Pope Gregory the Great

How effectively did Pope Gregory The Great Combine his vocation as a monk with his duties as an office holder in the Roman Empire?
Gregory The Great, according to Arthur L. Frothingam, in his book "The Monuments of Christian Rome" describes Gregory's life as a monk at St. Andrew's monastary as "the happiest years of his life." His nomination as Pope however, tells us he "was terrified at the news and even meditated flight. He was seized, however, carried to the Basilica of St. Peter, and there consecrated pope on 3 September, 590." …