Gold Medal Winner, Business Fable, 2012 Axiom Business Book Awards A personal leadership fable on applying principles of Zen to work & life choices. The Shibumi Strategy is a little book about a big breakthrough. It tells the story of a hardworking family man who finds himself in crisis when his company closes. Through his struggle, and guidance from unlikely sources, he learns subtle lessons in the form of “personal zen” principles, coming to understand that it is often the involuntary challenge, the setbacks, that harbor the power to transform. When approached as an opportunity ― no easy task when simple survival is the first order of business―unforeseen trials can sometimes result in an altogether new lease on life. Shows how "personal leadership" can lead to real (and not always easy) breakthroughs - Includes key lessons on commitment, preparation, struggle, breakthrough, and transformation - Is based on Shibumi, a Japanese word without literal definition that describes the height of personal excellence, elegant performance, and effortless effectiveness.  For those struggling with personal breakthroughs, The Shubimi Strategy offers a new way to face work and life challenges for balanced solutions. With this short, simple fable, Matthew May manages to illuminate an all-too-common career crisis with Zen insights and concepts that not only provoke thought but also give readers powerful strategies to tackle change, challenge, and opportunity.” ―Gretchen Rubin, author, The Happiness Project "Matt May has written a little book full of big ideas. Drawing from ancient Zen practice and applying those principles to modern life, he shows how you can turn the obstacles in your path into opportunities to transform your career, perhaps even your life." ―Daniel H. Pink, author, Drive and A Whole New Mind “Matt's done it again: shown us how to break out of constraints and get the job done. He's also proven how Japanese practices and Zen principles that are difficult to translate can explain everything.” ―Guy Kawasaki, co-founder, Alltop.com and author, Reality Check "The holy grail for any leader is to reach a state of clarity and peak performance. Through the power of story, The Shibumi Strategy shows us how, and sheds an invaluable light on the role (and potential) of the everyday struggles we face." ―Scott Belsky, founder & CEO, Behance and author, Making Ideas Happen "What an exquisite story! Matt May deftly weaves ancient wisdom with modern realities, revealing how each of us can embrace the struggle inherent in any meaningful breakthrough―and use it to transform our own potential in work and life." ―Sally Hogshead, author, Fascinate: Your 7 Triggers to Persuasion and Captivation “This is a treasure of a book, and just the kind of uplifting medicine that’s needed right now. It’s about something that in the west we don’t even have a name for, and yet it holds the key to finding our way in challenging times. When you know how to look at the events of your life, everything is there to show you what you can’t see on your own, and offer you opportunities that you normally walk right by. No matter your life circumstances, this is the kind of book that can (and almost certainly will) change your life.” ― Sarah Susanka, author, The Not So Big Life and The Not So Big House series “ The Shibumi Strategy is a simple but affecting tale―a must-read for anyone looking to make sense of breakthrough change at work and in life.” ― Ori Brafman, coauthor, Click: The Magic of Instant Connections “ The Shibumi Strategy tells a touching story with a universally resonant message you’ll want to keep close to your heart and share with others.” ― Maddy Dychtwald, author, Influence: HowWomen’s Soaring Economic Power Will Transform Our World for the Better “This exceptional book is a game-changer. Read it. Apply it (fast). And step into your next level.” ― Robin Sharma, author, The Leader Who Had No Title and The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari "What if we are constantly being sent signals and offered opportunities, but because we are so involved in our mad rush to survive the day that we simply don't receive them? What if we're stuck, asleep at the wheel, and we just don't know it, because our conventional ways of thinking, rigidly structured routines, and solidly set minds block us from discovering what the universe is calling us to do?" From the introduction The Shibumi Strategy is a little book about a big breakthrough. It tells the story of Andy Harmon, a hardworking family man who finds himself in crisis when his company closes. Through his struggle, and guidance from unlikely sources, he learns subtle lessons in Zen principles, coming to understand that it is often the unexpected setbacks that harbor the power to transform. When approached as an opportunity, these unforeseen trials can often result in a life-changing breakthrough. For Andy, it comes in the form of shibumi--a Zen concept without dir