The patron saint of business management a new management style from a wise monk

ContentsIntroduction by Enzo De Luca 9The Life of Saint Benedict nHistory of the Benedictine Order 15Asceticism and Monasticism 23Rule i Of the Kinds of Life of Monks 27 Rule 2 What Kind

The Patron Saint

of Business

Management

Other titles by the author

How to Survive the Recession and the Recovery

A new management style from a wise monk

Copyright © 2002 by Anna Farago

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ContentsIntroduction by Enzo De Luca 9The Life of Saint Benedict nHistory of the Benedictine Order 15Asceticism and Monasticism 23

Rule i Of the Kinds of Life of Monks 27 Rule 2 What Kind of Man the Abbot Ought to Be 31 Rule 3 Of Calling the Brethren to Counsel 39 Rule 4 Of Obedience 43 Rule 5 Of Silence 47 Rule 6 Of Humility 51 Rule j Of the Divine Office During the Night 65 Rule 8 How the Divine Office Is to Be Said During the

Summer Season 67

Rule 9 Of Reverence at Prayer 69 Rule 10 Of the Deans of the Monastery 71 Rule ii Of Excommunication for Faults 73 Rule 12 How Concerned the Abbot Should Be About the

Excommunicated 77

Rule 13 Of Those Who Having Often Been Corrected

Do Not Amend 79

Rule 14 Whether Brethren Who Leave the Monastery

Ought to Be Received Again 81

Rule 15 How Young Boys Are to Be Corrected 83 Rule 16 and 38 Cellarers and Priors—Assistants 85 Rule ij Of the Tools and Goods of the Monastery 91 Rule 18 Whether Monks Ought to Have Anything of

Their Own 93

Rule 19 Whether All Should Receive in Equal Measure

What Is Necessary 95

-7-Rule 20 Of the Weekly Servers in the Kitchen 97 Rule 21 Of the Sick Brethren 101 Rule 22 Of the Aged and Children 105 Rule 23 At What Times the Brethren Should Take Their

Reflection 107

Rule 24 Of Those Who Are Tardy 109 Rule 25 Of Those Who Fail in Any Other Matters 113 Rule 26 Of the Daily Work 115 Rule 27 Of Brethren Who Work a Long Distance from the

Oratory Or Are on a Journey 121

Rule 28 Travelling and Returning the Same Day 123 Rule 29 Of the Reception of Guests 125 Rule 30 Monks Receiving Letters or Anything Else 129 Rule 31 Clothing and Footgear of the Brethren 131 Rule 32 Manner of Admitting Brethren 135 Rule 33 Of Priests Who May Wish to Live in the Monastery 141 Rule 34 How Stranger Monks Are to Be Received 143 Rule 35 Of the Order of the Monastery 147 Rule 36 Of the Election of the Abbot 153 Rule 38 Of the Porter of the Monastery 159 Rule 351 Brethren Sent on a Vacation 163 Rule 40 If Commanded to Do Impossible Things 167 Rule 41 Defending One Another 169 Rule 42 That Brethren Be Obedient to One Another 171 Rule 43 Of This, That Not the Whole Observance of

Righteousness Is Laid Down in This Rule 175

— 8 —

Introduction by Enzo De Luca M5A

A patron saint is the special guardian of a person, group,trade, place or country It appears that St Benedict—described here as the patron saint of business manage-ment—was way ahead of his time with his great knowl-edge and experience of what we as business peopleencounter each workday We deal with sales, marketing,accounting and organizational issues We endure intensecompetition, overbearing customers, stifling bureaucra-cies, strained capital resources and an intransigent work-force

Financial markets today are suffering from thegreed and duplicity of some of the once mighty leaders

of billion dollar corporations—the paradigms of first century business Born in the early fifth century inItaly, St Benedict himself lived in a perilous political,economic and religious time With the fall of Rome, theEuropean countryside was torn to pieces, while politicaland religious organizations were breaking down Assecurity gave way to anarchy, and disease and invasiondepopulated the countryside, people needed to compressand insulate themselves for sheer survival It was due tothis need that St Benedict wrote his Rule—a guide todaily life firmly based on ascetic and monastic principles

twenty-— 9 twenty-—

The Patron Saint of Business Management takes 43 of St.

