The Four Energies

The top writer on Spirit is Harrison Owen.

For many in the West, Spirit is nothing. Operating under the premise that if you can't count it, it doesn't exist, the conclusion is that Spirit is not there, or if it is there, it can't amount to much. Of course, there have always been words about Spirit in common conversation, as in team spirit, esprit de corps, and the like. But now, somehow, the concept of Spirit seems rather more important. A senior executive in the midst of a very nasty take-over battle was overheard to say, "It is remarkable that when everything else is falling apart, we still have our spirit. If we lose that, I think we have lost everything." I believe he was right.
I take it as a given that Spirit is the most critical element of any organisation. With Spirit of the appropriate quantity, quality, and direction, almost anything is possible. Without Spirit, the simplest task becomes a monumental obstacle. Furthermore, it is in the domain of Spirit that leadership operates. Though it may be true that leaders have a multitude of very practical tasks, they have one task that outweighs all others: to care for the Spirit.