Leadership, Spirituality and the Common Good. East and West Approaches (European SPES Cahier N°4)

The authors believe that the European and Asian traditions
of spirituality provide rich resources for world
seeking to rediscover the Common Good. The particular
focus of this Cahier is on the need for responsible leaders
who understand and accept their responsibility to
steward the resources in their care for the good of their
organisation and for the Common Good. Such leaders
will have developed the capacity to integrate the economic,
the social and the environmental realms and inspire
trust in their organisational communities through
the quality of their character and spirit.

In Leadership, Spirituality and the Common Good: East
and West Approaches, we present the thinking of eight
authors who explored this topic at a gathering of academics
and business people at a conference held at the
China Europe International Business School (CEIBS) in
Shanghai in October 2008. The eight chapters have been
developed from this conference and are now brought
together as a contribution to social and business education
to support a greater understanding of East-West
cultural perspectives on the rich notion of the Common
Good which, as our authors explain, is expressed in Eastern
cultures as lokasangraha, kyosei, da tong and jen.

Henri-Claude de Bettignies is Distinguished Professor
of Globally Responsible Leadership at the China Europe
International Business School (CEIBS), Shanghai and
the Aviva Chair Emeritus Professor of Leadership and
Responsibility at INSEAD. He is currently Director of
the Euro-China Centre for Leadership and Responsibility
(ECCLAR, in Shanghai).

Mike Thompson is Visiting Professor of Responsible
Leadership at China Europe International Business
School (CEIBS) and is Global Chief Executive of Good-
Brand, an international sustainable enterprise consultancy.
He is also a member of the standing committee of
the European SPES Forum.