This paper offers a summary and critical reflection on Lee Bolman and Terrence Deal's "Leading with the Soul: An Uncommon Journey of Spirit." Through the story of protagonist Steve Camden and his mentor, the authors argue that effective leadership requires spiritual self-awareness and a commitment to nurturing others. The paper examines the book's central metaphors — the gifts of authorship, love, power, and significance — and reflects on how these principles differ from conventional management literature. The review concludes that, while the book's approach is spiritually framed, its core ideas align with democratic and horizontal leadership models relevant to diverse, contemporary organizations.
Like many books on management and leadership, Bolman and Deal address common concerns that organizations and individuals face when approaching important leadership questions in their book Leading with the Soul. What distinguishes this book from other leadership texts is that the authors take a spiritual look at concepts including leadership and management philosophy. The book examines leadership by exploring it through philosophical, religious, and spiritual inquiry. The authors also examine how psychotherapy can influence one's leadership ability and one's capacity to succeed within an organization.
Bolman and Deal explore leadership by presenting the relationship between the main character, Steve Camden, and his mentor. The central point the authors make is that to inspire and encourage people to feel motivated in their careers, work environment, and personal lives, employees must be able to look to a leader for encouragement and support. A leader has more responsibility than simply overseeing the tasks of subordinates. Rather, the authors suggest the main character was not leading as effectively as he could — or was "dispirited," as the authors describe it — trying to find meaning in a life that seemed meaningless. Camden's problem, presented as a narrative, is that he focuses too much on profitability and meeting the organization's bottom line, rather than nourishing his own soul and helping those under him do the same.
According to Bolman and Deal, there are many gifts that come with leadership, among them authorship, power, and significance. A leader has an obligation to give to those under him or her in order to encourage others to try new things or new ways of doing things, thereby inspiring hope, success, and achievement. The "gift of authorship" allows leaders to create successful organizations because it encourages greater knowledge sharing and motivates employees to take responsibility for their own success and that of the organization. The "gift of love," as described by the authors, is the idea that any organization must create a culture that embraces each member as part of a family. For this family to function effectively, each member — whether employee or manager — must learn to listen to one another and appreciate each person's contributions to the team.
Other gifts explored in the book include the "gift of power" and the "gift of significance." Power relates to the leader's responsibility to direct energy into helping others succeed and to encourage others to do the same. This runs counter to the notion of self-promotion and instead advances the idea that people should work together toward a common goal. Significance suggests that leaders should enable others to gain a sense of pride in all they achieve, and to feel that they contribute to the greater good of the organization as well as to their own lives and careers.
These four gifts — authorship, love, power, and significance — form the spiritual and philosophical backbone of Bolman and Deal's argument. Together, they reframe leadership not as a set of managerial techniques but as a deeply relational and values-driven practice rooted in care for others and awareness of one's own inner life.
"Writer's evaluation of the book's value"
The main points include taking action each and every day, not simply to explore one's own ability but also to encourage others to do the same. By doing so, a person becomes a leader because he or she inspires others to achieve their best. This is a valid point, one that if followed may encourage greater trust within organizations. It certainly encourages leaders to trust their employees more and to allow them greater responsibility — or authorship — over tasks assigned within the organization. The authors also suggest that once a leader masters these skills, he or she can encourage others to do the same.
Exploring one's spirituality, according to the authors, will lead to greater personal satisfaction and help the leader intrinsically motivate people within an organization to succeed. This is not an entirely new concept, but Bolman and Deal certainly introduce it in a fresh and engaging manner. Even those who are not religiously oriented, or those more comfortable with conventional forms of leadership, may find the ideas presented here both practical and useful.
While Bolman and Deal present a new approach to leadership, the principles supporting their leadership guide are well grounded and consistent with many contemporary leadership models. Bolman and Deal seem to advocate for a more democratic leadership style, one that emphasizes horizontal leadership and knowledge sharing within the organization. They simply present their ideas in a more enlightened, spiritually informed manner. Their central argument is that unless a leader is comfortable exploring his or her own inner spirit, he or she will be unable to encourage others to do the same. This is a compelling point, one deserving greater attention as organizations continue to grow more diverse in the global marketplace.
Bolman, L. G., & Deal, T. E. (2001). Leading with soul: An uncommon journey of spirit. Jossey-Bass.
Rising Sun. (2005). "Leading with soul review." Retrieved July 15, 2005, from
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