Book Review: Leadership at the Spiritual Edge: Emerging and Non-Western Concepts of Leadership and Spirituality

Leadership at the Spiritual Edge: Emerging and Non-Western Concepts of Leadership and Spirituality is a recent collection of thoughtful contributions by scholars and practitioners that study and work at the intersection of leadership and spirituality. The book was edited by Mohammed Raei (leadership and organization development consultant based in Jordan), Stacey Guenther (leadership coach and affiliated faculty at George Mason University), and Lisa Berkley (founding president of the Institute for Inner Economy and faculty at University of California, Santa Cruz). The book’s dominate themes encompass compassion for self and others, wholeness of mind, body and spirit, and promoting the collective over the individual. Framed to provide a leadership approach to healing and wholeness that encompasses both inner and outer transformation, this edited volume begins with five chapters outlining several emerging concepts in the leadership and spirituality space. Next, it examines several non-western perspectives on leadership and spirituality and provides the reader with several spiritually-inspired leadership tools. The book ends with a few chapters that explore the shadow side of spirituality informed leadership. The editors’ hope for this volume is that leaders will create spaces for contemplative practices and spiritual development in order to awaken the consciousness of their organizations so that healing and joy can be experienced by all.