Introduction

The soul is what allows each person to connect lovingly with other souls. It isn’t solid like an organ or limb but nonetheless, it is considered important to individual life and development. Furthermore, those without a soul are considered dead inside and unable to experience the qualities of the spirit. As regards religion/spirituality, the soul is believed to be in constant contact with its Creator through sending and receiving positive messages and feelings. A corresponding activity of soul could also be used to describe what happens in a corporation between the company and its leaders/employees, that is if it has a soul.

When a corporation does have a heart, the leaders are energetic, focused and purposeful, and they are also approachable, available, and want to converse with their staff. As a consequence, their directors and managers are able to keep them informed as to what is happening in their respective departments, which in turn gives corporate leaders an opportunity to monitor the progress of its directors and understand the concerns of subordinates, i.e., to know what is happening in the whole company. This knowledge enables them to reach goals and keep the company on track.

However, the soul of a corporation is not entirely unseen or unfelt. Nor does it rest solely with its leaders, but is expressed throughout. An example is when outsiders walk into the company for the first time. It is then that they form an impression, which is indicative of the overall spirit of the enterprise. In other words, the soul is seen in each person that works there. That is one of the major reasons why businesses (with a heart) put so much effort into choosing just the right person to act as its receptionist because s/he reflects the company’s standards and principles, i.e., its spirit.

What Is a Corporate Shaman?

Shaman

A Shaman is a spiritual or religious tribal leader (priest or high priestess) with the ability to heal or cure the sick, pierce the unknown and/or control events by the use of magic (miracles, prayer, meditation, inner journeys). S/he can also lead the souls of the recently departed into the otherworld or afterlife. The role of a shaman is often acquired through heritage (being born into a family Shamans).

Shamans employ the following methods to obtain results:

  • Magic
  • Trances
  • Ecstasy
  • Soul Travel
  • Enter spirit world to retrieve loss souls

Shamanism

Ancient records indicate that Shamanism started in northern Europe and/or Siberian. This religion is distinguishable from others by its practitioners’ belief in unseen otherworldly forces, demons, gods, and ancestral spirits who respond only to shamans. Shamanism is a practice that uses the knowledge of males, females and transgender individuals, without discrimination or prejudice, to heal people, animals, objects, and places (including corporations).

Corporate Shaman

A corporate Shaman is a wise and knowledgeable leader who uses certain practices that ensure the ongoing health of the company. However, if per chance the company does becomes “sick” the Corporate Shaman searches for ways to heal it. S/he may bring in coaches, sends up prayers to a Holy Deity, schedules quality time with managers, recognizes employee birthdays, promotes the use of a suggestion box or employs a myriad of other methods to restore well-being.

The Need for Corporations to Have a Soul

A corporation is an alliance under authority to the law; it is thought to have an existence that is independent of its members and is distinct from them. However, when a company has a soul, which is indicative of humanness, it is by virtue of its members that this is so. Therefore, any corporation, as such, can only have a spirit if those who run the enterprise give it one. In essence, the leaders must lend the company its own soul and make it profitable for its members to do likewise. As the popular saying goes “I put my heart into it”, that is what corporate leaders must do if they want their corporation to have a soul.

Why corporation’s require a soul

Soul, spirit, essence, moral fiber, or heart, whichever term you prefer, a corporation needs one, because without it the company is lifeless. When it is imbued with a soul, certain qualities are evident: vision, faith, imagination, purpose, compassion, a belief system and warmth. These qualities don’t just magically come about; they are built into the fabric of the company during construction by its leadership. It is important to incorporate this ingredient during the company’s inception, because when it is inserted from the beginning, every decision that is made from thenceforth is from the standpoint of soul or heart. It is more than a map or a plan, but is the very foundation upon which the company operates. In other words, the corporation does nothing that will hurt its core (soul) of operation.

As a result, all decisions (major and minor) are considered as to whether they will hinder or harm the corporation’s soul. If so, it is further determined whether that harm will devastate the company in the long run as opposed to having it take a minor setback to assure future long-term gains. Either way, the company will not move ahead without considering the impact of its decisions on its spirit. For instance, if ignoring and/or not rewarding employees lowers company moral and productivity, the company corrects the error to rebuild employee morale, which will thus increase production and profits. This type of leadership is extraordinary and requires the use of special or Shamanic skills.

Conclusion

It takes a leader with Shamanic qualities to plant “soul” into a corporation. This person realizes the need for company spirit from the beginning and not as a postscript. That is because Shamanic leaders know instinctively that soul is never relegated to one area of life, but to each sphere (family, friendship, social, religious, and work-life) of existence. Thus, when and if their corporation should move in the wrong direction (become unhealthy or starts drowning in negativity) the Corporate Shaman will not hesitate to use meditation, prayer or any other spiritual practice to restore it to health.