Can tough economic times be the catalyst for strengthening relationships in an organization? Can tough times help an organization clarify and stay true to its values? Can tough times strengthen organizational performance?

Yes they can, if the leadership can help the organization stay deeply anchored in its soul in the midst of stormy seas. A leader must play two roles, must know how to be both a spiritual leader and a competent manager. These two roles rise to the fore in tough times more than in any other time.

At Pendle Hill, a Quaker study center near Philadelphia, the crash of the stock market in October 2008 significantly affected the endowment. Lauri Perman, Pendle Hill’s executive director, knew that Pendle Hill’s “biggest challenge was not financial but spiritual.”

At the January board meeting, realizing that the spiritual grounding they had experienced in October had created an important foundation for their good decisions, the board responded favorably to an invitation to begin by spending some time in silent, meditative reflection together. Then, sharing from the heart while maintaining the quiet, reflective frame of mind, each board member spoke in turn about an instance as a trustee when s/he had seen Spirit at work. As they listened to one another, the board members were awestruck by the evidence before them of Spirit at work. They felt a sense of humility as they realized the ways in which they had been used by a power greater than themselves. That shared sense of awe and humility grounded them as they moved to considering agenda items, and helped them maintain a sense of calm and trust. They carried with them the calm, trust, and humility throughout the meeting, and found that, once again, they made good decisions in the midst of the financial storm.

In the following months, with both the board and the management team, especially during the budgeting process, Lauri helped people work together from that place of calm. “We needed each other more than ever,” she reflected. “And we needed to make sure we could listen to one another very deeply. We needed to really have faith that, together, we had among us everything we needed.”

The academic year ended with stronger relationships on the board, stronger relationships on the management team, and stronger relationships between the board and the management team. Pendle Hill’s values were clarified and reaffirmed in the budgeting process. And, because of the stronger relationships and the reaffirmation of values, morale remained good and the programs Pendle Hill offered were stronger than ever. Soulful leadership in tough economic times deepened and strengthened the organization.

Margaret Benefiel, Ph.D., author of "Soul at Work” and "The Soul of a Leader" works with leaders in healthcare, business, churches, government and non-profits to help them stay true to their souls. Visit her website at www.ExecutiveSoul.com. © Copyright 2009 by Margaret Benefiel.