The LYLT Program is a unique online mentoring course that offers a spirituality-based self-discovery route to leadership development. Authentic Leadership, which is the main theme, in The LYLT Program, is the need of the hour for businesses today. The LYLT Program combines ancient Tibetan spiritual breathing routines and contemporary management thought to yield a course for young executives and entrepreneurs to follow so as to reach heights of success in their careers. For more information, visit www.thelyltprogram.org or send email to mentor@thelyltprogram.org

3. is an acronym for
and rhymes with the word ‘lilt’
(The LYLT Program promises to be a lilting experience!)

4. can also stand for
The ‘T’ in
&

5. Take your pick… All three, if you like!

6. What is
?

7. A unique online mentoring course that
offers a spirituality-based self-discovery
route to leadership development

8. * First, embark on your spiritual journey by learning meditation & a set
of spiritual breathing routines
* Next, discover your true self through introspection and connecting
with your spirit
* And, evolve into an authentic leader by understanding the ‘connection’
between your breath and your thought –

9. Let it be known, at this stage, that
Spirituality at the Workplace
(aka Spirit at Work)
&
Authentic Leadership
are considered to be ‘emerging hot’ concepts of
the day among management experts…

10. …concepts that are being tested out and
successfully implemented in companies
large and small, all over the world…

11. …and are becoming topics for serious
research in leading b-schools.

12. But why have these concepts gained
importance, in the first place?

13. Here are some ‘obvious’ reasons:
Executive burnout, mid-life crises, lack of job
satisfaction, cut-throat competition,
malfeasance (at both organizational and
individual level), and that ever-present poser,
“Why this?”

14. The need for Spirituality at the Workplace
and Authentic Leadership is best captured
by this little story…

15. When Amory Houghton was to take over as CEO of Corning
Glass (now Corning Inc.), he received this piece of advice,
DECISIONS
BASED ON
CORE VALUES
REGULATIONS
STANDARDS
LAWS LAWS
“Your decisions will always be based on
two concentric circles. In the outer circle
are all the laws, the regulations, and the
standards. In the inner circle are your
“core values”. Just make sure the decisions
you make as CEO remain well within the
boundaries of the inner circle.”

16. How often, in recent times, have we come across CEOs
straying outside the inner circle… maybe just a wee bit
outside, you know… to start with. When this happens,
the core values get stretched beyond the critical point
that separates the contrived from the naturally altruistic.
One little straying leads to another and very soon, a CEO
is no longer merely tempted to take a shortcut; he has
become adept at cutting corners… as also some of the
people working for him.

17. This is what is all about…
Staying vs Straying!

18. …is scalar in structure and design
The bottom rung (the starting point)
is the innermost circle depicted in
the figure to the right – Meditation.
You climb your way up the spiritual
ladder, as it were, to a state of
Mindfulness.
From here, it is only one step way to
emerging as an Authentic Leader.

19. can also be depicted thus…

20. Spirituality at the Workplace
At the outset, I am clearing a misconception…
Being spiritual
and being
religious are two
entirely different
and discrete
things.
A person could,
however, be
spiritual and
religious though
it’s not necessary
that one stems
from the other.
I could be
deeply spiritual
but not
necessarily
religious, and
vice versa.
(Understanding this is important).

21. Spirituality at the Workplace
A 1997 study (Chris Schaefer & Jeri Darling, Spirit at
Work Newsletter) showed that roughly 80% of people
who declared they were spiritual also said they were
not committed to any religion.
(This, in and of itself, should be a solid case for fostering spirituality at
the workplace.)

22. Spirituality at the Workplace
What is Spirit? The word ‘spirit’ comes from two Latin words,
spirare (to breathe – verb) and spiritus (the breath – noun).
Spirit is something that is closely related to PraNa (प्राण, in
Sanskrit), the universal life force energy.
Our spirit uniquely determines our individuality – who we are.

23. Spirituality at the Workplace
The spirit
- is ensconced within the physical body at birth
- gets released at the time of death
- is subject to repeated and successive ‘birth and death’
(In Oriental literature, this is called the ‘wheel of life’)

24. Spirituality at the Workplace
The primary purpose of life is to enable the spirit to break
away from the cycle of birth/death/rebirth so that it can
become one with the Universal Spirit.
This calls for the life-form to become sublime or spiritual…
To become one – to blend, to merge – with the Universal
Spirit

25. Spirituality at the Workplace
Everyone of us can become sublime or spiritual, if and when
we start to feel the ‘nudge’ (of the inner calling). Most of us
fail to pay heed to the inner calling.

26. Spirituality at the Workplace
Before we proceed further,
let me declare firmly that
is not for all and sundry.

27. Spirituality at the Workplace
Only those who can feel, within themselves, an
inner calling
can benefit and evolve to become more sublime.

