Transformational Leadership and Strategic Growth Guided by the Monk Principles ©
Mike Ferrell is an award winning author, speaker, leadership coach, strategy consultant and Benedictine Oblate who transforms ancient monastic wisdom and faith into powerful tools for strategic organizational growth.
Welcome to Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Leadership
Welcome to Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Leadership
I'm Mike Ferrell, with nearly 40 years of leadership coaching and consulting experience, I help entrepreneurs and leaders unlock their full potential through The Monk Principles©—five ancient principles that create sustainable growth, authentic leadership, and businesses that thrive with purpose.
The Monk Principles©
1. Intention – Cultivate clarity of purpose, adaptive thinking, and long-term vision to navigate uncertainty and drive sustainable growth.
2. Stability – Build strong, values-driven foundations through disciplined execution and ethical leadership that turns vision into reality.
3. Community – Foster trust and create cultures where people feel valued, heard, and empowered through servant leadership and genuine connection.
4. Excellence – Commit to continuous improvement, innovation, and creating value that drives breakthrough performance and lasting impact.
5. Profound Hospitality – Serve and delight others with authenticity, building deeper relationships that create a legacy beyond profits.
Transform Your Leadership
Through executive coaching, group workshops, and strategic planning, I help you align purpose with performance. Whether you're seeking individual clarity or building high-performing teams, you'll gain the insights and accountability needed to lead with integrity and scale with intention.
Ready to begin? Book your free consultation and discover how The Monk Principles© can guide your path to thriving leadership and business success..
“We really appreciated the opportunity to partner with Mike Ferrell as he took our top leadership group through his Monk Principles. He is very knowledgeable of business and leadership principles, but also in tune with Catholic/Benedictine ways of thinking and working in the world. He was a big help in initiating fresh thoughts and steps for Madonna as we strive to reconnect our rehabilitation work with our Catholic Benedictine heritage.”
Meet Mike
Mike Ferrell (The Monk Guy) is a Strategic Organizational Coach, an award winning author, speaker and trainer. Known for his insightful books and teachings, Mike blends strategy, positive psychology, spirituality and Benedictine principles in his work.
Mike has walked in your shoes. He has been involved in 15 start-ups. For 38 years Mike has worked as a leadership and business coach and consultant. He has worked with hundreds of small and medium businesses, Fortune 500 companies, non profits, churches and the U.S. Military. Mike has also faced the ups and downs of a divided life chasing profits and business success to the detriment of his faith, family and community. Several years ago he discovered the principles of The Rule of Benedict and since then has incorporated them into his work and his faith. These principles help guide entrepreneurs and leaders to achieve strategic growth while keeping them grounded on what’s important, faith, family and work.
Mike has training in the Benedictine principles and is a Benedictine Oblate. In addition he has studied philosophy and theology as a seminarian. He is also a certified business coach and trained in Positive Psychology, Positive Organizational Development and Virtuous Leadership.
Resonance: The Podcast
A Podcast for Leaders, Unpacking the Power of Song, Silence and Strategy
Resonance is a podcast for leaders, creatives, and changemakers who know that the future belongs to those who can listen deeply, think differently, and lead from the heart.
Hosted by Grammy nominated singer, songwriter, music producer and storyteller Steve Azar, award winning author and Benedictine business strategist Mike Ferrell, and thought leader and transformation expert Randy Harrington, Resonance explores the powerful intersection of listening, creativity, transformation, and the power of song.
In each episode, we'll unpack ideas that blend ancient monastic wisdom, cutting-edge leadership thinking, and the transformative force of music. From soul-stirring stories to practical strategies, Steve, Mike, and Randy invite you into a sacred pause—a chance to reconnect with what matters most and amplify the song of your leadership.
This isn’t just a podcast. It’s a tuning fork for the spirit, a space to resonate more fully with your purpose, your people, and the possibilities ahead.
Also visit resonanceleader.com for more info on Mike, Steve and Randy’s work.
Available on most major podcast platforms
“My pal Mike Ferrell “The Monk Guy” has become a favorite for me and my listeners throughout Mississippi and nationwide. How he weaves together morals with business practices so seamlessly, it’s inspirational and moving to say the least and so very insightful. Looking forward to having him on the next time and the next and the next! He’s a special guy.”
Creating Positive Deviance
Much like sunflowers naturally turning toward the sun, the Heliotropic Effect highlights how all living organisms, including humans, are instinctively drawn to positivity and light. When we harness this effect within a business or organization, we foster positive deviance—where individuals or teams, despite facing the same challenges and limitations as others, adopt unique but effective behaviors and strategies that lead to significantly better results.
The advantages of embracing positive deviance in a business are profound and far-reaching.
“Mike has demonstrated through his many years in business and research that a leader’s sustainable success is a result of the integration of his/her desire and ability to integrate best business practices, understanding of human behavior, and the pursuit of virtue. One does not have to be around Mike for any length of time to observe that this is a way of life for him”
Who I Have Served
“I have had the opportunity to work with Mike on several occasions and his knowledge and expertise on leadership, entrepreneurship, and best organizational methods are some of the best I have seen. He has a tremendous amount of experience and practical wisdom that is extremely valuable to any organization. In addition, his unique content and approach to training our team and in the delivery of unique organizational models is a huge benefit to our team and organization that will yield a great deal of success for years to come.”
Mike’s Speaking and Books
Mike Ferrell is a popular speaker and award winning author that frequently speaks to organizations and industry events and groups. If you’re looking for a positive, faith based message in the areas of entrepreneurship, leadership, sales, innovation or hospitality Mike can help.
Mike’s books are: Ultimate Breakthrough Planning:The Business Funnel Approach, The Sweet Spot: Where Business Strategy, Positive Psychology and Faith Principles Converge and Sell Like a Monk: Timeless “Rules” For Modern Selling. All published by Calumet’s Wisdom Editions and available on Amazon. His newest book, More Thriving, Less Grumbling: The Monk Principles Field Guide for Transformative Leadership and Business Success will be released in 2025.
“Mike worked with the Minnesota National Guard to build a strategic plan for our Beyond the Yellow Ribbon program and my copy of Ultimate Breakthrough Planning has been highlighted, dog-eared, starred, underlined, and notes dress up many of the margins. His book assisted me in developing dozens of marketing, PR and recruiting strategies for both government and private projects since I got my hands on a copy. It has a prominent and permanent place in every office I’ve lead. I’m so looking forward to his next book! ”
