Issue link: http://ncumarketing.uberflip.com/i/885867
Sacred Leadership Dr. Marsha Tongel My interest in the concept of sacred leadership began many years ago when I first started to study indigenous and ancient teachings. I had a Native American teacher, attended numerous workshops with South American shamans and conferences of Business and Spirituality, and personally studied aboriginal teachings. This path became a spiritual foundation for both my academic and professional work. In fact, earlier in my career, I had presented a workshop on Ancient Teachings…Future Learnings, Reaching Back to Move Forward for the Organizational Development Network Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia. I am using the term 'sacred leadership' to convey a relationship that is based on deep respect and is deserving of that respect. If you look at today's world, it appears that leaders have lost their respect for those that they have been entrusted to serve, and those that they serve have lost respect for their leaders. The relationship between leader and led is no longer held in a sacred trust for each other. Indigenous teachings stress respect: for self, for others, for communities, for the planet. A few brief examples may help. In Native American cultures, planning and decision making was looked at through the eyes of seven generations. In other words, how will the decision that is being made today affect future generations and the planet seven generations out? Most leaders today could not even grasp that concept as in today's world, planning is basically looked at through the lens of each quarter in order to maximize