John Pearson's Buckets Blog

Oak Street Treehouse: The Day They Had a Party

Issue No. 577 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting suggests that the occasional journey into a delightful children’s book may reward you with poignant insights and a fresh look into the face of Jesus. And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies), click here for over 575 book reviews, and click here for my review of At the Heart of Management: Process, Tools and the Ubiquitous Exponential Law.

Finish this drawing of the face of Jesus, add color, and read why the occasional journey into a delightful children’s book may reward you with poignant insights.

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Honest! A Leadership Guru Writes Children’s Books!

One of my favorites professors at Seattle Pacific University, Talmage Wilson (1926-2006), once shared a humorous, but poignant story in class. While serving as a missionary in what is now South Sudan (with his wife, Doris, a physician), he was asked to plan an inspiring session for the mission’s annual retreat. So he prayed and prepared.

At the appointed hour, each person received crayons and a single sheet of notebook paper featuring the outline of Jesus’ face. The assignment to these faithful missionaries who had endured their fair share of inspiring sermons: “Please color your page and reflect on the face and person of Jesus.” That was it. No sermon. No expository preaching. Just you, the crayons, and Jesus.

Prof. Wilson told our class, with his trademark mischievous grin, that not every missionary engaged deeply in the assignment! Yet, for those who set their expectations and egos aside, he noted, that session was a memory-maker for many.

Jesus said, “I’m telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you’re not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God’s kingdom. What’s more, when you receive the childlike on my account, it’s the same as receiving me.” (See Matthew 18, The Message)

I was reminded of this scripture when I read (wait for it…), a new children’s book:

Oak Street Treehouse:
The Day They Had a Party
by Dick Daniels and Mollie Bozarth (Illustrator)

Amazingly, this is the third book in the series. Beautifully illustrated by Mollie Bozarth, they are written by one of my favorite leadership gurus, Dick Daniels. (You read that right. Dick Daniels also writes children’s books!)

Last week, during my Uber Grandpa ride for our 16-year-old granddaughter, I told Annika about the Oak Street Treehouse books, and mentioned that Daniels also writes leadership and management books, including Leadership Briefs (my 2015 book-of-the-year), Leadership Core (my 2021 book-of-the-year), and Hardwiring New Leadership Habits (2023).  

ME: “So, Annika, what do you think Dick Daniels writes about in this new children’s book?”
ANNIKA: “How to lead and manage children?!”
ME: “LOL!”

I won’t post a spoiler alert here because I hope you’ll order and read Book #3 in the trilogy—a poignant story about the friendly grandpa who lives in the Oak Street neighborhood. (Hint: It involves messaging God—and, yes, God does message them back.) The seven neighborhood kids plan a party and along the way, there’s a sweet discussion about heaven.

If you have children, grandchildren, or young neighbors, nieces or nephews (or look forward to having children or grandchildren), then you'll especially love these wonderful stories featuring warm conversations about God. And the books make great gifts!
   • God Made Everything: The Day They Messaged God
   • God Loves Everybody: The Day the New Kid Moved In
   • God Is the Host of Heaven: They Day They Had a Party


Visit the Oak Street Treehouse website for coloring sheets and more!

No children or grandchildren—but you’re on the lineup to speak or lead an inspiring session for your church, Bible study, or your team? Take a page from Prof. Talmage Wilson! Or…visit The Oak Street Treehouse website here and download some coloring sheets!

John 1:14 (The Message) reads, “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood.” This beautiful children’s book reminded me that God’s story is often best told with simple terms: Jesus moved into the neighborhood. I love these books!

To order from Amazon, click on the title for Oak Street Treehouse: The Day They Had a Party, by Dick Daniels and Mollie Bozarth (Illustrator). And thanks to the author for sending me a review copy.
 


READ ALL 3 BOOKS IN THE TRILOGY:
• Oak Street Treehouse: The Day The New Kid Moved In (2021) – Order from Amazon  
• Oak Street Treehouse: The Day They Messaged God (2019) – Order from Amazon

YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS:
1) In 2018, when our triplet grandkids were 15, we had a fun discussion about the children’s storybook, The Book of Mistakes, by Corinna Luyken. (Read my review and their mistakes!) What might be the benefits of putting aside the latest “management by bestseller” gimmick and slowing down to drink in the simple truths of a book for children?

2) I received the book, Cathy and Carl Captured, by Dorothy Johnston, from my third grade Sunday School teacher in Seattle. The Lord used this book during my impressionable years. The book tells the story about the Oregon Trail missionaries, Narcissa and Marcus Whitman (also a physician), to nudge me about serving in Christian ministry. I treasure this first edition, published by Scripture Press in 1954, and signed by the author. It reminds me that a well-chosen gift of encouragement can have a powerful influence on both children and adults. Name a book that you still treasure.

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Mastering 100 Must-Read Books - Part 8: Five Business Classics
Book #47 of 100: The Goal

For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by spotlighting Book #47 in Mastering 100 Must-Read Books.
 
THE GOAL: 
A Business Graphic Novel
by Eliyahu M. Goldratt, Dwight Jon Zimmerman (Editor), and Dean Motter (Illustrator)

Books #46 through #50 spotlight five memorable books I’ve labeled “Five Business Classics.” Back in 2020 (when we were all in our bunkers), Constantino (Connie) Salios emailed me and asked if I had ever reviewed The Goal, by Eli Goldratt. Reviewed it? I’d never even heard about it. (Yikes.) 

Connie recommended this bestselling business book—and I immediately ordered it. He said it “reads somewhat like a Lencioni novel and is relevant for every organization and leader.” But…full confession. I cheated and ordered the business graphic novel of The Goal. Big print and pictures. Just 130 pages.
   • Read my review.
   • Order from Amazon: The Goal
   • Listen on Libro: The Goal (original book: 11 hours, 44 minutes)
   • Download the 100 Must-Read Books list (from John and Jason Pearson).

Verne Harnish, author of my 2018 book-of-the year, Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It…and Why the Rest Don’t (Mastering the Rockefeller Habits 2.0), gushes: “The Goal is the #1 business book of all time and the graphic adaptation makes this timeless classic and its powerful ideas even more accessible. If you only read one business book, it should be this one.”

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What Should We Learn From Count Zinzendorf?

Earlier this year, I listened to a hymn written by Count Zinzendorf—and I realized I knew absolutely nothing about this spiritual giant and prolific hymnwriter. It was high time to widen my reading! I googled the Count, watched some YouTube videos, and scanned the books on Amazon. I landed on this one, published in 2013. Read my review of Count Zinzendorf and the Spirit of the Moravians, by Paul Wemmer. And for more book reviews, visit the Pails in Comparison Blog. 

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The 4 Big Mistakes Board Seminars
Sept. 29: San Diego
Oct. 12: Irvine, CA

The Barnabas Groups in San Diego and Orange County are hosting seminars for nonprofit CEOs and board members. On Oct. 12, John Pearson and Mike Pate will present “The 4 Big Mistakes to Avoid With Your Nonprofit Board: How Leaders Enrich Their Ministry Results Through God-Honoring Governance.” Contact TBG/OC for more info about the Oct. 12 seminar. John is also presenting the seminar on Sept. 29 in San Diego for TBG/San Diego. Can’t attend? Order the 107-page workbook from Amazon.

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PEARPOD | TELLING YOUR STORY. Every PowerPoint doesn't need to be jam-packed with content and every book doesn't need to rival War and Peace. Sometimes, graphic versions of books communicate more powerfully to "readers," while audio and YouTube videos will capture the "listeners" in your customer base. Need ideas? Contact Jason Pearson at Pearpod (Design, Digital, Marketing, Social).
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Your Weekly Staff Meeting is emailed free two to four times a month to subscribers. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. As an Amazon Associate, we earn Amazon gift cards from qualifying purchases. As a Libro.fm Affiliate, we earn credits. PRIVACY POLICY: Typepad, Inc. hosts John Pearson's Buckets Blog. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform for Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews. By clicking (above) to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy policy here. 

At the Heart of Management: Process, Tools and the Ubiquitous Exponential Law

Issue No. 576 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting spotlights both humor and deep learning in a new book, At the Heart of Management. And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies), click here for over 575 book reviews, and click here for my review of Stay Sane in an Insane World: How to Control the Controllables and Thrive.


LOL! The score to date: Author Lino F. Ciceri leads with 1 point. The book reviewer’s score (Home): 0. (Zip. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Niete.)

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Beyond the Management Theory Jungle

This is funny! Earlier this summer, Lino F. Ciceri, the author of At the Heart of Management, emailed me a gracious invitation to receive a review copy of his new book. Here’s our string of emails:

ME: “Right now, my bookshelves are bulging with books I’ve already promised to review, so, reluctantly, I’ll have to say no to your kind offer. Hope the rollout goes well!”

AUTHOR: “John, I am sorry you are overwhelmed by too many undone reviews. In the future, At the Heart of Management might help you avoid this situation. Nonetheless, thank you for taking the time to respond. All the best, Lino.”

ME: “Congratulations! Your response to my ‘no thanks’ email ranks as the Number One Greatest Comeback! Really…LOL!” (I asked him to send me a review copy!)

AUTHOR: (His next email said the book was on its way.) He added, “Speaking of my book, it may be something other than a world changer or a trendy sensation, but that doesn't mean I wrote it without ambition. I apply scientific principles to human organizations, and from lofty skies, I draw critical management tools and practical considerations for success, as I have found that many business failures result from not having an understanding of fundamental management tools or being reluctant to put them into practice.”

You gotta love the author’s humility and his persistence! (Hmmm. Maybe that’s a fundamental hallmark of effective management?) So…score 1 for the author and 0 for this reviewer. Ciceri is both witty and brilliant!

If you read Issue No. 570 in July, you’ll recall I delivered a dump truck load of six leadership and management books for your summer reading, with a promise that I’d feature short snippets of these books in future issues. I asked you to consider this: “More Mistakes or More Leadership Books?”
 
“Be honest now. How many leadership mistakes did you make yesterday? How many mistakes last week? Last month? Last quarter?

“So…is it possible that if you read one more leadership book—you could potentially reduce your blunders, bobbles, bloopers, and bottlenecks?”
 
The author, a former research chemist and MBA professor from Italy, proposes a “scientific” approach to management. “The book breaks down the core concepts taught in an MBA, clarifying the language and introducing fresh ideas inspired by scientific analogies.” I wholeheartedly recommend this book!

At the Heart of Management:
Process, Tools and the Ubiquitous Exponential Law
by Lino F. Ciceri

In this helpful book, Ciceri builds the case for what he calls “Timeless Management” (TM). The author’s systematic approach to management leverages research, science, in-the-trenches experience, tools, and persuasion to convince readers and leaders to take a second look at the power of effective management. If I ever need an attorney to argue my case in court, I may ask Lino Ciceri to persuade the jury!

Ciceri promises, “This book is designed to enable you to apply the concepts and tools learned immediately in your work situation.” I especially appreciate this claim: “The following chapters attempt to go beyond the current management theory jungle and clarify some indispensable concepts.”

The author also promises that his TM process will foster “creativity through logical discipline and mastery without unnecessary complexity.” He adds, “With a solid foundation of tenacity, a good management approach can make the difference between failure and success. Strong will is a prerequisite, and an effective method will undoubtedly help anyone succeed.”

“All the best-known management views,” writes Ciceri, “such as those of McKinsey & Company or the Boston Consulting Group” may be reduced to three stages: “Analysis, project, execution & control.” He notes, “Conceptually, it is as simple as that, although that is only sometimes the case in practice.”

Who should read this book?
• New managers and wanna-be leaders and CEOs
• Management coaches and mentors
• Team members who are overwhelmed with complexity, but without an agreed-upon process
• University professors and management workshop leaders 
• Guys who have made too many book review promises!

