, by Carson Pue. Also, check out the
.
As I confessed in my book,
Mastering Mistake-Making, “I squandered way too many years treading water without a coach.” (See Mistakes #12, 13, 14, and 15 in the section, “Every Leader Needs a Coach, Especially Leaders Who Endorse Coaching Books!”)
So…I’ve become somewhat of a zealot in reading and recommending books on coaching: for those who need a coach, those who want to become better coaches, and those who are wanna-be coaches. (
See my list of 27 coaching books here.)
Here are three recent books on coaching. Read one yourself—and inspire two other team members to read and report on the other two books at your weekly staff meeting.
BOOK #1: Ten Marks of a Coachable Leader, by Gary P. Rohrmayer (Sept. 4, 2024, 92 pages).
Order from Amazon.
I’m a big fan of authors who deliver the meat-and-potatoes of a book by
page 25.
Bingo! Gary Rohrmayer nails it—right on page 25—with the sixth mark of a coachable leader: “Coachable People Can Make Key Adjustments in Their Lives.” (I also loved #9: "Coachable People Possess a Constructive Spirit of Discontent.")
Rohrmayer quotes from
Experiencing God, by Henry Blackaby and Claude King: “You must make major adjustments in your life to join God in what He is doing.” (I recently shared some stories from the 2021 edition of
Experiencing God with Mark Ellis of
God Reports and he posted this.)
Rohrmayer checks all the boxes with his significant leadership and coaching experience—now through his multidenominational ministry,
Axelerate (“serving leaders who serve church planters”). And he doesn’t waste a word in this gut-check quick-read for leaders.
“Are you coachable?” As a young leader in his 20s, Rohrmayer asked a future church member, “If you have any advice for me, please don’t hesitate to give it to me.” Her response, after ensuring he was coachable, “You need to take care of your shoes and shine them more.” His response: “Thirty-five years later, I have applied that advice every day because first impressions count.”
You’ll quote often from the book’s wisdom:
•
The 8-Point Checklist on your coachability. (Have you ever changed your position/approach because of the coaching you received?)
•
14 Red Flags that you might be resistant to coaching. (“You never ask for feedback from other people.”)
•
3 Reasons why “idea people” tend to be difficult to coach.
•
7 Innovative Qualities that advance adaptable people. (On curiosity: “Flexible people aren’t timid in asking foolish questions.”)
•
3 Reasons why leaders “settle in” rather than being “stretched forward.” (“Being comfortable is one of the leader’s worst enemies.”)
•
10 Reflective Questions on “a constructive spirit of discontent.” (“Is my pace sustainable?”)
And this:•
“Self-reliance is an American virtue but not a biblical value.”• “One of the best lessons a leader can experience is defeat.”
• “Learn how to let go of mistakes quickly…” and “Remove the stinking thinking.”
• He quotes
Fred Smith, “The coachable leader must possess a
‘constructive spirit of discontent’ in order for coaching to work well.” (Also from Smith: “
Mentor Search: Seven Qualities to Look for in a Mentor,” March 10, 2026.)
Maybe the reason I loved this book so much is Rohrmayer begins and ends with coaching stories about Michael Jordan, the Hall of Fame NBA player. Over his career he missed 9,000 shots, missed 26 game-winning shots, and lost 300 games. Jordan: “I failed over and over. That is why I succeed.” (
View the video.)
In 1994, MJ left the Chicago Bulls for the Double-A baseball team, the Birmingham Barons in Alabama. Rohrmayer discusses
Jordan’s humble request to his baseball coach: “Teach me.” (Note: I was at the Barons' ballpark in 1994 and saw Jordan play right field.
Honest!)
How many of the 10 marks of a “coachable leader” would characterize your leadership?BOOK #2: Coaching the Other Way: How to Effectively Coach and Be Coached, by Brian Burman and JD Pearring (Nov. 27, 2025, 191 pages).
Order from Amazon.
