Soul at Work: Spiritual Leadership in Organizations (ISBN 1596270136)

Synergy:
This book bore fruit in coordinating the development of two jostling threads in my life, spiritual and entrepreneurial maturity. It encourages one to blow on the embers of the 'best self' at all levels of the productive community. It points to pragmatic rewards from increasing the participation of the productive partners. It achieves this through diverse case studies and a thoughtful distillation of principles. I appreciated the insights into the nature of successful leadership. The review of qualities and challenges facing managers helps to de-mystify their task. We see the onging premium on vision, commitment, re-inventiveness. As a small business owner I felt stretched, inspired, and more compassionate toward my own efforts.

Minding a Mindful Business:
Dr. Margaret Benefiel invites leaders of organizations, corporations and other groups to awaken to that which enlivens and engages, to what she names as the "soul", through the practice of discernment or mindful attention. Such embodied leaders can practice ways of being human and humane that can empower employees while benefiting the organization. A worthy read for any leader or CEO seeking to bring forth the best in themselves and others.

A guidebook for cultivating organizational depth and integrity:
I first checked this book out from the library. Before I was finished with it, I realized that I needed to own a copy, so I could keep referring to it, and using it as a guidebook. I work with nonprofit organizations as a consultant. This book provides practical stories and guidance for cultivating the kind of organizations we all want to be a part of--organizations where people are respected, where egos are set aside for a broader purpose, and where we can bring our best selves to work. The book also provides many case studies of where and how these values are being lived out--and the struggles and benefits that come with that commitment.

A Gift That Keeps on Giving:
SOUL AT WORK was a holiday gift to me and a large group of colleagues at an urban Head Start program several years ago. This book continues to speak to me through the soothing, smooth stones in the cover art, the stories of workers and now the conversations with others who read the book and have been willing to share their insights and support. The human stories ring true to my experiences in the workplace and break open details that can propel or derail harmony, productivity and souls in balance. I was able to access suggestions for spiritual practices and I am doing more of several of them. My conversations with God have increased, but we are wrestling over the questions; so that has added yet another set of strong feelings to sort and separate and keep in perspective as I live and work. My book group of twelve people of faith read the book and we had a spirited discussion of the book and some of our own work-setting challenges. SOUL AT WORK was a great gift that opened me to consider my soul and my struggles with challenging work. Now I am connected to a larger set of strategies and a widening circle of people willing to talk about these issues because we shared the experience of reading this book together. SOUL AT WORK was a great gift that continues to give me support and strategies through the stories and strategies it shares. It was indeed a gift that keeps on giving.

"Soul at Work" is Worth Reading Twice!:
I read Margaret Benefiel's "Soul at Work" twice - the first time at the end of many years of work in a large corporation, the second time two years later, after shifting my priorities and transforming my life in many personal and professional ways, with an eye to starting my own business. I found something different in each read coming from these two different perspectives. The first read gave me hope (that I needed) that large organizations could practice and incorporate spirituality into their cultures, work environments, and support the deep spiritual inner lives of their leaders and employees to manifest "soul" ("the lived manifestation of spirituality in an individual, a family or an organization"). It is instructive to have examples of leaders, practices and cultures that exemplify "soul" through passionate espirit de corps, fun, humor and lived integrity at work. Corporate work lives are driven, busy and breathless - it is fascinating to read the narratives of the businesses that succeed by remaining true and grounded in the initial inspirational foundations that gave them life. What makes these examples really strong is that these organizations have been successful over time and have matured and transformed through very difficult financial times, changes in key leadership, and a myriad of hardships. The second read, two years later - I focused on the practical business examples/tools I might use if I were to start a business and the personal narratives of the leaders. The examples provided in this book are supportive models for both the large corporate business or as a "beginner's" guide for the startup entrepreneur, which can be used to build a strong foundation for the soul of a leader, organization and culture. I especially found the later chapters that bring all the narratives together very helpful -- what corporate discernment can look like, how existing business organizations use this practice and how they sustain these practices. The comparison discussion of the spiritual transformation of the leader and the organization are useful to recognize. This viewpoint helps to normalize these in the framework of business and spirit. "Soul at Work" is a well organized, concise, easy to read book that is great for discussion groups, corporate settings (corporate workshops, discussions or conferences) or for a business leader or employee taking a fresh look at the business world starting their own business or finding ways to breath new life within their current work culture. I recommend reading it twice!