Benedict's rules and deftly applies them to modern-daybusiness to show how, like the Benedictine order, a busi-ness can learn to prevail and flourish Based on self-bet-terment, communal agreement on and observance offixed rules, the order (or business) is a single entity head-

ed by an abbot (or manager) who leads by example.The order maintains open lines of communication,facilitated by minimizing the levels of hierarchy Itdemonstrates humility in its community, looks after itsmembers, but also corrects them if they should strayWork is structured but varied in order to maintainenthusiasm and maximize output The Rule focuses onother aspects of the order from hiring, firing, managing

of assets, dealing with competition, and how to receivevisitors into the monastery

One of the most compelling rules is about the order

or structure of the monastery The books and theoriesone reads in business school use a pyramid to emphasizethe power of the CEO and the levels of hierarchybeneath him In contrast, St Benedict's Rule uses theimage of a tree with strong varied branches representingthree^ different levels of management: corporate, busi-ness and functional What this tree-structure proves is

that fewer levels work to strengthen communication,

organization and productivity

The Rule of St Benedict grew out of necessity Its

obser-vance by the monks has enabled it not only to endure,but to flourish The Rule remains a relevant guide forbtisiness management today and beyond—in good andbad financial times

— IO —

me Life of Saint Benedict

Little is known about the man who was St Benedict.All that we know of his life comes from the writings of

St Gregory in his Second Book of Dialogues However, his

account of the life and miracles of Benedict cannot beregarded as a biography in the modern sense of theterm Gregory's purpose in writing Benedict's life was

to edify and to inspire, not to seek out the particulars

of his daily life Gregory sought to show that saints ofGod, particularly St Benedict, were still operative inthe Christian Church in spite of political and religiouschaos present in western Europe

What we do know for certain is that St Benedict,the founder of the celebrated Benedictine order, is themost illustrious name in the early history of Westernmonasticism The monastic system, destined to exer-cise an enormous influence for centuries, owes itsexpansion and organization to him According to St.Gregory, Benedict was born at Nursia in Umbriaaround the year 480 He belonged to an old Italian fam-ily, and was sent as a boy to Rome to be educated.However, the disorder and vices of the capital drovehim into solitude while still a youth The Romanempire was crumbling, shaken by the successiveassaults of barbarians, and average people were prey to

— ii —

violence and corruption Young Benedict fled from thewickedness around him.

Benedict took refuge in a solitary gorge formed bythe Arno River, about 40 miles from Rome There, in adark inaccessible grotto near Subiaco, he found soli-tude and shelter A neighbouring monk supplied himwith food let down by a rope Yet, grave dangersassailed him After spending about three years in seclu-sion, a neighbouring convent of monks insisted uponchoosing him as their leader He warned them of theseverity of the rule he would exercise, but they wouldnot be dissuaded He had hardly commenced his officewhen some disgruntled monks attempted to poisonhim The cup containing the poison was no sooner inBenedict's hands than it burst apart; and, calmlyreproving them for their ingratitude, he left them andwithdrew once more into his solitude

By this time, however, Benedict's fame had spread,and it was impossible for him to remain closed off fromthe world Crowds gathered around him, and he found-

ed twelve cloisters in the lonely valley of the Arno and

on the adjacent heights Young patricians from Romeand elsewhere were attracted to these fraternities Butwith increasing fame came also threats to his life Anenvious priest tried to poison Benedict—he miracu-lously survived The same priest then tried to discreditBenedict and his monks by sending "seven lewd girls"into the monastery, to seduce them Benedict decided

to leave this dangerous neighbourhood, regardless ofhaving spent thirty years there He journeyed south-wards, and settled at Monte Cassino, an isolated andpicturesque hill near the source of the Liris At thetime an ancient temple of Apollo remained a place of

— 12 —

worship for the local residents Benedict, in his holyenthusiasm, demolished the temple and erected twooratories in its place Around these oratories graduallyrose the famous monastery which was destined to carrythe name of its founder throughout the Christianworld.