Lifelong-learning managers never met a management book that didn’t shed new light on an old discipline. Ditto this manager (me) and this book. The “Annexes” (aka Appendix) features 34 pages of fascinating content:
• Management definitions: (Drucker: “Management is the life-giving, the acting organ of the institution it manages.”)
• The history of management in a nutshell: The Art of War, Moses and Jethro, Machiavelli’s The Prince, Maslow, MBO, Theories X, Y, and Z, and more.
• Definitions: Purpose, Forecasts, Scenario, Strategic Fit, and more
• Management Tools: Balanced Scorecard, Exponential Law, Outside-in and Inside-out, Generic Strategies (3), Marketing Mix, Product Life Cycle, Gantt Chart, Benchmarking, JIT, PERT, the Pareto Principle (80/20), and more
• One-page Chart: “New Project: Preliminary Evaluation”
• Business Plan: “Illustrative Layout for Internal use”

Yikes. The author lists dozens of acronyms and other management concepts that were unfamiliar to me. (It’s a good thing I’m retired!) The bibliography features two categories: Recommended Readings (3 books) and Works Citied (24 resources). Did I mention his research? Wow. I was somewhat encouraged to know I have reviewed at least two of his featured books: Heroic Leadership: Best Practices From a 450-Year-Old Company That Changed the World and The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli.

The list is tempting. He introduces The 10-Day MBA and a book I’ve always wanted to read, My Years With General Motors, by Alfred P. Sloan. He also recommends titles by Thomas Aquinas, Aristotle, Isaac Asimov, Warren Bennis, Noam Chomsky, Peter Drucker, and others. (Note: Along the way, I bumped into Complete MBA for Dummies, which reminded me of my reviews of several “dummies” books.)

Along with the meat and potatoes, there is also humor for dessert. Discussing Pareto’s 80/20 law in strategic planning (“20% of our efforts produce approximately 80% of our results”), the author notes: “Those big, thick strategic plans that go on for hundreds of pages and that no one will read are an example of poor strategic planning.”

In his chapter on “The Most Classical Management Model,” Ciceri persuades readers and leaders that his process is applicable for all. “Even a simple undertaking, such as a birthday party, is a management process requiring many decisions.”

His by-the-way insights are memorable. He writes, “Incidentally, in management, overlapping and puzzling definitions often exist. What if science used unclear words? This book uses precise and unambiguous definitions for terms such as purpose, strategy, goals, etc. Sooner or later, management studies will hopefully get closer to science.”

And by-the-way, if I had $10 for every minute I’ve wasted in strategic planning sessions (“What’s the difference between a purpose statement and a mission statement?”)…well, you know the rest.

Don’t skip these gems:
• The “Cohesive EU” matrix (developed by students at the University of Malta) with these quadrants: “Complain another day” and “Vae soli! (Heaven help you!)”
• In the chapter on goal alignment: “Without numbers, goals are wholly a matter of good intentions.”
• LOL! The author notes the book, The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity, and illustrates with four quadrants: Helpless, Stupid, Intelligent, and Bandit.
• Whoa! Read what Alfred Sloan learned (too late) when Walter P. Chrysler quit his job at GM—and later launched the Chrysler Corporation. (Note: This reminded me of the Sept. 6, 2023, WSJ article, “Up, Then Out: Why People Quit After Getting a Promotion.”)
• The “process questions” at the end of each chapter are excellent, especially the 13 questions from Chapter 6. Example: “What are the future demands on our people’s expertise?”

I agree with one book endorser who wrote, “Whatever your approach to management, your ideas are likely to change after reading this book. Indeed, your approach to life, in general, may be affected too.” The book is imminently applicable to businesses, nonprofits, churches, and—yes—even your family!

To order from Amazon, click on the title for At the Heart of Management: Process, Tools and the Ubiquitous Exponential Law, by Lino F. Ciceri. And thanks to the author and publisher for sending me a review copy.



BONUS BOOKS! Watch for more management and leadership book reviews coming (per the "Leadership Lotto" Issue No. 570.)

COMING SOON! Real-Time Leadership: Find Your Winning Moves When the Stakes Are High, by David Noble and Carol Kauffman (Feb. 21, 2023). Listen on Libro (9 hours, 49 minutes). With a foreword by Marshall Goldsmith, this book is so, so practical. Chapter 5, “Get Smart About People,” recommends you “Know Your Defaults to Get Beyond Them.” 


COMING SOON! When Everyone Leads: How the Toughest Challenges Get Seen and Solved, by Ed O’Malley and Julia Fabris McBride (Jan. 31, 2023). The authors propose a 10-point manifesto on redefining leadership. (See #5, "Plenty of people in important positions never exercise leadership.")


READ MY REVIEW.  True North: Leading Authentically in Today's Workplace, Emerging Leader Edition, by Zach Clayton and Bill George. Do you “ask for compliance with rules” or “seek alignment through values?” The “Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations” chart on page 123—gulp!


YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS:
1) In the final section, “Why Should Anybody Follow You?”—Lino Ciceri writes, “Management is the broadest, the most demanding, and the subtlest of all human activities. And the most indispensable for life.” What’s your view of management—and what management process do you use to organize your work and your life?
2) “To be a manager in real life, one must necessarily also be a leader,” writes Ciceri. Do you agree? (For more, click here to read what Olan Hendrix (1931-2023) said about leadership and management.) 
3) Check out this helpful tool from the Program Bucket, "Worksheet #6.2: Top 10 Questions to Ask About Program Capacity and Sustainability." What question(s) did we fail to ask when launching our most recent program?

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Mastering 100 Must-Read Books - Part 8: Five Business Classics
Book #46 of 100: In Search of Excellence

For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by spotlighting Book #46 in Mastering 100 Must-Read Books.
 
In Search of Excellence:
Lessons from America’s Best-Run Companies
by Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman, Jr.

Books #46 through #50 spotlight five memorable books I’ve labeled “Five Business Classics.” Business Guru Tom Peters, 40 years ago (!), introduced a new lexicon to the business world. (And this reminder: Ken Blanchard recommends every book deserves four readings to bridge the chasm between knowing and doing.)
   • Read my review.
   • Order from Amazon: In Search of Excellence
   • Listen on Libro: The Heart and Soul of Excellence (Abridged, 1 hour)
   • Download the 100 Must-Read Books list (from John and Jason Pearson).

In Part 1, “The Saving Remnant – Successful American Companies,” Peters and Waterman write, “The eight attributes that emerged to characterize most nearly the distinction of the excellent, innovative companies go as follows:
   1. A bias for action, for getting on with it.
   2. Close to the customer.
   3. Autonomy and entrepreneurship.
   4. Productivity through people.
   5. Hands-on, value driven.
   6. Stick to the knitting.
   7. Simple form, lean staff.
   8. Simultaneous loose-tight properties.”

They add, “They don’t try to hold everyone on so short a rein that he can’t be creative. They encourage practical risk taking, and support good tries. They follow Fletcher Byrom’s ninth commandment: ‘Make sure you generate a reasonable number of mistakes.’” [More mistakes here!]

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The First Management Book I Read:
Managing Our Work

The first management book I read was Managing Our Work, by John W. Alexander, IVCF's president. It was originally a staff training document to address those who had a reluctance to plan. Read my review here. And for more book reviews, visit the Pails in Comparison Blog. What was the first management book you read?

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The 4 Big Mistakes Board Seminars
Sept. 29: San Diego
Oct. 12: Irvine, CA

The Barnabas Groups in San Diego and Orange County are hosting seminars for nonprofit CEOs and board members. On Oct. 12, John Pearson and Mike Pate will present “The 4 Big Mistakes to Avoid With Your Nonprofit Board: How Leaders Enrich Their Ministry Results Through God-Honoring Governance.” Contact TBG/OC for more info about the Oct. 12 seminar. John is also presenting the seminar on Sept. 29 in San Diego for TBG/San Diego. Can’t attend? Order the 107-page workbook from Amazon.

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PEARPOD | TELLING YOUR STORY. Are you leveraging the most strategic management tools for telling your story? Read Business Storytelling for Dummies to learn the why, what, how, and who of effective storytelling, plus 10 ways to measure the results of a story initiative. And read this review of Chip Heath’s 2022 book, Making Numbers Count: The Art and Science of Communicating Numbers. Need more tools? Contact Jason Pearson at Pearpod (Design, Digital, Marketing, Social).
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Your Weekly Staff Meeting is emailed free two to four times a month to subscribers. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. As an Amazon Associate, we earn Amazon gift cards from qualifying purchases. As a Libro.fm Affiliate, we earn credits. PRIVACY POLICY: Typepad, Inc. hosts John Pearson's Buckets Blog. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform for Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews. By clicking (above) to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy policy here. 

Stay Sane in an Insane World: How to Control the Controllables and Thrive

Issue No. 575 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting features a WSJ bestselling book with 37 powerful topics for your next 37 weekly staff meetings. 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 Attitude Is a Choice―So Pick a Good One: Practical Steps to a Positive Outlook.


View this 60 Minutes snippet (2014) featuring sports legend James Brown's interview with Greg Harden, Michigan's Executive Director of Athletic Counseling. Click here to view the 4-minute video and learn why Brown snagged a copy of Harden's syllabus on self-defeating attitudes!

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37 Powerful Coaching Topics!

Apparently, my new hobby is editing book titles—and suggesting to authors and publishers several alternative attention-grabbing titles. (Where would that place me on the chutzpah scoreboard?) So here is this week’s book—already a Wall Street Journal bestseller:

Stay Sane in an Insane World:
How to Control the Controllables and Thrive
by Greg Harden

To be clear, I absolutely love this book. I can’t stop talking about it. It’s already on my Top-10 List of 2023 books. But, if the publisher had asked me to suggest book titles, I might have suggested these zingers from Chapters 18, 21, 22, and 30:
   • It’s Perfectly Okay Not to Be Perfect!
   • You Only Get One-Tenth of a Second to Feel Bad!
    • 37 Powerful Topics for One-on-One Coaching
   • SWOT Yourself!
   • Say Thank You (And Then Shut Your Mouth!)

With 37 short chapters, this is a no-brainer resource for the next 37 weeks of your weekly staff meetings. I couldn’t find any fluff in any of the 37 relevant topics. Your coworkers and direct reports will love this book too. Greg Harden’s insights will enrich your leadership and your one-on-one coaching. (If you’re a wanna-be author, you’ll borrow the book’s brilliant format.)

Greg Harden writes, “I can’t teach Tom Brady how to throw the ball. I can’t teach Desmond Howard how to catch the ball. I can’t teach Michael Phelps how to do a perfect flip turn. All I can do is teach you how to become the world’s greatest expert on one subject: yourself.”

“If you train yourself to give 100 percent, 100 percent of the time, to the stuff you hate, how phenomenal are you going to be when you get to the stuff you love?” He adds, “The greatest competition you’re ever going to face is yourself.”

For more than 30 years, Greg Harden has built champions as Executive Director of Athletic Counseling at the University of Michigan. (See his 60 Minutes interview with sportscaster James Brown who called Harden “Michigan’s Secret Weapon.”) In addition to inspiring Tom Brady, Desmond Howard, Charles Woodson, and others, he has counseled over 400 other student athletes who have gone on to professional careers in four major sports.

But…you’re not an athlete? No problem. This book on “How to Control the Controllables and Thrive” will become your go-to resource for your own gut-checks and for inspiring family, friends, and co-workers to step up. 

By the way, did you know that Tom Brady (who wrote the book’s foreword) was not drafted by the New England Patriots until the NFL’s sixth round? (He was the 199th pick!) Yet, in his 23 seasons in the NFL, Brady won a record seven Super Bowl titles, three NFL MVP awards, and a record five Super Bowl MVPs. The author’s commentary on Brady is noteworthy. He came to Harden’s office for help. He writes, “This may be the perfect spot to let you know that athletes who have asked for help tend to have better outcomes than those who are required to meet with me.”

Here are 7 memorable principles
from this extraordinary book:

#1. There Is No “Geographical Cure.” Heisman winner Desmond Howard had been at the University of Michigan for a year and half and his football dreams were not coming true. Harden notes, “Desmond was starting to think that maybe it was time for the old ‘geographical cure.’ You know, the belief that if you go to another team (or another place to work, another city to live in), everything will suddenly turn out right. Even though you’ve changed nothing else about yourself, just packing up and moving will somehow magically fix everything.”

