Marc Lesser

Marc Lesser is a CEO, Zen teacher, author, executive coach, and speaker. He co-founded the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute (SIYLI) with Chade-Meng Tan and served as its first CEO. He is a priest, teaching and practicing in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki. He is a Dharma heir of Dairyu Michael Wenger, from whom he received Dharma transmission. . He is founder and CEO of ZBA Associates LLC.. He received a B.A. in psychology from Rutgers University and an MBA from New York University. He is the author of four books including "Seven Practices of a Mindful Leader: Lessons From Google and A Zen Monastery Kitchen."
Early life and education
Marc Lesser was born to a Jewish family. He studied at Rutgers University with a major in psychology. In 1973 he took a sabbatical and went to San Francisco Zen Center where he practiced for 10 years. He then earned an MBA at New York University.
Religious practice
Zen training, service and teaching
Marc Lesser entered San Francisco Zen Center in 1973 for one year and stayed ten years. He practices In 1983 he became of Tassajara. He was ordained as a priest by Zoketsu Norman Fischer and received Dharma transmission from Dairyu Michael Wenger. As a Dharma teacher, he integrates his Zen practice with his expertise in business and strategy as a special benefit to all in a work environment. When the mindfulness training developed for internal use for Google engineers by his teacher Zoketsu Norman Fischer, Chade-Meng Tan, Mirabai Bush, Daniel Goleman, and Jon Kabat-Zinn got outsourced, he co-founded the Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute (SIYLI) and served as its first CEO. He leads Mill Valley Zen] a meditation practice group open to everyone and gives regular Dharma Talks at San Francisco Zen Center. He organizes workshops at Green Gulch Farm Zen Center and Spirit Rock Meditation Center in Marin County, California.
Professional Work
Marc Lesser founded ZBA Associates LLC. "to improve the quality of life by integrating exemplary leadership and business practices with mindfulness and awareness practices." and serves as its CEO. "Clients include Google, Twitter, The City of San Francisco, Stanford University, and Global Fund For Women." When Chade-Meng Tan assembled a team to teach mindfulness at Google he asked "Marc Lesser, a zen teacher with an MBA and entrepreneurial experience" to join. Together they taught classes to Google engineers. In 2012 Search Inside Yourself "was established in 2012 as an independent nonprofit organization", Marc Lesser became its co-founder and served as its CEO until 2016.
Marc Lesser's work is focussed on mindfulness in organizations.
Writing and speaking
Marc Lesser published multiple books integrating Zen knowledge with business practice and experience. He frequently keynotes at conferences on mindfulness and business around the world and teaches seminars at SIYLI.
Bibliography
* Lesser, Marc. Z.B.A. Zen of Business Administration; How Zen Practice Can Transform Your Work and Your Life. New World Library; 2005).
* Lesser, Marc. Less: Accomplishing More by Doing Less. New World Library; 2009).
* Lesser, Marc. Know Yourself, Forget Yourself: Five Truths to Transform Your Work, Relationships, and Everyday Life. New World Library; 2013).
* Lesser, Marc. Seven Practices of a Mindful Leader: Lessons from Google and a Zen Monastery Kitchen. New World Library; forthcoming 2019).

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