Benedict lived for another fourteen years at MonteCassino after beginning this great work His sanctityand influence grew during this period, as illustrated byhis encounter with the barbarian king Totila, who madehimself master of Italy and its capital Totila soughtBenedict's approval, and, prostrating himself at hisfeet, accepted a rebuke for his cruelties, and departed ahumbler man

Benedict's last days were spent with his sisterScolastica, who had also forsaken the world and givenherself to a religious life, having established a conventnear Monte Cassino The rules of the order allowed thebrother and sister to meet only once a year He hadcome to pay his accustomed visit They had spent theday in devout conversation, and, in the fullness of heraffection, Scolastica entreated him to stay the night atthe convent Benedict was not to be prevailed upon.His sister burst into tears and bowed her head inprayer Immediately the heavens became overcast,thunder was heard, and the rain fell in torrents—it wasimpossible for Benedict to depart for the night.Scolastica died in the morning A few days laterBenedict died quietly in a church He was buried atMonte Cassino by his sister's side

Benedict's Rule was meant to be understood as a

manual for living everyday life like Christ, in the ice of God Written, developed and implemented in a

serv-— 13 serv-—

dangerous political and religious climate, the Rule and

its author attracted a following no one could have dicted would endure for centuries With incredible per-severance and unparalleled holiness and devotion, theBenedictine order continues its practices today making

pre-it one of the most successful "organizations" in humanhistory

— 14 —

History or the Benedictine Order

Orders can be defined as structural hierarchies orunderstood as "commands" given by a person of author-ity to individuals of lower rank Religious orders recog-nize both the structural and commandeering nature ofhierarchical systems The authority of Orders is cen-tralized in one location and in a board of select mem-bers One of the defining characteristics of theBenedictine Order in contrast, is that it is governednot by a hierarchy of superiors, but by a list of Rulesthat has earned the respect of its members to such adegree that it achieves the bond of allegiance thatwould ordinarily be created by a centralized authority.And the Rules can be modified according to the needs

of each house of the Benedictine Order

No verifiable proof exists to date that St Benedictfounded any Order in particular He began his leg-endary founding of the Benedictine Order in a grotto

in Subiaco, a small city near Rome, where he soughtsolitude and dedicated himself to hard labour Alreadyknown for his sanctity, a following of monks quicklyformed around Benedict leading to the development oftwelve monasteries each housing twelve monks Fromthe grotto Benedict moved on to form the celebratedAbbey of Monte Cassino It is believed that Benedict

— 15 —

wrote his Rules at Monte Cassino for the twelvemonasteries that he had established It is his philoso-phy that would become the foundation of his monas-

teries The monks abided by his Rule as they would the

Bible, but were not obedient to Benedict himself

It is unconfirmed but most agree that the thirdabbot of Monte Cassino is responsible for beginning tospread the Rules beyond the confines of the originaltwelve monasteries After Monte Cassino was ran-sacked by the Lombards around AD 577, the monks fled

to Rome and presided there for over 140 years It isbelieved that the diffusion of the Rules to the rest ofthe Christian world occurred within that short time

span St Augustine carried the Rule from St Andrews

monastery in Rome to England around AD 595 in a

mis-sion to evangelize England The Rule was promoted

both through example and print with monks ing its traditions as well as copies during their tours,particularly throughout France Some monasteries took

distribut-from the Rule what they desired while others rebuilt

themselves based solely on its words The monasteriesfounded by St Augustine were some of the first toembrace an organizational structure

Following a decrease in the need for communitypresence due to Christianity's rapid spread, theBenedictine monks retained their unity but needed torevamp their organization to draw a new source ofmotivation The English monasteries attempted areform with a new set of rules called the "ConcordiaRegularis." Less than a century later, more rules wereintroduced into the monasteries to regulate the monks'lifestyles The new rules were meant to create a cen-tralized authority by those that implemented them, but

—16 —

the strategy did not work.

The Rule existed for the first four or five centuries

after St Benedict's death as the only common linkbetween all the new monasteries that had been estab-lished Monasteries were like businesses that keepdepartments isolated from one another though they allwork towards the same goal The premise of themonasteries that were under the Rule's guidance wasthat they were independent and not ruled by a greatergoverning hierarchy

The fact that the Benedictine monasteries neverfell under the rule of one solitary congregation andhave remained an entity without experiencing any peri-

od of dissolution, makes them unique in history Of

course, monks, being human, strayed from the Rule and

failed their Christian beliefs The history of theBenedictine monastery is peppered with scandal.However, the reformations that repaired these cracks

in the Benedictine foundation are stronger than the

scandals because they were drawn from the Rule

itself—there were no external influences for reform

The Rule impacted the people and institutions of

England more than any other country The history of

the English Church is the history of the Benedictine

Order Preceding its popularity in England, the Ordertravelled through Germany, then Denmark,Scandinavia and Iceland About 100 years later Spanish

monasteries adopted the Rule By the ninth century, the

Benedictine Order had become the only form ofmonastic life in Western Europe, excluding Scotland,Ireland and Wales where Celtic observance would pre-vail for another 300 years

