How Leaders Learn

 

Issue No. 610 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (June 6, 2024) delivers bite-sized lifelong learning snippets from 105 leaders. The author quotes Peter Drucker, “The most pressing task is teaching people how to learn.” Plus, click here to download free resources from the 20 management buckets (core competencies). David Novak, author of How Leaders Learn, says that every time he gives a speech, he asks his wife for a letter grade! (Spoiler alert! She doesn’t always give A’s.)   How 105 Leaders Learn! So…as is my habit (sometimes annoying, apparently) to share book insights with my wife, Joanne, who patiently listens (sometimes)—this week I read her a brief paragraph from the new Harvard Business Review Press book: How Leaders Learn: Master the Habits of the World's Most Successful People  by David Novak with Lari Bishop (June 4, 2024)   The author writes that a colleague (kindly) asked Patrick Lencioni, “Why are you like this?” This coworker noticed that Lencioni “showed up in the morning excited for the day but would suddenly turn into a grump in the middle of a meeting. Then, in the next meeting, he would be upbeat again. He recognized it himself, and it bothered him, but he could never figure out why he was hot and cold.”  Novak leveraged that story—and the Lencioni book that resulted—to discuss what leaders often don’t learn about themselves. Joanne’s response, “Do you think this is common for most leaders—that they have gaps that need to be filled in?” I couldn’t believe her question! “Are you kidding me?” I asked. “That’s the title of Novak’s third chapter, ‘Fill Your Gaps.’ How did you know that?” (LOL! She may also have mentioned something about my reading fewer books and just learning from her!) BITE-SIZED LEARNING. There’s no need to read any more of this review—if you’ll just read this book (or schedule a session with my wife). How Leaders Learn is very, very practical. The format is brilliant: 27 short chapters (in bite-sized, 15-minute insights)—with each chapter featuring the learning habits of three to five leaders. You’ll be familiar with many of the 105 people spotlighted: PATRICK LENCIONI discovered that of his six “working geniuses,” he was strong in just two of them: invention and discernment. (Read more and take the assessment mentioned in his book, The 6 Types of Working Genius: A Better Way to Understand Your Gifts, Your Frustrations, and Your Team.) CONDOLEEZZA RICE, former U.S. Secretary of State, tells the author that as a young professor, she received a one-year fellowship to work for the strategic nuclear planning division of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “I was three things they had never seen. Female, black, and civilian…” And yes, on her first day, they told her, “The rookie makes the coffee.” Read how she responded. HENRY KISSINGER is quoted in the chapter on what you can learn from a crisis: “There cannot be a crisis next week. My schedule is already full.” LOL! Novak spotlights five leaders facing crises, including Oscar Munoz, who had to face the media as CEO of United Airlines when a 2017 PR disaster went viral. (Read more in Turnaround Time.) Munoz told Novak, “My barometer is the business schools around the country that initially wrote it as a case of exactly what not to do. Those business cases shifted to become lessons in ‘It’s never too late to do the right thing.’”   MICHAEL BUNGAY STANIER is interviewed for the chapter on learning to ask better questions, “What If, How Could, and Why.” I was delighted to see that two books from “MBS” were included: The Advice Trap (my 2020 book-of-the-year) and The Coaching Habit. Novak affirms, “Active learners make the effort to stay curious first and dole out advice second so they don’t fall victim to what Michael calls the ‘Advice Monster,’ which grows from our need to tell it, save it, or control it.” And…speaking of good questions, several years ago I mentioned to a client that the next time he was in town, he should bring his wife—and I’d treat the four of us to the (now) $7.00 dinner at the San Clemente Pier. I suggested that his wife would appreciate meeting Joanne. “She often asks probing questions,” I added, “and people often respond, ‘I’ve never been asked that question before!’” (Oops! My client told me the next day, “I mentioned that to my wife last night—and she doesn’t want to meet Joanne!”) GINNI ROMETTY, former CEO of IBM, is interviewed for the chapter, “Ditch the Blinders”—an important wake-up call about how our biases and assumptions ignore reality and cause harm. In her book, Good Power, she describes how she challenged “two faulty assumptions” at IBM: “…people with at least a bachelor’s degree and with experience would be better hires.” Yet Novak writes that we must “learn to make—and check—your own judgments.” So IBM started looking for talent at high schools and community colleges and “…they started testing for the traits that made people successful through transformation: curiosity, grit, and drive.” DAVID NOVAK actually didn’t need 105 people to learn how to learn (my opinion), because you’ll learn a lot just from his own life lessons. He’s the co-author of the self-coaching book, Take Charge of You, and he’s the cofounder and former Chairman and CEO of Yum! Brands (over 1.5 million team members in 135 countries!). Check out his top-ranked podcast, How Leaders Lead. Here are just three of the dozens of insights from Novak that I underlined in my book:    • “The biggest truth-teller in my life is my wife, Wendy.” Every time he gives a speech, he asks her for a letter grade! You read that right—and she doesn’t give all A’s! When she does give the rare A, “I know without a doubt I’m doing my best work.” (And yes—not thinking clearly, I read that to my wife, Joanne!)    • When leaving Yum! Brands as CEO, he was invited to serve on numerous boards—but he said “yes” to Comcast because “I’d constantly learn about the most current ideas in media and tech.” (Attn: Board Chairs! Are you recruiting new board members by aligning board service with the gaps in their lifelong learning aspirations?)    • In the first chapter, “Trailer Park University,” Novak confesses to accepting a big promotion by moving from Pizza Hut over to PepsiCo—without asking his current boss for counsel. “He had given me the biggest break in my career, and I owed him a lot more sensitivity than I had given him.” (This prompted me to reflect on my own transitions.) URI LEVINE, founder of Waze and author of Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution, is featured in the chapter, “From Pain to Possibility: Learn by tackling problems.” Novak writes, “Most of my career moves reflect a theme: I took jobs with organizations that were experiencing trouble. Those might seem like jobs to avoid, but I have never felt that way.” He adds, “Solving problems and active learning go hand in hand.” He notes that Levine embraces problems because they deliver at least two values. Must-read! When you ask for input, “you kind of sign up for a mission” and Novak adds, “…sometimes, you discover new and bigger problems to tackle next.” (That’s a good thing!) THERE’S MORE! I’ve barely scratched the surface of the deep learning (practical!) in this treasure chest for lifelong learners. Novak uncovers more “how leaders learn” wisdom from Coach John Wooden, Chip Heath and Dan Heath, Jason Goldsmith, Stephen M.R. Covey (The Speed of Trust), and more than 90 other leaders.  You’ll love this: INDRA NOOYI, former CEO of PepsiCo, told Novak that when she was young, her mother inspired her and her siblings “to be both aspirational and competitive.” For a task at dinner, her mother would ask, “Give me a speech about what you would do if you were the prime minister of the country.” After the speeches, “her mother chose the best speech and handed out the prize—a tiny piece of chocolate.” Her mother didn’t play favorites: the best speech always earned the chocolate. (Another must-read chapter!) This is a perfect book for your “10 minutes for lifelong learning” segment at your next 27 weekly staff meetings! And by the way, when you’re writing your next book, ask Novak to write your chapter titles. They’re brilliant bumper stickers! To order from Amazon, click on the title for How Leaders Learn: Master the Habits of the World's Most Successful People, by David Novak with Lari Bishop. (Note: the seven-hour audio book is coming.) And thanks to Harvard Business Review Press for sending me a review copy.    YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS: 1) In Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom, Dan Busby and I asked, "Would you trust a surgeon who was not a lifelong learner? Would you trust an airline pilot who relied on outdated training?" The first chapter, “Wanted: Lifelong Learners,” ends with a prayer: “Lord, Romans 12:8 says that I am to lead diligently. Give me a heart to be a lifelong learner in my leadership journey. Amen.” Do you know how leaders learn? 2) Abraham Lincoln said, “My best friend is a person who will give me a book I have not read.” What friend needs a book from you this week?        Mastering 100 Must-Read Books Part 14: Leadership & Management at War Book #80 of 100: Make Your Bed For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by featuring Book #80 in Mastering 100 Must-Read Books.  Make Your Bed:  Little Things That Can Change Your Life …and Maybe the World by Admiral William H. McRaven (U.S. Navy Retired)   Books #77 through #81 spotlight five fascinating books with military viewpoints on leadership and management. “If you want to change the world…” writes Admiral McRaven, “…start off by making your bed.” The first chapter, from the author’s Navy SEAL training days, is “Start Your Day With a Task Completed.” Sage advice!     • Order from Amazon: Make Your Bed     • Listen on Libro (1 hours, 53 minutes).     • Download the 100 Must-Read Books list (from John and Jason Pearson). Looking for a graduation gift? This book packs a punch at the fast clip of one big punch every 10 short pages. Adm. McRaven’s 10 principles were delivered first as a university commencement address. His 19-minute speech on May 21, 2014, to the graduating class of the University of Texas at Austin went viral—with over 10 million views! View it here. Note: Today is the 80th anniversary of D-Day. As we thank God for the men and women who served and are serving, listen to this poignant song, "Till They Came Home."   CLICK HERE FOR BOOKS BY JOHN          Do you serve on a regional or national association staff or board? John Pearson was invited by Christian Camping International to discuss “5 Ways to Organize Your CCI Association (1 Size Doesn’t Fit All)” on the “Campfire Conversations” webinar on May 14, 2024. CCI Worldwide inspires 27 associations in 80 countries whose members serve 10 million campers each year! View the webinar on YouTube.   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 Note: This is the NEW location for John Pearson's Buckets Blog. Slowly (!), the previous 650+ blogs posted (between 2006 and 2025) will gradually populate this blogsite, along with new book reviews each month. Ceiling Power! David Novak (see above) is also the co-author of Take Charge of You: How Self-Coaching Can Transform Your Life and Career. Read my review to learn why Novak filled his office walls (and home office walls) with pictures of people that mattered to him. He ran out of wall space—so more pictures adorn his ceilings! For more book reviews, visit the Pails in Comparison Blog.

