Keywords

Introduction

As awareness amongst workforce members increases and as change becomes a greater part of our daily life, the quest for leaders who are in tune with stakeholders’ needs, rather than only shareholders’ demands, augments. This development, which is heavily supported by an increasingly shrinking world with expanding global connections, has led to the emergence of a range of positive leadership theories.

Positive leadership is inspired by principles of positive psychology, spawning positive organizational behavior, positive scholarship, and positive change (Bhandarker & Rai, 2015). Cameron (2012) describes positive leadership as the behavioral pattern of leaders to accommodate outstanding positive performance, nurture a positive mindset, and focus on integrity and wellbeing. Indeed, positive leaders focus mostly on the advancement of people and processes in the system of which they are a part. Whereas negative reinforcement was the common way in which leaders and managers of the past century tried to exert dominance and control, positive reinforcement has now become a major ingredient of the positive leadership movement. Terms such as inspiration and empathy have surfaced as critical drivers of this trend that focuses on the establishment and safeguarding of a positive climate, positive relationships, positive communication, and positive meaning (Mishra & Jha, 2017).

Leaders that adhere to a positive leadership trend, or a combination of positive leadership trends, seem to find that organizational performance thrives and that outcomes are therefore also positive (Cameron, 2012). Zbierowski (2016) emphasizes authenticity as a foundational element of positive leadership theories. He explains authenticity as a combination of owning our personal experiences and acting in accordance with our true self. Within that scope, honesty and openness are primary prerequisites, as these qualities serve as major encouragers for a good understanding and optimal team spirit. Other characteristics that have been attributed to authentic leadership are confidence, hope, optimism, resilience, transparency, ethics, future-orientation, and connectivity (Luthans & Avolio, 2003). Walumbwa, Avolio, Gardner, Wernsing, and Peterson (2008) introduced four principles of authentic leadership as follows: self-awareness, relational transparency, balanced processing, and internalized moral perspective.

Awakened Leadership

As is the case with most positive leadership approaches, the urge to inquire about awakened leadership arose from the current trend of massive interconnectedness, triggered by globalization, and the consequential exposure to increasingly diversifying work settings. The name “Awakened Leader” was inspired by a story of Gautama Siddhartha’s enlightenment, which established him as “the Buddha” (the awakened one) afterward. Upon a lengthy insight meditation, Siddhartha was walking up a road, when he encountered a passer-by, who was stunned by his radiance and asked him whether he was a wizard, a God, or some other kind of other upper-being. The Buddha simply responded that he was “awake.”

The consideration of the earlier mentioned qualities captured in positive leadership theories within an ever-changing performance environment gave rise to the image of an awakened leader, who is a diversity-oriented and experienced one (Marques, 2010). As a leader, who aims to attain positive results and wellbeing for all stakeholders, human and nonhuman, an awakened leader consciously examines and cultivates a series of responsibility-based qualities , such as:

  • Morals and values, often coming forth from past challenges and deep self-reflection in order to become more aware of the type of decisions to make.

  • Ethics, with an emphasis on the understanding that diverse environments oftentimes harbor people with very diverse ethical insights, and that ethical decisions are not always the most positive ones. This may lead to having to explain and defend courses of actions to stakeholder groups on a regular basis.

  • Integrity, honesty, and trust, an interrelated set of qualities and behaviors that very much influence the way employees will consider such a leader.

  • Vision, which requires clear and open communication with stakeholders, in order to help them understand the reasons behind actions and inspire them toward the common goal.

  • Respect, which these leaders know to make all the difference in interactions of any kind. One earns respect by giving it.

  • Passion, which doesn’t only drive the leader, but inspires followers to perform optimally and enthusiastically.

  • Commitment, which is one of the foremost role-model qualities. Awakened leaders know how important walking the talk is, and how well employees gravitate to that behavior.

  • Compassion, which entails the leader’s ability and desire to understand the circumstances that others are subjected to, and work with them, yet, in such a way that they are not blatantly taken advantage of.

  • Justice, which is not always a broadly appreciated quality, but nonetheless one that awakened leaders know they should implement in order to keep matters fair and acceptable.

  • Kindness, which goes so much further than arrogance, autocracy, and negativity. Oftentimes, it is the experience of kindness in their lives, and the recollection of how good this experience felt, that triggers awakened leaders to be kind to others as well.

