The Enlightened Leader, An introduction to the Chakras of Leadership

Unique, thought provoking and funny... Peter ten Hoopen and Fons Trompenaars present a new analytical instrument to chart the energetic aspects of personality inspired by the seven energy centres of classic yoga philosophy: the Chakras of Leadership. The seven centres being:- Root; Sacral; Solar Plexus; Heart; Throat; Third Eye and Crown.

The authors have included a free on-line tool which gives an instant measurement of your energy distribution. I highly recommend that you complete the tool prior to reading the book - and then refer to the results throughout.

The authors say that being an enlightened leader encourages sustainability and discourages greed - what a pity some leaders in the banking industry didn't become enlightened prior to their current challenges!

The book provides substantial, and often amusing anecdotal evidence of leaders/organisations who have demonstrated good and not so good evidence of leadership qualities. The ego being the most problematic phenomena and one which tends to be magnified during mergers and acquisitions.

The book describes that an astounding two-thirds of mergers and acquisitions fail, and the failure rate being down to greed - 'the mad hunger to make as much money as quickly as possible, to hell with the consequences, or more precisely, to hell with the people. The big guys sail off with their multi-million dollar golden parachutes, the employees stand at the door empty handed - if we forget their carton boxes with private belongings. A Root Chakra that is both hyperactive and unfavourably developed can lead to gross disregard for other people's needs.

Richard Branson is described as being 'a near perfect example of the kind of leadership advocated in this book. Though he is a strong personality whose personal reputation is very much the brand, a brand which unites the disparate units of his empire, he remains a strong exponent of participation.

They describe wisdom as being an important element of enlightenment - their wonderful definition being:

'Wisdom is the ability to live in peace with life's contradiction'

'In other terms you could say: wisdom is laying new connections that resolve tensions, inner and outer, and re-establish peace. Wisdom is reconciliation. Anyone who attains even a fair degree of it saves energy that would otherwise have gone to waste in the struggle to live with life's unending contradictions'.

This book is written for the open-minded.......certainly worth the read...........however if your Crown Chakra is blocked and therefore you may have scepsis towards spirituality....perhaps it's not for you!


Doreen Coull
Director, Bray Leino Ltd
dcoull@brayleino.co.uk