Leadership and Self-Deception

 

Issue No. 382 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (April 18, 2018) recommends a bestselling book on leadership and self-deception. I just bought 10 more copies. And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies) and click here for my Top 10 Book Recommendations of 2017, and my Book-of-the-Year pick.   Leadership and Self-Deception Maybe…this might be my most important book recommendation for you this year. The title…timely. The contents…convicting.  Last week, while reflecting on issues of leadership character and humility, I found not one, but two copies on my bookshelf of Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box. I had never read the book (to my chagrin). So my wife, Joanne, read it first this weekend—and her praise was effusive. Then I read it. Am I the only leader that missed this gem? I should have read it years ago (and my former staff and family would agree). If you haven’t read the book—or leveraged the insights for your organization or family—drop everything and read Leadership and Self-Deception. Here’s why: Reason #1: Self-deception is rampant. You don’t need this book to recognize how other leaders are blind to their own self-deception—but it will give you handles (and a practical metaphor) for understanding the blindness. Reason #2: I am blind to my own blindness. Whew. (Did I mention “convicting” and serious gut-checking?) While trying to figure out the sin and self-deception in other leaders, I wondered, how did the authors insert mirrors on every convicting page?  And as Scott Rodin reminds us in The Steward Leader, “If I could put one Bible verse on the desk of every pastor and every Christian leader in the world, it would be this: ‘If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us’ (1 John 1:8).” Reason #3: The “box” metaphor. Powerful. Trust me—read and study this book with your team (and family) and you’ll be using the “box” metaphor within an hour. The second edition of Leadership and Self-Deception includes a short section on how to maximize the book’s impact. The authors list stunning (stunning!) examples of how the principles have transformed organizations (nonprofit and for-profit) and even police departments. In Japan, a word-of-mouth movement has launched “out-of-the-box” clubs. The business novel/fable/story format makes for an easy read (about three hours) with memorable characters, but—warning—it’s not a comfortable read.  Reason #4: Faith-based alignment. While the principles of Leadership and Self-Deception are not faith-based per se—they actually are. For my readers who are Christ-followers, you’ll salivate at the opportunity to integrate Leadership and Self-Deception with biblical wisdom. And speaking of alignment, you’ll appreciate how Leadership and Self-Deception enhances the insights, especially, of The Cure, The Advantage, Leaders Eat Last, Broken and Whole, Leading Me, Serve Strong, and What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There (to name just a few). Reason #5: Refreshing humility—no author names! Really! Published by The Arbinger Institute, these leaders practice what they preach—and share the credit for this book with all of their team members, including non-writers. Hence—author names are not revealed. (And note: the book has sold over one million copies.) So, could this book help you and your leadership team? Yes! From the authors: “…the myriad ways in which people have used this book and its ideas fall within five broad areas of application: “1) applicant screening and hiring, 2) leadership and team building, 3) conflict resolution, 4) accountability transformation, and 5) personal growth and development.” Special thanks to Jim Canning for sending me this book several years ago. To order from Amazon, click on the title for Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box (Second Edition), by The Arbinger Institute.   Your Weekly Staff Meeting Questions:  1) In the “how to use this book” addendum, the authors note that “Many organizations utilize the book in their hiring practices. Prospective employees are required to read the book as part of the application process.” What’s the upside of inspiring applicants to understand and buy into your organization’s culture before they join the team? 2)    Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (30 million sold), highly recommends this book. Pop Quiz! Habit 5, from Covey, is: “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.” Now…write down the other six.         ECFA Tools and Templates for Effective Board Governance Hot-off-the-press [2019]! A new resource from Dan Busby and John Pearson, ECFA Tools and Templates for Effective Board Governance: Time-Saving Solutions for Your Board. It includes 22 tools including a CEO’s monthly board report template, a Board Nominee Orientation Binder table of contents, a board retreat trend-spotting exercise, a rolling three-year strategic plan one-page template, options for the CEO’s annual performance review, and much more. The book, originally created in binder format for the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust’s board enrichment programs, is 266 pages and includes a password to a webpage with downloadable templates. For more resources from the Board Bucket, including more than a dozen resources (one size doesn’t fit all), visit the Board Bucket webpage.         NOTICE! Effective Oct. 1, 2025, all 657 eNews issues, previously archived on Typepad.com are slowly (!) being moved to a new website here. New book reviews will also be archived at John Pearson’s Buckets Blog. Or, click here for John’s recent book reviews on Amazon. MORE RESOURCES: • BLOG: Pails in Comparison • SUBSCRIBE: Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews • JOHN'S BOOK REVIEWS: on Amazon  • WEBSITE: Management Buckets • BLOG: Governance of Christ-Centered Organizations ECFA BLOG on “Governance of Christ-centered Organizations” – See the 22 blogs for each of the 22 tools and templates in ECFA's new book [2019].

