Issue No. 568 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting suggests you plan now for your final exit by reading Robert Wolgemuth’s very personal book, Finish Line. And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies), click here for over 550 book reviews, and click here for my review of How to Work with (Almost) Anyone: Five Questions for Building the Best Possible Relationships.
Baseball/Heaven? Enjoy this video and the unlikely baseball/heaven metaphor from 2018 when Cubs rookie David Bote did the impossible. (View here.)
The Last Book You Read
In his new book, Finish Line, Robert Wolgemuth, quotes Joseph Bayly (1920-1986):
Wolgemuth understands end-of-life challenges. His first wife died in 2014 after battling cancer for 30 months. He’s faced two cancer scares since 2020. Perhaps you, too, resonate with a friend who noticed he’s spending more time on CaringBridge than on Twitter. So when this book caught my attention, I wondered—is there anything more I need to learn about abandoning ship?
Am I ready to exit? “Ready is good,” writes Wolgemuth, who admits to being “in the publishing industry longer than Fred Flintstone worked in the stone quarry in the town of Bedrock.” (LOL!) So my expectations were high for this publishing guru’s book:
Finish Line: Dispelling Fear, Finding Peace, and Preparing for the End of Your Life
Expectations Exceeded—But a Warning! On most book journeys, I often read short paragraphs to my wife, Joanne, measuring her response as to what might make the cut into these book reviews. But after reading the first chapter, I quietly informed Joanne she’d have to read Finish Line on her own. Way too heart-grabbing to read out loud. Whew.
If you’re a tough, macho man—I dare you to read it. If you, or your parents, or family or friends are facing end of life challenges—I urge you to read Finish Line. (Breaking News: We will all face end of life challenges.) Somehow, Robert Wolgemuth masterfully blends death, beauty, pain, joy, suffering, and hope—all into one intimate conversation. Stunningly, he invites us into his life, including his decision to marry again.
The author’s humility helps. “As you know, I’m not a medical doctor, a clinically seasoned counselor, a seminary-trained pastor, or a scholar. As I often say, I’m just an ordinary guy trying to stay in his lane, walking down the sidewalk with you.”
Here's what touched me during this delightful walk with Wolgemuth. (Delightful? A book about death? Yes. The occasional doses of humor are perfect.) Enjoy:
• In the chapter, “Two Finish Line Guys in the Bible,” Wolgemuth profiles Abraham and Peter. John 21 paints one of my favorite pictures of Jesus—making breakfast on the beach for Peter and the disciples. (No fish all night, until Jesus intervened—and Wolgemuth captures the humor in it.)
• “Someone might quip that this is the very reason it’s called ‘fishing’ and not ‘catching.’ But these guys would not have been in the mood for levity. I’m sure of it.”
• Oh, my. You must read the “Saying Grace” chapter and the holy moment when the author’s grandfather, “who wasn’t far from the literal gates of Heaven,” prayed and gave Robert a blessing.
HEAVEN? Even if you’re not a Cubs fan, you’ll enjoy the reminder of the 2016 World Series (a birthday gift for me!) and the unlikely baseball/heaven metaphor from 2018 when Cubs rookie David Bote did the impossible. The Nationals lead with three runs. Cubs: goose egg (it’s a shutout). Cubs at bat in the bottom of the ninth. Two outs. Bases loaded. Bote pinch hits and smashes a walk-off grand slam! Cubs win 4-3! (Watch the video here.)
Wolgemuth’s play-by-play notes that an Instagram photo captured the moment: Bote’s “outstretched arms, making him appear to be flying.” The one-word caption: “Heaven.” And more heaven on earth! When Nancy DeMoss and Robert Wolgemuth married in 2015, it was the blessed uniting of two Cubs fans!
The “Who Will Be Your Pallbearers?” chapter, like others, blends pragmatic counsel with inspirational stories:
• When golfer Payne Stewart (1957-1999) lost his life in a private jet accident, golfer Paul Azinger asked for Wolgemuth’s help in drafting Stewart’s eulogy. Does humor help? (View Azinger’s tribute here.)
• Senator Bob Dole (1923-2021) asked his daughter to read a letter he had written for his memorial service at the National Cathedral. It read, in part: “I also confess that I’m a bit curious to learn and find if I am correct in thinking that Heaven will look a lot like Kansas and to see, like others who have gone before me, if I will still be able to vote in Chicago.”
• Throughout the book, practical and pious merge—like Robert and Nancy’s conversation about the casket used by Elizabeth Elliott (1926-2015): “…unpainted, exterior half-inch plywood with one-by-twos stapled inside at the seams.”
Whoa! Think about this from the chapter, “Spoiler Alert . . . Heaven Can Be Yours.” Wolgemuth: “When I began crafting this manuscript, the thought washed over me that this may be the last book I write. My journey will be reaching its destination. Then it dawned on me that, regardless of your age, it may be the last book you read.”
• When Robert Wolgemuth crosses his finish line, where will he be buried? With his first wife in Florida or with Nancy in Michigan?
There’s more:
• When Robert’s wife, Bobbie, was diagnosed with cancer, “…my daughters and I resolved the following declarations, which we repeated many times when people we loved asked how we were handling the news.” The five bullet points (“anchors”), including “We are not afraid,” guided them over the next 30 months. “Like stepping-stones across a rushing river, they became safe places for our thinking.”