  • Forgiveness, which is a quality that is also acquired through experience, but becomes very important in establishing and maintaining a positive work environment. It expresses itself in workplaces by not holding grudges and moving on from conflicts once those have been settled.

  • Courage, a must-have in leadership, not only to develop a vision but also to stand up for what one believes and to lead the way in moving toward it.

  • Love, in the sense of making stakeholders—co-workers, customers, shareholders, suppliers, community members, and all others that are affected by the organization’s actions—understand that their wellbeing is at the core of decisions made and that the aim is to advance all parties as much as possible and to harm as little as possible.

  • Deep listening, a quality that many leaders still have to learn, as assertiveness seems to be higher regarded as a leadership trait, especially in Western societies. Yet, those who practiced deep and empathetic listening know how much it is appreciated and what bond it can help create.

  • Inspired and inspiring, which is almost like two sides of the same coin: a leader cannot inspire others without being inspired first. Yet, even then, it takes clear communication and many of the traits discussed here above to win followers and exude genuine good intention.

  • Authenticity , which was discussed earlier, entails critical awareness to personal values and adherence to integrity, honesty, and mindfulness.

  • Spiritual connection, in which there is a clear and present focus on the connection with the source inside instigating frequent reflections on actions, thoughts, and decisions.

  • Multidimensional, which pertains to both the leader’s focus on multiple stakeholders and aspects in the performance realm and his or her style of leading, which integrates the proper behavior given the situation and the followers.

  • Fulfillment, entailing the deep understanding of attaining positive outcomes for as many stakeholders, to ensure longitudinal personal and professional gratification.

  • Initiative, which is what leaders need to get into action toward accomplishments. Initiative also entails inclusion of others, in order to share ownership of processes and team spirit.

  • Change, a quality that is rooted in the understanding that we are not the same on a moment by moment basis and that others, as well as the circumstances we deal with, are also subject to change (Marques, 2010).

A 2012 study of 69 leaders yielded that awakened leaders emphasize their focus on the wellbeing of stakeholders, doing the right thing, even if that means a reduction in the bottom line, family, which also encompass those they spend time with away from home (colleagues), enjoying their work, showing appreciation, understanding the self, earning trust, and providing recognition to those that conducted extraordinary accomplishments. Three main focus areas for awakened leaders emerged from this study: a focus on personal mastery (internal), relationships (integrated), and professional growth (external) (Marques, 2012).

Conscious Followers

Followership has been defined as the ability of individuals to competently and proactively follow the instructions and support the efforts of their superior to achieve organizational goals (Agho, 2009). “Followers’ perceptions of their leader and their leader’s motives are key elements of the leadership dynamic” (Reiley & Jacobs, 2016, p. 70). Leaders may have traits that are usually considered a recipe for success, such as charisma, but if their motives turn out to be unethical and self-centered, they will not be able to maintain a dedicated and inspired follower force (Reiley & Jacobs, 2016). Similarly, leaders can have the ability to be transformational, but if they lack authenticity and morality, and use their power for self-aggrandizement, they will not be able to entice their follower team for long (Reiley & Jacobs). It is important for every leader to understand that today’s followers perceive themselves as free agents, not as dependent underlings. Within this awareness, they support leaders they consider uplifting and constructive and withhold support from leaders they consider bad (Kellerman, 2007). Some factors that make the relationship with followers even more intricate are the facts that oftentimes, they are geographically dispersed, representing a broad scale of cultural backgrounds, and that many of today’s followers are knowledge workers, with high levels of expertise and autonomy. It is especially this last fact that makes the distinction between leader and follower less obvious than it once was. Kellerman (2007) shines an interesting light on the types of followers we can encounter in work settings, by classifying them in five categories:

  • Isolates, who are very detached from what is going on. They can often be found in the larger organizations, where they can make themselves invisible by hiding in their offices or cubicles and are unproductive, or possibly even downright detrimental to progress.

  • Bystanders, who observe but remain inactive. Their motive to collaborate—if ever—is mainly driven by personal progress. They are useful in following orders but contribute very little to initiatives.

  • Participants engage to a certain extent. When these followers are supportive of the leader, they can be a true asset and good team players. When they oppose the leader, however, they act as free agents and focus on their own agenda.

  • Activists hold strong feelings about their leaders and organizations, and they demonstrate that through their actions. They are impactful and can be a strong support system for their leader, or a passionate and effective opponent.

  • Diehards are optimally involved and will give their all. Similarly to activists, but obviously to a greater extend, they can be a strong ally and support to their leader, or become an extremely powerful and detrimental opponent (Kellerman, 2007).

