White Collar Zen: Using Zen Principles to Overcome Obstacles and Achieve Your Career Goals [Hardcover]

Steven Heine (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0195160037 | ISBN-13: 978-0195160031 | Edition: 1st

It is said that in traditional Japan the samurai embraced Zen because it helped them to be fearless in adversity, to act quickly and decisively, and to keep focused on their ultimate goal. In White Collar Zen, Steven Heine shows how, by applying Zen principles in our working lives, we can achieve the same results for ourselves.
Heine describes the way Zen embraces two different yet harmonious paths. The Way of the Hermit teaches detachment--the mental clarity you need to view your situation dispassionately and impartially, to perceive who is an ally and who is a competitor, to understand what is possible and what is not. The Way of the Warrior teaches the ability to act without hesitation at the proper moment. Together, they can prepare you to meet the challenges of the modern professional world. Heine offers a step-by-step approach to attaining these skills and applying them in daily life. Using real-world examples interwoven with sayings and stories from the Zen tradition, he shows how Zen can help in situations ranging from gaining a deserved promotion to overcoming obstacles that arise from a breakdown in teamwork. He makes it clear that in Zen the path to personal success must be one that values integrity, respects every individual, emphasizes cooperation, and serves the goals of the larger group.
Replete with practical advice, White Collar Zen will appeal to many of the same readers who have made The Art of War and The Book of Five Rings so successful. It will certainly fascinate anyone interested in applying Zen principles to achieving professional excellence.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

The workplace is often a forum where aggressive competition, underappreciation, and self-doubt rule the day. Heine shows how the principles of Zen Buddhism can effectively dissipate stress and anxiety in the professional world. In dealing with conflict, Heine brings to light two seemingly contradictory Zen mindsets: the "Way of the Hermit," which requires one to step back and view the situation in contemplative objectivity, and the "Way of the Warrior," which requires quick and decisive action without hesitation. It is only through practice and intuition that the student of Zen will utilize the appropriate method in any given situation. Heine wisely avoids pop spirituality and instead uses thoughtful examples straight out of the Zen tradition, including effective use of stories and quotations, some from Eastern philosophies and others that may be familiar yet are very Zen-like. Heine, a recognized authority on Buddhism and Japanese culture, gives workshops on the techniques described in this book. David Siegfried
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Heine deserves credit for offering a bold alternative to the conventional wisdom that has dominated discussions of career success in organizations." --Academy of Management Review

"A sly, good-humored book [about] applying Zen attitudes and concepts to your work and career.... Reach for this book when work makes no sense and people are getting on your nerves."--USA Today

"Heine wisely avoids pop spirituality and instead uses thoughtful examples straight out of the Zen tradition, including effective use of stories and quotations, some from Eastern philosophies and others that may be familiar yet are very Zen-like. Heine, a recognized authority on Buddhism and Japanese culture, gives workshops on the techniques described in this book."--Booklist

"Buddhism authority Heine lays out, in a non-pop psychology fashion, how embracing Zen's two counterbalancing viewpoints (that of the objective, detached 'Hermit' and the decisive, nimble 'Warrior') can bring rewards in the workplace and on a career path."--Washington Post

"If you're looking for a more thoughtful way to approach your work life look no further. White Collar Zen translates ancient wisdom into practical advice for today's business professional. And the way Heine seamlessly weaves Zen teachings and modern work examples together makes for an easy and pleasurable read." --Mark McNeilly, author of Sun Tzu and the Art of Business: Six Strategic Principles for Managers

"A gem that accomplishes one of the prime missions of Zen, the ageless directive to introduce insight and compassion into the situation at hand. Via the inner dynamics of the Zen encounter, Steven Heine presents for modern use a major Zen motif, the deep balancing of contemplative awareness, here symbolized by the Hermit, and its application to the world, represented by the Warrior. This book will help foster individual success through practical lessons presented humorously, with contemporary examples as well as venerable Zen stories that offer wider vantage from which to function freely and think outside the box of stale structures. But more important than personal advantage, these guidelines for good teamwork will promote beneficial cooperation in our world, at a time when we surely are in need of such." --Taigen Dan Leighton, author of Faces of Compassion: Classic Bodhisattva Archetypes, and translator of Dogen's Extensive Record

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 198 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 1st edition (April 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195160037
• ISBN-13: 978-0195160031
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #927,468 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Skillful Means in the Workplace, June 9, 2005

By 

Victor J. Forte - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: White Collar Zen: Using Zen Principles to Overcome Obstacles and Achieve Your Career Goals (Hardcover)

Go to any weekend Buddhist retreat, and during open discussions on the application of the Dharma, the conversation will inevitably turn to the workplace - on how to respond to difficult occupational situations and adversarial fellow employees. White Collar Zen is a book concerned with this all too common form of suffering. It is an insightful, and very practical guide for applying the transcendent wisdom of Zen to the everyday challenges of making a living. Heine's advise is based on the skillful application of Zen's "Great Doubt," so that we can transform the ordinary working world into a realm of opportunity for enlightened action. This is accomplished by understanding our relationships in the workplace as encounters, rather than conflicts, akin to the encounters recorded in Zen Koans, and charged with all the possibilities of awakening. The steps for taking this approach are presented in very clear and accessible language, and there are a number of useful examples given to illustrate how the method can be applied in real situations. A valuable book for these times, White Collar Zen teaches us how Great Doubt can be effectively used at work, so that the sword that kills may also give life and workplace foxes may, in the end, be revealed as Buddhas.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Breaking through, September 30, 2006

By 

A. Perez - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: White Collar Zen: Using Zen Principles to Overcome Obstacles and Achieve Your Career Goals (Hardcover)

Among the many topics touched in this fascinating book there is one that everyone who is in the business world will immediately noticed: The Structure and The Anti-Structure. Steven Heine explains in detail how to become part of the structure of a company and even more importantly he details how to "break-through" the structure and make it work for one's benefits.

In my personal case I must thank Dr. Heine for the words of wisdom that allowed me to get through the toughest interview that I've ever had. Following the guidelines of the book I put all my attention in the way the interview was structuring itself and once I was able to grasp the essence of what my future manager was looking for, I decide to break-through the structure and I gave a short but sincere and strong answer following the principles explained in this book and as of right now I'm the right hand of one of the Assistant Vice-Presidents of the company for which I work

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Balancing Speech and Silence, June 24, 2005

By 

Stressed Out White Collar Worker - See all my reviews

This review is from: White Collar Zen: Using Zen Principles to Overcome Obstacles and Achieve Your Career Goals (Hardcover)

For those of us who face challenges and obstacles in the workplace on a daily basis, this is one of the most thoughtful and insightful guidelines on how to better prepare and turn difficulties into opportunities for growth and development. The author has obviously poured into the pages of the book years of experience and inspiration. "White Collar Zen" is a pleasure to read from cover to cover, as it is filled with many illuminating anecdotes as well as quotes and references to contemporary sports, music, movies, books, in addition to Zen and Eastern Classics.