Todd's RISC Principles at Work

<p>Here are the leadership principles that I use to infuse spirituality

into organizations:

R -- responsibility: too often, leaders have a sense that they

are "in charge," rather than that they are responsible. Authority

leads to the ugly APE of leadership -- Arrogance, Pride and Ego -- or

what someone in our group called, mis-directed love (e.g., love of

self).

I -- integrity: this principle is core to any social enterprise.

Completeness (and the peace that comes from it -- e.g., Shalom), are

the only way to healing and wholeness. They offer an organization

(as well as an individual) to be unburdened by the mistakes of the

past and the anxiety of the future, allowing for intentionality and

purpose in the present. But what does it take for an organization to

have integrity. I'd love thoughts!

S -- service: emphasizing service is the only way that an

organization can overcome the dysfunction of profit maximization. If

profit is the goal, then keeping down expenses is the imperative. If

that is true, then externalization of costs is inevitable. But if

service is the goal, then profit is simply the reward for excellence

in achieving your goal and impact becomes the most important measure.

C -- community: I mentioned this at some length in our discussions.

Ultimately, I believe that an organization that is pursuing a mission

can be just as unhealthy for the individual as an organization that

is pursuing profit. Balance requires care for the individual and the

only place where individuals can truly cared for is when authentic,

transparent community can be practiced. There, in that place, the

pseudo-self that we project out of fear, is allowed to dissolve, in

favor of a real self (with all of its warts and extraordinary

beauty). This is also the only path to destroying the separation of

the secular and the sacred, for when "real" community is practiced at

the workplace (or any where), then trust and holiness follow.

RISC is the acronym I use for leadership in the book I'm writing. I

would love to hear others thoughts!!</p>