Finding Spirit In Work. - Review - book review

Russ Moxley has taken on the challenging task of defining that certain spark that differentiates leaders from managers; that aura surrounding people who genuinely love their work; that euphoria exuding from groups formed on kinship. It's a daunting task, even for an author with Moxley's solid business background, not-for-profit organizational experience and position with the Center for Creative Leadership.

Even though it is editorially organized around two parts, Leadership and Spirit actually separates into three rather distinct sections. In many respects, the first portion is philosophical and quite personal. The middle is a thoughtful, insightful guide for dealing with the complexities and mysteries of leading people. And the last is somewhat pedantic and unconventional in terms of leadership development.

In the first segment, Moxley spends considerable time attempting to describe what "spirit" is and is not. But his effort is not altogether effective. At points it is unnecessarily abstract and sometimes borders on obtuse. Ultimately, the reader is left wondering what this spirit thing is all about. And the author admits that his concept is not distinctly different from what others have called "hidden wholeness," "inner pulse" or "actualization." As the book progresses, spirit periodically makes an appearance but is not a consistently integrated stream of thought. This does not, however, take away from the overall value of the book. If you can get past this flaw, the work is well worth the read.

Moxley's easy style and nicely constructed form makes the reading enjoyable even during the parts where one would normally become annoyed and impatient. His numerous references are valuable and are capably blended into his prose.

Leadership and Spirit's central theme is that leadership is composed of four interdependent energies: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. Without acknowledging, understanding and promoting the spiritual self, leadership becomes reliant on factors such as positional power, coercion and control. The goal of spiritually based leadership is organizational effectiveness driven by processes that promote shared ownership, authority and accountability.

To achieve this state of leadership, executives must confront their dark side. A leader has both a public face and what Jungian psychologists call a "shadow." The shadow holds all those things people don't want others to see--fears, insecurities and anxieties. Moxley indicates that if these forces remain unexamined and unresolved, leadership impact is minimized and employees remain uncommitted, unfulfilled and disengaged.

Moxley then adds a dose of practical application and outlines how leader-partnerships can be built. While the logic is not new, it is powerful, and it's placed exactly where readers will be asking for answers. His model revolves around a balance of power, a sense of unified purpose, personal responsibility and genuine respect for the individual. The last factor of his model is the one causing most partnerships to fail--limiting the group to superficial or tactical problems rather than opening the purview to substantive, critical issues.

An insight will come for most managers when they read the section on identity and authenticity. Moxley makes a strong case for continuous self-evaluation and assessment. It is from this base of knowledge that managers can measurably determine whether they are being "real" in all aspects of their lives. Being authentic is the foundation on which trust is built.

In the final chapter, Moxley reveals how imbued he is with the classic Center for Creative Leadership approach. Taken out of context, the holistic theory can sound a little foreign to managers who haven't experienced the process firsthand. Even though he aptly describes "play," "aesthetic competency" and "telling stories," for most line managers, these activities are not credible tools for improving organizational performance.

I've already given a copy of the book to a manager who is struggling with aligning corporate success with personal fulfillment. My sense is that appropriately positioned in a development process, Leadership and Spirit can be a useful, effective tool for years to come.

Steve McIntosh, Ph.D., is president of Tartan Consulting, a full-service human resource group with offices in Bonita Springs, Fla.

Leadership and Spirit: Breathing New Vitality and Energy into Individuals and Organizations by Russ S. Moxley, Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1999, 208 pages. List price: $30.95. ISBN: 0787909491.

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