• Wolgemuth frequently “commends” a book to readers and the vastness and the deepness of the titles, links, and videos are stunning—including this Atlantic article by Tim Keller (1950-2023), “Growing My Faith in the Face of Death.”
• Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth summarizes her life verse, Luke 1:38, with two simple words: “Yes, Lord!”
Grandchildren Blessings. Oh, my X 5! Wolgemuth graces readers with the actual blessings he has given his five grandchildren. And at the memorial service for Christian radio pioneer Al Sanders (1927-2021), Sanders’ grandchildren each read one of their grandfather’s favorite Bible passages.
Are you ready to “abandon ship tonight,” as Joe Bayly urged? What are your declarations? Are your legal papers up to date? Any blessings yet to pronounce? This book will inspire you—and the people you care about—to dispel fear, find peace, and prepare for the end of life. Joni Eareckson Tada, who wrote the book’s foreword, called it “your playbook” for your finish line. I agree. Read what American evangelist D.L. Moody (1837-1899) said before he crossed his finish line:
“Someday you will read in the papers that D.L. Moody of East Northfield, is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it! At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now.”
To order from Amazon, click on the title for Finish Line: Dispelling Fear, Finding Peace, and Preparing for the End of Your Life, by Robert Wolgemuth. Listen on Libro (5 hours, 57 minutes). And thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy.
YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS:
1) Did you notice? Many of the people quoted in this eNews have already crossed the finish line. I also commend several books to you. Finish Line pairs wonderfully with Yours Truly: An Obituary Writer's Guide to Telling Your Story (read my review). Which book will you read first?
2) In Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, Dr. Atul Gawande reminds us: “People die only once.” So when facing fork-in-the-road sick and dying decisions, “They have no experience to draw on. They need doctors and nurses who are willing to have the hard discussions and say what they have seen, who will help people prepare for what is to come—and escape a warehouse oblivion that few really want.” Re-read Joe Bayly’s aspiration, “Be prepared to abandon ship tonight,” and then discuss who in your life models this theology?
3) Want to start with a shorter book? Check out Ron Cline's three big ideas in Finishing Well (just 76 pages). Read my review.
Mastering 100 Must-Read Books - Part 6: The Mount Rushmore of Leadership Legends
Book #39 of 100: Drucker & Me
For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by spotlighting Book #39 in Mastering 100 Must-Read Books.
A Year with Peter Drucker:
52 Weeks of Coaching for Leadership Effectiveness
by Joseph A. Maciariello
Books #22 through #40 spotlight 19 books I named to “The Mount Rushmore of Leadership Legends” group—featuring Patrick Lencioni, Jim Collins, Ken Blanchard, and Peter Drucker (1909-2005). Part 6 features five books by/about Drucker, including this book with a foreword from Jim Collins who writes, “It is exceptionally well-written and provides a glimpse into the secret sauce of how a truly great teacher can have an impact on the world through a truly great student.”
• Read my review.
• Order from Amazon: Drucker & Me
• Visit the blog: Drucker Mondays
• Download the 100 Must-Read Books list (from John and Jason Pearson).
An oboe player becoming a violinist? Forget it! Bob Buford (1939-2018), who also authored Halftime and other books, launched Leadership Network with Drucker’s encouragement. LN became a catalyst for the mega-church movement. Drucker understood management in both the marketplace and the nonprofit world. Buford notes, “Peter frequently used the metaphor of a symphony conductor when he talked about management.”
“A conductor would never ask an oboe player to play the violin or vice versa. The role of the conductor is to make sure the right people are playing the right instruments so that when the baton comes down, the symphony made great music.”
Then Bob confesses, “More than once I have employed a person who performed well in a maintenance role in a large, prestigious organization. It never seems to work out. It is the difference between Special Forces and holding down a Pentagon job.” Note: The book’s foreword is by Jim Collins and the epilogue (a movement history) is by Ed Stetzer.
Brilliant idea! A loving father, a U.S. Army captain in the Korean War, writes his six-year-old daughter a poignant letter with this caveat, “Open this letter in ten years.” The daughter treasures all his letters and publishes them in 2022. Read my review of Open This Letter in Ten Years: Life Lessons from Dad’s Love Letters, by Linda DeHoff and Bill Butterworth. For more book reviews, visit the Pails in Comparison Blog.
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Remembering Bob Hisrich
In 1990, when Wolgemuth & Hyatt, Publishers, Inc. released Marketing Your Ministry: Ten Critical Principles, Robert D. Hisrich, Ph.D., was already an established author and ultimately authored or co-authored 37 books before he crossed the finish line on Feb. 1, 2023, at age 78. I’m still saddened by this news. While some of the 1990 examples in the book we co-authored are outdated, the 10 marketing principles are even more relevant in 2023, including #1: “If you have $10,000 to spend, invest $5,000 in researching and understanding your audience.” (Note: For a summary of the 10 principles, See Chapter 6, “The Program Bucket,” in Mastering the Management Buckets.)
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PEARPOD | TELLING YOUR STORY. Here’s a get-your-attention exercise to announce to your marketing and communications team: “This is just a drill, but our CEO was just hit by a bus. He has crossed his finish line. The board chair has asked us to draft the news release and post a fitting tribute on our website, including quotes from key people. Our deadline is 12 noon. Go!” Hopefully, this won’t happen anytime soon, but are you prepared? Need best practices? Contact Jason Pearson at Pearpod (Design, Digital, Marketing, Social).
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