Aug 18, 2024
In this episode of Thought Leadership Leverage, host Bill
Sherman sits down with Yosi Amram, a political psychologist,
CEO, leadership coach, and the award-winning author
of Spiritually Intelligent Leadership:
How to Inspire by Being Inspired. Yosi delves into the concept
of Spiritually Intelligent Leadership, a fresh take on leadership
that integrates spiritual qualities like passionate purpose,
compassionate service, trust, gratitude, integrity, and humility
into daily life and work.
Yosi’s journey began in Israel, where he was drafted into the
military at 18, despite his pacifist leanings. The rigid military
structure fueled his desire to create a leadership model built on
humane values that support individual growth. This desire led him
to the U.S., where he studied at MIT, launched companies, and
ultimately burned out from trying to maintain control and inspire
simultaneously. His burnout sparked a deep interest in psychology
and leadership, which introduced him to the idea of spiritual
intelligence through Dana Zohar's book "SQ: Connecting With Our Spiritual
Intelligence" which was about rewiring the corporate brain.
Determined to explore this concept, Yosi interviewed 71 spiritual
leaders from various traditions to uncover universal themes of
spiritual intelligence. He developed the first academically
validated measure of spiritual intelligence and discovered that it
accounts for 46% of leadership effectiveness. Now, Yosi's mission
is to elevate Spiritual Intelligence to the same level of
recognition and understanding as Emotional Intelligence.
Looking forward, Yosi is exploring the intersection of spirituality
and science, faith and reason, and the evolving role of historical
religious traditions in our modern world. His quest is personal as
much as it is professional, as he navigates his own Jewish heritage
and its relevance in contemporary leadership.
Three Key Takeaways:
• Spiritually Intelligent Leadership: Yosi Amram
introduces Spiritually Intelligent Leadership as a new leadership
model that integrates spiritual qualities such as purpose,
compassion, trust, and integrity into everyday decision-making and
leadership practices.
• Universal Spiritual Themes: Through extensive
research with spiritual leaders across various traditions, Yosi
found that spiritual intelligence is a universal concept, with
common virtues that transcend individual beliefs and contribute
significantly to effective leadership.
• Validated Impact: Yosi's studies show that
spiritual intelligence accounts for 46% of leadership
effectiveness, highlighting its critical role in both leadership
success and overall quality of life, much like the established
concept of Emotional Intelligence.
Yosi has found a section of thought leadership that is both
interesting and impactful. Is your thought leadership hitting
the same mark? If you are unsure this article by Peter Winick might
help answer that question.