In Zen, power is neither given nor taken. Nor does it represent the accumulation of assets. Power is not a matter of adding up years of experience, education credentials, rank or status. It should not be captured by intimidation. Real and enduring power comes through strength of character and genuine self-confidence stemming from an unpremeditated display of dignity and eagerness to accept responsibility.

The less you demand power, because you have risen above the concerns of ego, the more you command the respect and admiration of colleagues, who recognize the impact of your words and deeds….White Collar Zen attains power by cultivating the inner self and its sense of mastery over the flow of events to foster cooperation and positive change….True power in Zen is not derived from accomplishments alone. You must look beyond your own vantage point to take in the greater well-being of the community. Neither defeat nor victory is seen as personal, so failure and success alike can be taken in stride.

excerpted from
White Collar Zen
By Steven Heine
Oxford University Press, 2005

Another aspect in work practice is silence. Silence doesn’t mean not speaking when it is necessary, answering the phone or giving instructions, but cutting down on unnecessary chatter, the talk that is there just for the sake of talking. When it is necessary to speak in order to communicate, we should do so; when it is time to be silent, we should be able to do that, too. This means being not only outwardly silent, but also silencing the inner dialogue, our habit of constant talking to ourselves. Practicing silence and avoiding idle talk helps develop the clarity, receptiveness, and concentration necessary for good work practice.

This way of working is not “spacey”, preoccupied or trancelike. It is very much alive, filled with life’s force - awake and alert. It is the mind of the Way itself. Chao-chou once asked Nan-ch’uan, “What is the Way?” Nan-ch’uan answered, “Ordinary mind is the Way.” “Then, should we direct ourselves toward it or not?” asked Chao-chou. “If you try to direct yourself toward it, you go away from it,” answered Nan-ch’uan. Ordinary mind is the mind that sleeps when it is tired and eats when it is hungry. This is the Buddha mind, the mind of work practice.

excerpted from
The Sacredness of Work
In Mindfulness and Meaningful work
By John Daido Loori
Parallax Press, 1994

For Aristotle, one of the most important moral philosophers in the Western tradition, morality was largely a matter of living a life of virtue, and he was very specific about what this meant. He believed that human beings should cultivate four virtues: prudence, justice, courage and temperance. Two of these, courage and justice, fit nicely with the conventional image of leadership as a courageous effort to do what is right. But Aristotle’s other two virtues, prudence and temperance, point toward a different approach: a careful, balanced way of dealing with ethical issues. In fact, when Aristotle discusses prudence, he even defines it as “calculating” the right thing to do in a particular situation.

For Aristotle doing the right thing did not mean bulldozing ahead. In fact, he believed that too much courage was actually the vice of recklessness and he advised people to seek the Golden Mean. He advocated balance, judgment and responsiveness to the full range of ethical and practical factors in a particular situation. In some situations, the right thing is clear and so is the right way to do it. But when things are more complicated, it becomes important to think prudently and act with moderation. In these situations, careful assessment of risk and reward is the essence of responsible action.It is true that prudence and temperance are quiet, managerial virtues. They are not as inspirational as defending the Alamo. They are easy to overlook or deride. But they are especially relevant today, in the complicated, uncertain and fluid arenas in which many people find themselves. Without prudence and temperance, high ideals and moral energy are easily squandered.

excerpted from
Leading Quietly
Harvard Business School Press, 2002
By Joseph L. Badaracco, Jr.

The Rearing Serpent sports in the mists,
The Flying Dragon rides on the clouds.
But when the clouds are gone and the mists
            Have cleared
They are no different from earthworms.

Before the time of the Sun Tzu, qualifications for power and authority included physical strength, esteemed ancestry and moral virtue. How is it that the contemporary ruler, who might have none of those qualities, nonetheless controlled those who did? The answer is that his authority or shih, derives from his position on the throne. Being in the right place enormously magnifies his influence.

That position is not something he creates by himself. It requires the whole of the state apparatus, the participation of courtiers, bureaucrats and military men. Thus the ruler is powerful because he is at the head of a complex set of relationships. By contrast, personal strength, morality and ability are qualities that belong only to an individual. They are ineffective unless conjoined with larger patterns of influence.

excerpted from
Sun Tzu - The Art of War
The Denma Translation
Shambhala, 2001

Thich Nhat Hanh’s Interview with Christa Tippet National Public Radio

Teleconference and discussion with Michael Carroll and Jann Freed:
Mindfulness in the workplace
http://www.spiritatwork.org/index.html
February 19th
7-8pm EST
email for details

To learn more: http://www.awakeatwork.net/about/med.html