The Book

Chapters In A Glance

Chapter 1: Harnessing the Power of Soul

Soul & the Struggle for Bread

Addresses the deprivation of soul in the workplace as the organizational pandemic that plagues us at the turn of the 21^st century. Introduces the first high concept of the book: how to redeem the armies of selfless people who show of up for work everyday without soul. Defines soul as the animating principle behind all success stories.

Chapter 2: The Job Fettish

Driving Through the Decades of Time

Builds a historical perspective on working for wages since the days of the Industrial Revolution to the present. Offers to readers a context in which the subject matter of this book can be understood. Sets a backdrop from which a vision for the future can be built. Discloses what all of us think but none of us say about work in the 21st century.

Chapter 3: Water Flowing Over Rock

Fluid Leadership

Introduces the second high concept of the book: the principle of fluid leadership. Uses the metaphor of water wearing away rock to describe a form of leadership that creates optimal conditions for soulful work. Promotes the wisdom of fluidity over rigidity. Summarizes soulful leadership as ability to secure an intrinsically motivated workforce.

Chapter 4: Mirrors & Mythology

Vocational Disorientation

Introduces the third high concept of personal vocational identity as essential to engaging in soulful work. Compares the struggle for self-awareness to the way we see ourselves in the spooned mirrors of the amusement park. Clarifies why vocational disorientation is so common. Offers a perspective on the personal struggle of those who seek but do not find.

Chapter 5: Waiting for the Weekend

Personal Vocational Identity

Concludes that vocation is about the gathering of disciples for the great work of the universe. Develops the concept of personal vocational identity as a discernment process that can be formalized. Explains why knowledge of our innate talents and natural propensities are major clues in solving the mystery of occupational choice.

Chapter 6: The Far & Endless Sea

Emotional Intelligence

Advances the idea that mission without passion is an empty promise. Studies the correlation of emotional intelligence and internal motivation. Discusses the word emotion as counterintuitive to the word business. Traces the roots of this dilemma historically.

Chapter 7: Sweeping Through Sand

Appreciative Awareness

Using the metaphor of the magnet extracting particles of iron from sand, this chapter helps us sweep through the metaphorical soil of our corporate landscapes with the strong and swift magnetic pull of an appreciative mental set. Promotes the use of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) in efforts to grow the good within individuals and organizations.

Chapter 8: Fuel on the Fire

Relentless Pursuit of Imperfection

Discusses time spent in conducting negative performance appraisals as the "relentless pursuit of imperfection". Underscores how criticism of workers builds cultures of criticism and competition. Helps us get beyond performance evaluations to what works.

Chapter 9: The Great Barrier Reef

Appreciative Evaluation

Invites readers to see the workplace teeming with infinite potential and to visualize our human resources as the Great Barrier Reef of opportunity. Advocates helping workers know themselves in the appreciative dimension. Advises that we are far ahead to grow the good in each other as opposed to worker surveillance aimed at detection of defect.

Chapter 10: Raspberry Ripe

The Excellence Equation

Uses a series of metaphors to explain the essence of excellence. Helps readers understand the correlation between excellence as a benchmark of performance and sustaining a sense of self that is soulful. Recognizes that the norm is often satisfaction with our monumental littleness. Sees excellence as the fruit of those who are enchanted with their work.

Chapter 11: Biting the Bullet

Continuous Improvement

Advocates that workers at all levels commit to continuous improvement or quit. Focuses on working at the outer edge of possibility. Encourages readers to outstrip themselves of yesterday’s norms and hold each other accountable to continuous improvement, no matter how competent or how far advanced in knowledge, skill and wisdom.

Chapter 12: An Audience of Kings

Moral Intelligence

Promotes the development of moral intelligence. Calls the attention of readers to the miscalibrated moral compass of our time. Contrasts the current definition of ethical business behavior with more classic standards. Defines the highest form of workplace wisdom as the refusal to violate the vulnerabilities of our colleagues and customers.

Chapter 13: Swimming Against the Tide

Honoring Diversity

Inspire readers to honor diversity in all its forms. Considers diversity a value-added factor in the workplace, contributing to a soulful environment. Deals with the fear factor of facing the unfamiliar. Promotes widening our circle of compassion. Explores why so many demonize those who think differently and why this is dangerous.

Chapter 14: Maiden Voyage of the Mind

Collective Consciousness

Illustrates how tuning into the conscious awareness of coworkers is crucial to gathering the understandings necessary to work in concert with them. Emphasizes our shared responsibility to be interested, aware and open to each other in the work environment. Promotes depth of thought and mindfulness of others as essential to soulful work.

Chapter 15: Pandora's Box

Taking Care of Inside Business

Advocates the prompt and skillful handling of the difficult human issues as they arise. Recommends immediacy in resolving issues. Suggest methodologies and timelines for remediation of issues. Discusses the high cost of low morale. Offers solutions.

Chapter 16: Turning the Titanic

Making a Living; Making a Life

Focuses on the paradox of making a living and making a life. Helps readers to reconcile the personal, the playful and the profoundly principled side of life in equilibrium with the professional side. Looks at work in the larger lens of life, placing it in perspective.