Shamans, Memes, and Ethical Leadership
Radical Thoughts on Ethical Leadership August 1, 2017 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1108/978-1-68123-990-320251004
Summary
Shamans in traditional cultures serve as healers and ethical leaders who improve their communities. This chapter argues that modern business leaders can adopt a shamanic orientation to pursue both profitability and a better world, advocating for more leaders to explicitly embrace the healing role of the shaman.
Study at a glance
| Design | theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key finding | A shamanic orientation can help today's ethical leaders work towards profitability and a better world, and more leaders should assume the healing mantle of the shaman. |
Abstract
Abstract In traditional cultures, shamans are leaders within their communities. As medicine women and men, shamans focus on healing individuals and cultural mythologies on which communities make sense of their world. Shamans are dedicated to making their world a better place, an important aspect of ethical leadership. This chapter explores how shamanism can enhance today’s ethical leaders—business shamans. A shamanic orientation can help leaders work towards profitability and a better world and argues that the world needs many more people in leadership and management to explicitly assume the healing mantle of the shaman.