“Salsa, Soul, and Spirit: Leadership for a multicultural age” by Juana Bordas is a vigorous contribution to building a new progressive leadership model based on the principles, which have been generated by the communities of color and have been sustaining them while overcoming pressure and numerous adversities. The author represents a principle of Gratitude, Hope, and Forgiveness, which is a strong instrument for uniting diversity and building a stable and prosperous community with a strong spirit. The principle of Gratitude, Hope, and Forgiveness, consonant with the African “ubuntu” concept (Bordas 2007), reveals the mechanism of interaction within the society, where the thoughts and the actions of an individual impact the whole community’s condition. This principle, kept by the communities of color for centuries, implies concentration on “what you have” instead of “what you want” (Bordas 2007), which maintains a belief in God’s guidance and a hope for future prosperity. Keeping hope and forgiveness is a powerful uniting force that helps to overcome difficulties and to go further; hope for the prosperous future brings the individuals together and generates a common spirit, which is extremely important in diverse communities.
This principle can be effectively applied in nursing. Building the spirit of gratitude and forgiveness provides a healthy atmosphere of humanity and tolerance, which is crucial in nursing. The principle is an excellent basis for building the corporate culture and the model of relations within the staff. However, it can be successfully used concerning the relations with the patients. Engendering hope and “letting go” is an efficient tool for the patients’ psychological support. Particularly, the practice of the “gratitude days”, “letting go and cleansing” described by Bordas (2007) is applicable in nursing. The principle of Gratitude, Hope, and Forgiveness bears the spiritual responsibility, which underlies the ethics in nursing.
Reference
Bordas, J. (2007). Salsa, soul, and spirit: Leadership for a multicultural age. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler.