Recognizing the Contributions of Another Person: From yet another perspective, the process of appreciation concerns our recognition of the contributions that have been made by another person: “I appreciate the efforts you have made in getting this project off the ground.” Sometimes this sense of appreciation is reflected in the special recognition we give people for a particularly successful project or in the bouquet of flowers or thank you note we leave with an assistant. This form of appreciation, however, when it is the only kind provided, typically leads only to praise inflation, praise addiction and the tendency to keep people who report to us permanently in a needy and, therefore (ironically), one-down position (Kanter, 1977).

Appreciation can instead be exhibited in a more constructive manner through the daily interaction between an administrator and her associates. It involves mutual respect and active engagement, accompanied by a natural flow of feedback, and an exchange of ideas.  More specifically, appreciation is evident in attitudes regarding the nature and purpose of work. If the leader “sees work as the means whereby a person creates oneself (that is, one’s identity and personality) and creates community (that is, social relations), then the accountability structure becomes one of nurturing and mentoring.” (Cummings and Anton, 1990, p. 259)

Leadership Practice Three: Inspiration and Leadership

Sandstrom and Smith (2005) observe that there doesn’t seem to be much truly “inspiring” about the world we live in today. The daily newspaper and the evening news most often serve to send us into a state of depression, or at the very least, apathy. While that is the case for most of the world, it is certainly not, and should not, be the case for those holding a spiritual perspective. Inspiration can be defined as the process of instilling hope and reason for being and doing. We’ve already seen that without a vision, people perish. The same is true for hope. Without hope, people die inside. They no longer have reason to perform, to achieve, to succeed, or even to live sometimes. The challenge for each of us is to find and nurture a hope that sustains and keeps us alive. We know there is more than what this world offers.

Best Practice Three concerns this matter of hope. Hope, in turn, is based on the way in which relationships are formed and the way in which we influence others. Appropriate risk taking, the making of tough decisions, and the sustained accomplishment of goals occurs in sacred space – not in a secular space of self-reliance. Leaders who are engaged in this best practice understand that true Inspiration comes from and is engaged on behalf of higher purposes and transcendent goals (that are sustaining and directed toward the greater good) goals. Support for the ongoing development of others is a primary concern, and the real work of a leader who embraces a spiritual perspective.

Interpersonal Influence and Inspiration

As we consider ways in which to embrace a spiritual perspective on behalf of Best Practice Three, it is important to differentiate between the ways in which to influence that are intended for the greater good and those that are intended for personal gratification and control.  There are essentially three ways in which we influence and are influenced by other people. These are coercion, identification, and internalization.  (Aronson, 2018) Spiritual discernment requires that we distinguish between these three strategies as we journey toward Hope.