When Kingdom Light Shines

 

Issue No. 629 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (Dec. 3, 2024) recommends an inspirational book—with 60 true stories—for your Christmas gift-giving. Plus, click here to see book recommendations in all 20 management buckets (core competencies), and click here for more book reviews. Also, learn about my son, Jason, and his new documentary film, “Spares: Second Chance Stories of Frozen Embryos” (view it for free here).  Yikes! Yow! Oh, My! Amazing! Amen! Those were my out-loud exclamations when I read When Kingdom Light Shines—with 60 unbelievable true stories!   Christmas Gift Idea #1: 60 Inspiring Stories!  OH, MY! This new book—jam-packed with 60 inspiring stories—is so, so powerful that I’ve already gifted the book to seven people and it’s not even Christmas! Here’s my Christmas Gift Idea #1: When Kingdom Light Shines:  Stories That Inspire Faith by Mark Ellis (2024) YIKES! When Mark Ellis generously gave me this book on Nov. 3, 2024, I had a brilliant reading plan: 60 stories/60 days. But after reading the first inspiring story—I couldn’t stop! I averaged three chapters every day and completed this unbelievable book in 21 days! AMAZING! I started with Chapter 20, “How God Answered Francis Chan’s Ridiculous Prayer for a Son-in-Law.” (Did I mention, amazing?) You’ll read about this daring prayer (just three pages) by author and speaker Francis Chan, “who lifted up a bold, audacious matchmaking prayer, and God answered in a way that confounded Francis himself.” (Have you ever prayed a “ridiculous” prayer?) The 60 short stories feature the author’s favorite “God reports” from the last 25 years. Mark Ellis believes that “God’s stories are the best stories, and that He is doing even greater things in the world today than he did in the first century.” So Ellis launched the God Reports website “with a mission to support and encourage Christian missions, by sharing stories and testimonies from believers around the world.”  YOW! There are two powerful bookends in When Kingdom Light Shines: Stories That Inspire Faith. Chapter 1, “Dream Led to Hidden Tribe,” begins with this: “In 2013, Caleb Byerly woke up with a start and began to furiously write in his journal everything he saw in a rather unusual dream.” This missionary had sensed that “God had spoken to Caleb through dreams previously, so he meticulously recorded” the dream details.  “I feel like when God speaks to you, it’s an invitation to partner and walk with God,” Byerly said. (This reminded me of Henry Blackaby’s wisdom, “When God speaks, it is important to write it down.”) What follows will shock you (in a really good way!)—and you’ll retell the story to family and friends. Chapter 60, “Dying Farmer Left Civil War Bible Behind for New Age Homebuyer,” is another breathtaking story that concludes this marathon of miracles. Dale Walker reports that he “graduated from Wesleyan University without knowing who John Wesley was, or who Jesus Christ was. And I never really met a single person that knew God or could tell me about God.”  At age 31, he practiced Eastern meditation, but “his inner emptiness wouldn’t go away.” He notes, “At the same time, my personal life was tangled into a series of knots which I didn’t know how to untie.” (This reminded me of a recent "Hidden Streams" podcast and the original song, “Tied Down,” at the end of the podcast.) Read why after his first-ever prayer on his knees to “ANYBODY UP THERE,” Walker sprinted (no pun intended) across a farmer’s field to a farm house he had recently purchased—and found the previous owner’s 1865 family Bible in the attic. (Yes. It was dusty!) He read “The Lord is my shepherd” from the 23rd Psalm—and it changed his life! There’s more! Read how that same night Walker randomly views a TV program about Roy Campanella. The program depicted the famous Brooklyn Dodgers catcher in the emergency room after a paralyzing injury from a car accident. The program flashed back to a young Campanella who remembers a Scripture his mother had taught him. (Guess which one?) AMEN! I generally read silently—but dozens and dozens of times when reading this stunning book, I heard myself audibly respond: Amen! Wow! Yikes! Amazing! Praise the Lord! Examples: • Chapter 34, “Lost Forty-Seven Days at Sea,” spotlights Louis Zamperini, the USC track star, 1936 Olympics runner, and WW2 POW. Read about the event that rid him of his extreme PTSD. • Chapter 32, “Vincent Van Gogh’s Unappreciated Journey with Christ,” will prompt your own “Amen!” You’ll never look the same way again at “The Starry Night” or other Van