Spirituality in organizations – Part 3

Spirituality in leadership

SPIRITUALITY as a focus has dominated 21st-century research. Perhaps it is influenced by a world characterized as VUCA — an acronym based on the leadership theories of Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus — to describe or reflect on the volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity of general conditions and situations. The US Army War College introduced the concept of VUCA in 1987 to describe a more complex multilateral world perceived as resulting from the end of the Cold War. More frequent use and discussion of the term began in 2002. «It has subsequently spread to strategic leadership in organizations, from for-profit corporations to education.»

VUCA and organizations. Interpretation of the challenges and opportunities in organizations can be provided through the lens of the VUCA framework. It emphasizes «strategic foresight, insight and the behavior of entities within organizations.» It also «highlights both systemic and behavioral failures often associated with organizational missteps.» The acronym refers to volatility, characterizing «the rapid and unpredictable nature of change; uncertainty, denoting the unpredictability of events and issues; complexity, describing the intertwined forces and issues, making cause-and-effect and relationships unclear; and ambiguity, pointing to the unclear realities and potential misunderstandings stemming from mixed messages.» These elements «articulate how organizations perceive their current and potential challenges. They establish the parameters for planning and policymaking.» Interacting in various ways, they can likewise «complicate decision-making.» Analyzing organizational dynamics would show us that, contrary to what we expect from VUCA, this VUCA framework could help us enhance the ability to strategize, plan, and progress — that it could guide us to «lay the groundwork for effective management and leadership.»

Leadership in organizations. Every organization sets goals and objectives to accomplish its mission and vision, which must be understood and accepted by its members. Leaders in organizations have the prime responsibility that these goals and objectives have to be realized. Hence,