Praying Like Monks - Living Like Fools

 

Issue No. 682 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (June 5, 2026) features one of 12 “inspirational books” I’m reading this year. But really…maybe I should just read this one 12 times? Plus, click here for back issues posted at the new location for John Pearson’s Buckets Blog, and click here for my recent list of “18 Best Board Books” (plus bonus books).  Tyler Staton writes, “The way your motives change isn’t by working them out in silence; it’s through such brutal honesty with God that he, by prayer, can refine your motives. Complaints are welcome.” (Graphic: ChatGPT)   Prayer: “Rough Draft Rants and Typos” “Some of us are kept from praying because we listen to everyone else’s prayers and it makes us feel like we’re next up after Winston Churchill in high school speech class,” admits Tyler Staton. He adds, “Many Christians spend years limiting their experience of prayer to sitting in a pew while a professional Christian talks to God in words they never use in normal conversation, leading to the misconception, ‘I must be doing it wrong.’”  Frankly, I’m tempted to end my review right here—and say no more—for fear my paltry commentary would prevent you from reading or listening to this extraordinary book:   Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools:  An Invitation to the Wonder and Mystery of Prayer  by Tyler Staton (Oct. 4, 2022)   It’s only June—but I think I’ve found my 2026 book-of-the-year. Like you, I’ve read my fair share of memorable books on prayer—all exceedingly helpful. But this one? Oh, my. Feast on these gems to nourish your own walk with God and, maybe, share them with your team members, your family, and your friends.    • “When it comes to prayer, God isn’t grading essays, he’s talking to children. So if God can delight in prayers as dysfunctional as the ones we find wedged into the middle of the Bible [see the Psalms!], he can handle yours too without you cleaning them up first.”    • “If the Bible tells us anything about how to pray, it says that God much prefers the rough draft full rants and typos to the polished, edited version. C.S. Lewis said of prayer, ‘We must lay before Him what is in us, not what ought to be in us.’”    • “The way your motives change isn’t by working them out in silence; it’s through such brutal honesty with God that he, by prayer, can refine your motives. Complaints are welcome.” Before his current role as a pastor in Portland, Ore., Tyler Staton served a church in Brooklyn, N.Y. You know the kind: “Save for a rickety set of stairs in the back corner, it was just an open room with a stage at the front and stacks of flimsy Ikea chairs set out on Sunday mornings."  Upstairs were two small rooms, one “where we crammed way too many babies into a tiny room with a few brave volunteers.” Sundays that room was a nursery (which “still held the stench of dirty diapers”). Eventually…it became a 24/7 prayer room Monday through Saturday. And yes, prayer leaders had the audacity to post a sign outside the nursery door: “Please remove your shoes.  The place you are entering is holy ground.” What prompted Staton to prioritize prayer? Must-read: Chapter 1, “Holy Ground: Pray As You Can.” At age 13, and for every single day during his summer break from school, young Tyler “wore a dirt path into the thick summer grass” at his school grounds. Using the school directory (every student had one), he used this personal “book of common prayer”—“guiding the whispered words of my uncertain, pubescent voice while I paced around the outside of that familiar building, holding every last name in my soon-to-be eighth-grade class before the God I only half believed in.” (The rest of story: stunning.) Oh, my. Read the book—but if you can’t wait—read this powerful story in the “Read Sample” link on Amazon here. (See pages 7 to 12.) And by the way, it was my wife, Joanne, who discovered this—and insisted I read it. So I read it. Then I bought the book. Then I shared it with our church’s Tuesday morning prayer group. I’ve gifted the book multiple times to friends. (This prayer thing is getting expensive.)   