Below is a Q&A with Sarah Alexander, author of ‘Spiritual Intelligence in Leadership’
1. What is Spiritual Intelligence?
Our Spiritual Intelligence is the deep inner wisdom, knowledge and insight that is within us all.
We are connected to our Spiritual Intelligence when our thoughts, words and actions are aligned with the loving kindness, wisdom and power that is within us all. This alignment leads us to feel happy, inspired and to experience inner peace. From this place, our Spiritual Intelligence can guide us through our gut feelings, our inner hunches and our creative ideas, in tandem with our highest good and greatest joy.
2. Why do you think it is important that people tap into their Spiritual Intelligence?
The value of our Spiritual Intelligence is that it is able to see all situations and people with objective awareness. It does not have the personal mental filters and limited perceptions through which we see and evaluate everything and everyone that we meet. This Intelligence can see clearly the way forward for us because it has knowledge of all of the facts in any situation (which in truth, we do not have) and it has the predictive powers that we also lack.
3. Why did you write the book?
I wanted to write a book demonstrating, from my own personal and often painful life experiences, my understanding of how Spiritual Intelligence operates to benefit our lives.
I also wrote the book to give the readers a clear understanding of the seven foundational principles that I believe underpin effective leadership in the 21st century. With these seven principles in place, we are able to lead in any capacity and be leaders in our own lives.
4. What are you hoping people will learn?
In my book, ‘Spiritual Intelligence in Leadership: From Manager to Leader in Your Own Life’, I highlight the difference between our True Self, which is the Leader in our lives, gently guiding us forward from within, and the ego, which I refer to as the manager in our lives. The ego is that voice always chattering away in our minds, acting as the one that manages and controls us. The ego does its best to divert us away from the guidance of our inner Intelligence, telling us “it is not rational or logical” and those ideas “won’t work”. Our True Self, in contrast, is that place of stillness, awareness and calm within us that continually and persistently directs us in alignment with our Spiritual Intelligence.
I want people to be able to recognise the distinction between the ego and True Self and bring their life into increasing awareness of the True Self.
5. How can this help people in their lives / what difference will it make?
This inner Intelligence can guide us both practically, on everyday issues, as well as provide us with wider insights on larger life questions. All we have to do is ask this Intelligence for guidance and listen to receive its answers. These answers may come in the form of new intuitive ideas and thoughts, information that your awareness just seemingly gets drawn to, or a new sense of direction and purpose that naturally arises in your life.
Our Spiritual Intelligence operates in conjunction with our learned intelligence, our emotional intelligence and our body’s innate intelligence.
The more we acknowledge it and use it, the more profoundly it affects our consciousness. This Intelligence guides us also to let go of limited thinking and programming and all the negative beliefs that we hold about ourselves. It nudges us to step into our True, Authentic Self. It guides us to embrace our purpose and use all the talents, skills and gifts that we have for the betterment of the world. For this is how we become Leaders in our own lives.
If people are looking to have a sense of meaning, purpose and fulfilment in their life, as well as greater happiness, then their innate Spiritual Intelligence will provide them with the means to achieve exactly that.
6. How can people tap into their Spiritual Intelligence?
The key to connecting to your Spiritual Intelligence is the practice of meditation. This includes the focusing and stilling of your mind, even if just by observing your breath for 5 – 10 minutes a day. When we quieten our mind’s chatter, gradually the wisdom and loving kindness of our Spiritual Intelligence can speak to us clearly and guide us forward.
7. Which leaders in the world today really embody the idea of Spiritual Intelligence?
I am really inspired by people who use their talents and gifts for the betterment of the world, and this is my definition of ‘Leadership’ for the 21st Century. There are many leaders who are demonstrating exactly this.
I am inspired by Karen Armstrong, an English scholar, who has set up ‘The Charter for Compassion’ in 2008 after she won the TED prize. Through this she is determined to make the world a more compassionate place and she currently has much support from around the world for this thinking.
I am also inspired hugely by Oprah Winfrey and all that she does, not only through her TV network to inspire people to greater lives, but also through her South African Leadership Academy for Girls. This Academy is dedicated to creating new leaders for South Africa with the same values that Mandela stood for.
Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl who was shot by the Taliban for her views on a girl’s right to education, is another person who really inspires me. She has recently won the Sakharov Prize for free speech awarded by the European Parliament and is using it to continue to promote the rights of children in her country.
8. What do you see as your spiritual purpose in life?
To help people fulfil their potential by aligning with their True Selves and their innate Spiritual Intelligence
9. What next for you / what are you pans for the future?
To take the message of Spiritual Intelligence out to a wider audience through my book, webinars, speaking events, and 1-2-1 work.
10. How can people buy the book?
The book can be purchased through my web site www.sarah-alexander.co.uk or from Amazon and all good book retailers.
About Sarah Alexander
Sarah is an expert in Spiritual Intelligence. She has worked with 100s of business owners and leaders worldwide, guiding them to use their inner Intelligence to make the most of their life’s work. Sarah has used Spiritual Intelligence successfully to build her first business, which she sold in 2001. She then used it again to build her current business, which helps business executives, international sports competitors and entrepreneurs, become even more successful. ‘Spiritual Intelligence in Leadership’ is Sarah’s second book. Her first is ‘Spiritual Intelligence in Business: the Eight Pillars of 21st Century Business Success’ Both are available from Amazon, all good book retailers and www.sarah-alexander.co.uk