Enlightened Leadership...A Matter of Heart,Mind and Soul.

[Guest guest]

Enlightened Leadership …A Matter of Heart, Mind and Soul By Professor Peter Pruzan and Journalist Mrs. Kirsten Pruzan Mikkelsen "Service is

love in action and love is selflessness" - Baba An international leadership-authority we interviewed didn’t hesitate for a moment when asked about the purpose of business organizations: “It is to serve human needs. Period!” He added, “Spiritual-based leaders respect others. They are guided by the fundamental ethic: Service to others comes before serving one’s self. Individuals and organizations grow when they give themselves to others, and relationships improve when there is a focus on serving the other.” And this is exactly how Baba has summed up the role of not only leaders, but of all of us, in the unforgettable words: “Love all – serve all”. Such perspectives on leadership are not yet mainstream; but if you look for them, you can find an increasing number of inspiring and compassionate leaders who have a consciously held spiritual view of life and who lead

their business from that basis. We know this to be a fact, since for the past five years, together with two research colleagues, in connection with an international research project, we have been interviewing executives from all around the world – from North and South America, Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe. They are all “top leaders” such as CEOs, Chairmen, Executive Vice Presidents, etc. In this article we will introduce you to leaders, all of whom are inspired by the teachings of Bhagavan Baba. The leaders we interviewed come from a wide variety of religious backgrounds: Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism and Islam, but their spiritual views may or may not be connected with an organized religion. Some of them are devotees of Baba, most of them are not. Common to them all, transcending the boundaries of nation, culture and tradition, is a deep awareness of what is truly important in life and a dedication to integrate this awareness and

sensitivity into their leadership. They search for meaning, purpose and fulfillment in the external world of business as well as in the internal world of consciousness and conscience. Their external actions and their internal reflections are mutually supportive - so that spirituality and rationality go hand in hand, rather than being each other’s competitor. The Sri Sathya Sai University'sAdministrative Office in Prasanthi Nilayam We have found that spirituality is alive and well in the world of business, though in a subtle and often tacit way: not yet is it part of the common business vernacular; seldom is it explicitly expressed in corporate mission statements, policies, PR and reporting; and it is taught at only a small minority of MBA programmes throughout the world, significant amongst these being the Sri Sathya Sai University in Prasanthi Nilayam. Many business executives are becoming workaholic human-doings, longing to be full and integrated human-beings. They aspire to live with integrity, where their thoughts, values, words and deeds are in harmony. The problem is that they don’t know how to do so in a business world that is increasingly characterized by complexity, turbulence and greed. To lead from a spiritual basis means to lead with your heart, your mind and your soul. Our research shows that leaders of all kinds – not only in business, but also in government, public and private administration, hospitals, NGOs, etc. can achieve success, recognition, peace of mind and happiness, while at the same time serve the needs of all those affected by their leadership, when they lead with wisdom, from a spiritual basis. The question, however, is how do they do that? You will receive an impression of this when you meet ten down-to-earth spiritual based business executives who share their experiences with us. They are all inspired by the teachings of Bhagavan Baba and clearly demonstrate how these teachings are just as applicable in the turbulent world of business board rooms as in the silence of a meditation room. You will meet: G. Narayana as Executive Chairman of Excel Industries, India;

Francisco Roberto Canada, Director of and Partner in Errepar S.A., Argentina;Amber Chand as co-founder and VP of Vision at Eziba, USA; John Behner, former Country Manager of Nabisco, El Salvador; Parantha Narendran as Director of Strategy at Eurotel Telecom, Czech Republic; Rajan Govindan, former Senior Managing Director, Bankers Trust, USA; V.V. Ranganathan as Senior Partner in Ernst & Young, India; Alvaro Cruz, owner and CEO of I.C.M. Ingenieros Ltda., Colombia;James Sinclair, Chairman of Tan Range Exploration, Ltd., USA/Tanzania;and Ananth Raman as Chairman of Graphtex, Inc., USA. First, however, you will meet a missile scientist, the Honourable President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul

Kalam, whom we interviewed in the majestic Indian “White House”, Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. President Kalam was interviewed as a shining example of spiritual-based leadership beyond business. He shows that you can be a spiritual-based leader no matter what kind of an organization you lead. Ram ChuganiKobe, Japanrgcjp

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