The Manager and the Monk: A Discourse on Prayer, Profit, and Principles

CHAPTER 7

COMMERCE

With an Introduction by Jochen Zeitz

According to oral tradition, when the Lakota tribe, a branch of the Sioux nation of the North American plains, encountered herds of slaughtered buffalo shot by European settlers, their elders wept. It wasn’t just the lack of respect for life and the Great Spirit that evoked this grief, but also the unbelievable waste. Lakota chief Luther Standing Bear emphasized that his tribe, just like many others, would never have killed without having a use for the whole buffalo—from the horns to the skin and meat. They never harmed two buffalo when one would be sufficient.

This behavior embodies management in the best sense of the word: aiming for a specific achievement with a minimum use of resources ...