“[The Manager and the Monk] reassures and awakens readers to life and business choices that celebrate generosity, honesty, and authenticity.”
―SUCCESS Magazine

“The Manager and The Monk is a book for leaders who aspire to evolve their way of thinking and acting by keeping an open mind, to make for a better world.”
―Sir Richard Branson, founder, Virgin Group

“The Manager and the Monk is a great example of the new partnership between matter and Spirit, business and spirituality, effectiveness and meaning. This is where we must go!”
―Richard Rohr, O.F.M., Center for Action and Contemplation and author, Falling Upward and Immortal Diamond

“The Manager and the Monk, scaling very different pyramids of success, meet at a single summit in the same world―a world of competition, but also of heightened awareness, hope, and wonder.”
―John Elkington, cofounder, SustainAbility and Volans; coauthor,The Power of Unreasonable People

“The Manager and the Monk is a vibrant, beautifully articulated, and stunningly fresh narrative that takes you on a unique literary adventure that can’t but help to leave you inspired. Not only does it allow for an intimate insight into the world of two extraordinary characters, but it also masterfully articulates the processes we will all require, if we are to learn to sculpt a more positive outcome towards our collective future.”
―David de Rothschild, founder, Sculpt the Future Foundation, and author,The Live Earth Global Warming Survival Handbook and Plastiki

When Jochen Zeitz and Anselm Grün first met onstage in 2008 as “the manager and the monk,” Zeitz was CEO and chairman of PUMA and Father Grün was a monk serving as cellarer, the business manager of his Benedictine abbey. They came together to discuss their shared goal: what it means to lead and manage responsibly and sustainably in today’s shifting world.

Available for the first time in English, The Manager and the Monk features topical essays and dialogues inspired by their ongoing series of conversations.

Touching on the most pressing challenges facing any business today, both Zeitz and Grün draw deeply on the stories and lessons of their managerial and spiritual backgrounds. Zeitz served as the youngest CEO of a publicly-listed company in German history, transforming PUMA from an ailing brand into a multibillion-dollar powerhouse and developing PUMA’s trailblazing “Environmental Profit and Loss Account,” an award-winning corporate sustainability initiative. As the business manager of the Münsterschwarzach Abbey in Germany, Grün was responsible for the economic administration of the abbey, its 300 employees, and 20 businesses.

What truly unites them, however, is a keen interest in exploring the spiritual and ethical dimensions of their work. Both manager and monk call on sources as diverse as the Bible, contemporary religious thought, and psychological theory to explore provocative questions on a variety of topics, such as:

• WHEN WE SPEAK of corporate “culture” what does that have to do with “culture” in society at large?
• CAN A BUSINESS simultaneously embrace spiritual values while delivering shareholder value?
• ARE THERE LESSONS in the way we should manage natural resources for how we should manage people?

Rich with insights on spirituality, values, and sustainability in business, The Manager and the Monk is a thoughtful exploration and impassioned plea for how to manage responsibly in the modern world.