After a few centuries in which the separate

monas-— 17monas-—

teries coexisted, the monasteries grew so much in ber that they recognized the need for change The factthat monasteries were self-contained was beginning to

num-be a problem num-because the increasing populationrequired amalgamation As a result, the monasteriesbegan developing branches that retained dependencewith or connection to the originating monastery The

Ru/e's guidance still prevailed, but the monasteries

began congregating independently, which strengthenedand shaped the Benedictine existence

For organizational purposes, and not power-seekingones, the monasteries began to amalgamate, takingtheir lead from an example set by the Abbey of Clunyaround 910 The abbot of Cluny, St Berno, became thehead of a group of dependent monasteries and initiatedthe first governed order of monasteries By the twelfth-century St Berno's efforts proved fruitful as the con-gregation grew to more than 300 new monasteries inSpain, England, Poland, Scotland, Italy and France.Many monasteries attempted to match Cluny's suc-

cess—using the Rule of St Benedict to nourish and

grow an order—but many missed one essential part ofthe equation: community In France, around AD 817,Benedict of Aniane attempted to reform a group ofhouses by confederating them With powerful friendslike Louis the Pious (Benedict connected the centralmonastery to his palace), Benedict sought absolute uni-formity among all his residing monasteries by assem-bling a council that did not include the communitybeneath him and by developing a series of eighty new

or modified rules (called capitula) Though the capitula

contained rules that were current to the times, the lack

of community involvement broke a basic Rule, and

cen-—18 —

tralized authority ended with Benedict of Aniane'sdeath.

Even Benedictine monasteries that lived by the Rule

did not necessarily follow it in its entirety or else theyoperated independently without community involve-ment from fellow Benedictine monasteries Yet by thetwelfth century almost all the Benedictine monasteriesthat existed independently joined forces with the abbey

of Cluny The confederation did not aim to strengthen

a centralized government at Cluny—it aimed to bettermaintain the Rules of the Benedictine order Cluny

encouraged the same mutual dependence that the Rule

encourage

Cluny was successful in unifying the cause ofChristianity and making the work of the monasterieswithin communities more efficient Following Cluny,such respected abbeys as Monte Cassino and Subiacomodelled their spiritual life after St Berno's example.Uniform observance prevailed into the tenth, eleventhand twelfth centuries among monasteries that followedthe customs and policies of Cluny This uniform obser-vance was maintained among the monasteries whileenabling them to govern independently

A number of Benedictine abbeys maintained theiroriginal independence well into the twelfth centurydespite centralization The last of the independentmonasteries was drawn in when a council in 1215 decid-

ed that all monasteries would unite into a congregation.The congregation was to hold meetings regularly withrepresentatives from each abbey to retain effectivecommunication between all the monasteries In asense, 1215 was the beginning of corporate level man-agement In each congregation one abbot was elected

— 19 —

president and declared responsible for maintaining the

Rule within the defined section of the congregation.

The president was not to interfere with the ent authority of the monastery:

independ-By the fourteenth century, the black monks (monks

who follow the Rule in its purest form) inhabited

almost every country in Western Europe It is

estimat-ed that 37, ooo monasteries existestimat-ed at the beginning ofthe fourteenth century Numerous members of royaltyand individuals of religious prestige like Gregory theGreat adopted a Benedictine lifestyle For nearly twosuccessive centuries, Benedictine monasteries flour-ished with little or no scandal Then in the sixteenthcentury the Reformation and religious wars began towear down the monasteries reducing their numbers to5,000 In some countries, such as Denmark andIceland, havoc spread amongst the monasteries, reduc-ing their number to about 5,000 Eventually theLutherans succeeded in wiping out numerous monas-teries in Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and Germany.With no time to recover, the monasteries experiencednot only the repercussions of the French Revolution,but the arbitrary rule of Joseph II of Austria who com-pleted the job By the early part of the nineteenth cen-tury the order numbered scarcely more than 50 monas-teries The twentieth century witnessed slow revivals ofBenedictine orders and numbers increased to 150 If weinclude all Benedictine congregations, the numberscurrently sit near 700

The Benedictine monasteries have existed tently since the fourth century They remain an integralpart of worldwide religious history, having enduredpolitical strife, wars and reform to grow to global pro-

consis-— 20 consis-—

portions The monasteries have never utilized a centralauthority figure—they've maintained a flourishing exis-tence with the assistance of a few simple rules to sus-tain their purpose and perspective.