Kellerman’s distinction between follower-types resonates to some degree with the one Kelley had presented more than a decade earlier but maintains a wider divergence in spectrum of behaviors than Kelley’s. Kelley (1992) identified five types of followers: (1) conformist followers, who simply execute what the leader dictates; (2) alienated followers, who possess and apply critical thinking where they consider it needed, but usually remain passive in their performance; (3) pragmatist followers, who stay on the fence, and only do what is needed to sustain themselves; (4) passive followers, who demand continuous handholding from supervisors; and (5) effective/exemplary followers, who think independently and actively perform their duties. While Kellerman identifies two rather passive, one median, and two rather active types, Kelley distinguished only one real active follower type out of five options.

Considering leadership within the reality of follower cooperation, LugoSantiago (2016) points out that the synergy between these two stakeholders—leaders and followers—in any organization is better with some combinations than with others. Labeling them leaders, albeit not necessarily in formal leadership positions, he advocates that

  • An ethical and moral leader is a person who is appreciated for their integrity and responsibility. This individual has a strong sense of right or wrong, good or bad, and may therefore be a highly appreciated leader figure for followers who crave fairness, honesty, and justice.

  • A transformational leader (assuming we are dealing with one who has admirable intentions for the larger group) has the ability to articulate a vision and will be sensitive to differences in follower groups, providing different types of followers the style of leadership they need to reach their best potential.

  • A servant leader serves others first, thereby understanding the needs of stakeholders and fulfilling them in the most constructive and effective way toward fulfillment for the organization and those involved (LugoSantiago, 2016).

An important note hereby is that awakened leaders capture the characteristics of ethics and morality, transformation, and service within their behavioral scope and are keen to involve followers with multiple levels of preparedness and enthusiasm . Here is where the element of situational leadership enters the picture: an awakened leader is comfortable with applying a situational-plus leadership style, meaning that all aspects of the situational leadership style are involved, and then some. The situational leadership is an adaptable one, whereby a leader considers the most appropriate behavior, given the level of readiness and capability of followers.

Situational leadership offers four leadership approaches that represent a series of combinations in directive and supportive behaviors. For the isolates and bystanders, as described by Kellerman, directing (Blanchard, 2008) may be most appropriate, as this style simply provides stipulations on what to do, how, when, and where. For the participants, as Kellerman defined them, coaching (Blanchard, 2008) may be suitable, as this style blends direction with a high degree of support, so it is communication-based, facilitates and encourages performance, but still keeps close control on outcomes. The activists, as presented by Kellerman, might benefit most from the supporting approach (Blanchard), which provides recognition and active listening to encourage followers to optimal performance. Delegating (Blanchard), finally, may be the best option for the diehards, as Kellerman assessed them, as this style leaves followers more autonomy, acknowledging their competence, commitment, and confidence. When considering Kelley’s distinctions, the situational approach might be applied as follows: directing for the conformists, coaching for the alienated and pragmatist followers, supporting for the passive followers, and delegating for the effective/exemplary followers.

The above reasoning may not always turn out to be correct, as there are different degrees to each category of follower, which is why leaders will have to adjust, based on the specific situation. However, the flexibility is clear, and that is what needs to be understood here. Awakened leaders are well-aware that they also have other positive leadership approaches at their disposal, such as servant leadership, authentic leadership, transformational leadership, and more.

Mindful Change

We are living in a time of constant flux. Change is upon us daily and while our psyche has come a long way in adapting to the fast pace of alternations at work and elsewhere, human beings are also creatures of habit by default. This means, that our mind can rationalize and justify change but our emotions may still get entangled in the process, resulting in stress, depression, frustration, and even exiting our workplace. Awakened leaders are aware of this existing challenge, which is a cornerstone of workplace performance, and they strive to guide change in mindful ways so that understanding and support are optimal, and conflict and other negative emotions remain minimal.

