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There are many tips on the market that teach how to be a successful manager: treat employees personally, ensure they are intellectually challenged, inspire them, lead by example, and so on. The truth is that in an interconnected world, these tips alone will not help a manager unless they adopt the integral approach to management and leadership.
The integral approach is based on analyzing the overall trend of development. It teaches that from generation to generation, human society is becoming increasingly interconnected and taking on a circular form. Everyone depends on everyone else, influences everyone else, and this requires us to learn how to function as one integral system—in the workplace, at home, in society, and in the world in general—anywhere there are human relations.
Without integral connection, complementary mutuality, and consideration for others as for oneself, we will have no chance of surviving in a reality that places us all in the same boat. Organizations that recognize this trend in advance and begin investing now in developing an integral approach among their people will gain a significant advantage and make a leap forward. Organizations that do not will struggle greatly to function.
Manager-Leader
What is the character of a manager or leader according to the integral approach? What makes it unique? What is their role?
First and foremost, an integral manager-leader is someone who aims to transform their organization into an integral society. To do so, they must undergo such training themselves, to study thoroughly and experience a full range of emotions, until they themselves become a person with integral awareness. Such a person knows how to include everyone within themselves, and employees feel them as part of the group.
An integral manager-leader senses each employee, helps them, participates with them, and thereby connects each of them to themselves. Such a manager must not only possess leadership qualities but also be an educator, because their role is to build a new kind of society within the organization.
A tremendous and immensely important task lies before them. The previous working relationships must be upgraded to an entirely different level. At the end of an integral development process within the organization, every employee will feel that they are a very important part of a system in which everyone is mutually connected.
A Manager Without “Poses”
Should an integral manager stand out and be dominant?
A person in such a role becomes dominant because they are appreciated, trusted, credited, and relied upon. In this way, they become a social leader. That is, they stand out not because of their formal position, but because of the respect they earn from their people due to their positive influence.
Employees begin to value the positive direction they provide in life and the investment they make in them. They see them first and foremost as a social leader, and thus they become an integral manager-leader.
Such a manager enables everyone to feel equal, like in a family where each member feels loved and able to contribute to the overall success. This kind of atmosphere works wonders, not only in improving productivity but also in the personal lives of each individual.
If in the past charisma alone was enough to lead employees, and people admired managers who appeared important even if they were merely inflated figures, today this method no longer works. People no longer buy into poses. A manager must prove to their people that they are building a connected, positive, warm, and secure environment for them, and that they protect them like a parent. Employees must feel they are under their care, and that if necessary, the manager will fight for each and every one of them.
Integral Charisma
A good integral manager must know two main things: how to work properly within a hierarchy (like a line), and how to function correctly within mutuality (like a circle), in addition to the expertise, professionalism, and organizational skills required of them.
The charisma of an integral manager is not expressed through a desire to stand out, control, or prove themselves, but through a proper balance between intellect and emotion, between a linear approach and a circular approach. The ability to correctly integrate line and circle builds an integral society among the people under their leadership.
This is charisma according to the new approach. It helps the manager inspire, advance, motivate, and organize people. On one hand, they demonstrate strength and leadership ability. On the other hand, they radiate warmth, friendship, and genuine care when needed. Most importantly, they know how to combine the two.
There is no fixed formula that can define how a manager should act in different situations. They must develop emotional sensitivity, the ability to empathize with employees, and genuine care for them, without which it is impossible to manage in an integral way.
Therefore, only if a manager works on improving themselves as a person and genuinely merges with their workforce will they understand how to manage them properly. Only after undergoing an internal transformation in their attitude toward others will they naturally feel how to treat employees in different situations like a mother feels toward her children.
Onboarding New Employees
In an integral organization, a special atmosphere of connection is created among employees, and a positive mutual relationship system develops. Therefore, such an organization should only onboard a new employee after they have completed an integral preparation course.
Professional knowledge, degrees, and proven experience are not enough. Managers must ensure that a new hire will not disrupt the system and that their integration will be smooth and gentle.
In the preparation course, candidates participate in lessons, workshops, games, and exercises that develop their ability to connect harmoniously with their environment. Throughout the course, candidates are monitored to assess whether they can adapt to the organization’s relational culture.
Their ability to listen, accept differing opinions, empathize genuinely, express their own views respectfully, stand by them when necessary, and find shared solutions to problems are all evaluated through discussions and workshops simulating situations from work, family, and personal life.
Ultimately, a new employee in an integral organization needs to understand that they are entering a place where they must be able to connect with everyone. All their qualities, even cunning ones, can be beneficial, provided they are aimed at cultivating positive relationships within the organization.
Based on “New Life 123 – Management and Leadership, Part 1” with Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman. Written/edited by students of Kabbalist Dr. Michael Laitman.