CHEW ON THESE MORSELS: The Spiritual Equivalent of Celery! “…the worst-kept secret in church history is that most people, even most Christians, don’t really like prayer. Don’t get me wrong, we still do it, mainly out of guilt or obligation because we know it’s good for us, making prayer the spiritual equivalent of celery.” Not in Control! “Daily bread prayers are a daily reminder that we are not in charge, not in control.” Why the “give us” phrase in the Lord’s prayer? “Daily, as we ask, he weans us off our addiction to independence, our insistence on living under the illusion that what we most deeply desire we can feed ourselves all on our own.” The Rule of Asking! Whew. The author reminds us that in Luke 11:5-8, “Jesus told a story about prayer that was surprising in its ordinariness and irreverence.” In the profound chapter, “Daily Bread,” Staton quotes Charles Spurgeon: “If you may have everything by asking, and nothing without asking, I beg you to see how absolutely vital prayer is, and I beseech you to abound in it.” Spurgeon adds, “Remember, asking is the rule of the kingdom…” “Miraculous.” That’s how the non-Christian, non-praying surgeon described a historic moment in the operating room—when the doctors gave up and declared Staton’s brother-in-law deceased...but a nursing student began to pray. (Spoiler alert: he lived.) LIVING LIKE FOOLS OK…maybe we can work on praying like monks, but living like fools? Be serious! A Holy Kind of Foolishness. The author reminds us, per Psalm 24, that David didn’t describe himself as the “king of glory.” Staton wonders, “Is that a typo?” No, “David is an experienced songwriter. He knows what he’s doing.” Verse 10: “The Lord Almighty—he is the King of glory.” The scene: “What they actually saw was David, their new king, at the front of the parade, wearing a linen ephod, and he’s dancing. A linen ephod—that’s the outfit David chose for his big day, not the expected royal robe and a crown.” (An ephod was a priestly undergarment.) “Here comes the new king. David is singing a song of praise to God, and he’s dancing in a priest’s underwear. It’s foolish, but it’s a holy kind of foolishness.” Not Fanatics, But Radicals. Staton reminds us twice in his book about Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf (1700-1760), “a German twentysomething sitting on a sizeable inheritance,” who invited refugees to join him and live in community. The “daily countercultural decisions to prioritize the other” had a stunning impact! The 48 refugees “committed to a disciplined rhythm of daily prayer. Just five years into that commitment, a refugee village of 32 homes had inadvertently launched the greatest missions movement in world history.” Staton asks: “What was their secret?” He answers: “Plenty of people want to bottle up and imitate the magic of the Moravian revival. In the words of Zinzendorf himself, here’s the recipe: ‘I have one passion. It is He, only He.’” Three years ago, while reading this book, I listened to a hymn written by Zinzendorf (he wrote 2,000!)—and realized I knew absolutely nothing about this spiritual giant and prolific hymnwriter. So, of course, I read a book about him. (Read my review.) Asking for a friend…could a hundred-year prayer meeting make a difference in our world today?   Speaking of Songwriters. I read this book slowly, over several months. (It’s one of 12 “inspirational books” on my list for 2026 morning and/or weekend reads.) During this period, one of my granddaughters joined me for a Land of Color concert. Since my car still has a CD player (don’t laugh—our other car has a cassette tape player), I bought the album, “You Hold It All.” Pick any theme in Tyler Staton’s book and Land of Color have written and recorded a song that blends beautifully with the “monks” and “fools” motifs. Examples (listen to the YouTube versions):    • “House of God”    • “Skin and Bone”    • “We Will Wait" THERE’S MORE:    • The a cappella hymn session—when Paul and Silas (Acts 16) sang in a jail cell (“the ancient version of solitary confinement”) and dragged “heaven into a dark corner of earth, and it changed the atmosphere.”    • Wait…what? A Tent—Not a Ballroom? Must-read and must-share: “David’s very first act on his very first day as Israel’s king was to reconstruct Moses’s tent of meeting in the city center” [the tabernacle]. “David…sat down with his board of advisers, and laid out a plan. David hired 288 worship leaders, prophets, and elders to pray and work in that tent, presumably twenty-four hours a day. He was a king leading a military during an era of tribal warfare, and he just emptied the national savings account for prayer.”    • Practice Pages. Each chapter concludes with “an invitation to prayer—a simple starting place for moving past consideration to discovery.” Staton encourages us with this: “Don’t read this book for its content; read it for its practices.” Example: leverage the prayer of examen. “Typically prayed in the evening, examen begins by reviewing the day with God, playing back the events of the day like a movie and thanking God for every good thing along the way…”    • The Assumption and the Task. “The assumption of spirituality is that always God is doing something before I know it. So the task is not to get God to do something I think needs to be done, but to become aware of what God is doing so that I can respond to it and participate and take delight in it.” (Eugene Peterson) And then this final bonus paragraph in Appendix 1, “The Intercession of Christ”—where Staton reminds us that “Jesus is praying for you right now.”    “One of my most frequent prayers is to simply try to get in touch with his prayers for me. I usually phrase it as a question: ‘Jesus if you were to walk in the room right now, what would you want to say to me?’ Ask him. Be still and wait. In my experience, he’s eager to share his heart.” TO ORDER FROM AMAZON, click on the title for Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools: An Invitation to the Wonder and Mystery of Prayer, by Tyler Staton. Listen on Libro (8 hours, 3 minutes). Listen to the first 3 minutes of Chapter 4 (free). LOL!     YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS: 1) Think your prayers don’t measure up to a Holy God? Tyler Staton notes that “Morris West names a certain point in the spiritual journey when our prayer vocabulary gets summarized to only three phrases: ‘Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!' To enjoy our lives, to savor our days, is sweet praise to God.” 2) Staton: “When we engage in intercessory prayer we are loving others on the basis of heaven’s resources. Prayer is heaven’s highest security clearance…” And this: The Swiss theologian Karl Barth once said, “To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world.” Does the evening news depress you? Turn off your devices and start an uprising!       SECOND READS: Fresh Solutions From Classic Books You have changed—and your problems have changed—since you read this the first time! Book #50 of 99: The Carrot Principle For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by featuring Book #50 of 99 in our series, “Second Reads.” The big idea: REREAD TO LEAD! Discover how your favorite books (and articles) still have more to teach you and the people you’re coaching and mentoring. The Carrot Principle:  How the Best Managers Use Recognition to Engage Their People,  Retain Talent, and Accelerate Performance By Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton   According to a 10-year study of more than 200,000 employees, a whopping 79 percent of people who quit their jobs “cite a lack of appreciation as a key reason for leaving.” Another 65 percent of North Americans “report that they weren’t recognized the least bit in the previous year.” How tragic.    • Read my review (Issue No. 36, May 7, 2007)     • Order from Amazon (updated edition: April 7, 2009).    • Management Bucket #10 of 20: The Hoopla! Bucket The big idea? “Purpose-Based Recognition.” The authors note that purpose-based recognition involves meaningful recognition (not cash) in four areas: goal-setting, communication, trust, and accountability. Their research shows that inspired moments of recognition act as “accelerators” for creating more effective and more profitable companies.   CLICK HERE FOR BOOKS BY JOHN      Read Jerry White’s commentary on Lesson 28, “Slow Down and Wait on God: He does not bestow his gifts on the casual or hasty”—one of 40 guest blogs on the book, Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom (2nd Edition).  NOTICE! Effective Oct. 1, 2025, all 657 eNews issues, previously archived on Typepad.com are slowly (!) being moved to a new website here. New book reviews will also be archived at John Pearson’s Buckets Blog. Or, click here for John’s recent book reviews on Amazon. Break the Script in Your Boardroom! Read Luke 5:17-26 (MSG) and learn why the onlookers where “awestruck” at Jesus’ miracle. No one broke the script more than Jesus. Read what other board chairs, CEOs, and pastors have orchestrated—to intentionally break the script. Read my blog post, “Break the Script,” at ECFA’s “Governance of Christ-Centered Organizations” blog.  MORE RESOURCES: • BLOG: Pails in Comparison • SUBSCRIBE: Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews • JOHN'S BOOK REVIEWS: on Amazon  • WEBSITE: Management Buckets • BLOG: Governance of Christ-Centered Organizations "There is nothing more beautiful than a dusty worker.” Count Zinzendorf and the Spirit of the Moravians highlights the 100-year prayer meeting that fueled the modern missionary movement. In this fascinating book about Count Zinzendorf, the author excerpts these lines from this spiritual giant’s poem: “Inactivity is not our attractiveness, Working and sweating refreshes and makes you rocklike. Our eyes are clear; our minds are in high spirits. There is nothing more beautiful than a dusty worker.” Read my review at the Pails in Comparison Blog.

