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Thoughts on Spirit Intelligence from Sandra

Spirit Intelligence brings meaning and direction to the work that people do. As individuals increasingly tap into their natural potential for self-expression, they simultaneously connect to an inner source of value or meaning.

Spirit is that aspect of our nature that brings value and creativity to our daily lives; it is using all of our energies (mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual) in every aspect of our lives. (Spirit is derived from the Latin word Spiritus, which means breath — as in the breath of life. Spirit is the unseen force that breathes life into us, enlivens us, and gives energy to us all.)

Spirit Intelligence allows us to make good (and, maybe, even great decisions) in our work, our play and our lives in general.

According to Dr. Michio Kaku of NYU, "We are not any longer passive observers of nature, but are going to become its active leaders. After we have found the basic laws of quants, DNS and computers, now we are starting a much longer voyage, which finally promises to lead us to the stars. When our knowledge about the fourth column of nature, spacetime, increases, opens the vision that in far distant future we become masters over space and time."

Knowing, understanding and admitting to the past makes it easier (or at least, possible) for us to recognize developments in the future and, in fact, to design and create the future that we want.

by Dr. John T. Maxwell

This scenario represents a hazard that is all too common for leaders. As my friend Tim Elmore, author of Nurturing the Leader within Your Child, explains it, many leaders are like this starving baker – they spend so much time providing for others that they fail to provide for themselves.

It's all about personal growth. Your people can only be as healthy as you are. They can only be as strong as you are. So your first responsibility as a leader – if you want to be effective, that is – is to feed yourself before you feed anyone else.

This brings me to two critical questions for you to consider:

1. What is your plan for personal growth?
2. What is your plan for team growth?

Cited and used with permission from maximum impact.com.

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by Michael Hudson, Ph.D.

Here's why you should call a time out today:

1. To catch your breath and assess your progress . . .
2. To analyze your day-to-day activities . . .
3. To redirect your efforts . . .

BOTTOM LINE: Effective leaders allocate their time to high pay-off activities that lead to realization of specific desired outcomes.

Cited and used with permission from everydayleader.com. To read the entire article, click here.

by Gunter Rochow

Socrates might say to the modern executive coach:

1. Don't think you know it all, for chances are that you know a lot less than you might think.
2. Don't consider yourself to be an adviser or a teacher.
3. Know what principles rule your life.
4. Live by your principles.
5. Ask questions that help managers to clarify concepts and issues and, in particular, to test the validity of assumptions concerning the way they do things.
6. Be as informal as you can, and be his or her "neighbour" with whom you might converse "over the fence" concerning the betterment of the cause.

Cited and used with permission from The Point Newsletter. To read the entire article, click here.

by David L. Dinwoodie

By first taking into consideration the degree of organizational diversity needed to most effectively perform the required tasks, leaders can make proactive decisions regarding the policies and procedures that will best support leaders in managing the diverse workforce. By attracting individuals predisposed to working across social identity boundaries and motivating them to value the link between the tasks to be performed and the creative potential inherent in the composition of team members, leaders can drive their operations toward achieving superior performance.

Cited and used with permission from Center for Creative Leadership. A pdf of the entire article may be downloaded here.

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