In times of crisis, prayer can become a sacred act of surrender and spiritual growth. When we release the need to control, prayer opens a quiet space where the soul can rest, realign, and remember its connection to the greater Oneness.
Regardless of religious background, contemplative prayer can serve as a lifeline, anchoring the soul in resilience and peace. By turning inward and detaching from external distractions, we remember who we truly are.
The great 13th-century Mystic Meister Eckart describes his concept of prayer as one of “Gebet aus ledigem Gemüt”, which translates from the German as a prayer detached from the conceptual mind – a turning inward to the heart-mind.
The two eyes of the soul
Eckart describes the soul as having two eyes. The soul’s inner eye is that which sees into being, and derives its being without any mediation from God.
The soul’s outer eye is turned toward all creatures, observing them as images and through the ‘powers.’
“Any man who is turned in on himself, so as to know God by His own taste and in His own ground, that man is made free of all created things, and is enclosed in himself in a very castle of truth.
As I once said, our Lord came to his disciples on Easter day behind closed doors.
So it is with this man who is freed from all otherness and all createdness: God does not come into this man – He is essentially within him.” (Meister Eckhart, The Complete Works of Meister Eckhart, Sermon 66, Page 336)
For Eckhart, prayer “aus ledigem Gemüt” was a contemplative state of inner stillness with the soul liberated from all egoic desire and becoming receptive to the Divine presence, driven not by need but by love and union.
What we ask for may not serve our highest good
According to Meister Eckhart, God cannot always grant our requests, for we may still be in a state of unpreparedness. What we ask for may not serve our highest good, or it may simply not be the right time.
Like the soil that must first be tilled, the soul requires a practiced detachment. A receptiveness to divine gifts can only come by letting go of ego and desires. When we are prepared we receive not only what we ask for, but perceive the miracles of the very presence of God within all things. Without such preparation, we risk spoiling both the gift and the giver.
There appears to be a growing fascination with the “Elon Musk” style of forceful leadership glorifying a macho bravado over emotional intelligence. But behind the tough talk lies a troubling truth: Such an approach quietly erodes the foundations of a business. After 15 years in the consultancy field, I’ve seen it firsthand. If you want to damage a company from the inside out, lead with ego and ignore the human element.
My work facilitating countless in-house workshops in a wide variety of business sectors is backed by research. Leadership matters. How managers and supervisors engage with their teams directly influences motivation, performance, absenteeism, customer satisfaction, innovation, and long-term loyalty. The impact is immediate and often irreversible.
A significant share of workplace-related mental health issues such as burnout and depression, can often be traced back to organizational dysfunction, and how supervisors and managers treat their teams. When disengaged or unhappy employees are asked to evaluate their leaders, they frequently highlight a lack of core social and emotional skills.
Common complaints include:
Inability to address or resolve conflicts
Reluctance to acknowledge or validate good work
Micromanagement and controlling behavior
Excessive focus on minor mistakes or faults
In some cases, managers transferred to new departments quickly saw the same pattern emerge—high absenteeism, low morale, and disengagement—indicating that leadership style, not just environment, was the root cause.
On the other end of the spectrum, passive or absent leadership is equally damaging. Teams want leadership—but they want it from someone who leads with integrity, consistency, and emotional intelligence. The most respected leaders don’t shy away from accountability. They address underperformance, but they do so with what can best be described as tough love—firm yet fair, grounded in mutual respect.
People who feel dehumanized, disconnect
Constructive feedback uplifts and encourages growth. In contrast, harsh, demeaning, or fear-based criticism—what some might call the “kick-arse” style—erodes trust, silences initiative, and ultimately dehumanizes. And when people feel dehumanized, they disconnect. That’s how organizations slowly begin to lose their heart—and their talent.
Sport teams offer a great example of leadership style in action. Authoritarian coaches often bring short-term success but fail in the long-term.
Clear expectations, discipline, and structure can boost performance, especially in high-pressure or high-stakes environments like playoffs or elite competition.
Reduced Player Autonomy, Creativity Over time, however, athletes under this style of leadership show reduced motivation, creativity, and autonomy. A lack of personal agency can stifle adaptive thinking on the field, a key to navigating unpredictable situations.
While some authoritarian leaders succeed in rallying teams through sheer force of will, they often fail to build trust or psychological safety. When things go wrong, blame replaces support, and that kills morale and camaraderie.