Mindfulness could be defined as “a state of consciousness in which attention is focused on present-moment phenomena occurring both externally and internally” (Dane, 2011, p. 1000). It has also been described as intentional, compassionate, and nonjudgmental attentiveness to the present moment (Wamsler et al., 2018). While mindfulness used to be primarily associated with meditation due to its extended history in Eastern contemplative traditions, especially Buddhism, it has increasingly emerged into a nonsecular practice of many Westerners (Aviles & Dent, 2015). Since the 1970s, mindfulness techniques have even been acknowledged as a form of therapy within parts of Western psychology and medicine, and several studies have established that mindfulness practices are useful for enhancing the outcome of group performance (Adriansen & Krohn, 2016). As its studies and use progressed over time, mindfulness has arrived at a point of being observed in two ways: (a) as a state of mind—a practice that is oftentimes encouraged through meditation and yoga practices, and (2) as a manifestation of the cognitive process of obtaining fresh insights or renewed awareness. This practice does not rely on meditation or other Eastern-originated practices and distinguishes between mindfulness—active engagement in the present—and mindlessness—automated acting without full attention (Carson & Langer, 2006; Adriansen & Krohn, 2016). As a strategy onto itself, mindfulness is increasingly used in various professional fields and disciplines ranging from health care and the performing arts to pedagogy and business (Wamsler et al., 2018). There is also a rich base of evidence, including from the mental health to the neuroscience fields , that shows how mindfulness can help reduce stress (Hall, 2013). While training is the most common way to elevate mindfulness, a nonlinear approach may be more effective (Langer, 1997).

Change, especially when it is of a comprehensive nature, should be implemented through mindful organizing, which focuses on paying attention and enhanced distinction-making through awareness and attention (Guiette, Matthyssens, & Vandenbempt, 2014). Indeed, organizations utilize a variety of strategies to increase mindfulness, especially when it involves organizational change (Aviles & Dent, 2015). Several studies have yielded that change is a major source of stress among stakeholders, yet, what is often overlooked within this perspective, is that, while all changes may initially be stressful, some are aimed to reduce stress in the long run (Smollan, 2015).

In change situations, especially in professional environments, it is important to consider the reasons various stakeholders have to support or oppose the change. Piderit (2000) explains resistance to organizational change as a multilayered process that consists of three attitudinal aspects: the affective (the way one feels about the change); the cognitive (one’s thoughts and feelings about the change); and the behavioral (how one intends to react in response to change).

It is also important to keep in mind that change and transition are two different phenomena. A transition is the process we go through toward change. That is actually the most stressful part of the process, as change is the end-situation, once the transition has been completed. Bridges (2017) encourages leaders to be aware of their stakeholders’ needs to prepare for a transition, be guided to it, and learn to accept the change. Transition is like unplugging from an old world and plugging into a new one, he explains. In that process, there will be a natural space of mourning the loss of an old and familiar situation, and that should be acknowledged and respected. One of Bridges’ most effective pieces of advice in his book is for leaders to observe the four Ps in transitions, to make the process more rewarding for all parties. The four Ps are (1) Purpose: informing all parties the reasons for instigating the change and the problem that is aimed to be solved by doing this; (2) Picture: explaining the end situation and how it is envisioned to work. Important here is also to explain what will change and what will remain the same; (3) Plan: here is where the leader has to layout the step by step implementation of the process, its duration, and the sequence of events; and (4) Part: at this point, it is critical to explain what part each person will play, and how they will be guided through that. It may be clear that communication is crucial in this process from transition to change. Leaders who want to practice awakened leadership should be mindful of that.

Engaging in a study of 141 employees that went through a major organizational change, a merger, in Thailand, Charoensukmongkol (2017) found some illuminating relationships between mindfulness and perception of, thus cooperation toward, change. He found that those who were not optimistic had more resistance to change: that mindfulness is positively related to self-efficacy and that self-efficacy is positively related to optimism. In other words, stakeholders who practiced mindfulness had more confidence in their own abilities, and therefore felt more optimistic, which also made them more supportive of change. This result is a strong indicator for awakened leaders to encourage mindfulness practices, not only within themselves but also amongst their co-workers.

Featured Case in Point: Geoffrey Canada

Geoffrey Canada is an American educator, social activist, and author, who grew up poor in the South Bronx of New York, raised among abandoned houses, crime, violence, and an all-encompassing sense of chaos and disorder. Nonetheless, he has managed to establish a name for himself, not for self-centered reasons, but for being an education reformer, who tirelessly has been working on the Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ), a project that has been labeled one of the most daring and potentially transformative social experiments of our time.

Prior to taking on this project, Canada earned degrees from Bowdoin and Harvard Universities. In 1983, Canada became the director of an organization called Rheedlen that had been created in the 1970s as a social service and truancy prevention program in Harlem (Jackson, 2011). He soon became frustrated by the organization’s constrained impact; so in 1990, he founded HCZ, therewith swiftly starting to tread the path of an awakened leader.