Forget everything you thought you knew about coaching and being coached. Example:
“Remember: your effectiveness as a coach should be measured not by how often clients need you, but by how well they succeed without you.”Trust me—when you read a book by
JD Pearring, you’ll walk away with dozens of illustrations and memorable points (many—very funny!)
Enjoying the Sweet 16 NCAA basketball tournaments? Joined by coach Brian Burman for this book, Pearring writes:
“A psychology professor, wrapping up her lecture on mental health, posed this question to her class: ‘How would you diagnose a patient who walks back and forth screaming at the top of his lungs one minute, then sits in a chair weeping uncontrollably the next?’“From the back of the room, a young student raised his hand and suggested,
‘A basketball coach?’”Pearring and Burman write their own chapters in this comprehensive book on coaching. It’s Scripture-based, practical, and—yes—convicting. (Did I also mention—lots of funny lines?) Learn more about their Excel Leadership Network
here. (Also a
podcast.)
The authors promise that each chapter “is packed with tips, tricks, and practical tools” for your coaching toolbox. And before I forget—the appendix, “Improving Your Coaching Appointments” (seven pages) is worth the price of the book. Each of the 18 short chapters includes memorable quotes on coaching. Examples:
•
John Wooden: “A good coach can change a game. A great coach can change a life.”
•
Clayton Christensen: “Without a good question, a good answer has no place to go.”
•
Jay Leno: “A German psychologist says that women talk more than men because they have a bigger vocabulary. But it evens out because men only listen half the time.”
But…wait a minute! Burman’s chapter on
“Coaching vs. Consulting” felt like an elbow to the ribs of every consultant (including me)—until I reflected further and leveraged the
Charlie Munger wisdom I’ve mentioned before. Burman writes: “A great coach asks the right questions. A consultant gives the right answers.” (Do you agree?)
He adds, “Recently, a church planter asked me, ‘What do you think of this? Will it work?’
Rather than sharing my opinion, I employed a frequent coaching tool: ‘It doesn’t matter what I think. What matters is what you think. What makes you believe this will work, and what concerns do you have?’ This response kept the conversation focused on the leader and their opportunity.”
He adds,
“Nothing brings me more satisfaction than hearing a client say, ‘I was going to call you but realized I already knew the questions you would ask and the process for making a good decision.’”Need a coach? Wanna be a coach? In Chapter 5,”What to Look for in a Coach,” Pearring begins with this:
•
Jack Welch: “Does Coaching work? Yes. Good coaches provide a truly important service.
They tell you the truth when no one else will.” •
Pat Williams: “Coaching is not easy. It’s like a nervous breakdown with a paycheck.”
Pop Quiz! What are the top-five qualities to look for in a coach? (Pearring’s answer: Credibility, Relational Ability, Perspective, Motivation, and Listening. He quotes Scott Adams (1957-2026) who wrote,
“Consultants have credibility because they are not dumb enough to work at your company.”You’ll appreciate: •
A Coaching Framework (Vision questions: “Why?” and “What?” And the model questions: “How?” “Who?” and “When?”)
•
A Church Planter’s two-year vision (hint: it involves Eduardo, a 12-year-old soccer player)
•
The Leader’s Mindset: “multiplication, not accumulation.” (Think of leadership as a relay race [baton handoffs]: “…an unbroken chain of leadership development that keeps your organization healthy and growing.”)
•
When Jethro Shadows Moses at work: “…perhaps the first recorded ‘Take Your Father-in-Law to Work Day.’”
LOL! They quote
John Ortberg, “I am either lazy enough, or busy enough, or trusting enough, that the notion of leaving tasks in someone else’s lap doesn’t just sound wise to me, it sounds attractive.”
So much wisdom!
“You must stop asking yourself, ‘How can I accomplish this?’ That question, although common, leads to mediocre results, frustration, and a life of regrets. A much better question is: ‘Who can help me achieve this?’”The authors quote John Wooden several times. “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”
(Is it time to read another book on coaching? Do you have a coach?)