Stop Setting Goals If You Would Rather Solve Problems

		Issue No. 23 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (Feb. 5, 2007) is about goal setting and problem solving.  Charles F. Kettering said, “Problems are the price of progress. Don't bring me anything but trouble. Good news weakens me.”
		After 20 years of consulting with clients, Bobb Biehl had a startling insight about goal setting.  Most teams have people who dislike goals.  One senior-level person told him, “I have hated setting goals ever since I can remember, but I love solving problems.  Every time someone asks (or insists) that I set goals, my stomach goes into knots. I get irritable, cranky, kick at the proverbial dog, and generally become miserable to live with around the house.” In his book, Stop Setting Goals If You Would Rather Solve Problems, Biehl helps leaders and managers understand the two very distinct working preferences on their teams. The first group plays offense.  Goal setters set goals and focus energies on hitting targets.  Problem solvers shine when they define and solve problems. They’re the defensive unit. 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)?  Goals 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. Check out more resources from Bobb Biehl.
		Your Weekly Staff Meeting Questions: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. When you watched the Super Bowl, what was most interesting to you, the offense or the defense? 2. Vote for one: A) The best defense is a strong offense. B) The best offense is a strong defense. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		Insights from the Management Buckets Workshop Experience Envoy Financial has a “theme of the month,” according to Bethany Palmer, their executive director. Recent themes have included Focus, Priorities and Goals. Last month it was Affirmation (from The Culture Bucket). The Envoy team has a brief meeting every day and the designated hitter must address the month’s theme during the devotional/motivational thought for the day. Great idea! Patrick Lencioni, author of Death by Meeting, urges teams to have four kinds of meetings on a regular basis. These include the Daily Check-in, the Weekly Tactical, the Monthly Strategic and the Quarterly Off-site Review. (Read my review.) In our Management Buckets Workshop Experience, we’ll give you in-the-trenches ways to integrate The Culture Bucket with The Meeting Bucket in your organization.  Those buckets are just two of 20 Critical Competencies Required for Leading and Managing Today’s Nonprofit Organization. Email me to reserve space in the May 9-10, 2007, Management Buckets workshop or the May 11 Nonprofit Board Governance workshop, both planned for Orange County, California.
		Your Weekly Staff Meeting Questions: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Be honest—what do you love and what do you hate about our meetings and the frequency of our meetings? 2. When you’re driving home at night and reflect, “That was a GREAT meeting today!” what happened in the meeting to pump you up? -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MORE RESOURCES:

• BLOG: Pails in Comparison
• SUBSCRIBE: Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews
• JOHN'S BOOK REVIEWS: on Amazon 
• WEBSITE: Management Buckets
• BLOG: Governance of Christ-Centered Organizations

NOTICE! Effective Oct. 1, 2025, all 657 eNews issues, previously archived on Typepad.com are slowly (!) being moved to a new website here. New book reviews will also be archived at John Pearson’s Buckets Blog. Or, click here for John’s recent book reviews on Amazon.

Your Best Year Ever: A 5-Step Plan for Achieving Your Most Important Goals

 