In the transformation, Canada converted the organization into a center that would actively follow the academic careers of youngsters in a 24-block area of Harlem. Harlem Children’s Zone is a charter school specifically created to elevate high school and college rates among students in Harlem while at the same time providing parents with tools to help their children succeed (Jackson, 2011). By completely immersing himself in this project, Mr. Canada pledged to devote his life to the service of children in communities like those in which he was raised. HCZ aims to prevent individuals to leave their poverty-stricken area, and instead help transform it thanks to a tight safety net of social and educational services to nurture children from birth through college graduation (Steele, 2009). This project came about because Mr. Canada wanted to change the lives of poor children within a 97-block radius of central Harlem. He made it his mission to work on closing the academic achievement gap between the—mostly African American children from low-income families in Harlem—and their predominantly White middle to upper class peers in the more affluent districts of downtown Manhattan is central to Canada’s mission (Haddix, Chandler-Olcott, Eatman, & Cullen, 2011).

As indicated before, Canada worked hard on establishing change in these children’s school and home environments by providing parenting education and support and reforming the children’s daily schooling experiences for the whole child. The HCZ project implemented two powerful strategies, which turned out to be very successful: the “conveyor belt” strategy and the “it’s-never-too-late” strategy. Both of these strategies focus on steering teenagers from challenged backgrounds toward academic achievement at the postsecondary level.

Over the past decades, HCZ has come a long way, thanks to the great media attention he received, as well as the positive reinforcement from former US President Barack Obama. Canada has appeared on high profile television programs such as 60 Minutes, where he was interviewed, two televised interviews with Charlie Rose, guest appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and the Colbert Report. The HCZ has received significant public and private funding, including a 20-million-dollar investment from Goldman Sachs (Haddix et al., 2011).

In 2001, Geoffrey Canada wrote a poem capturing the spirit of his calling:Verse

Verse Maybe before we didn’t know, That Corey is afraid to go To school, the store, to roller skate. He cries a lot for a boy of eight. But now we know each day it’s true That other girls and boys cry too. They cry for us o lend a hand. Time for us to take a stand.

Verse

Verse And little Maria’s window screens Keep out flies and other things. But she knows to duck her head, When she prays each night 'fore bed. Because in the window come some things That shatter little children’s dreams. For some, the hourglass is out of sand. Time for us to take a stand.

Verse

Verse And Charlie’s deepest, secret wishes, Is someone to smother him with kisses And squeeze and hug him tight, so tight While he pretends to put up a fight. Or at least someone to be at home, Who misses him, he’s so alone. Who allowed this child-forsaken land? Look in the mirror, take a stand.

Verse

Verse And on the Sabbath, when we pray, To our God we often say, “oh, Jesus, Mohammed, Abraham, I come to better understand, How to learn to love and give, And live the life you taught to live.” In faith we must join hand in hand, Suffer the children? Take a stand!

Verse

Verse And tonight, some child will go to bed, No food, no place to lay their head. No hand to hold, no lap to sit, To give slobbery kisses, from slobbery lips. So you and I we must succeed In this crusade, this holy deed, To say to the children of this land: “Have hope. We’re here. We take a stand!”

(Canada, 2001).In 2011, Geoffrey Canada was named on the TIME 100 list of most influential people in the world, and in March 2014, he was named one of Fortune’s 50 greatest leaders in the world (HZC.org, 2019). Fortune magazine described the Harlem Children’s Zone as an experiment entailing an effort to reach all the kids in a 24-block zone of New York City. The children were given education, social, and medical help starting at birth. Fortune’s Editors raved about the fact that the experiment worked so well, and added that the zone now covers over 100 blocks and serves more than 12,000 children, with 95% of high school seniors going off to college (Fortune Editors, 2014).

