The second day of the Westminster Symposium dawned as sunny and bright as the first, students grappling with their notebooks, phones, and sunglasses as they tried (and in my case, failed) to juggle all of their belongs without the use of a bag. The extra security measure, while pragmatic, made it difficult to take notes, since everything had to be balanced on your lap.
But nonetheless, pens and pencils scribbled away as Dr. David Shaner began his keynote address on the theory behind his book The Seven Arts of Change: How Asian Philosophy and Religion affect Business Transformation. Instead of lecturing directly on religion and philosophy, he instead shared his life story, and how experiences opened him up to the connection between business and spirituality.
Shaner also included the philosophy of martial arts in his reasoning behind this connection, stating that you have to understand your competition in order to best them. He expanded on this topic, saying that it is most important to understand the culture of your own company before you consider the competition. Without understanding the people that work for a company, the company can't be changed for the better.