Conclusiones

Kevin Cashman developed seven pathways to develop leadership from the inside out. Cashman (1998:21) criticises most definitions of leadership for perceiving leadership in terms of external motivation, such as vision, judgment and charisma, instead of perceiving leadership as an internal source or the essence of an individual. The intrinsic intentions that guide the external motivations are not sufficiently interrogated by classical leaders, with many of them neglecting first to identify their true purpose as regards influencing the development of their vision. Thus, Cashman (1998:20) defines leadership as

“authentic self-expression that creates value.”

The purpose of Cashman’s Model of Leadership from the Inside Out is to “unfold and to express our purposeful inner life to make a more positive impact on the world around us” (Cashman, 1998:20). Although Cashman does not refer to his model as a spiritual leadership model, the core tenets reflect the characteristics of spiritual leadership, namely: leadership from the inside out; being directed by a higher purpose and core positive values; being authentic; understanding our interconnectedness; being proactive and taking responsibility. Fry based his

model of spiritual leadership on Cashman’s principle of leadership from the inside out (Fry and Whittington, 2005b:189).

Cashman’s (1998) Model of Leadership from the Inside Out is depicted below in Figure 4.1.

FIGURE 4.1: CASHMAN'S MODEL OF LEADERSHIP FROM THE INSIDE OUT

Cashman developed the following seven pathways to assist leaders to change from the inside out. Pathway One: Personal Mastery requires one to break free of self-limiting patterns by transforming shadow beliefs⁵² into conscious beliefs⁵³ (Cashman, 1998:38). Expressing oneself authentically involves operating from one’s character (essence of who one is) as opposed to one’s persona (mask or external personality designed to cope with life circumstances) (Cashman, 1998:42). Pathway Two: Purpose Mastery involves following one’s true purpose.

52 Shadow beliefs is a term coined by the psychologist Jung and refers to beliefs which are manifestations of hidden, unexplored or unresolved psychological dynamics that one is not ready to confront (Cashman, 1998:37).

53 A conscious belief is a belief where there is open awareness about its existence.

Leadership  

Cashman (1998:64) contends that the difference between purpose and meaning is that purpose focuses on the how and meaning on the why. Thus, purpose refers to how people express themselves in order to add value. Pathway Three:

Change Mastery involves releasing old patterns and adopting a fresh approach to thinking or operating (Cashman, 1998:87). The change process should be aligned to one’s purpose and values. Pathway Four: Interpersonal Mastery involves leading through synergy as this mastery requires the dynamic interaction between persona power and synergy power to create value (Cashman, 1998:107). Cashman (1998:110) contends that several organisations adopt a mechanistic approach, whereby results are valued more than the synergy of individuals. The mechanistic approach tends to devalue people. This does not advance the organisation’s goals because individuals in this instance do not know how to contribute meaningfully to an organisation.

In contrast, organisations that operate from an organic, inside-out approach tend to nurture individuals who, in return, contribute meaningfully to the organisation.

Pathway Five: Being Mastery means leading through being by connecting with one’s innermost character in order to make meaningful, dynamic contributions (Cashman, 1998:131). Cashman (1998:146) argues that leading through being creates positive organisational results because an inner calm enables the leader to be more lucidly responsive to rapid changes and dynamics. Pathway Six:

Balance Mastery involves leading by centring one’s life so as to build resilience in order to enhance effectiveness and fulfilment (Cashman, 1998:153). Balance Mastery requires that one connects to one’s inner core so that one is able to deal with external dynamics. Pathway Seven: Action Mastery involves taking action that is connected to purpose and which creates value (Cashman, 1998:180).

A weakness of the model is that it contains no explicit discussion, nor is there any depiction of the way in which the model relates to organisations. The model focuses predominantly on the internal transformation of a leader. However, if the model is intended to improve the performance of leaders in organisations then

the relationship between the leader and the organisation should be more explicitly reviewed.

The strength of Cashman’s Leadership from the Inside Out Model is that it focuses on creating sustainable and fundamental change in a leader by following a systematic process. In addition, the Leadership from the Inside Out Model is set out practically and thus it is clear how to implement the seven pathways. The model also contains reflective exercises that promote deeper self-awareness and the internalisation of learning. Cashman (1998:27) criticised training programmes that propose quick fixes. He argues that although these programmes may achieve quick results, if the underlying chronic problems are not addressed, it will result in greater problems in the long term. This model, similarly to other spiritual leadership models, requires the leader to possess a certain level of maturity, wisdom and discipline in order to embark on a journey of deep, internal transformation.

A unique aspect of this model is its emphasis on being. Being is pure consciousness based on a concept of non-dual oneness (Cashman, 1998:136;

Fry and Kriger, 2009:1683). Most of the other emerging leadership theories within the spiritual paradigm focus on having (i.e. possessing the right skills, competencies, resources and behaviours for the task at hand) and doing (i.e.

behaving or expressing activities that are appropriate to the situation) (Fry and Kriger, 2009:1687).