— 21 —

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Asceticism and Monasticism

Knowledge of monasticism and its roots in asceticaltheology is important before learning the Rules thisbook presents for all employees in an organization.Ascetical theology is based on ascetics, which isderived from the Greek word askesis meaning "prac-tice," "bodily exercise" and "athletic training." TheChristians adopted the term to mean "polishing" or

"refining." Christian asceticism grew to include fasting,abstinence, vows and poverty but its main tenet is adedication to the betterment of one's life Thoughasceticism presented various challenges to test one'swill or dedication to God, monasteries usually formedaround one challenge—such as a vow of poverty

Monasticism by definition is the act of dwellingalone, from the Greek derivative "monos." Despite theearly Christian disapprobation of congregations sepa-rate from church monasteries, the monastic ideal ofasceticism became popular Monasticism is a means to

an ascetic end, which in business terms means a ished and efficient organization For a business organi-zation, monasticism is not meant in the reclusive, iso-lated way that it is interpreted in Christian terms—rather, it is the theology behind any "congregation" thatabides by fixed rules Benedictine monasteries, for

pol-—

23-example, observe the Rule of St Benedict.

According to the Apostle Paul, there are two duties

to fulfill before achieving an ascetic ideal The firstduty is called "putting off the old man"—the earthlybeing whose focus rests on material existence on earth.Immoral, sinful acts and thoughts must be eradicated

to make room for the second duty The second duty is

"putting on the new man"—a reference to Christ, or in

a broader sense, the image of Christian perfection.Business is no different Employees must be prepared

to adopt new policies, purposes and goals An tion that prepares to present new "rules" to its employ-ees must in turn prepare the employees to remove indi-vidualistic thinking and work as a whole communitytowards the company's purpose The rules that followapply to business management by requiring dedicationfrom all employees in the same way monasteries ordermonks to be faithful to the rules and have unquestion-able loyalty to God As the history of the Benedictine

organiza-Orders shows, monasteries that only embrace the Rule

half-heartedly do not last

Organizations should have fixed rules that are clear

to all employees Monasteries are focused on a unifiedpurpose Businesses employ people who recognize that

a collective effort will achieve success not for selves but for their company The monasteries live forGod through ascetic practices vthat are opposed to theworld's practices If the world overconsumes, themonks fast If the world is obsessed with materialwealth, the monks take a vow of poverty The monksfind success in opposing the real-world principles thatthey feel God's word does not teach In business, acompany strives to be a strong, efficient work environ-

them-— 24 them-—

ment with dependable employees who are proud towork for their company In business, employees' suc-cesses come not from the fulfillment of their everydaytasks but in upholding the philosophy that the compa-

ny strives to live by Individual success is nizational success is monastic

ascetic—orga-— 25 ascetic—orga-—

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Or tne Kinds of Life of Monks

It is well known that there are four kinds of monks Tne first kind is that of Cenobites, that

is, the monastic, who live under a rule and an Abbot.

The second kind is that of Anchorites, or Hermits, that is, of those who, no longer in the first fervor of their conversion, but taught bu long monastic practice and the help of many brethren, have alreadt) learned to fight against the devil; and going forth from the rank of their brethren well trained for single combat in the desert, theii are able, with the help of God, to

•^J \

cope single-handed without the help of others, against the vices of the flesh and evil thoughts.

5ut a third and most vile class of monks is that

of Sarabaites, who have been tried btj no rule

— 27 —

Rule 1

under the hand of a master, as gold is tried in the fire (cf Proverbs 27:2.1) j but, soft as lead, and still keeping faith with the world by their works, theti are known to belie God bti their

•J ^J

tonsure Living in two's and three's, or even singLj, without a shepherd, enclosed, not in the Lord's sheepfold, but in their own, the gratifi- cation of their desires is law unto them; because what theu choose to do theu call holt), but what theu dislike theq hold to be unlawful.

^J >^J

But the fourth class of monks is that called Landlopers, who keep going their whole life long from one province to another, staging three or four datjs at a time in different cells as guests Always roving and never settled, thetj indulge their passions and the cravings of their appetite, and are in every watj worse than the Sarabaites It is better to pass all these over in silence than to speak of their most wretched life.

Therefore, passing these over, let us go on with the help of God to laq down a rule for that most

1 ^

valiant kind of monks, the Cenobites.