Issue No. 380 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (March 15, 2018) suggests that “SMART Goals” are not enough—and it ticked me off! And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies) and click here for my Top-10 Book Recommendations of 2017, and my Book-of-the-Year pick.  S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Goals Alignment is a big deal for me, whether reading or recommending books. To avoid Management by Bestseller Syndrome, I look for books, blogs, articles, and podcasts that are in alignment with my core view of leadership and management. Your Best Year Ever: A 5-Step Plan for Achieving Your Most Important Goals, by Michael Hyatt, aligns with many of my core beliefs, especially my Results Bucket. And how could I not read this? I’m a big fan (and reviewer) of seven of his endorsers: Seth Godin, John C. Maxwell, Henry Cloud, Andy Stanley, Donald Miller, Andy Andrews, and Ian Morgan Cron. Michael Hyatt says that “great goals check seven boxes.” I’ve preached “S.M.A.R.T. Goals” for years, so how did I feel about this bestselling author’s two-upmanship? OK, I thought, lay out your case for S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Goals. Hyatt’s big seven: • Specific • Measurable • Actionable • Risky • Time-keyed • Exciting • Relevant My first thought: If S.M.A.R.T.E.R. Goals are smarter than S.M.A.R.T. Goals, then why not S.M.A.R.T.Y.P.A.N.T.S. Goals? (Then I prayed and confessed to having an arrogant spirit. Then I read Chapter 7: really good stuff!) Feel free to define your own “smart” words at this acronym finder website. You, or someone on your team or in your family, will love this book—and for many, it could be a career-altering holy fork-in-the-road experience. The quotable PowerPoint-worthy lines ooze off the page: • “Goals poorly formulated are goals easily forgotten.” • “Dragging the worst of the past into the best of the future is another reason goals fail.” • “Fitness centers sell yearlong contracts knowing the majority of customers won’t come for more than a few weeks. NPR covered one chain with 6,500 members per location and only room for 300 at a time.” • The chart on page 37 contrasting “Scarcity Thinkers” with “Abundance Thinkers” is revealing. The latter “welcome competition, believing it makes the pie bigger and them better.” • “…if you already have everything you need to achieve your goal, then your goal’s probably too small.” • “Resources are never the main challenge in achieving our goals.” I appreciate authors who declare their assumptions, because Donald Rumsfeld reminds us that “It is possible to proceed perfectly logically from an inaccurate premise to an inaccurate and unfortunate conclusion.” Hyatt lists five assumptions, and begins with “real life is multi-faceted”—his circle of 10 interrelated domains: spiritual, intellectual, emotional, physical, marital, parental, social, vocational, avocational, and financial. “The only people with no hope are those with no regrets,” says Hyatt. Important principles are punctuated with ample doses of LOL one-liners, like the section on “There’s No Autocorrect for Tattoo Needles,” and this actual tattoo: “REGRET NOHING.” More good stuff—and alignment: • “An experience is not complete until it is remembered.” (Wow…this aligns perfectly with my 2017 book-of-the-year, The Power of Moments.) • “The Opportunity Principle” (based on research) fits well with my recent review of Dollars and Sense: How We Misthink Money and How to Spend Smarter. Hyatt contrasts roadblocks with road signs. Great metaphors. • “…the mere act of writing one’s goals boosted achievement by 42 percent.” (For more, see my 2016 book-of-the-year, The One Thing.) • A written goal “…enables you to see—and celebrate—your progress.” More alignment with my Hoopla! Bucket. • And for some personality types, why “Eat That Frog” may not be the best advice. If you’re a March Madness fan—order the book today, and read pages 89-90 to your team at work or home. Hyatt shares a Coach K secret how Duke University’s Mike Krzyzewski leveraged the power of gratitude to inspire the Duke basketball team to win the 2015 NCAA Tournament Championship Game. You will customize his creative idea for your own team. A few more: • Quoting Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “It is only with gratitude that life becomes richer,” Hyatt journals his gratitude every day.  • Explaining his "LEAP Principle" (Lean, Engage, Activate, Pounce), Hyatt quotes Peter Thiel on unrealized aspirations about the future: "We wanted flying cars, instead we got 140 characters." • “It may sound simplistic, but I find it’s best to use a strong verb to prompt the action you want to take.” (Examples: fun, finish, or eliminate.”) Finally—my favorite and most practical take-aways: • The dramatic difference between achievement goals and habit goals. • 10 very practical pages of sample goal templates (pages 237-246) • Myth-buster: you can perfect new habits in 21 days (research says its 66 days). • The calendar chain concept. I’ve started using it. • “We share our goals, but not with everyone.” • Brilliant: use Activation Triggers. (Example: “Program the lights in my office to turn off automatically at 6:00 p.m. so I follow through on my goal of quitting work by 6:00 p.m.") Special thanks to Goals Guru Mike Pate for sending me this book. I’m grateful! To order from Amazon, click on the title for Your Best Year Ever: A 5-Step Plan for Achieving Your Most Important Goals, by Michael Hyatt.   P.S. If you someone on your team would appreciate a contrarian (but excellent) view on goal-setting, suggest they read Stop Setting Goals If You Would Rather Solve Problems, by Bobb Biehl.   Your Weekly Staff Meeting Questions:  1) Michael Hyatt’s wife notes, “People lose their way when they lose their why.” Discuss in groups of two. 2) Hyatt organizes his week into stages: Front Stage, Back Stage, and Off Stage time. When Off Stage, he leaves his laptop at his office. Are you thriving with the way you organize your week? Why or why not?     The Billy Graham Moment Insights from Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook When Billy Graham arrived home on Feb. 21, 2018, the media coverage was unprecedented—and still is. (See Time magazine.) What a great time to talk with your team and your family about faith, goals, impact, influence, and eternity. God’s Not Dead: A Light in Darkness (number three in the series) opens in theaters nationwide on March 30 (Easter Weekend). That’s a great opportunity to view the film as a group and begin some meaningful conversations about life’s biggest decision. Remember Donald Rumsfeld’s wisdom: “It is possible to proceed perfectly logically from an inaccurate premise to an inaccurate and unfortunate conclusion.” For more resources on goal setting from the Results Bucket, order Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook: Management Tools, Templates, and Tips From John Pearson and visit the Results Bucket webpage.         NOTICE! Effective Oct. 1, 2025, all 657 eNews issues, previously archived on Typepad.com are slowly (!) being moved to a new website here. New book reviews will also be archived at John Pearson’s Buckets Blog. Or, click here for John’s recent book reviews on Amazon. MORE RESOURCES: • BLOG: Pails in Comparison • SUBSCRIBE: Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews • JOHN'S BOOK REVIEWS: on Amazon  • WEBSITE: Management Buckets • BLOG: Governance of Christ-Centered Organizations ECFA BLOG on “Governance of Christ-centered Organizations” – Add your thoughts and comments to John Pearson’s recent blog, "Succession Planning: Is Your CEO Thriving or Just Surviving?" (Part 3 of 11 blogs on succession planning.)

