Transpersonal exploration of a leader’s transformative journey, and the effects on the organization

Abstract

This paper explores how the transpersonal approach might bring an actualized view to business and leadership, enabling a collective transformation, giving rise to more engaged, healthier and happier people, reaching high performance and positive business results. This case study examines a real-life experience, investigating the inner transformative journey of a senior business leader, followed by a collective transformation of the company he worked for. An in-depth understanding was formulated through multiple data sources: interviews, associate surveys, reports, office images and meeting protocols. Six themes emerged: preparation, the leaders’ journey of dissolution, the organization’s soul encounter, metamorphosis, enactment and actualization of the senior leader. These themes were explored in relation to the experience of other global business leaders, followed by an exploration of a calling for leadership transformation which aimed to cope with uncertainty and rapid change, and finally, the impact on the organization, when leadership matured from silo and individual-thinking to a common-purpose direction. A description was written to explore the essence of each step of the transformative journey, starting from the senior leader and followed by a collective shift of the organization’s identity. This lived experience shows what can be achieved in an organization when people feel deeply connected with each other and part of a greater purpose, beyond organizational structures.