— 28 —

Understanding employees is as important as rizing the types of monks that reside in eachmonastery People do not assimilate with fellow co-workers just because they happen to work under thesame company roof Skill and personality are unique toeach individual and need to be managed accordingly St.Benedict categorizes his monks into four categories;employees can be grouped into this same system Thefirst type of employee is obedient Embracing orderand instruction, the Cenobite employee is hardwork-ing, dedicated and prefers to perform rather than come

catego-up with his or her own ideas

The Anchorite employee prefers to work on his orher own Intelligent, proactive and full of initiative, theAnchorite is reliable but works best on solitary proj-ects The Anchorite employee has the education andorganizational skills necessary to cope with little super-vision and few instructions

Sarabaite employees recognize rules and at timesworks against them Their work ethic is excellent whenthey choose, but it can also be a source of weakness ifthey find the project uninteresting or outside of theirregulated duties

Landlopers are temporary or contract employees.Like their Benedictine counterparts, these employees

do not stay long enough to develop a rapport with thecompany They do their jobs well and concisely as theyare either specialized or focused, but be wary of theirlack of loyalty and understanding of corporate culture.The difference between categorizing monks andemployees is that monks adopt and mold themselves totheir respective titles Employees will not take kindly

to being called an "Anchorite." Nor will they work to

— 29 —

fulfill characteristics of any one type of employee.Assume that all employees strive to be the best theyknow how to be and use the categories to furtherunderstand the company's work dynamic.

— 30 —

1 s * ^~x

(rather)" (Rom 5:1^) Therefore, the Abbot should never teach, prescribe, or command (which God forbid) anything contrary to the laws of the Lord; but his commands and teach- ing should be instilled like a leaven of divine jus- tice into the minds of his disciples.

Let the Abbot alwaus bear in mind that he must

— 31 —

give an account in the dread judgment of God

of both his own teaching and or tne obedience

or his disciples And let the Abbot know that whatever lack of profit the master of the house shall find in the sheep, will be laid to the blame

of the shepherd On the other hand he will be blameless, if he gave all a shepherd's care to his restless and unrulu flock, and took all pains to

correct their corrupt manners; so that their

shepherd, acquitted at the Lord's judgment

r i J ^ seat, mat) sat) to the Lord with the Prophet: "I have not hid Tnu justice within mq heart 1 have

*^x ) *-x

declared Thu truth and Tnu salvation" (Psalms^J ^5?B-O]:11) Cc 5ut thet) contemning have despised me" (Isaiah 1:2; Ezekiel 2O:2/) men

at length eternal death will be the crushing doom of the rebellious sheep under his charge.

When, therefore, anqone taketh the name of

^J

Abbot he should govern his disciples by a twofold teaching; namelu, he should show them all that is gpod and holu bu his deeds more than

O U U

by his words; explain the commandments ofGod

to intelligent disciples by words, but show the divine precepts to the dull and simple by his works And let him show by his actions, that whatever he teacheth his disciples as being contrary to the law of God must not be done,

"lest perhaps when he hath preached to

oth-— 32 oth-—

ers, he himself should become a castaway33 (1Corinthians 9:2.7'), and he himself committingsin, God one day say to him: "Why dost thoudeclare My justices, and take My covenant inthu mouth? 5ut thou hast hated discipline, and

*—' I

hast cast My words behind thee33 (Psalms

+9\5O]:l£~1/) And: "Thou who sawest the mote

in thu brothers eqe, hast not seen the beam in

•^J ^-/

thine own33 (Matthew J~?j).

Let him make no distinction or persons in themonastery Let him not love one more than

\~s

another, unless it be one whom he findeth moreexemplary in good works and obedience Letnot a free-born be preferred to a freed man,unless there be some other reasonable cause.5ut if from a just reason the Abbot deemeth itproper to make such a distinction, he mau do so

^»^»

-333

Por in his teaching; the Abbot should alwausc? ^observe that principle of the Apostle in which hesaith: "Reprove, entreat, rebuke" (2 Timothy 4:2), that is, mingling gentleness with severity,

as the occasion mau call for, let him show the severity of the master and the loving affection

of a father He must sternlq rebuke the

undisci-\^/

plined and restless,- but he must exhort the obedient, meek, and patient to advance in virtue But we charge him to rebuke and punish the negligent and haughty Let him not shut his etjes to the sins of evil-doers,- but on their first appearance let him do his utmost to cut them out from the root at once, mindful of the fate of Helf, the priest of Silo (cf 1 Samuel 2:11-4:15) The well-disposed and those of erood under-

r ^ standing, let him correct at the first and second admonition onlq with words; but let him chastise

"Strike tnu son with the rod, and thou shalt

*~s

deliver his soul from death" (Proverbs 2^:14).

