Leading with Soul.

 
Lee O. Bolman and Terrence E. Deal 
Jossey-Bass, 2001 
259 pages, $22.95 
Hardcover 

Synopsis

Lee Bolman and Terry Deal have revised and updated their 1995 book, Leading with Soul. The revisions are aimed at making the book more timely through new emphasis on current issues such as emerging leaders, aging baby boomers and the changing nature of work. The authors hope to aid those who are finding organizational life to be increasingly hollow and unfulfilling as it focuses more and more on the bottomline while excluding spirit and emotion.

To achieve their aim, the authors use a simple parable of Steve and his mentor, Maria, to share a journey of the awakening of a leader/manager to his own inner world of soul and feelings. As he deepens his contact with these personal aspects of himself, his approach to leading is also changed, and he begins to bring feelings into the workplace. Although difficult at first, the results are ultimately positive for both Steve (the leader/manager), his employees, and his company.

In addition to the story itself, Bolman and Deal include periodic "interludes" for discussion and commentary on the ideas presented in the story. They also include a "postlude" where they respond to comments and questions received from the first edition. These include questions such as "Where do I find a Maria?" "Am I supposed to be changed as a result of reading this?" and "How do I use this to lead difficult employees?" A final chapter on Soul at Work describes examples of several soulful companies including Ford Motor in Kansas City, Southwest Airlines, and Ben & Jerry's.

The story of Steve and Maria is told through a series of six encounters between the two and spans a period of about two and a half years. During this time, Maria helps Steve recognize the importance of his own spirit, which, like many of us, he has ignored. Between each of their encounters, Steve wrestles with himself and experiments with the ideas he's learned from Maria. Then at their next meeting, he describes the results, which are not always pretty or pleasant! But Maria assures him that learning and change don't come without a price.

Drawing from her own experience, Maria helps Steve see the spirit found in everything around us, especially in nature, and she explains four "gifts" she has found important in working with others: love, power, authorship and significance. As Steve begins to deepen his understanding by giving ...