BOOK #3: Good Coach Bad Coach: Build A Practice Where You Belong, by Simon Harling (Dec. 2, 2025, 138 pages).
Order from Amazon.
You gotta read this book too. The title is way too compelling!
Hmmm? What’s a bad coach—and how does the author, an “Athletic Entrepreneur,” know this?You’ll love the content and the book’s very unique format from this creative “writer, coach, and lover of projects that require your full attention.” Simon Harling dutifully (no pun intended) mailed me his book from his office in Cardiff, Wales (you know the drill: customs declaration, international postage, etc.). He is a very committed author and coach.
Page 22 of
Good Coach Bad Coach is blank—except for six lines:
“For many of us, coaching is the next best thing. We didn’t make it as pro athletes, and now the next best thing is coaching. We don’t risk anything by helping others become the next best thing: that’s up to them, not us. And for that, we get to hide in plain sight.”(Did I mention—transparent?) Ever thought about coaching as a career? (Sports, business—pick a niche.) Can you make a living at it? Harling searches for a synonym that is more socially acceptable and even more meaningful than the four-letter original, and he lands on “Enough” Money. He also defines Emergency Money, Fun Money, and Legacy Money—and claims,
“Defining enough changed the course of my life.”(Did I mention—transparent?) His journey included accreditation and certification as an “expert coach” and so he launched his business, Elite Fitness. (It didn't make it.) In another half-page chapter, he describes the dilemma of the donkey “that is equally hungry and thirsty”—and what happened. (You will use this metaphor often.) Then this:
“When our coaching practice is not where we think it should be, we tell ourselves that the hard part is creating a practice that supports our lifestyle, purpose, and bank balance. Choosing between running a business and becoming a better coach—that’s the hard part. I failed to commit to either, and as a result, I excelled at neither.”Wanna be a coach? Read this book! (For more on Harling's "Good Coach Bad Coach Manifesto" and 12 powerful pages on the behaviors of a bad coach,
click here to read my Part 2 review at the
Pails in Comparison blog.
SECOND READS: Fresh Solutions From Classic BooksYou have changed—and your problems have changed—since you read this the first time!Book #44 of 99: A Class With DruckerFor your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by featuring Book #44 of 99 in our series, “Second Reads.” The big idea:
REREAD TO LEAD! Discover how your favorite books still have more to teach you and the people you’re coaching and mentoring.
A Class With Drucker:
The Lost Lessons of the
World’s Greatest Management Teacher
William Cohen (2008)
Sometimes I get a little push back from younger leaders when I quote Peter Drucker (1909-2005), the father of modern management.
If he were alive today, he would be 116! I see the pretend boredom and rolling eyes in my workshops when I share a favorite Druckerism. My response? Christ-followers seem to appreciate another Peter...plus a Paul, a Matthew, a Mark, a John and even Moses (to name a few)—all much older than Peter Drucker. Truth is truth. Wisdom is wisdom.
•
Read my review in Issue No. 243 (Feb. 10, 2012)
• Order from
Amazon.
• Management Bucket #4 of 20:
The Drucker BucketThe author, "a struggling young ex-Air Force officer with no academic experience," enrolled in Drucker's PhD program in management at Claremont Graduate University in 1975. The book describes, in delicious detail, the author's four years of evening classes with "Peter." (Drucker disliked titles.)
William Cohen shares 19 lessons—each with a succinct "Drucker Lesson Summary." (Those alone are worth the price of the book.)
My favorite chapter: “Lesson 3: What Everyone Knows Is Frequently Wrong.”
CLICK HERE FOR BOOKS BY JOHN
On pages 52-53 in the Drucker Bucket chapter of the Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook, you'll find 24 “Druckerisms”—iconic quotes you’ll use immediately at your weekly staff meetings. Example: “The purpose of management is not to make the Church more businesslike, but more Church-like.”
IMPORTANT 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.