#2. The Value of a Short Memory. Harden hammers home his “one-tenth of a second” principle. “It’s the one trait so many of the greatest athletes I’ve ever known have in common: a short memory. My shot doesn’t go in. I drop the ball. I miss the wide-open net. I give myself one-tenth of a second to feel bad, and then I keep playing.”

He adds, “It works the other way, too. The ball goes in, I catch the pass, I score the goal. Now I’ve got one-tenth of a second to feel great about it before I get back to the game.” Harden says that to become a peak performer, “you have to retrain, reprogram, re-engineer yourself not to obsess over ‘triumph and disaster’ (to quote Rudyard Kipling) to ‘treat those two impostors just the same.’”


Learn the essence of author Greg Harden's coaching process by listening to Tom Brady (the NFL's G.O.A.T.) describe Harden's approach with him at the University of Michigan. Click here to view this 7-minute NFL Film (2016), "Inside the Mind of Tom Brady."

#3. Say Thank You (And Then Shut Your Mouth!). The author observes, “…to this day, I am amazed at the general human inability to accept a compliment. In fact, I’ve noticed that the better you are at giving compliments to others, the worse you are at accepting them for yourself.”

This is great advice! I tried it last week when Amazon’s Alexa asked if I wanted to reorder my favorite oatmeal.
   • Me: “Yes! Thank you!”
   • Alexa: “You’re so welcome. Your kindness really gives me a charge!”
   • Me: (I shut up as Greg Harden urges! LOL!)
 
#4. Beware the Common Denominator of Your Bad Bosses! The book includes two jammed-packed chapters on interviewing: Chapter 33, “When You’re Interviewing Someone, Let Them Tell You Who They Are,” and Chapter 34, “When You’re Being Interviewed, Turn It Around!” Harden lists his best interviewing techniques: “panel interviews, role-plays, small group discussions, behavioral interviews, and formal presentations. In each of these formats, you’re creating a more dynamic, real-life scenario, and you can discover a great deal more about your candidates.”

When you’re interviewing for a position, Harden warns not to come across as the person who’s been cursed by a series of bosses who are jerks. “…I guarantee you, you just lost the job—because the common denominator in all of your bad situations was you.”

#5. If Don’t Golf, Skip Chapter 35! The humor oozes out of dozens of chapters, especially Chapter 35: “If You Happen to Be a Golfer…then may God have mercy on your soul. Also keep reading. If you don’t golf, be thankful and skip this chapter.” (But really, don’t skip this chapter.) Harden notes, “Of all the sports I’ve ever played, I think golf may be the best metaphor for life.”

This reminded me of the golf books I’ve reviewed, including this 2023 bestseller, Feherty: The Remarkably Funny and Tragic Journey of Golf's David Feherty, by John Feinstein. Greg Harden began his career as a clinical therapist at a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center. I wonder if Feherty would have avoided his numerous missteps if he had met Greg Harden early on.

#6. “I Had to Forgive My Father for Not Being Perfect.” Whew! Harden is very transparent and you’ll appreciate Chapter 7, “The Demon on the Left Shoulder (Self-Defeating Attitudes and Behaviors)” and Chapter 8, “The Angel on Your Right Shoulder (Self-Supporting Attitudes and Behaviors).”

You’ll reference these chapters frequently. Harden muses, “Why can’t I give up fear and self-doubt for Lent?” His insights on “letting go of yesterday’s baggage” (his assignment and exercise for a volleyball player) are powerful. He quotes Eleanor Roosevelt:

“No one can make you feel inferior 
without your permission.”

Chapter 7 includes a convicting list of 29 self-defeating attitudes and behaviors that popped out during his workshops, including: blaming others, being revengeful, spreading rumors, being arrogant, and not sharing your true feelings. He adds a 30th behavior: addiction. (See my last issue for more on addictions.)

#7. Three Specific Things I Will STOP Doing. A two-page worksheet, “My Purpose, My Goals, My SDABs and SSABs,” features a helpful tool for coaching and mentoring and includes these fill-in-the-blanks prompts:
• My Purpose in Life (50 words or less)
• What would success look like for me?
• My Goals (measurable, actionable goals that will show progress toward success)
• Self-defeating attitudes and behaviors (SDABs) holding me back from reaching my goals (list 3)
   --Three specific things I will STOP doing
• Self-supporting attitudes and behaviors (SSABs) that I want to cultivate in my life (list 3)
   --Three specific things I will START doing

THERE’S MORE. I gotta stop here, but don’t miss these highlights:
   • Public Speaking: Why you should memorize the first two minutes of your talk.
   • 11 Testimonials: Powerful “testimonials” from 11 men and women, including Desmond Howard and Steve Hamilton. 
   • Two Exercises: When counseling a very unhappy volleyball player, how two exercises helped her bounce back.
   • Faith-based, Solution-focused: The poignant song, Agape, written and sung by pro hockey player Cooper Marody as a memorial to his teammate, Colby Cave. Note: Kleenex alert! (Read why the author admires Marody's lifestyle: "faith-based, solution-focused.")
   • SWOT Worksheet: How to conduct your own self-assessment on Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
   • Chapter 7: Why Harden thought of titling this chapter, “The Funnest Damn Chapter in the Whole Book!”

To order from Amazon, click on the title for Stay Sane in an Insane World: How to Control the Controllables and Thrive, by Greg Harden with Steve Hamilton. Listen on Libro (5 hours, 39 minutes). And thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy.



YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS:
1) Greg Harden writes, “If you make it your mindset, your vision of who you are, that you’re going to make it a habit to give 100 percent, 100 percent of the time, in everything you do—if you make that your norm, your base level, your default mode—then on your absolutely worst day, even when you slip, you’re still going to be better than the average person on their BEST day.” What would it look like for you to give 100 percent, 100 percent of the time—in your current role at work?

2) And speaking of worst days, here's my review of John Lynch's classic, On My Worst Day: Cheesecake, Evil, Sandy Koufax and Jesus.

3) In last week’s issue on workaholism and money—the author discovered her hyper-focus on success was very unhealthy. Can you give 100 percent, 100 percent of the time—and still lead and live a God-honoring life? (Read both books!)

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Mastering 100 Must-Read Books - Part 7: The Contrarian Thinkers
Book #45 of 100: Balancing Life's Demands

For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by spotlighting Book #45 in Mastering 100 Must-Read Books.
 
Balancing Life's Demands: 
A New Perspective on Priorities
by J. Grant Howard

Books #41 through #45 spotlight five unique authors I’ve labeled “Contrarian Thinkers.” Most books, and far too many preachers, will give you the well-worn dribble about balancing priorities: God is first. Family is second. Church is third. Your career is fourth. Bible scholar J. Grant Howard disagreed and wrote that a list of sequential priorities makes absolutely no sense. 
   • Read my review.
   • Order from Amazon: Balancing Life's Demands
   • Download the 100 Must-Read Books list (from John and Jason Pearson).

Dr. Howard (1929-2004) wrote, “It can’t be intelligently explained. It can’t be easily understood. It can’t be logically lived out.” He added, “I am convinced that the existing sequential model is not only impractical it is unbiblical.”

Instead, Howard believed that Matthew 22:34-40 says we have two relationships and responsibilities—equal in importance—God and our neighbor. With God at the center circle of his helpful diagram, a second circle of self surrounds God and then a third circle with five segments—work, world, government, church and family—make up the outer concentric circle. 

“The Bible simply does not present the Christian’s commitments on some scale or list,” wrote Howard. “It does not give them to us as sequential priorities. We don’t do them all at the same time (though there are many areas of overlap), but we need to do them all.” 

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Legendary Football Coaches on Culture

Some books inspire, but leave out the critical steps. Matt Mayberry’s book inspires and delivers insights and implementation plans, plus helpful profiles on legendary football coaches and leadership gurus. He also warns about “Six Helpful Pain Points.” Must-read: Pain Point #2, “Misrepresentation of old mindsets and behaviors.” Read my review of Culture Is the Way: How Leaders at Every Level Build an Organization for Speed, Impact, and Excellence. And for more book reviews, visit the Pails in Comparison Blog.

 

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The 4 Big Mistakes Board Seminars
Sept. 29: San Diego
Oct. 12: Irvine, CA

The Barnabas Groups in San Diego and Orange County are hosting seminars for nonprofit CEOs and board members. On Oct. 12, John Pearson and Mike Pate will present “The 4 Big Mistakes to Avoid With Your Nonprofit Board: How Leaders Enrich Their Ministry Results Through God-Honoring Governance.” Contact TBG/OC for more info about the Oct. 12 seminar. John is also presenting the seminar on Sept. 29 in San Diego for TBG/San Diego. Can’t attend? Order the 107-page workbook from Amazon.

____________________________________________________

PEARPOD | TELLING YOUR STORY. Chapter 13 in Greg Harden’s book is a must-read: “Your Sport Is What You Do, Not Who You Are.” As you market and promote your organization’s visionary leaders—what role do you have in ensuring that your leaders are living healthy God-honoring lives? Reminder: “Your mission is what you do—not who you are.” Need ideas? Contact Jason Pearson at Pearpod (Design, Digital, Marketing, Social).
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Your Weekly Staff Meeting is emailed free two to four times a month to subscribers. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. As an Amazon Associate, we earn Amazon gift cards from qualifying purchases. As a Libro.fm Affiliate, we earn credits. PRIVACY POLICY: Typepad, Inc. hosts John Pearson's Buckets Blog. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform for Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews. By clicking (above) to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy policy here. 

MoneyZen: The Secret to Finding Your "Enough"

Issue No. 574 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting discusses the “Never Enough” cult and how money and workaholism intersect. 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 Madison Avenue Makeover: The Transformation of Huge and the Redefinition of the Ad Agency Business.


Are you on the “Hamster Wheel of Never Enough?” Read why Manisha Thakor, at age 50, “had nothing to show for it except the privilege of a potential early retirement—a scenario that filled me with dread, because if I stopped working now that would mean I could no longer hide behind my work. I’d have to finally start living. It was all I ever wanted. It was everything I feared.” Note: If you need a hamster wheel, click here!

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Gut Check on Workaholism! (Who me?)

Here’s a book about money—but it’s really about workaholism and much more. And here’s a gut check for you.

CHECK ONE:
[   ] Workaholism is not my problem. I will readily share this book’s message with my spouse and/or my accountability partner.
[  ] Workaholism is not my problem—but I will not share this review with anyone. (They would just meddle and who has time for that?)
[  ] Gulp. Maybe I am a workaholic. Maybe I should read this book.

MoneyZen: The Secret to Finding Your "Enough"
by Manisha Thakor

This thin book has a deep message, but if the publisher had asked me—I would have dropped the “zen” reference in the title and suggested these options:
   • The Cult of Never Enough: Workaholism and Money
   • The New House of Worship: The Office
   • Money and Workaholism: The Hamster Wheel Syndrome
   • Self-Worth = Net Worth: Wear That Busy Badge Proudly!

The author, a wealth advisor and expert on balancing financial health with emotional health, confesses: “For a long time, I had viewed my work addiction solely through the lens of money. That my obsession was driven by a net worth = self-worth mindset, and the faulty belief that the more money I earned, the more valuable I was as a human being. But I can now see that money was never even the true focal point.” 

She quotes a financial therapist and coach. “Often, in money therapy, it isn’t really about the money, it’s about getting to: What is it that money represents for you? And for a lot of people, shame really cuts to the core.”

The author resonated with these insights and “had been silently making mental checkmarks” during the money therapy session.
• “I have long believed that something is wrong with me (check);
• I don’t feel whole (check);
• I try to fill that emptiness with work (double check).”

