The most recognized model of leadership is a contest of egos. The winner is this contest becomes the strongest voice in the room, has the last word, and never shows doubt. Ego‑driven power is fueled by self-interest: my title, my team, my wins. It delivers results in a competitive environment, but it also generates anxiety, division, and a culture where some must lose for the few to win.
Soul‑based leadership offers another path. Instead of focusing on “I, me, mine,” it draws deeper awareness, where everyone is connected.
Ego power vs. soul power
Ego power is all about your position in a hierarchy or chain of authority. The most applicable words are control, compliance, and performance while paying little attention to the human cost. Because the ego is at bottom insecure, it needs constant proof that it is winning, which means someone else must be losing.
On the other hand, soul power crosses personal boundaries. It doesn’t belong to you; it moves through you. It is grounded in qualities that exist in everyone at the deepest level: trust, compassion, stability, and hope.
When you embody these qualities, people do not mechanically follow your orders. At a human level they resonate with you. In the best case, there is such easy rapport that others feel more themselves in your company.
From the ego’s perspective, being this human can seem too soft for the “real world.” Yet when leaders are accessing soul power, something surprising happens: performance improves. People do their best work when they feel safe, seen, and inspired, not when they feel threatened.
How to spot ego running the room
Ego power is much more common, however. You can sense it before anyone raises a hand to speak. It appears when
The leader talks much more than they listen
Dissenting views are dismissed or ignored
People choose safety over honesty
Decisions are driven by image management rather than truth
When soul power is present, the atmosphere shifts. There is more calm, curiosity, and a sense that multiple viewpoints are welcome.
What is transpersonal power?
Power that reaches across ego boundaries is termed transpersonal power. Deep within, everyone has their source in the same field of infinite potential. What makes each of us different is how we express this potential. A leader needs to recognize this as a level playing field in which every participant wants to fulfill their potential, without exception. power arises when a leader chooses to draw on that insight.
If you aspired to be such a leader, you need to become the one who
Elicits the intelligence of the group
Shares information openly and truthfully
Treats others as equals in dignity and respect, even when authority differs
Sees strengths in people before they see it themselves
In practice, transpersonal power looks like a culture where people feel trusted to make decisions, take responsible risks, and bring their whole selves to work.
Establishing a better tone
There are practical ways to begin to participate more from the soul at work. For example, here’s a simple practice for grounding your presence before you go into a key meeting:
Take one minute alone. Notice your breath and sensations in your body.
Ask yourself: “What do I really want here—to win and look good, or to serve what is truly needed?”
If you notice ego motives, whether they are competitive, selfish, or insecure, don’t judge them. Acknowledge them, breathe, and set an intention of “I will speak and listen from the part of me that wants the best for everyone involved.”
Let that intention shape your tone of voice, your pace, and your willingness to pause before responding. Presence, too, is contagious.
Making a soul shift
Treating everyone more humanly resolves many obstacles and resistances. But soul-basd leadership requires a conscious shift away from letting ego dominate our intentions.
Ask one soul‑based question in each meeting. For example: “What outcome would be truly beneficial for everyone touched by this decision?” or “What are we not saying that needs to be spoken?” These questions invite the group beyond narrow self‑interest.
Share power consciously. Name and celebrate others’ strengths. Give people real authority that matches their gifts, and let them feel your trust. Transpersonal power grows as others step forward.
Practice empathy. Be direct and truthful, but deliver the truth with empathy for what others are feeling. This builds trust, stability, and psychological safety in a group.
Follow up with self-reflection. A powerful spiritual principle holds that the outer world reflects the inner world. What this means personally is that any outcome at work, positive or negative, contains a message for you personally. In the aftermath, get into the habit of asking yourself, without judgment, if you exhibited ego impulses or soul impulses.
In practice, be on the lookout for moments where you defended your image, needed to win an argument, withheld information, spoke from irritation, or made someone small so you could feel big.
“When did I act from the soul?”
Taking stock once a week is also very helpful. Your aim is to notice and encourage your best human instincts, the values you want to be known by. So recognize and appreciate all the times in a week when you truly listened, supported someone’s growth, admitted you did not know something, stood for integrity under pressure, or chose the long‑term good over the short‑term win.
Over time, patterns will emerge, and you will begin to recognize your triggers making you less reactive. At the same time your surroundings will reflect your soul shift—people will notice without you making an announcement. The deeper your shift, the better the outcomes you will experience, because you have the support of deepest awareness where intentions and outcomes are meshed.
Real transformation is possible. Leading from the soul turns power from something you grab into something you embody. When you move from ego to soul, you stop trying to hold everything together through effort and struggle, instead trusting that there is a deeper order that can guide your actions if you are willing to listen inside.
So I urge you to experiment with a soul shift. You may quickly discover that the source of power was never your ego to begin with. It was your spirit, quietly waiting to lead.
Namaste,
Deepak