April 30, 2022

By some counts, one in seven workers say their boss is abusive. Jim Blake, CEO of Unity World Headquarters, says there’s a more enlightened way to lead that is also more effective.

Hear Blake talk about his methods for success at Unity Books Presents: An Online Conversation with Jim Blake on May 24, 2022, at 7 p.m. CDT. He’ll draw from his new book, The Zen Executive: Gems of Wisdom for Enlightened Leadership, discussing best practices for today’s more mindful leaders.

With a background as a corporate executive and now CEO of a 130-year-old spiritual nonprofit, Blake has compiled a pithy, portable book with commonsense ideas for aligning business practices with ancient principles that are spiritual but not religious.

To register for this free Zoom event, visit go.unity.org/zenexecutive.

In The Zen Executive: Gems of Wisdom for Enlightened Leadership, business leaders will learn from someone who has been in their shoes how they can incorporate their authentic selves into their leadership styles. By the same token, spiritual leaders will recognize that taking a businesslike approach to their work does not leave out compassion, love and service.

“As I studied world religions and ancient teachings from around the globe, I began to see how easily their beauty and truth could be incorporated in—even function in alignment with—best business practices,” Blake writes in The Zen Executive.

The role of leaders is to inspire, motivate and stay positive about the future. To do so requires inner work and a deep understanding of why and how an organization makes a difference. Here in one place are gems of wisdom for using spiritual principles to boost innovation and creativity in any endeavor. A few gems:

• Self-Care—Nurture your own well-being. Making time for self-care will improve every aspect of your life, including your performance and decision-making at work.
• Intuition—Facts and data are important but only part of the picture. What do you know deep down?
• Inclusion—Invite everyone to the table. Company performance soars with diverse teams.
• Innovation—Make change your friend! This is the simplest and most impactful way for you to adjust your thinking. Change is inevitable—it’s universal law.
• Take Risks—Failure is an opportunity to learn and do better next time. Experiencing failure does not make you a failure.

“It takes courage to dare to be a different kind of leader, one who blends compassion and well-being of others with performance and profit. Jim Blake provides the steps for those who are willing to not only lead but to change lives professionally and personally—which benefits all.” —Scott Shute, The Full Body Yes, former head of Mindfulness and Compassion Programs at LinkedIn

“Written with understanding, humor and genuine caring, this is a book to help entrepreneurs, teams and anyone to live with authenticity in all areas of their world.”—Sharon Salzberg, Real Happiness at Work and Real Change

“Leaders who are integrating compassion, intuition and self-care practices into mission-driven leadership will find Jim Blake’s The Zen Executive of great value.”—Ken Druck, Ph.D., The Real Rules of Life