Join Marc Lesser and guest Abbot Jiryu Rutschman-Byler as we explore Zen teachings and their application to leadership and everyday life. Experience the power of navigating leadership through authentic presence.

Jiryu currently serves as a co-Abbot of San Francisco Zen Center through his role as Abiding Abbot of Green Gulch Farm Zen Center. He is also co-editor of Becoming Yourself a new collection of talks by Suzuki Roshi.

In this milestone 50th episode of Mindful Leadership with Marc Lesser, we explore the art of catching sparks—those subtle, powerful moments of connection, inspiration, and presence that can transform how we live and lead.

Marc draws from his experiences as a CEO, Zen teacher, and leadership coach to reflect on how mindfulness, breath awareness, and love help us tune into the energy exchanged between people. With references to Thich Nhat Hanh, Bob Dylan, and the power of nature, this episode invites listeners to become more awake to life’s offerings — and to practice offering their own sparks in return.

Whether you're a leader, a seeker, or someone navigating a life transition, this episode offers practical and poetic insights for deeper connection, personal growth, and purposeful leadership. Transcript at marclesser.net keywords: mindfulness, meditation, leadership, personal growth, inspiration, connection, Bob Dylan, Thich Nhat Hanh, energy, presence, breathing, Zen, catching sparks, emotional intelligence, conscious leadership, mindful communication, self-awareness

Marc speaks with Oliver Burkeman, author of Four Thousand Weeks, about how leaders can enhance effectiveness through mindfulness, time management, and Zen philosophy. This episode challenges conventional leadership models and offers practical insights to spark creativity and resilience. A must-listen for anyone looking to lead authentically and build thriving teams.

Today's podcast features The Practice of Effort and Effortlessness. We begin with a short meditation. Then Marc talks about how practice should be directed from achievement to non-achievement. The aim is to get rid of unnecessary effort and to practice meditation with no gaining idea. The effort to let go of doing anything extra will reap great benefits to your mindful leadership practice and presence.

Poet David Whyte joins Marc to explore how not-knowing, presence, and poetry open the heart of authentic leadership.

New Name. Same Wisdom. Fresh Season. We’re excited to announce that Zen Bones is now Mindful Leadership with Marc Lesser — and Season 2 launches Thursday, May 8th!

This season brings powerful new conversations on what it truly means to lead with mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and heart.

If you’ve been on this journey with us, thank you. If you’re just joining—welcome. Follow the show and tune in May 8th!

We begin today's episode with a short guided meditation focused on being present, fully here with nothing to accomplish. I give a short talk on embracing the mind of the poet and the mind of the business person, exploring these distinctions and lack of distinctions and how we can live and work and play with more meaning and connection.

Today's Zen Puzzler comes from a traditional koan about a buffalo jumping through a window. The aim of this puzzler is about letting go of our predicting minds and instead seeing the world as fresh and mysterious.

Kristin is founder and CEO at Nia Impact Capital. She is a pioneer in the field of impact investing. She is devoted to re-envisioning capitalism, to changing the face of finance, and to promoting inclusion and diversity in leadership.

In our conversation we talk about the importance of understanding money, finance, and investing and the life-changing force that money has. We speak about creating healthy cultures and how Kristin is on the front lines of gender lens investing, both through leading a women-owned company and supporting women-owned companies.