28. Spirituality at the Workplace
It is believed that some of us have to undergo
a cataclysmic personal experience
to be able to tune in to the
inner calling.

29. Spirituality at the Workplace
Now, let’s get back to
understanding ‘spirituality’, from a
workplace perspective.

30. Spirituality at the Workplace
Physical
Mental
Emotional
Spiritual
How we take care of our body; building
immunity against disease & illness
Our feelings & what we do about them.
How we deal with conflict
Deep ‘inner connect’ & being in tune with
the Universe. Be of service to others
How we think, decide & act. Problem
solving; logic & rationale

31. Spirituality at the Workplace
Physical
Mental
Emotional
Spiritual
How we take care of our body; building
immunity against disease and illness
Our feelings & what we do about them.
How we deal with conflict
Deep ‘inner connect’ & being in tune with
the Universe. Be of service to others
How we think, decide & act.
Problem solving; logic & rationale

32. Spirituality at the Workplace
For those that allow their Spiritual Energy to govern the
other three levels (Emotional, Mental, and Physical),
several “Good Business Practices” begin to manifest
routinely – check out the list on the following page.

33. Spirituality at the Workplace
• Come to expect the best from co-workers and get it too
• Work co-operatively, willing to be of service to others
• Communicate openly, without a ‘hidden’ agenda
• Empower those around them and yet ‘be there’, if needed
• Display integrity and trust through word and deed
• Problem-solving through Lateral Thinking
Attributes of those that allow their Spiritual Energy to govern
the other three levels - Emotional, Mental, and Physical
• Think creatively and innovatively
• Listen actively
• Visualize the ‘big picture’
• Act fearlessly and open-mindedly
• Face adversity in a stoic manner
And, above all, passionate about their ‘purpose and mission’.

34. Now, let’s move on to the subject of
Authentic Leadership…

35. The LYLT Program’s focus is only on
Authentic Leadership…

36. Why?

37. The world over, in economies capitalist or socialist,
leadership appears to be preoccupied with
(as Dr. Fiona Beddoes-Jones puts it)
“greed, competitiveness, testosterone,
ego and power,
combined with lack of empathy and compassion”.
Dr. Fiona Beddoes-Jones has a very rare PhD – in Authentic Leadership!

38. Corporate character is being called into question, not only with financial issues
(such as stock management and corporations ignoring generally accepted accounting
procedures), but also with regard to human resource issues and business ethics,
environmental policies, human rights, corporate contributions, community
development and workplace success.
Consider this statement by Dr Marschke et al in the paper: Business
Executives & Professionals Identify Relationship Between Spirituality at
Work and Job Satisfaction (2008, H Wayne Huizenga B-School, FL):

39. A 2009 research (by Management Today & Institute of
Leadership & Management) threw up an interesting finding:
About a third of 5700 employees at various levels had
no trust or low trust in their managements.
Wonder how many respondents, in this study, said, “No comment”!
But, in their heart of hearts, …??

40. Isn’t it time we asked ourselves this question?
“At work, do I feel I am important?”
Or,
“Am I made to feel I am impotent?”

41. Thanks to flatter organizations, more
employees, across the board, begin to feel
they want to be part of something
‘meaningful and worthwhile’.
They end up realizing that any stated vision,
aim or mission of the organization is ‘hot air’.
It’s almost as if they count for very little!

42. This results in high levels of ‘occupational stress’.
W.H.O. terms workplace stress a worldwide epidemic.

43. Goes without saying, stress at work must
be nipped in the bud.
Failing this, the rot spreads rapidly,
weakening the very foundations of the
organization, in its wake.

44. Enter, the Authentic Leader…
For this very purpose.

45. What sets an Authentic Leader apart?
And what is Authentic Leadership?

46. Authentic Leadership involves inspiring (not motivating,
but inspiring) the people in an organization through
faith (not belief, but faith) based on a vision of service
to all stakeholders.
Three words stand out…

47. “inspiring” as against “motivating”,
“faith” as against “belief”,
and
“service” that is outrageously “no holds barred”
Those that lead based on these tenets
are Authentic Leaders

48. Attributes of an
Authentic LeaderDr. Laura Reave of the Univ.
of Western Ontario states:
“Values that have long been
considered spiritual ideals,
such as integrity, honesty,
and humility, have been
demonstrated to have an
effect on leadership
success.”
She lists the following attributes:
- showing respect for others
- demonstrating fair treatment,
- expressing caring and concern
- listening responsively
- recognizing the contributions of others
- and engaging in reflective practice.