Gogh masterpieces. • Chapter 58, “He Preached the Gospel as Hijacked Plane Hit the Water,” is an excellent God story to share with the seatmate on your next plane ride. Andy Meakins, “a gentle giant of the faith,” was airborne on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961 from Addis Ababa to Abidjan—when “three hijackers stormed the cabin and demanded to be flown to Australia." (No way!) When the plane ran out of fuel, it hit the water, yet 50 people miraculously survived—but all 175 passengers and crew heard the Gospel story during those fateful final minutes. Must-read! •    Chapter 10, “Missionary Died Thinking He Was a Failure,” describes the 17-year ministry, beginning in 1912, of a doctor’s work among tribal people in a remote corner of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Failure? You decide. All of these God stories reminded me that writer David Sedaris called Tobias Wolff “America’s greatest short-story writer.” (See my review of My Ideal Bookshelf—also a Christmas gift option.) Sedaris notes: “Sometimes I meet ministers, and I always say to them, ’If I had a church, I’d read a Tobias Wolff story every week, and then I’d say to people, “Go home.”’ There’s nothing else you would need to say. Every story is a manual on how to be a good person, but without ever being preachy. They’re deeply moral stories; the best of them read like parables.” Ditto these 60 God stories. I envision a surge in storytelling at weekly staff meetings—and hopefully—in pulpits across the globe. Thank you, Mark Ellis! TO ORDER, click on the title for When Kingdom Light Shines: Stories That Inspire Faith, by Mark Ellis.   UP NEXT! Watch for my review of “Christmas Gift Idea #2”—a new book just released today, Dec. 3, 2024. Read Glad I Didn’t Know: Lessons Learned Through Life’s Challenges and Unexpected Blessings, by Vonna Laue.   YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS: 1) Read Chapter 20, “How God Answered Francis Chan’s Ridiculous Prayer for a Son-in-Law,” and then ask this question: “Have you ever asked the Lord for something that others might consider a ridiculous prayer request?” What’s your “ridiculous” prayer request for 2025? 2) After you’ve read all 60 short stories (or featured four or five stories at future weekly staff meetings), then host a gathering and call it, “Chapter 61.” Invite staff members, board members, and key volunteers to nominate God stories from your organization that are so remarkable they could become Chapter 61 in When Kingdom Light Shines.        Mastering 100 Must-Read Books Part 18: The Final Four Book #99 of 100: Leadership Core For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by featuring Book #99 in Mastering 100 Must-Read Books.  Leadership Core:  Character, Competence, Capacity (Leadership Multipliers) by Dick Daniels   Books #97 through #100 spotlight “the final four” books in this recommended volume of 100 must-read books. Daniels writes: “Every leader will face at least one impossible situation during their leadership tenure. That time is described as having your back against the wall, with no way out, completely alone, and the feeling of gloom you have when it seems like the end is near.”     • Read my review.     • Order from Amazon.     • Download the 100 Must-Read Books list (from John and Jason Pearson). Did you know that “people lie more on Monday and Friday than Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday?” Daniels notes research indicating “people lie two to four times a day.” So the author discusses five times when your staff might lie: 1) Lying to land a job, 2) Lying to get ahead, 3) Lying to achieve work-life balance, 4) Lying with feedback, and 5) Lying during the exit interview.  BONUS! Read my review of the latest book from Dick Daniels, The 365 Day Leader: Recalibrate Your Calling Every Day. (Another Christmas gift book option for leaders and managers!)   CLICK HERE FOR BOOKS BY JOHN        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 Note: This is the NEW location for John Pearson's Buckets Blog. Slowly (!), the previous 650+ blogs posted (between 2006 and 2025) will gradually populate this blogsite, along with new book reviews each month. A Berkeley Frat House & Josh McDowell’s Book! Mark Ellis, the author of When Kingdom Light Shines (see above), wrote a very personal narrative in 2021, The House at Channing and Moonsail (read my review). Read what prompted Ellis, who said "God was not on my radar," to read Josh McDowell’s book, Evidence That Demands a Verdict. For more book reviews, visit the Pails in Comparison Blog.