My experience is that companies grossly underestimate the cost of bad leadership. Costs can be prohibitive when highly-skilled staff leave, absenteeism rises, and new staff have to be recruited and trained. This comes in addition to the costs caused by demotivated staff in a culture of fear and negativity.
Authoritarian leadership fails over time
Authoritarian leaders in business often deliver quick results. They take control, issue orders, and expect compliance. In moments of crisis or chaos, that decisiveness can seem like strength. But over time, the cracks start to show—both on the field and in the office.
Great teams thrive on trust, mutual respect, and shared purpose. Authoritarian leaders undermine that by silencing voices and centralizing power. Over time, teams stop collaborating and start competing—for attention, approval, or simply survival.
Leaders who foster inclusion, creativity, and emotional intelligence over time are more successful. Satya Nadella, revitalized Microsoft with his emphasis on shifting from a know-it-all culture to a learn-it-all culture, emphasizing emotional intelligence and humility.
Ed Catmull, co-founder of Pixar, and author of Creativity, Inc., a go-to book on healthy leadership. is quoted as saying: “Give a good idea to a mediocre team, and they will screw it up. Give a mediocre idea to a great team, and they will either fix it or come up with something better.”
Success and happiness at the workplace is increasingly dependent on how we communicate and interact with others. At the workplace people operate either as takes, matches, or givers without expecting anything in return, according to famous Organizational psychologist Adam Grant.
Takers are those who almost exclusively act in ways that advance their own personal agendas. In their interactions with others, they are internally asking the question, “What can you do for me?” Matchers operate on a quid pro quo basis, giving in equal measure as others have given to them. Matchers’ interactions are based on fairness, with interactions based on the idea that “If you do something for me, I’ll do something for you.” The third group, the givers, is made up of people who are characterized by serving those around them. The interaction of givers is based on the question, “What can I do for you?”
Grant’s research, based on interviews with 30,000 people across a variety of industries and cultures, reveals that although some givers get exploited and burn out, the rest achieve extraordinary results across a wide range of industries.
Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor –Speaker
If you enjoyed this article you might be interested in my latest book: Sages, Saints and Sinners and “The Turning of the Circle” on how the underlying the laws of nature, give an invaluable insight into life’s evolutionary cycle.
Humans are inherently wired for connection and cooperation. Our mental, emotional, and even physical health depends on it. Prolonged isolation, whether personal or collective, challenges our capacity to thrive. When nations retreat into isolationist protectionism, they may gain short-term relief but risk long-term stagnation, weakened innovation, and social fragmentation.
Historically isolationist economic policies leads to stagnation, inefficiency, and missed opportunities. One of the best examples of a nation falling behind in naval, military, and industrial technology was the Chinese Ming and Qing dynasties of the 14th century. Fearing foreign influence and cultural impurity, the rulers severely restricted trade, costing China its competitive edge for centuries.
Industries become bloated and inefficient under protectionism
Post-independence, India adopted a protectionist, centrally planned economy. Foreign goods and investment were restricted, and most industries heavily regulated. The result: industries became bloated and inefficient. India nearly defaulted on its debt in 1991 and was forced to liberalize its economy.
Throughout history, we can find countless examples of nations thriving when they get together to form a common economic space, standardize rules and break down commercial barriers.
The success story of Hanseatic League of medieval merchant cities
The Hanseatic League (from the 13th to 17th century) was a confederation of merchant towns that collaborated for mutual benefit, and in many ways was a precursor to the European Union. Located along the North Sea and Baltic sea routes cities like Hamburg, Bremen, Lübeck, Danzig created an economic powerhouse based on shared interests, smart geopolitics, and commercial innovation.
The European Union stands as a remarkable testament to the power of unity, bringing together nations like France and Germany, once bitter enemies in centuries of war, into a partnership of peace and collaboration.
Countries once marked by poverty, such as Spain and Portugal, along with former Soviet Bloc nations like the Czech Republic, Poland, the Baltic states, and Romania, have found profound benefits in their EU membership—economically, politically, and socially. The EU has not only transformed these nations but has also reshaped the very idea of cooperation, showing how shared purpose can overcome history’s deepest divisions.
The notion that free trade is beneficial for all was first mooted by David Ricardo, a 19th-century British political economist. Ricardo introduced in 1817 the theory of comparative advantage in his book “On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation.” His idea was that even if one country is more efficient at producing all goods than another country, both can still benefit from trade if they specialize in the goods they produce relatively more efficiently.