ECFA Governance Toolbox - Succession Planning

 

Issue No. 379 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (Feb. 26, 2018) notes that every CEO is an interim CEO and it's best to avoid buses and boredom. And this reminder: click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies) and click here for my Top 10 Book Recommendations of 2017, and my Book-of-the-Year pick. Every CEO Is an Interim CEO Hot-off-the internet from ECFA is a jam-packed tool on succession planning—and it’s free to ECFA-Accredited Members (and just $69 for others). Click here for: ECFA Governance Toolbox Series No. 4: Succession Planning 11 Principles for Successful Successions “Every CEO is an Interim CEO” Stream the four short videos at your board meetings (or a board retreat) and download copies of the 20-page Read-and-Engage Viewing Guide. The 10-page Facilitator Guide provides three discussion options (based on available time). The guide also directs leaders to a webpage with a robust list of books, articles, templates, and other resources. One of the resource books mentioned, by William Vanderbloemen and Warren Bird, note that with the right theology, ministers will understand that “every pastor is an interim pastor.” (Ditto every CEO.) In their book, NEXT: Pastoral Succession That Works, they write: “Few ministers consider that truth. Few are eager to admit that their time with their present church will one day end. But ultimately, all pastors are ‘interim’ because the day when a successor takes over will come for everyone in ministry. Planning for that day of succession may be the biggest leadership task a leader and church will ever face. It may also be the most important.” The toolbox (fourth in the series from ECFA), delivers practical insights and next steps for these 11 critical principles: VIDEO #1: AVOID BUSES AND BOREDOM! Principle 1: Avoid Buses and Boredom! VIDEO #2: STARTING SUCCESSION ON THE RIGHT FOOT Principle 2: Discern Your Board’s Succession Values and Beliefs Principle 3: Inspire Your CEO to Thrive With a God-Honoring Lifestyle Principle 4: Model Successful Succession in the Boardroom First VIDEO #3: PRAY AND PLAN NOW! Principle 5: Delegate Succession Planning to the Appropriate Committee Principle 6: Invest in Growing Your Leaders (Every Leaders Needs a Coach) Principle 7: Trust God and Discern Direction! Wisdom on Ending Well VIDEO #4: EVERY CEO IS AN INTERIM CEO Principle 8: Plan for Plan A—Your CEO Retires Principle 9: Plan for Plan B—Your CEO Resigns Principle 10: Plan for Plan C—Your CEO Is Terminated Bonus Principle 11: Discern If a Search Firm Would Be Helpful Vanderbloemen and Bird also caution that one size doesn’t fit all. “As the variety of successions in Scripture illustrate, our universal recommendation about succession is that there is no universal recommendation. Healthy succession is more art than science. The plan and details must be tailored to each situation. It is also a deeply spiritual process that calls for prayer and recognition of God’s leading.” For more resources, follow along on the 11-part blog series on the toolbox, especially Part 1 here, “Succession Planning: My Heart Had Left the Building,” with insights from Hans Finzel’s important book, The Power of Passion in Leadership. Want to avoid a chaotic transition? You should also read Chief Executive Succession Planning: Essential Guidance for Boards and CEOs, by Nancy R. Axelrod (from BoardSource): “It might be tomorrow; it might be 10 years from now. But someday, your chief executive is going to leave your organization. Is there a well-thought-out plan in place? Can you expect a smooth transition? If not, his or her departure could trigger a chaotic situation that reduces your organization's effectiveness and panics key stakeholders.” “Principle 6: Invest in Growing Your Leaders (Every Leader Needs a Coach),” includes this poke-in-the-ribs: CFO to CEO: “What happens if we invest in developing our people and then they leave us? CEO: “What happens if we don’t, and they stay?” Visit ECFA to order: ECFA Governance Toolbox Series: Succession Planning – 11 Principles for Successful Successions: “Every CEO is an Interim CEO.” (Note: It was my privilege to write this toolbox and it was personally helpful to me as I've helped clients with their CEO transitions.) To order from Amazon, click on the title for NEXT: Pastoral Succession That Works, by William Vanderbloemen and Warren Bird. To order from BoardSource (print or PDF), click on the title for Chief Executive Succession Planning: Essential Guidance for Boards and CEOs (Second Edition), by Nancy R. Axelrod (available from BoardSource). Your Weekly Staff Meeting Questions:  1) The authors of Boards That Lead recommend that boards ask their new CEOs to draft a succession plan immediately—and that the CEO’s annual performance review should measure progress on the plan. How’s your plan? 2) “What if…your CEO is hit by a bus and dies?” Screen Video #1 of 4 in the ECFA Governance Toolbox Series No. 4—and then address your preparedness for your CEO’s death or incapacitation. Are you prepared?     Leaders Are Readers! Insights from Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook [2026 UPDATE] The updated list of more than 650 books and resources (List #1), categorized within the 20 management buckets (core competencies) is posted here in the Book Bucket. There are four lists. Download these PDFs with listings of books and authors featured in Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews: • List #1: Books by Management Buckets Categories (thru 12/31/25) • List #2: Chronological List of 668 Issues of Your Weekly Staff Meeting - (thru 12/31/25) • List #3: John Pearson's Top-100 Books (as of 12/31/2022—updated occasionally) • List #4: Mastering 100 Must-Read Books List (as of 9/14/2022) For more resources order Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook: Management Tools, Templates, and Tips From John Pearson, with commentary by Jason Pearson. Visit John's Books here.         MORE RESOURCES: • BLOG: Pails in Comparison • SUBSCRIBE: Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews • JOHN'S BOOK REVIEWS: on Amazon  • WEBSITE: Management Buckets • BLOG: Governance of Christ-Centered Organizations NOTICE! Effective Oct. 1, 2025, all 657 eNews issues, previously archived on Typepad.com are slowly (!) being moved to a new website here. New book reviews will also be archived at John Pearson’s Buckets Blog. Or, click here for John’s recent book reviews on Amazon. ECFA BLOG on “Governance of Christ-centered Organizations” – Add your thoughts and comments to John Pearson’s recent blog, "Succession Planning: My Heart Had Left the Building." (Part 1 of 11 blogs on succession planning.)