Manisha Thakor’s father, the CFO “of a Fortune 500 company, came from a well-educated Indian family.” Her “blond-haired, blue-eyed mother was a vibrant college professor” from upstate New York. The family visited her father’s family in India every year—and saw the gamut of both wealth and poverty—but she didn’t learn her misguided values from her family. (Her transparent story, including failures, is insightful.) Yet, she succumbed to misplaced priorities:
   • She skipped her grandmother’s funeral “because I was too busy with some project, the content of which I can’t even recall today.”
   • When her then husband almost lost his leg in a motorcycle accident in Nevada, she focused on her work in a San Francisco hotel room while her husband recovered alone in his hospital bed. She reasoned: “The surgery was successful. You still have your leg. You’re in pain, but there’s nothing I can do about it.”

Writing about “Flawed Self-Worth Anchors,” the author reflects on her “four-digit” handbag collection when she worked in high-net-worth finance. She notes that any purse “that dared to cost over $1,000” was how she signaled her worth to her “flock.” 

Eventually, after moving with her husband from Houston to Santa Fe—and installing hooks for her nearly $20,000 collection of handbags in her spacious closet—she had a wake-up call. Her “Wall of Shame purses could have fed a family of four in the U.S. for an entire year” or could have purchased 150 suits to empower women worldwide through the Dress for Success program.

So why should you read this book about the cult of “Never Enough?” I found it helpful in two areas: money and workaholism. I’ve detailed my own struggle with workaholism here (Buckets, Chapter 9) and here (Mistake-Making #20). I find that revisiting—and staying alert—about addictions can be beneficial. Perhaps this book will be a good reminder for you. Thakor’s robust 14 pages of notes includes many helpful resources, such as:
   • “The Twenty Questions” from Workaholics Anonymous (W.A. adds: “If you answered ‘yes’ to three or more of these questions, you may be a workaholic. Relax. You are not alone. Many have found recovery through the W.A. fellowship.”)
   • The Harvard Business Review article: “How Being a Workaholic Differs from Working Long Hours — and Why That Matters for Your Health”

And is there more to learn about money management and the cult of “Never Enough”—and its relationship to shame and workaholism? Absolutely—and the author delivers practical and probing questions and comments for both over-spenders and over-workers.
   • Instead of “Do What You Love,” why you should “Be What You Love.”
   • Why “baby steps” for workaholics actually work! (List the steps on your to-do list, since workaholics love to-do lists.)
   • The literal “come to Jesus” moment when a husband discovered that all his eggs were in the financial wealth basket leaving him, along with his wife, “void of emotional wealth.” (He began attending church!)
   • Consider “Joy-Based Spending”—a practice the author has been teaching for a decade, especially to those in their 20s and 30s. Three tools: 1) Do a Joy Audit, 2) Do an Hourly Wage Test, and 3) Take a Photo.”
   • “If you won $10 million in the lottery and, on the same day, were told you had only ten years left to live, what would you start doing and what would you stop?”

Note: The chapter titles are very compelling and you will definitely finish this short book (thin, just 167 pages, plus resources). Note: To discern the veracity of the occasional “zen” references, I would encourage readers and leaders to study what aligns—and does not align—with the following theological frameworks. Consider:
   • Saint Augustine: “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”
   • Jesus: “I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.” (John 10:10)
   • Tolstoy: How Much Land Does A Man Need (Note: just $1.99 currently for this Kindle Edition, this short story is by Leo Tolstoy, the author of War and Peace.)
   • Jesus: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21)
 
The Apostle Paul, in Philippians‬ ‭4‬, also weighs in:‬‬ “Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.”‬‬
‭‭ ‬‬
Again (my opinion), the “zen” references distract from the author’s important message, but I believe you’ll find numerous insights that will align with your values, such as:
   • “Making money your god is the fastest route to misery and self-absorption.”
   • Dr. Kate Levinson, a psychotherapist, explains why she took a year’s sabbatical from buying “stuff.”
   • Slow down? “Even in our downtime, we’re listening to podcasts (at 2x speed) while getting in a workout.”
   • The cheery admonitions to “follow your passion!” and “find a job that you love!” can be damaging. The author quotes a writer, “Our desks were never meant to be our altars.” (See also God Loves Your Work.)
   • Consider the “slower lane.” As Elizabeth Gilbert memorably wrote, “You are not a Future 500 company. You don’t have to show increasing profits.”
   • “For years, I treated Saturday and Sunday as bonus workdays…” Now, the author says “…using weekends to rest is a gift.” (See also Sen. Joe Lieberman’s book on the sabbath and Steve Macchia’s book, Crafting a Rule of Life.)

PRISON! Finally, in the chapter on “The Liberation of Enough,” Manisha Thakor reminds us: “But Never Enough cult members like me tend to turn money (and its bedfellows prestige and accomplishments) into an addiction, a competition, or a crutch. Instead of being an agent of freedom, money becomes a prison.”

And speaking of prison, see below for my review of Lessons from San Quentin, plus read what Harvard’s Clayton Christensen warned about in his year-end lecture to Harvard students. He asked, “How can I be sure that…I live a life of integrity—and stay out of jail?” (Read more.)

To order from Amazon, click on the title for MoneyZen: The Secret to Finding Your "Enough” by Manisha Thakor. Listen on Libro (6 hours, 48 minutes). And thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy.



YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS:
1) In addition to the author’s approach to “Joy-Based Spending,” how could we enrich its meaning with Cameron Doolittle’s Joy Giving aspirations? (Read my review.)
2) In the counter-cultural book, The God Guarantee: Finding Freedom From the Fear of Not Having Enough, Jack Alexander quotes Dallas Willard, “Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning.” Alexander then shares how he went from “my time, my talent, my treasure, my assets” to understanding there was more “me” in that approach—“and not a lot of God.” Do you have enough yet?
3) In Chapter 9, “The Team Bucket,” in Mastering the Management Buckets, I describe my own wake-up call about workaholism. So to set boundaries, I began using Worksheet #9.1, “The 21 Time Blocks: Toward a God-honoring Balanced Life.” Later, after very helpful counseling, I learned what was fueling my addiction. Today? “Hello. My name is John and I’m a workaholic.” What's your story?
4) John Maxwell waited until age 60 to write one of his books. Do you think the author's story will be different at age 60 (10 years from now)? (P.S. Want more money insights? Check out "The Money Couple's" books.) 

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Mastering 100 Must-Read Books - Part 7: The Contrarian Thinkers
Book #44 of 100: Lessons From San Quentin

For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by spotlighting Book #44 in Mastering 100 Must-Read Books.
 
Lessons from San Quentin: 
Everything I Need to Know About Life I Learned in Prison
by Bill Dallas with George Barna

Books #41 through #45 spotlight five unique authors I’ve labeled “Contrarian Thinkers.” Trendspotter George Barna teams up with Bill Dallas for this book. Dallas describes his wake-up call on character development and the defining life lessons he learned from five years at San Quentin.
   • Read my review.
   • Order from Amazon: Lessons from San Quentin
   • Listen on Libro (5 hours, 24 minutes)
   • Download the 100 Must-Read Books list (from John and Jason Pearson).

Here’s a snippet: “San Quentin dislodged my perception of the church as an institution and redefined it as a unified group of sinners who were so thrilled to be accepted by God that they accepted everyone who wanted to join them on the journey. Their emphasis was love, not rules; character, not attendance; spiritual fruit, not information retention.”

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First Church of Sinners

“In ‘Sinners Anonymous,’ blogger R. Brad White calls AA a place of ‘healing, support, encouragement, and accountability’ and asks why this description does not apply to more churches. Perhaps if we renamed our congregations ‘Sinners Anonymous’ or ‘First Church of Sinners,’ he writes, this would assist us in making them feel more like AA.” Read my review of Why Can't Church Be More Like an AA Meeting? And Other Questions Christians Ask About Recovery, by Stephen R. Haynes. And for more book reviews, visit the Pails in Comparison Blog.

 

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The 4 Big Mistakes Board Seminars:
Sept. 29: San Diego
Oct. 12: Irvine, CA

The Barnabas Groups in San Diego and Orange County are hosting seminars for nonprofit CEOs and board members. On Oct. 12, John Pearson and Mike Pate will present “The 4 Big Mistakes to Avoid With Your Nonprofit Board: How Leaders Enrich Their Ministry Results Through God-Honoring Governance.” Contact TBG/OC for more info about the Oct. 12 seminar. John is also presenting the seminar on Sept. 29 in San Diego for TBG/San Diego. Can’t attend? Order the 107-page workbook from Amazon.

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PEARPOD | TELLING YOUR STORY. Does “Hamster Wheel” aptly describe the culture for your communications and marketing team? It doesn’t have to be that way. Learn from other pros how they leverage tools, deadlines, and clarity to exceed goals and still have a life! Need help? Contact Jason Pearson at Pearpod (Design, Digital, Marketing, Social).
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Your Weekly Staff Meeting is emailed free two to four times a month to subscribers. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. As an Amazon Associate, we earn Amazon gift cards from qualifying purchases. As a Libro.fm Affiliate, we earn credits. PRIVACY POLICY: Typepad, Inc. hosts John Pearson's Buckets Blog. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform for Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews. By clicking (above) to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy policy here. 

Madison Avenue Makeover: The Transformation of Huge and the Redefinition of the Ad Agency Business

Issue No. 573 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting describes the transformation process of a global creative agency with 12 independent offices (silos) and on its fifth CEO in just four years. Yikes! 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 Attitude Is a Choice―So Pick a Good One: Practical Steps to a Positive Outlook, by Bob Phillips.


Remember this clever EDS commercial? The team at the digital creative agency, Huge, would clearly identify with the huge challenge of rebuilding an airplane in the air! View the one-minute spoof here.

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"Faster Horses" Not the Answer

It’s still summer here in the Northern Hemisphere, but—if you’re honest—while you may still be on vacation, you’ve been thinking about the next round of your strategic planning process. Today’s book will get your juices going again. Read:

Madison Avenue Makeover: 
The Transformation of Huge 
and the Redefinition of the Ad Agency Business
by Michael Farmer

“Huge” is the corporate name of a digital creative agency. Their first client was IKEA. With 12 independent offices worldwide in 2021, the owners had just named their fifth CEO in four years. (That definitely calls for a YIKES!) IPG, “one of the big five global marketing communications holding companies,” somehow cajoled Mat Baxter (who immigrated with his family to Australia at age 12), to take a swing at this huge challenge (no pun intended).

Remember—this was during COVID, so when Baxter agreed to become Huge’s Global CEO, he began meeting with small segments of their 1,200 employees over Zoom. Across their 12 offices (London, Singapore, Bogotá, Toronto, Brooklyn, Chicago and other cities), each led by an “office president,” he discovered more than 100 job titles in the agency! There was no uniform “Huge Way,” or common approach with clients. Just 12 fiefdoms. Growth had stalled. (Does this sound like a fun job to you?)

Stunningly, Baxter invited the author, consultant, and prof, Michael Farmer, to shadow the hoped-for transformation process as a “fly on the wall.” Gratefully, readers can soak up all the learnings (and the missteps) as Farmer chronicles the 17-month process in 2021-2022. (He includes his notes in the book.)

And yes, they wore COVID masks during the first of three executive leadership team retreats. And get this: at their first retreat in Maine with 20 global execs (plus the author), Baxter intentionally did not provide an agenda in advance! Think about that! The retreat began with an ice-breaker dinner then focused on seven key questions for the next two days.

• If you’re a consultant (or a consultant wanna-be), you’ll love this book.
• If you’re a CEO or senior team member—facing no growth or slow growth—Madison Avenue Makeover is a must-read.

Fascinating. Enlightening. Templates. Replicable Ideas. Cartoons! And a promising exercise for your next senior leaders retreat.

HERE ARE 5 TAKEAWAYS:

#1. GUTSY SELF-ASSESSMENT REQUIRED! If you’re in need of a transformation, this book will give you courage—watching how the team at Huge pulled it off. To calm the obvious fears of major changes coming, the executive leadership team prepared and distributed an extensive “Frequently Asked Questions” document for every employee. (It runs 22 pages in the book’s appendix.) The FAQs includes this quote from Andy Grove, former Chairman and CEO of Intel, “To understand a company’s strategy, look at what they actually do rather than what they say they will do.”

