In the sixth century, near Rome, the monk Benedetto framed rules for a community dedicated to serving the common good through selfless individual effort. His organizational canon was championed throughout medieval Europe by the emperor Charlemagne and became Western Christianity’s model for monastic life. It introduced ideals of ethics, trust, and democratic order and recognized nobility in the simplest labor. In this compelling article, August Turak conveys critical business benefits inspired by his experiences at a Trappist monastery that thrives, spiritually and commercially – as have similar monasteries for 1,500 years- abiding by the Rule of St. Benedict.

Click here to read Business Secrets of the Trappists

It is one of the most persistent questions of modern life: What are we working so hard for? In 1955 the Harvard Business Review published an article by Oliver Arthur Ohmann, then assistant to the president of Standard Oil Co. Skyhooks is regarded as one of the most eloquent and brilliantly rendered essays on the struggle to reconcile the hunger for meaning in both our lives and our livelihoods. A timeless exegesis of a fundamental human conundrum, Skyhooks boldly asserts that transformation – "what happens to people in the course of producing" – is the little corner of heaven we seek.

Click here for Skyhooks Article by Oliver Arthur Ohmann

Source: Harvard Business Review