Each summer, at the end of August, I spend some time at New Camaldoli Hermitage and Monastery in Big Sur, California. I am there this week, listening to silence. New Camaldoli has become a second home to me. I am a lay person who has been received into the community, known as a lay oblate. My relationship to New Camaldoli, and the monks who live there, is unlike any other in my life. It is the place of silence and... Read more
Leadership is healthy. Your true leadership grows out of recognizing and appreciating your true self. Leadership is not about being someone else; leadership is about being who you are. The health of your leadership reflects your own health. There is nothing inherently stressful about leadership. There are very effective leaders who do not suffer from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other stress-related issues. There are very good leaders who regularly take time to reflect and to listen. There are... Read more
I belong to a liturgical church. Each week, we remind ourselves of the story that brings us together, and we share a meal. When the meal is ready, each of us gets up, walks to the front of the service to receive it, and returns to where we were sitting. Sometimes we wait in line. Sometimes the line moves quickly. When I return to my seat, I reflect on what is coming next and pray for the people I see at... Read more
Susan Isaacs is a friend of mine. We go to church together, usually a couple of rows apart. In her book, Angry Conversations With God, Susan persuades God to go with her to couples counseling. It is a book that every spiritual director needs to read. Susan’s solo show of Angry Conversations opens in Southern California next month. Susan agreed to answer a few questions about writing and acting: What is the most challenging thing about writing for you? The sportswriter Red Smith said... Read more
Susan Isaacs is a friend of mine. We go to church together, usually a couple of rows apart. In her book, Angry Conversations With God, Susan persuades God to go with her to couples counseling. It is a book that every spiritual director needs to read. Susan’s solo show of Angry Conversations opens in Southern California next month. Susan agreed to answer a few questions about writing and acting: Susan, are you an actor who writes, or a writer who... Read more
There is power in laughing. Laughter brings people together by reminding us that we share values and have a common perspective. When someone laughs, they can see things in new ways. Laughing reminds us that things may not be as impossible as we think they are. Humor and wit are important tools for a leader. The leaders who inspire me tap into emotions that run beneath the surface, connecting with people along their core values and principles. They help people... Read more
There is a movement sweeping through Southern California and across the country, changing the very way we think and speak. It began over a year ago with an interview on Epicurious about my first Craft Brewery Pilgrimage. Soon there were news reports about the growing number of local craft breweries and other establishments catering to those brewing at home and following the craft brewing industry. The story has not ended there. Stone Brewing, the culmination of last year’s pilgrimage, announced the... Read more
Tell me the story of #InspireChat. What brought you here? I have a dream of people living harmoniously, peaceful and respectful of one another. I believe that in order for this to be accomplished, there is a need for healing, rediscovering who we are, our purposes, and our love, and bonding with those that also desire this dream or one similar. #InspireChat primarily came about because of this dream. I believe that if more and more people were living a... Read more
People ask quite a few questions about the name Strategic Monk. Where did you get that name? What kind of a name is that? What does that mean? What was that name again? Most of the questions are about the monk part. People want to know whether I am a real monk, and what my connection is to monks. A few people ask about the strategic part. Strategic Monk is the story of my life. I was raised to be a... Read more
Leadership is not boring. Some people think that leadership is all about predictability; doing what you know how to do well and repeating good results. While I admire consistency and dependability, doing what you know you do well again and again sounds pretty boring to me. Leadership is meeting new challenges. On one level, we ask leaders to meet greater and greater goals with fewer resources. We expect leaders to accomplish more each month and each quarter than they did... Read more
Strategic Monk
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