Farmer writes, "To use a tired analogy, Baxter would have to rebuild the plan while it was flying." (View the EDS video here.) And they needed to keep the team informed and productive, which reminded me of Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change, by William Bridges who writes, “It isn’t the changes that do you in, it’s the transitions.” (See also my ECFA blog post, “Beware the Emotional Effects of Transitions.”)

#2. MARKET RESEARCH SAYS: “FASTER HORSES!” Mat Baxter immediately retained a consulting firm to give guidance to the transformation process. (Warning: Strong opinions. Deep-seated cultures.) What will prompt revitalization and growth: Plan A or Plan B—and how will we know? The author notes, “Huge’s product approach was similar to what was carried out at Apple under Steve Jobs, who is reported to have said:

‘Some people say, “Give the customers what they want.” But that’s not my approach. Our job is to figure out what they’re going to want before they do. Henry Ford once said, “If I’d ask customers what they wanted, they would have told me, a faster horse!” People don’t know what they want until you show it to them. That’s why I never rely on market research. Our task is to read things that are not yet on the page.’”

#3. GIVE THE PROCESS A MEMORABLE CODE NAME! “Within the ELT [executive leadership team], the transformation program was codenamed 'Project Polpo'—polpo being the Italian word for octopus, the complicated sea creature with eight arms, a soft and adaptable body for squeezing in and out of tight spaces, and a high brain-to-body weight ratio.”

Words matter—and I imagine this creative code name brought chuckles and motivation to the ELT. The author (in his fly-on-the-wall role) had full access to meetings and documents. The book includes the unedited snippet of a “Polpo Playbook Review,” led by the recently promoted Chief Product Officer. 

#4. TRUST YOUR CONSULTANT! Baxter retained TBMC, a consulting firm with a unique process. Michael Farmer notes that “TBMC uses a unique, stylized vocabulary when describing advertising industry practices and the content of the consultancy’s transformation program.” Another gut check: what if the CEO or ELT doesn’t trust the process?

This reminded me of the wisdom from my friend and colleague, David Schmidt of Wise Planning. Dan Busby and I quoted Schmidt in ECFA Tools and Templates for Effective Board Governance: “Your strategic planning consultant, facilitator, or volunteer will use different tools to get you to the top of Mount Everest (a completed plan). But it’s important to let your facilitator use his or her own tools.” (Read more here. Download Tool #14 here.)

#5. YOUR NEXT CEO: WHAT COMPETENCIES? When Mat Baxter agreed to become the fifth CEO of Huge in four years (!), he brought a critical competency with him: Turn-Around guy (see The First 90 Days and the four kinds of organizations). The challenges (did I mention this?) were huge: silos, no growth, global, new guy in town. The author quotes Baxter extensively—and you’re reminded that, as Peter Drucker urged, leaders must lead from their strengths. Drucker: “Effective leadership is not about being liked; leadership is defined by results, not attributes.”

Farmer notes that Baxter engineered a paradigm shift—with a new approach: “a results paradigm” focusing on seven outcomes (see pages 136-137 in the last chapter). One critical outcome: “a corporate mission to improve client results.” This reminded me of Peter Drucker’s observation about Leadership Network, founded by Bob Buford: “The fruit of your work grows on other people’s trees.” (Read more.)

There’s more—so I urge you to read and learn from this fascinating book:
• The “Fears, Gaps, Challenges” pre-retreat assignment for all senior leaders.
• “GOAT”—the firm’s “Go Away Time” 30-day sabbatical when a team member reaches 10 years of service.
• Metaphors: Huge landed on three unique “front doors” (learn about doorbells also) and what they first labeled “drawers.”
• Categorization (the 3-page template for the 3 front doors): Experience Transformation, Technology Realization, and Growth Creation (plus: 45 new "products" for helping clients grow).
• History, context, and pricing for creative agencies today: fascinating.
• The work from home dilemma for a global firm: read where Huge landed.
• More Metaphors: Conversion from being a “light bulb” for the clients to a “laser.”
• And this:

“Each employee needs to be an ambassador for results-driven work. This will require a major communications and cultural-development effort.”

Did the transformation work? Read the book!

To order from Amazon, click on the title for Madison Avenue Makeover: The Transformation of Huge and the Redefinition of the Ad Agency Business, by Michael Farmer. And thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy.



YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS:
1) In discussing the best business model for Huge, their consultants delivered an overview of various business models—and their pros and cons. They warned, “Employing the wrong model contributes to client churn and talent burnout.” What’s our business model? How long have we had it? Is it working? Is it time for an upgrade? Can we do it while flying the plane?
2) Someone on your team should read another fascinating book on the advertising industry, The King of Madison Avenue: David Ogilvy and the Making of Modern Advertising, by Kenneth Roman (read my review). A popular Ogilvyism was, “You can’t save souls in an empty church.” Discuss the fine line between advertising and manipulation. Spotlight one of your print ads, brochures, email blasts, or website page that generated remarkable results recently. Why did it work?

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Mastering 100 Must-Read Books - Part 7: The Contrarian Thinkers
Book #43 of 100: Talking to Strangers

For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by spotlighting Book #43 in Mastering 100 Must-Read Books.
 
Talking to Strangers: 
What We Should Know
about the People We Don't Know
by Malcolm Gladwell 

Books #41 through #45 spotlight five unique authors I’ve labeled “Contrarian Thinkers.” Bestselling author Malcolm Gladwell writes, “The issue with spies is not that there is something brilliant about them. It is that there is something wrong with us.”
   • Read my review.
   • Order from Amazon: Talking to Strangers
   • Listen on Libro (8 hours, 57 minutes)
   • Download the 100 Must-Read Books list (from John and Jason Pearson).

THE BIG IDEA: Really smart people (the CIA, military intelligence, regulators, university officials with Ph.D.’s, the list goes on…) are not that smart when discerning if people we don’t know well are hoodwinking us (think spies, double agents, Ponzi schemers, football coaches, job applicants, the list goes on…). So…what chance is there for the rest of us with average intelligence? Gladwell: not much! The author elaborates on two puzzlers:

PUZZLER #1: “Why can’t we tell when the stranger in front of us is lying to our face?”
PUZZLER #2: “How is it that meeting a stranger can sometimes make us worse at making sense of that person than not meeting them?”

Also on this theme, read my reviews of Fool Me Once and Code Name Blue Wren.

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The Future Ridiculed!

The authors of Future Normal are realists: “The truth is that the future is abandoned, defunded, ignored, or ridiculed just as often as it is realized. So the real challenge isn’t predicting the future but rather predicting what will become normal.” Read my review of Future Normal: How We Will Live, Work and Thrive in the Next Decade. And for more book reviews, visit the Pails in Comparison Blog.

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The 4 Big Mistakes Board Seminars:
Sept. 29: San Diego
Oct. 12: Irvine, CA

The Barnabas Groups in San Diego and Orange County are hosting seminars for nonprofit CEOs and board members. On Oct. 12, John Pearson and Mike Pate will present "The 4 Big Mistakes to Avoid With Your Nonprofit Board: How Leaders Enrich Their Ministry Results Through God-Honoring Governance.” Contact TBG/OC for more info about the Oct. 12 seminar. John is also presenting the seminar on Sept. 29 in San Diego for TBG/San Diego. Can’t attend? Order the 107-page workbook from Amazon.

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PEARPOD | TELLING YOUR STORY. Would "The Man in the Hathaway Shirt" ad or the VW Beetle "Lemon" ad still work today? Need new ideas or even a new business model? Need help with AI innovations? We can help. Contact Jason Pearson at Pearpod (Design, Digital, Marketing, Social).
____________________________________
Your Weekly Staff Meeting is emailed free two to four times a month to subscribers. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. As an Amazon Associate, we earn Amazon gift cards from qualifying purchases. As a Libro.fm Affiliate, we earn credits. PRIVACY POLICY: Typepad, Inc. hosts John Pearson's Buckets Blog. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform for Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews. By clicking (above) to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy policy here. 

Attitude Is a Choice―So Pick a Good One: Practical Steps to a Positive Outlook

Issue No. 572 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting highlights a comprehensive—but very fun to read—book on attitude. This book has lists! Oh, my—the lists! 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 video review of Rewired: The McKinsey Guide to Outcompeting in the Age of Digital and AI.


Bad attitude? Think you have problems? Listen to the song, “Murphy and the Bricks,” and learn why Murphy won’t be at work tomorrow! (LOL!) 

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Attitude Listology!

Just published today, here’s a book with practical steps (and numerous lists) for growing a positive attitude. Yikes! I know at least a dozen friends who should read this! But then—as the author writes, “Double yikes!” and “Triple yikes!”—I, too, looked in the attitude mirror. I hope you’ll read this very relevant and very unique book:

Attitude Is a Choice―So Pick a Good One: 
Practical Steps to a Positive Outlook
by Bob Phillips

Phillips doesn’t waste your time with filler in this important book. On pages 9 to 11, you’ll find the “Attitude Evaluation Scale” and I double dare you to assess your attitude using the 30 statements. (Oh…if only my friends would submit to this exercise!) Rate yourself on a scale of 10 (High/Positive) to 1 (Low/Negative). Examples:
   #3. My attitude while driving demands a rating of …
   #6. My attitude toward facing change would register a …
   #10. My ability to deal with conflict would rate a score of …
   #20. My tendency toward a negative spirit and negative comments deserves a …
   #30. If I was suddenly ushered into the presence of God, He might give me an attitude rating of …

See what I mean? Your friends and your family members need to read this book! And triple yikes…it goes without saying—both you and I need to read this book. At least thrice.

Bob Phillips sprinkles convicting quotations about attitude throughout the book:
   • John C. Maxwell: “Circumstances do not make you what you are. They reveal what you are.”
   • Zig Ziglar: “Attitude improvement is much like bathing. It is something we recommend you do every day!”
   • Tim Wright: “Our attitude is our personal boomerang to the world—whatever we throw out will come back to us.”

The book’s 26 short chapters address the wide, wide world of all-things-attitude. (I had no idea!) Chapters include: Attitude and Career. Attitude and Habits. Attitude and Gratitude (this will preach!). Attitude and Anger (now he’s meddling—with two chapters!). Other attitude pairings include Attitude and Complexity, Self-Image, Depression, Habits, Adversity, Forgiveness, and more.

WORTH THE PRICE OF THE BOOK. Chapter 14, “Attitude and Career,” includes 10 pages of general questions, work-related questions, lists to rank order (“You prefer a work situation with…” and “You get the most job satisfaction from…”), plus relational questions, personal questions, and spiritual questions. Then there’s this bonus: “26 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Making Major Decisions.” (Example: “In one sentence, what is the issue or decision you’re facing right now?”) Fabulous questions!

MASTER LISTOLOGIST. The lists! Oh, my…the lists are phenomenal! I thought of calling this review, “Listography” but then I discovered it’s the name of a table game! Did you know you can order a “listography” journaling book? My opinion: Bob Phillips is a Master Listologist. My favorite lists:
   • Attitude Issues (48 topics). Phillips quotes Charles Kettering: “A problem well stated is a problem half solved.”
   • Bad Attitude Triggers (62 triggers). Oh, my—he’s been around us. Triggers include: Monday mornings, indecisive people, grouchy people, constant complainers, people who tailgate, other people being late, and 56 more!
   • Bad Attitude Busters (30 complaints and 30 push-backs!). My favorite: “I struggle with impatience. How do I develop more patience?” Push-back: “Ask God to bring you more problems. You don’t need patience when you’re problem-free.”
 