Top-10 Books of 2006

  

Issue No. 17 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (Dec. 31, 2006) features the Top-10 books of 2006 (including several from 2007).  As you welcome in 2007, here's a recap of the books I've reviewed in 2006. To download a PDF of the chronological list of book reviews, visit the Book Bucket page at the Management Buckets website. 

Here are my Top-10 picks of the year for the books I reviewed. It's a tough assignment to narrow it down to 10, since all of us are at different levels of competency within the 20 buckets. But...maybe this will be helpful to you. 

2006 Book-of-the-Year

Joy at Work: A Revolutionary Approach to Fun on the Job, by Dennis Bakke. (Read my review.)

Have you ever announced this to your staff? Water Cooler Wisdom #8: “Everyone must get advice before making a decision. If you don’t seek advice, ‘you’re fired.’”

Bakke is no believer in workplace decisions by consensus or majority vote. Hire great people and let them have the fun (the joy) of decision-making. 

If that’s not revolutionary enough, shake-up your team with Water Cooler Wisdom #9: “A ‘good’ decision should make all the stakeholders unhappy because no individual or group got all they wanted.” 

Trust me. Your team members will love this book! I had the privilege of writing an endorsement for this book.

The Other 9 Books
Note: Back in 2006-2007, for the first 68 issues of the eNews, we did not select "Top-10" books for 2006 and 2007. So...now in 2026, I have cycled back and selected 20 for 2006-2007 that have stood the test of time. Enjoy!

2. A Tale of Three Kings: A Study in Brokenness, by Gene Edwards. (Order from Amazon.)

In the Old Testament, David complained to the Lord that King Saul was hardly God-honoring—so why should David honor and respect this tyrant king? Sound familiar? 

“Why did I get fired?

My boss is the jerk, not me.

Lord, this isn’t fair!”

Gene Edwards is a master storyteller and this classic unwraps the relationships between David, Saul, and Absalom. His conclusions may astound you. It’s a powerful book to recommend and discuss at your weekly staff meeting.

3. Balancing Life's Demands: A New Perspective on Priorities, by J. Grant Howard. (Read my review.)

Setting priorities is not an exact science in the workplace. It’s even more difficult for the thoughtful Christian leader or manager—in spite of the trite conventional wisdom. Most books, and far too many authors and preachers, will give you this dribble about balancing priorities: God is first, family is second, church is third, and your career is fourth.

