"I enjoy your book very much, and will pass it on to my network, especially the International Business Academy in Europe.  It's good to know kindred spirits are continuing to evolve on parallel paths.  Let's stay in touch, and thanks for sending me The Conscious Manager."
- Al Chungliang Huang, President of the Living Tao Foundation and author of Mentoring: Cultivating Dynamic Relationships in All Arenas of Life.
 

Decision making with more speed, less anxiety and fewer regrets: The Conscious Manager shows you how.

The Conscious Manager: Zen for Decision Makers


Click here to read the back cover. Click here for published REVIEWS of The Conscious Manager.
February 16, 2003: The MST Monitor  published an interview with Fred Phillips for business readers of The Conscious Manager.


This site is a forum for readers of The Conscious Manager to

"Compassion in business used to be an oxymoron. But times are changing and The Conscious Manager eloquently explains why business without compassion is handicapped from the start. Fred Phillips knows his subject matter well. He explains how a manager can remain flexible and creative by approaching situations without an overarching sense of self. A focus on helping others, Phillips teaches us, repays the conscious manager again and again. In a style that is casual yet authoritative, Phillips sets a new standard for management behavior. Highly recommended."
Lee Godden, author of ZenWise Selling

"I really like it."
Naras V. Eechambadi, Ph.D.
CEO, Quaero Corporation

Zen at Work

There were Zen books that told you how to get along with obnoxious co-workers, how to plan your career, and how to maintain your motorcycle. There were Zen books on how to cope with oppressive bosses.

But now you are the boss. You make decisions for yourself, your family, your company, your clubs and charities, and on political issues. You want to make these decisions responsibly, with integrity and good humor, based on a positive and consistent set of values.

The Conscious Manager offers a Zen path to responsible decision making, for non-practitioners of Zen and practitioners alike.

From the introduction to The Conscious Manager:

"To live life all in one piece is indeed a gift, though not easily gained. I cannot now imagine my life without the values I have learned from Zen martial art. But how can one integrate these values - physicality, the reality of life and death, the imperative for sincerity and generosity - with the suit-and-tie pursuit of market advantage in the business world? This book offers such answers as I have found so far, as well as some answers to the more superficial question 'How can skills from Zen martial art help one succeed in business?'

"If I've done my job, the book will help you see, and accept, the logical and emotional consequences of your life's values. It will show you that it is possible to carry those values, without compromise, from your personal life into your corporate and political roles. It will show you, by means of examples from the U.S. and Japan, how to act on those values with integrity, in order to make responsible choices in organizational decision making and public policy."

Endorsements

Imagine a manager who always sees the big picture - details and context - when making decisions. Imagine further that she acts swiftly and decisively once a decision is made. She is a "Conscious Manager." This book shows you a path for becoming one by utilizing the Zen practice of letting go of attachments, and the discipline and commitment of the martial arts. A conscious manager acts with abandonment because she is not attached to the outcome of the decision. She is also happy because she is always fully present to enjoy the journey. This is a fascinating and much-needed book, especially in light of the short-term, bottom-line oriented mentality of today's business world.
Drs. George Kozmetsky and Raymond Yeh , Co-authors of Zero Time.


 This book is must-reading, especially in today's knowledge-based economy. It balances an inner spirit with the realities of management decision making. Fred Phillips learned it, practices it, and now shares it, using the teachings of Zen and aikido. His insights and mastery of decision making are genuine and timeless. The concepts are clearly presented and will inspire the reader to a higher level of management knowledge. Its impact is immediate, and I recommend it to the consummate decision maker!

Dr. Glenn Miyataki, President, Japan-America Institute of Management Sciences, Honolulu


 For harried managers pressured to meet quarterly goals, The Conscious Manager provides a refreshing and unique method for becoming an enlightened manager and human being. Integrating business practice with martial arts and philosophy, Fred Phillips shares insights and knowledge gained from his hard-won experience. His Way is like Zen itself -- being and doing are one and the same -- clear, open, aware.

Sheridan Tatsuno, Principal, Dreamscape Global. Author of Created in Japan and The Technopolis Strategy

Fred shows the way toward conscious management and conscious living.  His book sparkles with wit and wisdom.
Dr. Ginny Whitelaw, former NASA scientist/administrator, andauthor of Bodylearning.


 Though I know they are popular and widely appreciated, I am not a follower of Zen, Aikido or military approaches to business or public management. Hence I began reading this with much trepidation. I should have known better. It is brilliant work with a penetrating analysis and assessment of the needs of business leaders. It speaks to their ability to integrate their skills into both business and personal decision making so that the sum is greater that the parts. Discussions and examples in the book are outlined with precision, are well articulated, and sensitive. They are curiously humanistic whilst maintaining a focus on goals, strategy and, in particular, the execution of the firm's business plan. It uses the Zen approach to provide building blocks for the integration of individual and organizational goals while providing a path for leadership. This book provides the best prescription for bridging individual development and organizational contributions; it makes both become one. I recommend it to all without reservation. This is as good as it gets in making sense out of organizational decision making, participation and leadership.

Dr. Kingsley E. Haynes, Dean, School of Public Policy, University Professor of Decision Sciences, Geography, and Public Affairs, George Mason University, Fairfax VA

Ordering

The Conscious Manager: paperback price is USD $1695.  Add $3 shipping for first book, $1 for each additional book in the same order.  To ORDER click HERE.
 
 

This is the photo of Nagasaki's ground zero monument mentioned in the introduction to The Conscious Manager. (Photo by the author.)