Global Spiritual Leadership

When I was 10 years old, I entered the realm of athletics, specifically as a competitive swimmer. Through my formative years and into early adulthood, I followed a path that provided rich and challenging experiences and taught me lessons that remain with me today.

In my mid-20s, I moved into the coaching field. With 15 years background as an athlete, the Universe within deemed that I was ready to turn towards others – those who carried within them the same or similar passions and desires that I carried as a young athlete.

What followed was a 25-year tenure in athletic leadership, including coaching, organizational leadership, top administrative positions and magazine editing.

Most recently, I served as the head coach of a collegiate swim team. It was in this position that I learned most extensively about the qualities of leadership, as I took the reins of head coach when the program was non-existent and, with assistance from many, saw the program rise to a national contender over a few years.

What I have learned about leadership is not only from my personal experiences, but from others I have witnessed and served with. It has been my honor to walk alongside some truly effective authentic leaders, to feel their positive influence and learn lessons of leadership from them.

I would like to share with you several of the traits that I found common in the leaders with whom I was acquainted, and, even more so, those qualities I found most effective in my own personal leadership activities. They are not listed in order of importance, as each of these qualities blends with the others to create the fabric of leadership.

Personal Responsibility – The leader takes full responsibility and ownership for what happens under his (or her) watch. He sees his group, his business or his organization as an extension of himself. His personal identity is expanded to include the identity of that which he leads.

Authenticity – The great leader is transparent. He does not play games, try to hide behind a mask or be someone he is not. He is accepting of his uniqueness and is willing to open himself completely to those in his midst. “I am who I am” serves as a motto.

Vision – The effective leader is able to see with great clarity where the team is heading. As a leader, he is blessed with this vision that serves to guide him in his actions that pertain to his group. He has seen the destination and he sees the path heading to that destination, though he may not be aware of all that lies along that path.

Passion – He has a fire in his heart. This is the fuel that propels his walk down the path and a gift he shares with those who walk alongside him. It is the energy of the heart that beckons him, “This must be done!”

Compassion – Related to passion, compassion is being able to sense what others are experiencing. It is a knowingness from wearing the “shoes” of another. In my own coaching, it was the ability to relate to another, perhaps the inner challenges or joy they were experiencing.

Commitment – The feeling of commitment may be described as “I am here to do this and regardless of the difficulty or obstacles, I will complete the task!” It is the fervent “stick-to-it-tive-ness” that keeps the individual forging ahead.

Trust/Freedom – The great leaders have complete trust in those around them. In essence, he sets them free to be who they are and to do what they do. Because he trusts himself fully and lives in his authenticity, he is one in “let go” and allows himself and others the freedom and space with which to work.

Belief/Confidence – The effective leader sees the greatness in others and has the confidence that they will display this greatness. He is able to envision such greatness due to the fact that he sees the same in himself and he knows others are capable of excellence in their own unique fashion. When his confidence is on display, it awakens the confidence in others.

Collaborative and Cooperative – Gone are the days of “my way or the highway.” Instead, true leadership is openness and sharing between two entities. The leader is as willing to teach or direct as he is to learn or follow.

Skills – The leader of a computer company knows computers. The coach of a football team knows football. Usually, the great leaders have “apprenticed” for an extended period and bring to their position the know-how required for the job. And, the leader is always interested in furthering those skills while involved in the leadership position. Teaching may be an aspect of leadership, but it is only part of what the leader does.

Energy - The leader works in an energy construct. Simplistically, it can be called a “team.” He moves beyond the mere tangible and visible into the area of the heart, where construct is intangible and invisible, where all is motivated by love. He shares himself completely, allows that sharing to weave through the group, and then, in a complete circle, receives from the universe that which is to be subsequently shared. In a most basic way, he is simply a receiver and transmitter for the Universal Vibration of Love.

So, one might ask, how does coaching a swim team relate to global spiritual leadership? Quite nicely, I might answer.

One difference is in the energy construct. While coaching a team might include the leadership of a few dozen athletes, global leadership simply expands to include the family of humanity. It is planetary in scope, ever-widening to include all that exists on Earth.

Instead of athletics, the platform or arena of the leadership resides in the spiritual awareness or self-realization of the planet’s human beings. In a way, it’s just another subject or field, as leadership can be applied to virtually any endeavor.

Relating to the qualities of leadership mentioned above, the global spiritual leader (GSL) does take personal responsibility and ownership for the collective. In other words, the GSL realizes that there are many involved in the process, but he has the skills, the willingness and the expansiveness in his awareness to “wrap his arms” around the Earth. It’s not leadership of the mind or ego, but a surrendering to the Universe, in a sense, to work through him in this capacity. It is as natural and easy as breathing.

In a more abbreviated manner, let’s look at how a GSL would manifest the other leadership qualities:

Authenticity – “I am who I am” is still the rule.

Vision – His vision is of the planet and in the realization of its potential. The Earth/humanity is within him and he holds it in a place of Love.

Passion – He has an immense feeling of connection with humanity.

Compassion – He understands the experiences of others. Through he works in a state of equanimity, there’s empathy at work here.

Commitment – It is the sacred task that the GSL “signed up for” and there is no turning back!

Trust/Freedom – He knows that the highest nature of man is to be free.

Belief/Confidence – The leader sees divinity in all.

Collaborative/Cooperative – He works within the Law of One, recognizing the Unity of existence.

Skills – He is self-realized and self-actualized. There exists a “knowing.”

There are those who may reject the notion of leadership as it pertains to spirituality. Certainly, the old notion of a religious or spiritual leader who dictates the life of a blind follower is not the spiritual leadership described here. This is not the old paradigm of power, control, manipulation and dictatorship.

Instead, the “new” spiritual leadership is a natural and authentic role, in essence no different from that of a healer or an artist. For example, a singer uses the gift of song and the specific knowledge of music to create his work. A painter uses the canvas, brush and paint to create a masterpiece. And, the spiritual leader uses leadership skills to manifest his creation as well.

The global spiritual leader is one who has “paid his dues,” so to speak, and, out of Love, turns to his fellow humans to share himself and that which the Universe within offers. His act of Love is not only for himself, not only for his family or country, but for the Earth and all who call it “Home.” Through the realization that he and the Universe are One, the global spiritual leader embraces his purpose to actualize his Oneness with the Earth.