TAILORED.SPIRITUAL.MENTORING
Nurturing the Spiritual life of leaders
The spiritual foundation of a leader is a vital component of leadership identity; understanding this leads to wisdom – and to the adventure of a lifetime.
“People have both an inner and an outer life and the nourishment of the inner life can lead to a more productive and meaningful outer life”
Being spiritually alive yields treasure that spills out into the communities and organisations we are part of. What is this treasure? Qualities such as calmness, empathy, listening, resilience, patience, kindness, care, purpose, optimism, and so much more. We can create healthy or toxic environments around us – it’s our choice. I am committed to sparking, nourishing, and sustaining the spiritual life of leaders because the difference it makes to personal well-being and organisational health is tangible.
Holistic Development Model – Tailored Leadership Formation
Holistic Leadership shares a tried and trusted model, widely known as the Map of Meaning, which grew out of doctoral research into career and life transitions.
I have worked with the model for many years, interpreting it through a Christian perspective, and extending its application to a wide variety of leaders through my own PhD research. My personal journey has led to the Christian Development Model (CDM). Simple but profound, the CDM creates space for people to slow down, opens time for reflection, and enables transformational moments of inspiration to emerge.
Working with a model in any of its forms helps individuals to clarify how their spiritual orientation impacts their leadership in specific and particular contexts. This is a vital sign of health in organisational life – recognising, understanding, and experiencing the spiritual dimension is therefore critical for all of us.
The sections in the model include:
Central inspiration
What is the foundation, or source, of our inspiration and motivation? What are our spiritual values? How does our spiritual understanding inform our leadership purpose?
Recognising what we value spiritually lies at the centre of our lives. Raising awareness helps identify the influence our spiritual values are having in the following areas:
Being / Self
Transformation
Character Choices / Nurture Faith
Who we are? Understanding ourselves is a focal point for the development of character and integrity. Through self-examination, we can structure ways to ensure personal growth and resilience in the inner life.
Doing / Self
Adventure
Leadership Courage / Experience Freedom
How do I? Our passion, calling, and place in the world, the use of our talents, skills, and capabilities. How are our creative energies released to help meet everyday challenges?
Being / Others
Love
Ideal Emergence / Encounter Truth
Who with? Sense of belonging in community, and ability to build trusting relationships. Are we connected with others?
Doing / Others
Relational
Catalyst Conversations / Express Love
Who for? Service and social justice issues. Are we working to create a sustainable world? What is our contribution and legacy?
Reality
The contexts and situations we face are vital to acknowledge and contain both positive and negative dynamics. What world are we building around us?
The model raises awareness of everyday tensions we all encounter, the demands and pulls which are an inevitable part of life – Being and Doing, Self and Others, Inspiration and Reality. The influence of these dimensions is felt at both the individual and the organisational level. Individually, the model highlights the leadership perspective and redirects attention in support of genuine transformation. Organisationally, the model identifies where internal cohesion is lacking, and restores connection.
The model can be applied next to:
Personal and Professional balance – juggling priorities
Purpose and Performance – challenging expectations
Mental Health and Stress – alleviating burnout and depression
See, for example, the work of Culturistics.
Leadership Mentoring – encouraging spiritual direction
sustainable social responsibility.
Group Facilitation
Using the Holistic Development Model creates a rich forum for shared learning experiences, and acts as a catalytic host – inviting the emergence of inspiration and insight into a room. Events can and do lead to pivotal moments of understanding, excitement, and energy for change.
The significance of personal spiritual development which is integral to well-being, and genuine leadership, is recognised. Within this work, it is important to acknowledge the diverse range of meanings and associations that people connect to the word ‘spirituality’. I have worked successfully over many years to engage people in significant and transformative conversations.
My group events:
Create time and space for creative reflection.
Enable leaders to listen for meaning – to identify and connect shared spiritual values.
Position learning within the leadership context, encourage connection to and alignment with spiritual purpose and encourage application within the particular work environment.
Encourage critical thinking and constructive learning.
Provide resources, materials, and practical exercises that open up new insights.
“You handled a complex situation yesterday, with people who don’t know each other that well, with great tact and sensitivity but getting action outcomes from us as well, which has sometimes been difficult to do. I was really pleased you would be doing the facilitation, and you met all my hopes. I do hope we can involve you in the future.”
Professor Peter Gilbert, National Spiritually & Mental Health Forum, Trustee and Board Away Day
Individual Spiritual Mentoring
Work with the Holistic Development Model enables people, who want to build a lasting leadership legacy, to map out how these various strands inform individual meaning and societal impact.
“Sue has been instrumental in supporting me with the Holistic Leadership journey over the past year – thereby helping to clear the blocks which were limiting my potential as a leader (a process which continues). The support and attention have been nothing short of life-changing and life-enhancing for me.”
“The model provides a deep and rich resource for personal reflection and development. I have long held the view that good leadership requires the courage to be vulnerable and authentic. The CDM gave me the language to articulate my own quest for life-giving balance, as well as the tools to equip others on a similar journey to find the courage to be themselves”.
Michelle Taylor, Sarum College
Mentoring is a catalyst for individual and organisational transformation. When it comes to spiritual development, having a mentor you can trust, someone with whom you can share your personal experience of the spiritual journey is important. The Holistic Development Model is a wonderful tool for Spiritual Directors and Mentors as it offers both support and challenges for individuals and I encourage Mentors to use it
Tony Horsfall describes mentoring beautifully in his book ‘Mentoring for Spiritual Growth:
“Mentoring is a relationship where the mentor promotes the work of God in the life of another, empowering the person through the sharing of God-given resources. It’s a relational process in which a mentor, who knows or has experienced something, transfers resources of wisdom, information, experience, confidence or insight to a mentoree, thereby facilitating their development.”
Horsfall, Tony, Mentoring for Spiritual Growth, 2008, BRF
Who am I?
I am Dr. Sue Howard. Using my own life as a tool for discovery I have become known as a pioneer in the field of Spirit at Work. I work with Grove Books as part of the editorial team, most recently with the Spirituality Series.
My publications:
Organisations I have worked with include:
Cranfield School of Management. Ashridge Executive Education. Roffey Park Institute. World Vision. St Albans Vineyard Church. YMCA. The University of Hertfordshire. Sarum College. Career Milestones.
© 2023 Holistic Leadership