The Abbot ought alwatis to remember what he

O J

is and what he is called, and to know that to whom much hath been entrusted, from him

— 34 —

— 35 —

much will be required; and let him understand what a difficult and arduous task he assumeth

in governing souls and accommodating himself

to a variety of characters Let him so adjust and adapt himself to everyone—to one gentleness

of speech^ to another by reproofs, and to still another bu entreaties, to each one according

to his bent and understanding—that he not onlu suffer no loss in his flock, but mau rejoice

neg-he must give an account And that neg-he mau not

E±erhaps complain of the want of earthlu means, him remember what is written: "Seek tje first the kingdom of God and His justice, and all these things shall be added unto you 33 (Matthew 6?fy • And again: "There is no want to them that fear Him" (Psalms ^CH-MO) And let him know that he who undertaketh the govern- ment of souls must prepare himself to give an account for them; and whatever the number of brethren he hath under his charge, let him be sure that on judgment dau he will, without

doubt, have to give an account to the Lord for all these souls, in addition to that of his own And thus, whilst he is in constant fear of the Shepherd's future examination about the sheep entrusted to him, and is watchful of his account for others, he is made solicitous also on his own account; and whilst by his admonitions he had administered correction to others, he is freed from his own failings.

-3

6-Derived from the word "abba," which means "father,"

an abbot does not function as a superior to the monks

in his house By definition the abbot is head of thebuildings that house the monks

When appointing corporate level staff, think interms of selecting an abbot People who first and fore-most exemplify the company philosophy should fill thehighest-ranking positions in the company No roomexists for teaching, prescribing or commanding any-thing contrary to the company philosophy CEOs,board of directors and other management level staff areaccountable for their own actions and the actions ofthose in the departments that they are responsible for.Management level staff must understand that they arenot superior than those at other levels of employment.They should think in terms of being head of a family.They are responsible for the well-being of the companyand the actions of employees they are in charge of.Parents are responsible for the actions, successes andfailures of their families, just as abbots are for theirabbeys, and head offices are for their companies.Being the most knowledgeable and accountable forthe company's success, corporate level staff should bewary of their influence on other levels of staff Headoffice must encourage the philosophy of the companythrough intelligence, and exemplify it through action.Although head office holds the most responsibility inthe company, the rest of the company should not feel of

a lower rank Management staff, when called to makeauthoritative decisions among other staff, must do sowithout overriding another's place in the monastery Ifsomeone is due for promotion, a raise or an award, thismust be done without demeaning the position of any-

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one else Recognition of a staff member should not rupt or displace the roles of any other staff member.

dis-At times it will not be recognition that is the lenge, but discipline As the highest voice of authority,the management level staff will at times be called todiscipline Recalling the parental role within the com-pany, discipline should be administered with the careand concern of a parent, yet with the severity ofauthority Remember that although management levelstaff must be earnest with other staff as a parent would

chal-be with a child, they also have to maintain adherence tocompany philosophy Management level staff shouldunderstand each staff member and discipline according

to his or her personality The end goal of discipline isnot to lose a staff member, but increase the productiv-ity of the company by correcting problems that arise.With the company philosophy always at the fore-front, management level staff should remember thatpeople make up the company, not money Success is, ofcourse, found in the company's bottom line, but headoffice must be aware that it is people that make thecompany successful, be it the top sales people or theperson who makes coffee in the morning

The "abbots" of any company represent the

compa-ny philosophy in all respects

-38-Of Calling tne 5retnren to

Counsel

Whenever weighty matters are to be transacted

in the monastery, let the Abbot call together

the whole community, and make known the ter which is to be considered Having heard the brethren's views, let him weigh the matter with himself and do what he thinketh best It is for this reason, however, we said that all should be called for counsel, because the Lord often revealeth to the uounger what is best Let the

brethren, however, give their advice with humble submission, and let them not presume stub- bornly to defend what seemeth right to them, for it must depend rather on the Abbot's will, so that all obeu him in what he considereth best 5ut as it becometh disciples to obetj their mas- ter, so also it becometh the master to dispose

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Rule 5