Factories in Bangladesh, Vietnam or China can for instance produce clothing much cheaper than in the United States, Canada or Europe. Consumers in these countries again can buy such imported clothing at a much cheaper price than if they were produced at home.
Key Points of Ricardo’s Concept:
Comparative advantage (not absolute advantage) determines what a country should specialize in.
By each country focusing on producing goods where they have the lowest opportunity cost, total global production increases.
Then, through trade, all countries can consume more than they could in isolation.
Before Ricardo, Adam Smith had also praised free trade in his 1776 book “The Wealth of Nations,” arguing for absolute advantage—that countries should produce what they’re best at. But Ricardo’s theory was more powerful because it showed how even less efficient countries can benefit from trade.
Open markets push companies to innovate or die. Exposure to international competition fosters dynamic economies and technological advancement. Countries that trade together are less likely to go to war with trade interdependence promoting diplomatic ties and global stability. Free trade has lifted millions of people out of poverty especially in east Asia.
Most economists agree that tariffs or quotas should only be used selectively such as protecting key sectors during economic transitions. Free trade should also include safety nets such as retraining programs and unemployment benefits.
Brexit is one of the most compelling modern case studies on free trade vs. protectionism, and more broadly, economic integration vs. sovereignty. The United Kingdom (UK) was a member of the European Union from 1973 until 2020. It decided to leave the EU, known as “Brexit” following a referendum in 2016. The populist call for protectionism and sovereignty gained more traction than rational economic arguments. Economists and analysts at Cambridge Econometrics found that, by 2035, the UK will be 311 billion pounds worse off and is anticipated to have three million fewer jobs. Other estimates put the annual loss in GDP at four per cent annually.
In summary, at the micro level, individuals who come together in a community experience greater mental and physical well-being. Human connection fosters resilience, purpose, and meaning. At the macro level, nations that cultivate shared values, mutual cooperation, and strategic alliances lay the foundation for lasting prosperity and peace. Connection is based on trust and courage. Isolationism however is marked by fear, divisive tribalism, and conflict.
Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor –Speaker
If you enjoyed this article you might be interested in my latest book: Sages, Saints and Sinners to be launched globally on April 8th, 2025.
“Consuming things does not satisfy our longing for meaning. We’ve learned that piling up material goods cannot fill the emptiness of lives which have no confidence or purpose.” Jimmy Carter
We’ve never been more connected and more alone. In the race for success, self-expression, and consumerism, something vital has been lost: deep, meaningful community relationships.
Active participation in a community can add years to your life and improve your overall well-being. Humans thrive when they feel at home in communities that serve each other.
Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter was well aware of this, serving his community well into old age and reminding us of our true strength and values.
Meanwhile, depression and anxiety rates are rising significantly in urban areas. Research shows that people in cities are more likely to suffer from mental health issues compared to those in rural areas.
In big cities such as Stockholm, Berlin, and London about half the population live in single-households with high density housing, and transient populations of students and professionals leading to weaker social bonds.
The “Blue Zones” and community bonds
However, in those parts of the world, the so-called “blue zones”, where people live the longest strong community bonds are a common denominator.
In Okinawa, Japan, the elders have moais or tight-knit social circles that provide lifelong support. In Sardinia, Italy and many other southern European regions, inter-generational living keeps elders socially engaged.
The Harvard Study of Adult Development, which has been running for over 80 years, consistently finds that close relationships and strong social bonds are the most significant predictors of long-term health and happiness.
On my more than a dozen pilgrimage walks through rural northwestern Spain I have repeatedly witnessed the strong community spirit in the villages and towns. Regular religious and cultural festivals are held to celebrate local saints or historical events. People of all generations are strongly engaged in these events, providing purpose and meaning.
The Power of Social Connection
Studies show that strong social ties can increase lifespan by up to 50 percent compared to those with weak social connections.
Loneliness and isolation are as harmful to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Close relationships help reduce stress, improve mental health, and boost the immune system.
Cultivating strong social ties is one of the most effective ways to enhance health and happiness over time. Faith, purpose, and community engagement are particularly strong factors for resilience and longevity. When people look after each other they are more likely to stay physically active, eat healthier, and seek medical care when needed.
Reino Gevers – Author – Mentor –Speaker
If you enjoyed this article you might be interested in my latest book: Sages, Saints and Sinners to be launched globally on April 8th, 2025.
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