Compass at the crossroads of strategy, spirituality and politics

In business and corporate environments, especially in leadership level, we often hit the crossroads of spirituality and politics. The term strategy is highly regarded and seen as an exceptional skill measured by the business outcomes and visionary moves that either individual or business makes.

By leading online dictionaries (mentioned below), strategy is defined as a method worked out in advance for achieving some objective or an instance of using this science or art. 

Similarly, politics in this context, is defined as use-of-intrigue in obtaining any position of power or control, as in business, university, etc. While as, spirituality is commonly seen as the quality or state of being spiritual.

Here is how I see these three business-life dimensions coming together, surely some of you will echo this or others may have varied perspectives. Our personal opinions are as based on experiences and knowledge acquired through formal or informal training.

Act of spirituality is a personal preference, either driven by own faith based learning from family practices or general life experiences. Spirituality as we know, relates to life wisdom and art of being spiritual, which further relates to soul and karma. It has much higher and grander purpose than just the business vision and outcomes. Individual spirituality may have life purpose of human and planet welfare, which usually may incorporate business strategy as a medium to achieve this life mission. This is where the leadership purpose of leader originates too. Leader has huge vision, which ties back to his or her, life mission of welfare. We have seen many industrialists or wealthiest have led the exceptional philanthropic efforts globally.

Strategy relates to a purpose, innovation or objective to drives specific business outcomes, which are in the best interest of customers, employees and investors and may be planet, which eventually creates win-win for existence of business for profit and partly for community that it operates in.

Politics in context of business environments, is very closely associated with strategy, although politics tends to satisfy either hidden or obvious agenda of specific person, group of people or players, which may or may not align with core strategy and mission of an organization. Very rarely politics could be integral subset of grander business strategy too.

So how does one strike a balance between these three dimensions ?

If the compass of spirituality, self-awareness and life purpose, is well thought and firmly defined, this becomes conscious or sub-conscious guiding factor, while dealing strategy or politics.

On the other hand, it is extremely important, either strategy of business existence or goals for specific time-frame, are in the best interest of employees, customers and investors. Companies don't exist without people, and people do business with people. Hundreds of years from now, when super advanced robotics will drive business to business systems, things will be different, although human element will always remain at the core of it.

As far politics in business settings, it is a not a must-have for strategy to succeed. Politics tends to originate either from individual or group of players, and generally tends to be either based on competition or insecurities.

In nutshell, as shown in picture, life compass can be spirituality, business compass is strategy and politics usually can take back seat, if first two are referred sincerely on day to day basis. This makes every day decision making super easy and diminishes any ambiguity.

side note. dictionaries referred : www.dictionary.com and www.merriam-webster.com - Thank you