49. Integrity
Unarguably, the one attribute
that is in most demand and perhaps,
found most wanting in
today’s dog-eat-dog world.

50. Integrity
Is Integrity Important?
Is Integrity Required?
Is Integrity Mandatory?

51. Integrity
Let’s take a close at what “integrity” is.
Then, you be the judge and answer the
three questions on the previous slide.

52. Integrity
Dictionary meanings of the word “integrity:
1. Adherence to moral and ethical principles;
Soundness of moral character; Honesty
2. The state of being whole, entire or undiminished
3. A sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition
Synonyms:
Rectitude, probity, virtue

53. Integrity
Just a gentle reminder, at this stage.
If you are wondering why we are harping on seemingly
non-business issues, stop awhile to think about all the
corporate scandals that have rocked the business world
in recent times, the world over.

54. Integrity
It’s almost as if corruption and malfeasance
have become the new buzzwords in business.
And compare this with the ‘mission statements’ below:
- We act with integrity in everything we do…
- Excellence is at the root of all we do; so is integrity…
- Our guiding principles are integrity and honesty…
- Integrity, sincerity, transparency in all we say and do…

55. Integrity
Can these two extremes co-exist?
Is it possible that in a company with integrity embedded
into its raison de vivre, as it were,
there can be elements that are corrupt and indulge in
deliberate acts of malfeasance?
And if yes, how and why?

56. In one early slide, we saw how leaders stray
outside the inner circle (knowingly?) but manage
to stay within the outer circle.
“We are on the right side of the law” –
they rationalize!
Integrity

57. For every CEO that gets caught with his hand
in the cookie jar, there must be many that
‘escape’ with their images intact, if not
enhanced.
The ones that manage to avoid the net are
the ones that actually get ‘glorified’ for
their derring-do.
Integrity

58. So, there you have it…
Three reasons why
covert corruption
may co-exist with
stated integrity.
1. Rationalizing
(everybody does it!)
2. Interpreting ‘integrity’ differently
(not broken any law!)
3. Mass-media driven ‘grapevine’
(Boy! That was gutsy!)

59. It’s important to note that integrity is essentially an
individual perspective, regardless of what may (or may
not) be stated on the “Our Values” statement of the
organization.
What an organization says could well pass off as
mere rhetoric but how an individual acts can only
be pretentious or even specious.

60. In fact, it is surprising why organizations choose to
declare their actions are based on integrity and honesty.
As if people would not do business with them otherwise.
Is this a kind of “confession in reverse”?

61. If anything, such declarations may act as a shield
to unscrupulous individuals in the organization
to keep “straying”.
Business enterprises would do well to breed integrity
within the organization and maintain a low profile
so that the actions speak for themselves.

62. Here’s the home truth:
People who trust you will tell others about it.
People who don’t trust you will also talk about it.
The goodwill created by people’s trust in you
is the most valuable ‘asset’ you can have.

63. Warren Buffet’s advice:
“When you hire, look for three qualities: integrity,
intelligence, and energy… in that order. If integrity
is lacking, the other two can kill you.”

64. Starbucks founder Howard Schultz
has this to say:
“We will not compromise our ethics or integrity in
the name of profit.”

65. We saw earlier how covert corruption can co-exist
with stated integrity at some places.
Just how serious an organization is about integrity
is determined by how it deals with internal whistle-
blowers who report misconduct.
Does it deal with it fairly and squarely or attempt to
sweep it under the rug?

66. Let’s go back to the slide that talked about
Authentic Leadership…

67. Authentic Leadership
involves inspiring the
people in an
organization through
faith based on a vision
of service to all
stakeholders.
Three words stand out…
“inspiring” as against “motivating”,
“faith” as against “belief”,
and
“service” that is outrageously “no holds barred”
Add the fourth word “integrity”,
and we can complete the picture on
Authentic Leadership, as shown in the next slide.

68. Those that lead based on these tenets are
Authentic Leaders

69. Well…
Would you like to be an Authentic Leader?

70. offers a comprehensive ‘solution’ to executives
and entrepreneurs seeking to make a paradigm
shift in their careers & lives in a wholesome, deep-
down satisfying way…
By becoming Authentic Leaders.
Enrollments open at
www.thelyltprogram.org

71. The following links gave valuable insights on integrity:
http://blogs.hbr.org/2011/02/why-integrity-is-never-easy/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/amyanderson/2012/11/28/success-will-come-and-go-but-integrity-is-
forever/
http://www.ibtimes.com/fighting-words/wake-corporate-scandals-reminder-integrity-good-business-
1402617
http://www.businessinsider.in/Great-Leaders-Treat-Integrity-As-A-Habit/articleshow/27872555.cms
Acknowledgements