Z.B.A.: Zen of Business Administration

by Marc Lesser

In the great Zen tradition of teaching stories, Marc Lesser relates his own personal and professional trials as he navigates the delicate path of managing a successful business while staying true to his spiritual roots. Struggling through a difficult economic climate, he also faces the usual challenges of running a growing company — meeting payroll, balancing cashflow, hiring and firing employees, and maintaining relationships with vendors and customers. Guiding him through these difficulties while providing strength and insight is the practice of Zen. Utilizing his training as a Zen practitioner, Lesser learns to apply specific teachings such as the eight-fold path directly to work and life. In chapters such as " The Impossible Request," "Appreciating Uncertainty," and "Accomplishing More by Doing Less," The Zen of Business Administration provides readers with intimate, helpful advice, while acknowledging the paradox of applying spiritual practice to the business world.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Buddhism, Spirituality

267 pages, Paperback

First published January 21, 2005

About the author

Marc Lesser is a speaker, facilitator, workshop leader, and executive coach. He is known for his engaging, experiential presentations that integrate mindfulness and emotional intelligence practices and training. He is the CEO of ZBA Associates, an executive development and leadership consulting company.

Marc has led mindfulness and emotional intelligence programs at many of the world’s leading businesses and organizations including Google, SAP, Genentech, and Kaiser Permanente, and has coached executives and led trainings in Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, health care, and government.

He helped develop the world-renowned Search Inside Yourself (SIY) program within Google - a mindfulness-based emotional intelligence training for leaders which teaches the art of integrating mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and business savvy for creating great corporate cultures and a better world. Deeply rooted in science, the program has been taught to thousands of executives worldwide. He was the founder and CEO of the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute (SIYLI).


Marc’s books include Seven Practices of a Mindful Leader: Lessons from Google and a Zen Monastery Kitchen, Know Yourself, Forget Yourself, Less: Accomplishing More By Doing Less, and Z.B.A. Zen of Business Administration They have been published in 11 languages.

Marc founded and was CEO of 3 companies and has an MBA degree from New York University. Prior to his business and coaching career, he was a resident of the San Francisco Zen Center for 10 years, and director of Tassajara, Zen Mountain Center, the first Zen monastery in the Western world.

He has keynoted at Mindful Leadership Summits in Washington DC, Toronto, and Sydney and has led “Search Inside Yourself” and “Seven Practices of a Mindful Leader” trainings in San Francisco, Japan, Hong Kong, and Toronto. Learn more at www.marclesser.net.

Reviews

[Lori Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read book on spirituality in self development for knowledge workers, managers, executives, and entrepreneurs.

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty good book on combining the spiritual practice of Zen with daily work. You don't have to be Buddhist to follow the advice of this book, but it may make you wish to explore Zen further. Some of the stuff, I will say, seemed a bit common sense, then again, Zen has that quality of making the complex seem not so complex (or viceversa at times). I found a lot of things to think about in this book, some very applicable to my profession as a librarian. I think a few of the passages would be beneficial to library managers and directors who could probably get some benefit of learning things like awareness and compassion when it comes to directing their workplaces. This is the kind of book I would slide under the door of one or two bosses I have known.

Overall, if you want to make your work life a bit more spiritual, or just be more mindful in your daily life, this is a good book for you. A strength of the book are the questions for daily practice at the end of each chapter as they give you something to reflect and work from, thus helping to make the practice more practical and immediate. This is one I recommend.

[Jacqueline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am increasingly interested in Buddhist philosophy merging with business and this Zen Priest from Tassahara filled the spot perfectly. I may have to purchase this book to do some real underlining and note taking, but this nugget was my favorite; from Suzuki Roshi, "you are perfect just the way you are, and you could use a little improvement." So, zen - so how it is in business and in life.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was OK. I got some interesting insights into Zen, but I wish there was more depth into the linkages between practice and the work world. It seemed a tad superficial. On the other hand, the book was written well without lots of repetitive material and filler.

[Ashleigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't finish this. I am starting to think that I just "practice" zen accidentally, so I got a bit bored reading this book...

[Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Made me laugh lots with joy and realisation. Plenty of heart. Revels in the paradoxes of life and work and zen. Deepened my appreciation of work and its place in my life.