Transcendent Leadership and the Evolution of Consciousness

Book excerpt: Is there a process to provide the opportunity for people to connect in the essence of "spiritual humanism" to undertake great and difficult tasks, provide holistic contexts from which we can create our future together, and cause us to take charge of our own evolution as we transcend? Could this be the true nature of leadership? The purpose of this book is to suggest that leadership theories are inadequate unless they include transcendence as an essential element influencing human behavior. "It is believed that if transcendence is included in leadership theories, an ebb and flow relationship will exist, providing opportunities where introspection and reflection of one’s role can cause individual transcendence to a higher level of consciousness, while at the same time causing transforming change in the individual and the organization." This book examines theories of the evolution of consciousness as the context for understanding transcendence. Utilizing the elements of transcendence and consciousness as a foundation, these concepts could help further not only the study, but the practice of leadership as well.