Let's Create Trans-personal Leadership

Let's Create Trans-personal Leadership

Leadership is one of the most discussed subjects today. Research carried out by top B-schools and validated by business leaders has led to a new way that is different from that of traditional leaders who believed in `knowing what to tell others to do'. Well-timed is also neurological research, revealing that great potential exists untapped in a wide spectrum of human dimensions such as cognitive, emotional, intuitive, creative and spiritual. During the early 20th century, Abraham Maslow presented his `humanistic psychology', that stated that all human kind is ultimately aimed at Self-actualisation.

At that time, Stanislov Grof from Czechoslovakia influenced this work to evolve what is known as trans-personal vision, causing a major shift in our thinking about leadership as merely an immense ability to solve problems, acquire knowledge or cope with technology. Leadership is a systematic development of `temperament' and `a way of being' that the person creates. This opened up new possibilities: an integrated mode of thinking and delivery, the compelling need to cultivate personal and professional abilities to care about a new expanding constituency ­ that is, that of `others'.

Building on these, UK entrepreneur John Knights founded LeaderShape to train such leaders. He calls it Trans-personal Leadership, that can be cultivated and institutionalised. This idea emerges from eastern and western wisdom in a synchronous way on a belief platform that it is all about leading beyond the ego. A trans-personal leader knows how to genuinely care about himself, and so is able to go beyond supporting and providing clarity on possible risks, opportunities and innovations for the `other'.

Interestingly, in order to co-create lasting value, the trans-personal leader helps create a high-trust environment where people first coexist without much suspicion. This also minimises avoidable competitiveness. All these `virtues' can be identified and supported in an individual.

Furthermore, this belief system lives the saying: `None of us is as smart as all of us.' So, everything happens on consensus and unanimity. It is a given that everyone is responsible for what one perceives and the feelings one experiences. Achievement is also shared-value by the team, and the individual's contribution is not the same as what one gets in a traditional award-function! Edmund Hillary said: ``It is not the mountain i conquered, but myself.'' `Leading beyond the ego' is ultimately an exercise in self-mastery. The underlying faith is in the dictum: `Change begins with me'.It is not about being a saviour, because one is just a source of inspiration for those whose dignity and self-interest are really cared for. Nor is one a servant because people need empowerment and self-worth rather than being `served'. Just coach them into empowerment! So, we neither work `at' people or `for' them. We convince ourselves and our co-workers to work with others. Many centuries ago Lao Tzu culled out a relevant verse from the Tao Te Ching, Book of Tao which has been stated in slightly different words by many . It says: ``The wicked leader is the one who they despise. The good leader is the one they revere. A great leader is one who, when the work is done, people say they did it''! Trans-personal leadership is a scientific process of several stages, competencies and techniques centred on philosophies to see how enlightened leaders can be supported and evolved ­ with the argument that emotional and other facets of leaders can help them lead people by their strengths rather than weaknesses.

Om Namah Shivay