Bob Phillips is a licensed marriage and family counselor and a New York Times bestselling author of over 130 books (not a typo!). He is the cofounder of the Pointman Leadership Institute. In this book, he shares numerous stories from in-the-trenches, including his years as executive director of Hume Lake Christian Camps (where one father threatened to deck him!). I’ve reviewed several of his books including:
   • 101 Leadership Insights: Practical Tools, Tips, and Techniques for New and Seasoned Leaders (read my review)
   • Overcoming Conflict (read my review)
   • And a very helpful book on the four social styles, How to Deal With Annoying People: What to Do When You Can’t Avoid Them (read my review)

Attitude Is a Choice includes a helpful new idea (at least for me) on the four social styles (Analytical, Driver, Amiable, Expressive). In the chapter, “Attitude and Temperament,” Phillips assigns homework. Using a three-by-five-inch index card, write down five “positive” descriptors of your social style on one side, and then five “negative” descriptors on the other side. Carry the index card with you for three weeks and set an alarm to remind you to look at the card at least three times a day. (Triple yikes—for those negative descriptors!) 

Phillips lists 14 negative descriptors for the “Driver” style (that’s me). I picked five and now this Top-5 list is in my pocket—an excellent reminder of how the other three social styles might view me. ("75% think you're nuts!" Read more.)



Don’t skip a page in this well-worth-your-time book. See especially:
• 35 pages on “The Bible’s Attitude on Over 270 Topics” with hundreds of Bible references from A to Z (Anger to Zeal).
• “If you think you have a problem, read The Bricklayer’s Story…” (See pages 103-104. Hilarious! Or view this video.)
• Take the “Self-Esteem and Self-Image Inventory” (71 positive and negative traits).
• Learn why you are a Zamboni!
• Consider 12 monthly exercises, such as “Smile Month” and “Reading Month.” (I may skip “Exercise Month.”)

Finally, if you preach, speak, give talks, or lead weekly staff meetings, you’ll leverage the pithy quotations from Henri Nouwen, Anne Lamont, C.S. Lewis, Jack Canfield, François Fénelon, Tim Keller, the Cheshire Cat, and others. Three of my favorites:

Socrates: “If all our misfortunes were laid in one common heap, whence everyone must take an equal portion, most people would be contented to take their own and depart.”

Lou Holtz: “Don’t tell your problems to people. Eighty percent don’t care and the other twenty percent are glad you have them.” 

G.K. Chesterton: “You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.”

To order from Amazon, click on the title for Attitude Is a Choice―So Pick a Good One: Practical Steps to a Positive Outlook, by Bob Phillips. And thanks to the author for sending me a review copy.



YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS:
1) Bob Phillips suggests a response when someone exhibits a bad attitude, such as: “Things aren’t going right for me.” Your push-back: “Should I bring balloons to your pity party?” (LOL!) Check out the other 29 “Bad Attitude Busters.” For our discussion: How do you discern whether to show empathy or a good sense of humor? 
2) Inhis chapter, “Attitude and Forgiveness,” Phillips quotes Anne Lamott: “Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die.” Triple yikes! Is it possible that maybe just one chapter in Attitude Is a Choice just might contain enough nudges and/or convicting insights to merit reading this book? 

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Mastering 100 Must-Read Books - Part 7: The Contrarian Thinkers
Book #42 of 100: Stop Setting Goals

For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by spotlighting Book #42 in Mastering 100 Must-Read Books.
 
Stop Setting Goals 
If You Would Rather Solve Problems 
by Bobb Biehl 

Books #41 through #45 spotlight five unique authors I’ve labeled “Contrarian Thinkers.” Bobb Biehl, a consultant’s consultant, opened the eyes of this goal-setting zealot (me) to a second reality in just one sentence: “When I work on problems, I come in early and leave late. When I work on goals, I come in late and leave early.”
   • Read my review.
   • Order from Amazon: Stop Setting Goals
   • Download the 100 Must-Read Books list (from John and Jason Pearson).

Are you a goal-setter or a problem-solver? (How about your direct reports?) Do you embrace the challenge of marketing a new product line (goal setting) or do you prefer improving the profitability of an existing product (problem solving)? Goal-setters, Biehl says, talk about goals and dreams, new hills to climb, and golden opportunities. Problem-solvers talk about problems and realities, following through on the commitments already made last year, maximizing and controlling, and overcoming roadblocks.

Note: For more on problem solving, read my reviews of Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution: A Handbook for Entrepreneurs and Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen. 

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What’s Your XQ?

What? You’ve never heard of XQ? Welcome to the club! Soren Kaplan, author of Experiential Intelligence: Harness the Power of Experience for Personal and Business Breakthroughs, defines XQ as “…the combination of mindsets, abilities, and know-how gained from your unique life experience that empowers you to achieve your goals.” Click here to read my review. For more book reviews, visit the Pails in Comparison Blog.

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The 4 Big Mistakes Board Seminars:
Sept. 29: San Diego
Oct. 12: Irvine, CA

The Barnabas Groups in San Diego and Orange County are hosting seminars for nonprofit CEOs and board members. On Oct. 12, John Pearson and Mike Pate will present "The 4 Big Mistakes to Avoid With Your Nonprofit Board: How Leaders Enrich Their Ministry Results Through God-Honoring Governance.” Contact TBG/OC for more info about the Oct. 12 seminar. John is also presenting the seminar on Sept. 29 in San Diego for TBG/San Diego. Can’t attend? Order the 107-page workbook from Amazon.

____________________________________________________

PEARPOD | TELLING YOUR STORY. Bob Phillips asks a probing question in his book, Attitude Is a Choice. “What energizes you about your work?” Do you know this about each team member? See the 10 pages of career-related questions in Chapter 14, “Attitude and Career.” Need more resources? Contact Jason Pearson at Pearpod (Design, Digital, Marketing, Social).
____________________________________
Your Weekly Staff Meeting is emailed free two to four times a month to subscribers. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. As an Amazon Associate, we earn Amazon gift cards from qualifying purchases. As a Libro.fm Affiliate, we earn credits. PRIVACY POLICY: Typepad, Inc. hosts John Pearson's Buckets Blog. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform for Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews. By clicking (above) to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy policy here. 

Rewired: The McKinsey Guide to Outcompeting in the Age of Digital and AI

Issue No. 571 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting features a video review of the new Wall Street Journal bestseller from McKinsey on this digital age and AI. Plus, read the review from Dr. John Reynolds. 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 True North: Leading Authentically in Today's Workplace (Emerging Leader Edition).



View the video review of the new book, Rewired. Listen in as Dr. John Reynolds and David Schmidt join Pearson to discuss AI. Learn why Reynolds urges, “Rewired is the book to have on your desk today.”

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“Rewired is the book to have on your desk today.”

Attn: Leaders, Readers, and Listeners!

I’ve been haranguing you to delegate your reading—but for this issue, I actually delegated my review! Dr. John Reynolds, President of Los Angeles Pacific University, read and reviewed this week’s book and urges every executive to get it off the shelf and onto your desk! 

Another bonus! Click here to view a short video conversation about AI with Dr. Reynolds, David Schmidt, and me—as we talk about all things digital, AI, and this book: Rewired: The McKinsey Guide to Outcompeting in the Age of Digital and AI.

READ THE REVIEW FROM DR. JOHN REYNOLDS:

If you are an executive looking for one comprehensive “how to make it happen" book that is current, speaks to the  executive in language that makes sense about the rapidly evolving digital world, then Rewired is the book to have on your desk today. 

The style of the book is perfectly stated right on the dust cover: “Rewired is a practitioner’s guide for leaders ready to do the hard work needed to outcompete in the age of digital and artificial intelligence.”

Circle in your mind “practitioner,” “leaders,” and “digital,” and you will know right now that this is a must-read for every organizational leader.

Well-designed for a complex topic, the book is neatly divided into seven sections:
• Sections 1 to 4 focus on the business of leading people and leading the organization certain to come with digital transformation. 
• Sections 5 to 7 identify the digital strategies required to support the organizational change and deliver impact—utilizing the latest data on governance and technology available. 

Your more technical staff and Chief Digital/Information Officers will be ecstatic! There are several outstanding new and interesting insights. For example, “EVP” is not “Executive Vice President,” but an “Employee Value Proposition.” (Fascinating.) And if you want to learn more, read Chapter 10, “Hiring Digital Talent When They’re Actually Interviewing You” (especially pages 88-91). Discover the new talent management strategies needed in this digital world.

The book is loaded with practical “how-to-do-it” strategies, examples, and case studies to support the execution of digital strategies. An outstanding example is the chart on page 90, “The Most Important Job Factors for Software Talent,” showing four columns (Took a Job, Plan to Stay, Plan to Leave, Left) and the reasons for such action:
   • Career development and advancement potential
   • Compensation and  financial-related factors
   • Workplace flexibility
   • Meaningful work
   • Support for employee health and well-being

A talent acquisition map ready to go! Pages 92-96 feature a template to document your “Current State Recruiting Journey” and your “Future State Recruiting Journey”—populated graphically with yellow emojis (i.e. Motivated, Anxious, Stressed, Hopeful, Frustrated, Informed, Excited, and more). The recruitment phases note the timelines.

Several chapters on “doing agile”  serve as a great primer if you’ve missed the large repository of information published on agile organizations over the last few years. The detailed and practical approaches to organizational structure and optimizing agile methods are masterful with several real-world examples and case studies—a signature of this well-researched book.

Rewired is a practical “this is what we learned, use our experience, now go out and do it yourself” reference for navigating the often-fraught challenges of digital transformation. It could easily be renamed “The Dummies Guide to Digital Transformation, Agile Organizations, and Technology”—but the book is too well-researched, and replete with research information, that any other title would not do the content and value justice.

Rewired should be on every executive’s desk, and definitely not on the shelf. It masterfully fuses Strategic Thinking with execution in a practical and logical roadmap—enabling organizations to be successful in implementing and adding value through digital transformation.

NOTE: A genuine THANK YOU to our guest reviewer of Rewired. John Reynolds, Ph.D., serves as the President of Los Angeles Pacific University (LAPU) in Los Angeles. Prior to his 20+ year career in higher education, John worked and consulted in over 40 countries speaking, consulting, and advising educational, corporate, and NGO leaders on strategy, leadership, and organizational development initiatives. In addition to being a President and CEO, John serves on several for-profit, nonprofit, and educational boards in the USA, Canada, Australia, Europe, and Africa. John enjoys writing, speaking, teaching, and consulting, specifically in the areas of strategy, leadership, digital transformation, board governance, and organizational change. 

To order from Amazon, click on the title for Rewired: The McKinsey Guide to Outcompeting in the Age of Digital and AI, by Eric Lamarre, Kate Smaje, and Rodney Zemmel. And thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy.



BONUS! To read the 12-page summary of Rewired, by the authors, click here to sign up for McKinsey Quarterly. (See pages 18-29 in the June 2023 digital edition, Vol. 59, No. 3.)

YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS:
1) Who should read this book first? Who will ensure that Rewired is on the DESK of our digital and AI team members, not the shelf?  

2) In our video review of Rewired, David Schmidt cautions about the unprecedented changes that AI is bringing to the workplace—and the “ten percent” factor that faith-based nonprofits, especially, should be vigilant about. Can we trust the data? As a consultant, Schmidt recommends that policies keep pace with these coming changes. “What’s core and what’s non-negotiable?” Who is giving us guidance on these key issues? (NOTE: The day after we recorded the video, this article appeared online: "'AI and the Church' tech initiative aims to bring God's power to those in need. Scott Beck, CEO of Gloo, believes that AI, used properly, can benefit 'human flourishing.'") 

3) If you enjoyed the above review, check out the video review of The Four Workarounds, recorded on March 8, 2023, with John Pearson (host) and David Schmidt and Jason Pearson.

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Mastering 100 Must-Read Books - Part 7: The Contrarian Thinkers
Book #41 of 100: The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership

For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by spotlighting Book #41 in Mastering 100 Must-Read Books.
 
The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership
by Steven B. Sample

Books #41 through #45 spotlight five unique authors I’ve labeled “Contrarian Thinkers.” Steven Sample (1940-2016) served as USC’s president from 1991 to 2010. He had two general rules about decision making:
[  ] Rule No. 1: “Never make a decision yourself that can reasonably be delegated to a lieutenant.”
[  ] Rule No. 2: “Never make a decision today that can reasonably be put off to tomorrow.”

   • Read my review.
   • Order from Amazon: The Contrarian’s Guide to Leadership
   • Download the 100 Must-Read Books list (from John and Jason Pearson).

