The Manager and the Monk: A Discourse on Prayer, Profit, and Principles

Q & A with Jochen Zeitz, Coauthor of The Manager and the Monk

We met in Nuremberg during an onstage discussion at a conference. On that day, and in the months that followed, we were inspired by each other's different experiences and perspectives and saw that we could learn from one another. We stayed in touch and continued the conversation, even exchanging roles. I spent a week in Father Grün's monastery and he spent time at my company. More often than not, we found we had similar beliefs and values, and in the spirit of sharing, we decided to document our dialogue.

As a CEO and as the head of a large abbey, we were both seen as leaders and role models by the individuals within our organizations. We recognized a shared responsibility to think beyond the immediate business requirements to how decisions could affect these people and the environment around us, which we were essentially responsible for in the long term. Ultimately, we both had to ensure that principles were guiding us. This is where the business world and the spiritual world can and should intersect. On a more personal level in our roles, we both wished to protect the environment, improve society, and employ sustainable methods, both within our "companies" and beyond. For me, this has translated into starting initiatives such as The B Team since I left PUMA.

Within a company it is imperative to have guiding principles and a foundation in place to address questions - whether they are ethical or spiritual - that come up during the day-to-day running of a business. At PUMA, we had an overarching ethical framework defined by the 4 Key principles of being Fair, Honest, Positive, and Creative, as applied to all professional behavior, business procedures, and relationships throughout and outside of PUMA.

The Manager and the Monk caters to a large cross-section of people. CEOs, directors, and managers will be inspired by seeing the world from a different point of view, as I did when I began this journey with Father Grün, as will those who have already found their own journey and are seeking encouragement. It is also a book for those entering the business world who recognize that they want to go beyond the traditional paradigm of 'business for profit' and consider people and planet as essential to the equation.

The questions Father Grün and I ask ourselves and each other in this book are universal. They are questions we all seek answers to, and ones that my peers and I continually ask ourselves, such as: Do core values stand a chance in the world of business? How much consideration and empathy can a manager afford to show? What do money and success mean to us?