In a 2011 interview with the New York Times, Canada shared that leadership brings a lot of challenges that force you, the leader, to make some hard decisions. He reflected on a position he had at a school in Massachusetts, where he tried to lead by consensus, only to find that it is impossible to please everyone and that practicing good leadership does not always mean that you are the most popular person. There will always be some people who oppose a change, because they are comfortable where they are at, regardless of how detrimental that position may be for the organization. Canada addressed the fact that a leader, in times of change, will have to be mindful of the supporters and opponents of a project. He shared his learning that some people will always find something wrong in what you do, and if you prove them wrong, they will still find reasons to complain. He cautioned to make sure to have the right people in the room and understand that some people may just have to be removed in order to refrain from frustrating a good initiative. His leadership style is still one of clear communication lines, but also one where a stricter approach is applied, entailing that when a decision is made on a direction, that everyone is expected to support it, and whomever doesn’t, may leave. Canada cautions workforce members to be innovative, but not disregard the practices that make the organization successful today. He further emphasizes the importance of being open to learning from others, who are doing things better, but also reiterates the need to muster up the courage to release people if they don’t work out, even if they are friends. He finally calls for a thorough assessment of people one will hire, making sure they will be passionate about accomplishing the mission rather than extending their ego (Bryant, 2011).

In June 2014, Canada stepped down as CEO of HCZ. He kept the title of president but left most decisions about the program from then on to Anne Williams-Isom, the group’s chief operating officer (Hernández, 2014). Canada has published two books: Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun: A Personal History of Violence in America (1995) and Reaching Up for Manhood: Transforming the Lives of Boys in America (1998).

Case-Specific Reflection Questions

  1. 1.

    Consider the qualities described for an awakened leader with the description presented by Geoffrey Canada. Do you consider him an awakened leader? Why or why not?

  2. 2.

    Mr. Canada reflected on change and leadership. Do you agree with his approach on releasing people who don’t cooperate? Please explain your response?

  3. 3.

    Review the website of the Harlem Children Zone, and share some information not included in the review above?

Positive Leadership/Change Lessons

  • Leaders that adhere to a positive leadership trend, or a combination of positive leadership trends, seem to find that organizational performance thrives and that outcomes are therefore also positive.

  • Authentic leaders act in accordance with their true self. Honesty and openness are primary prerequisites within that scope, along with confidence, hope, optimism, resilience, transparency, ethics, future-orientation, and connectivity.

  • Awakened leaders aim to attain positive results and wellbeing for all stakeholders, human and nonhuman, and consciously examine and cultivate a series of responsibility-based qualities, among which morals and values, respect, compassion, courage, deep listening, authenticity, spiritual connection, and change.

  • While not as often studies as leaders, followers are a very dynamic and powerful group of stakeholders in an organization.

    • Kellerman (2007) distinguishes five types of followers: (1) Isolates, (2) Bystanders, (3) Participants, (4) Activists, and (5) Diehards.

    • Kelley (1992) identified five types of followers: (1) Conformist, (2) Alienated, (3) Pragmatist, (4) Passive, and (5) Effective/exemplary.

  • Awakened leaders capture the characteristics of ethics and morality, transformation, and service within their behavioral scope and are keen to involve followers with multiple levels of preparedness and enthusiasm. They apply a situational-plus leadership style.

  • Situational leadership (Blanchard, 2008) offers four leadership approaches: directing, coaching, supporting, and delegating, each dependent on the readiness and capabilities of the follower.

  • Mindfulness could be defined as a state of consciousness in which attention is focused on present-moment phenomena occurring both externally and internally. It has also been described as intentional, compassionate, and nonjudgmental attentiveness to the present moment.

  • Change is often considered to be a major source of stress among stakeholders, yet, while all changes may initially be stressful, some are aimed to reduce stress in the long run.

  • Change and transition are two different phenomena. A transition is the process we go through toward change. That is actually the most stressful part of the process, as change is the end-situation, once the transition has been completed. Leaders should observe the four Ps in transitions to make the process more rewarding for all parties. These are (1) Purpose, (2) Picture, (3) Plan, and (4) Part.

Chapter-End Reflection Questions

  1. 1.

    Consider the narrative on positive leadership trends in this chapter, and then reflect on the values shared in regards to awakened leadership. Then, describe in your own words how you consider awakened leadership to be a positive leadership style?

  2. 2.

    The chapter explains the origin of the name “awakened leader.” Do you consider that this leadership style is exclusively for Buddhists? Please explain your response.

  3. 3.

    Select three of the responsibility-based qualities listed for awakened leaders that you can best relate to. Explain why these qualities appeal to you, and how you feel you apply them in your life?

  4. 4.

    Reflect on yourself as a follower in your current or past workplace, or in any professional or learning environment you currently find yourself. In which of the five categories from Kellerman would you place yourself, and why?

  5. 5.

    Describe, in your own words, the difference between change and transition. Which of the four Ps in Bridges theory do you consider most challenging for a leader, and why?