The page-turning contrarian chapters include:
 1. Thinking Gray, and Free
 2. Artful Listening
 3. Experts: Saviors and Charlatans
 4. You Are What You Read
 5. Decisions, Decisions
 6. Give the Devil His Due
 7. Know Which Hill You’re Willing to Die On
 8. Work for Those Who Work for You
 9. Follow the Leader
10. Being President Versus Doing President

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LOL! AI Mimics John Pearson's Buckets Blog!

Just for fun—and thinking about artificial intelligence per the last three chapters of a book I recently reviewed—I asked ChatGPT: “Using the writing style and humor from 'John Pearson’s Buckets Blog,' write a book review of Decision Sprint by Atif Rafiq." In the blink of a robot, ChatGPT delivered a 545-word response, including a "Buckets" rating for the book! Read more here. For more book reviews, visit the Pails in Comparison Blog.

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The 4 Big Mistakes Board Seminar:
Oct. 12, 2023

The Barnabas Group/Orange County is hosting a seminar for nonprofit CEOs and board members on Oct. 12, 2023, in Irvine, Calif. John Pearson and Mike Pate will present The “4 Big Mistakes to Avoid With Your Nonprofit Board: How Leaders Enrich Their Ministry Results Through God-Honoring Governance.” Contact TBG/OC for more information. Can’t attend? Order the 107-page workbook from Amazon.

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PEARPOD | TELLING YOUR STORY. Mystified by the divergent views on AI? Some of our clients have discovered breakthrough solutions—saving hours (even days) of precious time. Need an outside insight? Contact Jason Pearson at Pearpod (Design, Digital, Marketing, Social).
____________________________________
Your Weekly Staff Meeting is emailed free two to four times a month to subscribers. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. As an Amazon Associate, we earn Amazon gift cards from qualifying purchases. As a Libro.fm Affiliate, we earn credits. PRIVACY POLICY: Typepad, Inc. hosts John Pearson's Buckets Blog. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform for Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews. By clicking (above) to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy policy here. 

True North: Leading Authentically in Today's Workplace, Emerging Leader Edition

Issue No. 570 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting delivers a Leadership Lotto of six books to delegate for your team’s summer reading fun! 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 The One Year® Book of Hymns: 365 Devotions Based on Popular Hymns.

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More Mistakes or
More Leadership Books?

Be honest now. How many leadership mistakes did you make yesterday? How many mistakes last week? Last month? Last quarter?

So…is it possible that if you read one more leadership book—you could potentially reduce your blunders, bobbles, bloopers, and bottlenecks?

This issue spotlights six leadership books (six!)—just in time for your summer reading. Think of this as winning the Leadership Lotto! Your investment in lifelong learning may not match the $1.08 billion payout to the Los Angeles lotto winner last week (it was not me), but reading, or listening to, the right leadership book, at the right time, can pay rich dividends. Here’s your summer reading (or listening) list. Dive into 1,563 pages (or 29 hours) of leadership lessons. Two ideas: 
• Delegate your reading. Inspire your direct reports to each select a book to read and report on. (See The Book Bucket.)
• Read one book and host a “Bagels and Books” 20-minute break. Highlight your key insights in 10 minutes and allocate 10 minutes for Q&A.

#1. True North: Leading Authentically in Today's Workplace, Emerging Leader Edition, by Zach Clayton and Bill George (Aug. 30, 2022). Listen on Libro (9 hours, 1 minute). This book includes a foreword by David Gergen and endorsements by Alan Mulally and Tom Rath, author of StrengthsFinder 2.0. And thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy.



What? You haven’t read the classic book on authentic leadership by Harvard’s Bill George (and former Chair and CEO of Medtronic)? Good news! This 2022 edition (post-COVID) includes insights from coauthor Zach Clayton, a 37-year-old Millennial and founder and CEO of Three Ships.

George and Clayton interviewed 50 leaders “with an emphasis on the new generation of leaders.” Counting previous True North editions, they interviewed 222 leaders! The stories are poignant, such as Hubert Joly’s wake-up call when his HR leader noted that Joly’s name was in every box on their organizational chart!

To find his authentic self, Joly “embarked on a 2-year spiritual journey with a monk as spiritual director, undertaking the spiritual exercises of Ignatius de Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order." 


Get this! In his first week as CEO of Best Buy in 2012, Hubert Joly “didn’t go to the corporate headquarters but instead worked in its St. Cloud, Minnesota, store.” Joly notes, “Wearing khaki pants and the iconic Best Buy blue shirt with a ‘CEO in Training’ tag, I spent my first days listening, asking questions, visiting every department, and observing sales associates interacting with customers.”

You’ll appreciate the QR Codes and stories spotlighting CEOs on their quest to find True North, such as the leader who, following a 10-day silent retreat, began a “wisdom tour”—meeting with 50 people “who could offer perspective on his next chapter.”

Warning. This is a dangerous book. The “I versus We Leaders” chart on page 168 is a gut check. Do you “ask for compliance with rules” or “seek alignment through values?” The “Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations” chart on page 123—gulp!

This Emerging Leader Edition of True North is not an analysis of the many crises that confront our world—“or the leaders who have caused them. Rather, this is a calling to you as emerging leaders of the next generations—Gen X, Millennials, and Gen Z—to step up and lead authentically by discovering your True North and following your North Star to make this world a better place.”

“Many leaders have learned the hard way that external recognition is a fickle lover.” And read another gut check on page 133 about “the mistake of taking high-salaried jobs to pay off loans or live the high life, even if [these emerging leaders] have no genuine interest in the work.” Plus, read how Bill George found his sweet spot at age 46.

This reminded me of Frederick Buechner’s insight: “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”

At age 27, Zach Clayton participated in a three-day leadership workshop which included a 360-degree review “based on input from 10 of my colleagues. I opened the envelope excited to read about how much they admired my strengths but instead learned I ranked in the 19th percentile of leadership effectiveness.” Whew! Must-read!

Finally, because “self-awareness is the foundation of authenticity,” don’t skip Chapter 4, “Develop Self-Awareness,” and the interview question that revealed a lack of empathy—and nearly torpedoed Satya Nadella’s first position at Microsoft. (He’s now the CEO.) The question: “Imagine you see a baby lying on the street, and the baby is crying. What do you do?”

Later as CEO, Nadella observed that “Microsoft’s culture had become dogmatic because everyone had to prove they knew it all and were the smartest people in the room. Satya committed to change Microsoft’s culture from ‘know-it-alls’ to ‘learn-it-alls.’”

WATCH FOR MY SHORT REVIEWS OF THESE BOOKS at John Pearson’s Buckets Blog or at the Pails in Comparison Blog:

#2. Real-Time Leadership: Find Your Winning Moves When the Stakes Are High, by David Noble and Carol Kauffman (Feb. 21, 2023). Listen on Libro (9 hours, 49 minutes). With a foreword by Marshall Goldsmith, this book is so, so practical. Chapter 5, “Get Smart About People,” recommends you “Know Your Defaults to Get Beyond Them.” The authors describe four workplace one-on-one feedback scenarios using their “Four Stances.”
   • Talking too much in meetings? Lean in.
   • Try decreasing your word count. Lean back.
   • Let others learn from their mistakes. Lean with.
   • Reflect and then tell me what you think. Don’t lean.


 
#3. When Everyone Leads: How the Toughest Challenges Get Seen and Solved, by Ed O’Malley and Julia Fabris McBride (Jan. 31, 2023). The authors propose a 10-point manifesto on redefining leadership:
   1) “Tough challenges are all around us."
   2) "Most think leadership is a position. (It’s not.)"
   3) "Leadership isn’t…authority, being the boss, vision, charisma, a servant’s heart, or an inspirational speech."
   5) "Plenty of people in important positions never exercise leadership."
  10) "And it’s not leadership if it’s not about our most important challenges.”
 


#4. At the Heart of Management: Process, Tools and the Ubiquitous Exponential Law (Kindle Edition), by Lino F. Ciceri (March 18, 2023). The author, a former research chemist and MBA professor from Italy, proposes a “scientific” approach to management. “The book breaks down the core concepts taught in an MBA, clarifying the language and introducing fresh ideas inspired by scientific analogies.” Really, really interesting!



#5. A Class With Drucker, by William A. Cohen (see below).

#6. 101 Leadership Insights: Practical Tools, Tips, and Techniques for New and Seasoned Leaders, by Bob Phillips and Del Walinga (see below).

YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS:
1) The authors of True North suggest, “Ask for informal feedback from someone at least once a day; this could be as simple as a 1-5 rating after each meeting.” (See Tool #4, “Five-Finger Feedback,” in ECFA Tools and Templates for Effective Board Governance: Time-Saving Solutions for Your Board, by Dan Busby and John Pearson. Ready to ask for feedback?

2) The authors define True North in five sentences (page 107) addressing values, leadership principles, moral courage, and ethical boundaries. How do you define True North and what guides your beliefs and actions? (For more insights, read Parker Palmer’s short book, Let Your Life Speak.)

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Mastering 100 Must-Read Books - Part 6: The Mount Rushmore of Leadership Legends
Book #40b of 100: A Class With Drucker

For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by spotlighting Book #40b in Mastering 100 Must-Read Books.
 
A Class With Drucker: 
The Lost Lessons of the World’s Greatest Management Teacher
by William A. Cohen

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 that notes Drucker’s belief that “too few generals were killed” in World War I. (Read why!)
   • Read my review.
   • Order from Amazon: A Class With Drucker
   • Listen on Libro (9 hours, 35 minutes)
   • Visit the blog: Drucker Mondays
   • Download the 100 Must-Read Books list (from John and Jason Pearson).

The author, “a struggling young ex-Air Force officer with no academic experience,” enrolled in Drucker’s PhD program in management at Claremont University in 1975. The book describes, in delicious detail, the author’s four years of evening classes with “Peter.” (Drucker disliked titles.)

Chapter Five should be required reading for your entire staff and board members—especially during your annual strategic planning update. The lesson: “If you keep doing what worked in the past you’re going to fail.” (Imagine Drucker's classroom color commentary on the Wall Street Journal's headline of Feb. 10, 2012, "Kodak Shutters Camera Business.") Note: William A. Cohen, Ph.D, Major General, USAF, Retired, has written numerous books on Drucker. (See Book #40 of 100 and more.)

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101 Leadership Insights

Do you prefer your leadership lessons in short snippets? You’ll love 101 Leadership Insights: Practical Tools, Tips, and Techniques for New and Seasoned Leaders, by Bob Phillips and Del Walinga. Read my review here. For more book reviews, visit the Pails in Comparison Blog.

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Working With Boards Podcast

John Pearson was interviewed recently by Dick Daniels on the “Right to the Point Podcast: Leadership Lessons in 10 Minutes or Less.” Hosted by Right Management Florida/Caribbean, these short-and-to-the-point podcasts cover a fascinating range of leadership and management topics. Click here for Episode 31 on “Working With Boards.” Click here for board governance books and resources.

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PEARPOD | TELLING YOUR STORY. The book, A Class With Drucker, is a must-read for your marketing and communications team. (It’s also a must-listen-to!) See Lesson 9, “The Objective of Marketing Is to Make Selling Unnecessary,” and Lesson 6, “Approach Problems With Your Ignorance Not Your Experience.” Need help?  Contact Jason Pearson at Pearpod (Design, Digital, Marketing, Social).
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Your Weekly Staff Meeting is emailed free two to four times a month to subscribers. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. As an Amazon Associate, we earn Amazon gift cards from qualifying purchases. As a Libro.fm Affiliate, we earn credits. PRIVACY POLICY: Typepad, Inc. hosts John Pearson's Buckets Blog. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform for Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews. By clicking (above) to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy policy here. 

The One Year Book of Hymns: 365 Devotions Based on Popular Hymns

Issue No. 569 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting spotlights the unique hymn-a-day devotional, The One Year® Book of Hymns—and my short-lived attempt to write another book. (LOL.) 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 Finish Line: Dispelling Fear, Finding Peace, and Preparing for the End of Your Life, by Robert Wolgemuth. 


