a principle that can be used in almost any line of endeavor, and transform it from boring to life-changing. Among others we hear from Edge (U2), who helped restore the creative force of New Orleans, its music, after Katrina, and the late, great Anita Roddick of the enormously successful Body Shop, who so well "demonstrated to the world that capitalism, even capitalism devoted to beauty and health products, could have a soul."
My favorite chapters of "The Soul of a Leader" are some of the final ones. They tell how you can survive a "dark night of the soul," as many have had to do. It can come upon you when you least expect it, and Benefiel tells us how Tom and Kate Chappell, founders of Tom's of Maine, went through the many phases of their company, including their "dark night," and how they renewed their vision and values, and transformed their company and their lives. Whether you are self-employed as I am as an artist, or the owner of a large corporation, there is much to be learned from "The Soul of a Leader." It will teach you how to follow your heart, and if you are already on the path, it will bolster your courage and help you fulfill your destiny.
Accessible and wise guidance for any leader December 18, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
You don't need to be religious or spiritually-oriented to appreciate this book. The author has a talent for telling engaging stories, and then drawing practical lessons out of the stories. The book helped me understand and learn from my own experiences with leadership, and it helped point me toward future paths of leading more grounded in my values and full self. I highly recommend the book.
A must read for leaders of any organization December 11, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
What a pleasure to read Margaret Benefiel's follow-on to her first book, "Soul at Work." I was inspired by the cases she presented in her first book--businesses that prioritize a bottom line that is broader, more inclusive, and more far-reaching than simply the financials. This book takes a closer look at the leaders who head up companies in the for-profit, and non-profit sectors. What makes them tick? What sustains their leadership style? Where do they go for support, creativity, re-charge, and perspective? Highlighting leaders of organizations such as Tom's of Maine, the rock band U2, Wainwright Bank and Trust, and others, Benefiel offers us a glimpse of the inner life of these leaders; and provides a clear, direct and compelling outline of the practices and resources necessary to maintain such leadership. She also provides a framework for conversation and thought for the rest of us, as we seek to be come leaders with soul. I bought one for every member of my family!
Leaders Can Lead with Soul! November 17, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Like Soul at Work: Spiritual Leadership in Organizations, Margaret Benefiel's latest book offers wisdom for leaders in many aspects of life in a variety of organizations. Her case studies illustrate her points, which always helps me relate to the material more directly (and makes the reading more enjoyable).
Benefiel defines a leader broadly saying, "Everyone is a leader in his or her sphere of influence. While the CEO of a company is clearly a leader, so are managers and supervisors in their own sphere of influence. So are housekeepers or nursing assistants when they lead informally with coworkers or patients" (p. 22). As a hospice chaplain working in a team environment, and a chair of two committees for my Quaker meeting, I found information in this book that I can put to work immediately.
The author's link between a company's mission and the passion that brought a leader to his/her work in the first place makes the case for the soul work necessary to stay in touch with that passion.
This is not just another business book about leadership or another spiritual text that somehow touches on the business world. It is both a practical and inspirational work that shows how real people have made a success of paying attention to their soul and done good business at the same time. I recommend it.
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