Imagine singing an “awesome” hymn, led by Charles Haddon Spurgeon, with 10,000 others. The One Year® Book of Hymns and YouTube will enrich your mornings.

One Day. One Page. One Hymn.

Need a good chuckle today? Beginning late last fall, on most mornings while enjoying a period of quiet reflection with my Bible and other books, I often lingered in my favorite chair until a hymn came to mind. Then with earbuds in, I searched YouTube for a suitable version of the hymn.

I listened to the hymn and then emailed the YouTube link to myself. I would often sing or hum that hymn throughout the day. Most mornings, though sleepy-eyed, my first thought would be, “I wonder what my hymn of the day will be?” Sometimes, I’d visit Hymnary to learn more about the hymn writer. Often fascinating!

(And speaking of “lingering in my favorite chair,” here’s a poignant follow-up from Robert Wolgemuth and my review of Finish Line. Read or listen to his thoughts on how “A red wingback chair became a holy place for me to find God after my wife's death.”)

I’m loving this new daily practice and wanted to share it with you. Maybe it was the nostalgia and good memories of singing bass in school and church choirs. My hymn repertoire grew exponentially through required church attendance Sunday mornings, Sunday nights, and Wednesday nights. During college, I was our church’s choir director. 

So…what made me chuckle? After collecting several months’ worth of YouTube hymns, I thought: “Hymmmn. Maybe there’s a market for a book of hymns—just the stanzas of old hymns (without the music). I could research hymns in the public domain (no copyright issues), plus a bit of history about the hymn writer. What a great book idea!” 

As I was planning this new book—a cavalcade of worship—I was reminded of Bob Hisrich’s marketing principle #1: “If you have $10,000 to spend, invest $5,000 in researching and understanding your audience.” (See the bottom of Issue 568.)

Oops! Good idea, John—but Tyndale published this book in 2017! LOL! I may be six years late and a dollar short (the royalties would have been nice), but I do know when to throw in the towel. Besides, Tyndale’s book is wonderful:

The One Year® Book of Hymns:
365 Devotions Based on Popular Hymns

So now, most mornings, I turn to the hymn for the day’s date and enjoy reading:
• All four verses of the daily hymn
• A brief bio/inside story of the hymn writer (sometimes a devotional thought)
• A related Scripture verse

ONE DAY, ONE PAGE, ONE HYMN—and then I find a suitable hymn version on YouTube. For example, today is July 19 and today’s hymn is “Rock of Ages,” written by Augustus Toplady (1740-1778), and the Scripture is Psalm 62:5-7. (This morning, I listened to The Oak Ridge Boys.)
 
Augustus Toplady was converted under a Methodist evangelist during his university years, but “Though impressed with the spirit of Methodism, he strongly disagreed with the Wesleys’ Arminian theology and waged a running battle with them through tracts, sermons, and even hymns.” 

We read further that Toplady “…died of tuberculosis and overwork at the age of thirty-eight, two years after he published his own hymnal, in which ‘Rock of Ages’ and Charles Wesley’s ‘Jesus, Lover of My Soul’ (July 17) were placed side by side.” (Listen to The Choir of Trinity College, Melbourne.)

Browse the hymns and the short devotional readings and you’ll deeply appreciate those hymn writers who have already crossed the finish line—and enriched our journeys.
• “Day by Day and with Each Passing Moment” (Feb. 26) profiles Carolina Sandell Berg (1832-1903), who at age 26, watched her father, a parish pastor, drown at sea. (Listen to Fountainview Academy.)
• “According to Thy Gracious Word” (March 3) notes that James Montgomery (1771-1854), a fearless London newspaper editor, “was imprisoned twice for his strong editorials” on the abolition of slavery. (Listen to New Scottish Hymns Band.)
• “Before Jehovah’s Awful [aka Awesome] Throne” (March 5), by Isaac Watts (1674-1748), includes a British Christian’s awesome experience in singing this hymn with nearly 10,000 others, while led in worship by Charles Haddon Spurgeon. (Listen to The Symphonials, Ghana.)

“TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS” (March 15), written by Helen Howarth Lemmel (1864-1961), sent me down a holy rabbit hole! In 1918, this noted Christian singer who lived her final days in Seattle, was given a tract written by a missionary, Lilias Trotter, who served in Algeria. The tract, “Focussed,” stopped Lemmel in her tracks (no pun intended). View the movie trailer to learn why Lilias Trotter gave up a promising art career in Britain to minister in Algeria for 40 years. For more, visit the Lilias Trotter Legacy website. (Listen to Selah's version of the song.)
• View this 11-minute “story behind the story.”
• View the movie trailer.
• View the "Many Beautiful Things" documentary (70 min.) on Amazon Prime.


Learn more about Lilias Trotter, who inspired Helen Howarth Lemmel to write the hymn, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.”  View Many Beautiful Things: The Life and Vision of Lilias Trotter (movie trailer).

• “Amazing Grace” (March 17) notes John Newton’s response to suggestions that because of poor health and fading memory, he should retire at age 82! He said, “My memory is nearly gone, but I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great savior.” This former slave trader was born in 1725 and died in 1807 at age 82. (Listen to Andrea Bocelli and Alison Krauss.)
• “Jesus Paid It All” (March 19), was written by Elvina Mabel Hall (1820-1889) in the choir loft of her Baltimore church—due to “the pastor rambling on too long!” With no paper to write on, she penned the verses in the flyleaf of her hymnal! (Listen to Hymns of Grace.)
• Stunning! The background on the hymn, “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus” (June 9), by George Duffield, Jr. (1818-1888), describes the 1858 Philadelphia citywide evangelistic morning and evening services. A 29-year-old Episcopalian preacher spoke to 5,000 men reaping 1,000 conversions, but four days later, Dudley Tyng died in an accident. His final words were “Tell them to stand up for Jesus,” so Duffield wrote the hymn. (Listen to the story and the hymn at Worship House Media.)

“JUST AS I AM” (June 22), was written by Charlotte Elliott (1789-1871), who wanted to clean up her act before becoming a Christ-follower. A minister, however, invited Elliott to “Come just as you are.” You’ll recognize this hymn, sung at hundreds of Billy Graham Crusades—except one. Listen to Cliff Barrow’s stunning story about the London crusade in 1967:


Sing along to “Just As I Am” with Cliff Barrows and others as Barrows describes an unusual absence of a hymn at the 1967 Billy Graham Crusade in London.

ENVELOPES & INK POTS:
• Charles Wesley (1707-1788) “wrote an average of two hymns a week for fifty years,” composing between 5,000 and 6,000 hymns in his lifetime.
• William R. Newell (1868-1956), enroute to teach his class at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, envisioned the words to a hymn. He “scribbled the words on the back of any envelope” and gave them to Daniel B. Towner, MBI’s director of music. Within an hour, Towner returned with the hymn, “At Calvary” (March 25). (Listen to The Collinsworth Family.)
• Fanny Crosby (1820-1915), at age 30 and blind, heard a revival choir sing “Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed?”(April 14), written by Isaac Watts. She responded to her Savior’s call and went on to write more than 8,000 hymns, including “Blessed Assurance” (May 1). (Listen to Alan Jackson.)
• Martin Luther (1483-1546) “…once felt Satan’s oppressive presence so keenly that he threw an inkpot at him.” Some believe that an ink spot still decorates the wall of his room in Wartburg Castle!” He wrote “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” (Oct. 31). (Listen to the hymn led by Tommy Bailey at the Grand Ole Opry House as part of the Sing! Global Conference 2020.)

Hymmmn. I wonder what my hymn-of-the-day for tomorrow will be? I can hardly wait!

To order from Amazon, click on the title for The One Year® Book of Hymns: 365 Devotions Based on Popular Hymns, compiled and edited by Robert K. Brown and Mark R. Norton; devotions written by William J. Petersen and Randy Petersen.

 

YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS:
1) What’s your favorite hymn? Why?
2) Have you ever written, or thought about writing, a hymn? You’ll need your Bible and a dictionary, or maybe ask AI: “Alexa! What rhymes with heaven?” For the background on the hymn, “Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise” (July 2), by Walter Chalmers Smith (1824-1908), the great British hymnologist, Erik Routley, describes this hymn as “full of plump polysyllables!” (Listen to St. Paul's Cathedral Platinum Jubilee Service.)

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Mastering 100 Must-Read Books - Part 6: The Mount Rushmore of Leadership Legends
Book #40 of 100: The Practical Drucker

For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by spotlighting Book #40 in Mastering 100 Must-Read Books.
 
The Practical Drucker: 
Applying the Wisdom of the World’s Greatest Management Thinker
by William A. Cohen

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 the revelation that Drucker skipped his weekly staff meetings!
   • Read my review.
   • Order from Amazon: The Practical Drucker
   • Listen on Libro (8 hours, 17 minutes)
   • Visit the blog: Drucker Mondays
   • Download the 100 Must-Read Books list (from John and Jason Pearson).

In my review, I listed 10 reasons why The Practical Drucker is must-read:
1) Drucker on Office Politics. 
2) Drucker on Why You’re Usually Wrong. When the book arrived, I scanned the 40 chapter titles and circled 15 must-reads, starting with Chapter 9, “What Everyone Knows Is Usually Wrong.”
3) Drucker on Bribery.
4) Drucker on Market Research.
5) Drucker on 3 Rules When Hiring. 

6) Drucker on Leadership as a “Marketing Job.” This will surprise you—maybe. “Famed marketing Professor Philip Kotler, who is often referred to as the ‘Father of Modern Marketing,’ said, ‘If I am the Father of Modern Marketing, then Drucker is the Grandfather of Modern Marketing.’”
7) Drucker: No Fan of the Peter Principle. 
8) Druckerisms! If the 40 chapter titles don’t rev up your management motors, you may be in the wrong job. Here’s a taste: “The Seven Deadly Sins of Leadership,” “The Most Important Leadership Decision,” “Fear of Job Loss Is Incompatible With Good Management,” and “The Purpose of Your Business Is Not to Make a Profit.”
9) Drucker’s Favorite Leadership Book. (Read my review of the 2014 book-of-the-year.)
10) Drucker’s 7 Action Conclusions on Strengths. 

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Alphabetical Prayer List

Do you pray alphabetically? Learn more about Al Sanders (1927-2021) and his prayer journal. “Being an inveterate ‘organizer,’ he developed the habit of praying over names in alphabetical order." Read more here about his alphabetical prayer journal. For more book reviews, visit the Pails in Comparison Blog.

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Oops! Methodology Over Message!

Mistake #22 in Mastering Mistake-Making chronicles the many mornings I found comfort in the methodology—not the Message. I was disciplined, yes, in meeting with the Lord most mornings, but it was more about checking the box than hearing God’s voice. In 2023, I added a daily hymn to my morning meeting (see above). I love it! For a list of “My 25 Memorable Mistakes—And What I Learned,” click here. (For other books I’ve authored, or co-authored, click here.)

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PEARPOD | TELLING YOUR STORY. Just guessing here…but was your logo designed in the 1980s? Does it still work? View this WSJ video, “What Burger King’s New Logo Says About Its Strategy. The company says the new logo is meant to feel retro and nostalgic.” If, like Peter Drucker, you agree that “What Everyone Knows Is Usually Wrong,” maybe you need an outside opinion? Contact Jason Pearson at Pearpod (Design, Digital, Marketing, Social).
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Your Weekly Staff Meeting is emailed free two to four times a month to subscribers. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. As an Amazon Associate, we earn Amazon gift cards from qualifying purchases. As a Libro.fm Affiliate, we earn credits. PRIVACY POLICY: Typepad, Inc. hosts John Pearson's Buckets Blog. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform for Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews. By clicking (above) to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp's privacy policy here. 

Finish Line: Dispelling Fear, Finding Peace, and Preparing for the End of Your Life

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):

“God’s people should plan for a voyage of a thousand years, but be prepared to abandon ship tonight.”

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.

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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. 

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Open This Letter in 10 Years!

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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