J. Grant Howard writes that a list of sequential priorities makes absolutely no sense. “It can’t be intelligently explained. It can’t be easily understood. It can’t be logically lived out.” He adds, “I am convinced that the existing sequential model is not only impractical it is unbiblical.”

4. Death By Meeting: A Leadership Fable About Solving the Most Painful Problem in Business, by Patrick Lencioni (Read my review.)

This is easy to admit—I cannot improve on Patrick Lencioni's fast-reading, get-the-four-big-ideas-immediately book. So, I'll just quote him in this review.

But first...here's a Pop Quiz! Everyone stand up. OK...now remain standing if your job requires you to attend at least one meeting a week. OK...now remain standing if you are in a minimum of five meetings a week (staff meeting, one-on-one meetings, etc.). I know...everyone is still standing. But now...remain standing if you have ever read a book, attended a workshop, viewed a webinar, or been coached or mentored on effective meetings management. (Anyone still standing?)

My top book pick in my "Meetings Bucket" is this book, but I've never fully reviewed it here. Be sure to read what (and why) Lencioni preaches about "Sneaker Time" (pages 251-252):

5. Effectiveness by the Numbers: Counting What Counts in Church, by William R. Hoyt. (Read my review.)

Bill Hoyt quotes the cynic who said, "Churches are very willing to change. They will make any change necessary to keep things the same!" Hoyt muses that churches are reluctant to measure effectiveness because the cold hard facts might require them to change. Well...it's about time. Preach it!

This book packs a punch. You can't manage what you can't measure and finally, here's a clear and thoughtful voice for local church metrics. There's nothing like it on the market and when an author uses an illustration from The Blues Brothers movie, you know it will be a fun read.

6. Gilead, by Marilynne Robinson. (Order from Amazon.)

Pulitzer Prize for Fiction! A pastor’s warm letter to his son. Church challenges. And, perhaps, the most beautifully-written book you’ve ever read.

7. Good Governance for Nonprofits: Developing Principles and Policies for an Effective Board, by Fredric L. Laughlin and Robert C. Andringa (Read my review.)

More than any other tool or template, I have recommended the Board Policies Manual (BPM) template to hundreds of nonprofit organizations and churches. Fred Laughlin and Bob Andringa teamed up to produce this brilliant tool, the BPM. The who, what, where, when, why, and how—are all explained in their concise, but thorough, color commentary, Good Governance for Nonprofits.

The book describes the efficacy of compiling the twists and turns of board policies (some that conflict with others) into one thoughtful 15- to 20-page document that is designed to be revised at any board meeting throughout the year.

As Dan Busby and I note in Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom: “While many organizations have unwritten policies covering a wide range of topics, they’re often filed away incoherently in the archives and no one can find them when needed. ‘Here’s a fun job for a new board member,’ they say. ‘Please dig through 20 years of board minutes. Bring a flashlight and emergency provisions!’”

2026 update: Read more about the BPM in "Tool #17" in the book, ECFA Tools and Templates. 

8. Good to Great and the Social Sectors, by Jim Collins. (Read my review.)

"The moment you think of yourself as great, your slide toward mediocrity will have begun" says Jim Collins in this easy-to-read 35-page book. Your team will appreciate his insights on how a nonprofit or church measures results.

"All data is flawed," writes Collins. "It doesn't really matter whether you can quantify your results. What matters is that you rigorously assemble evidence—quantitative or qualitative—to track your progress."

Leverage this book to help your team understand the difference between greatness and "business-like." After you read it, ask your nonprofit board and senior team to address these questions:
   1. Where are we on a scale of "mediocre" to "great?"
   2. How rigorously do we assemble evidence to document our results?
   3. What assignment should we make today as a result of this discussion?

9. Halftime: Changing Your Game Plan from Success to Significance, by Bob Buford. (Order from Amazon.)

Bob Buford suggests that people in “Halftime” ask the following questions: 
   • What am I really good at?
   • What do I want to do?
   • What is most important to me?
   • What do I want to be remembered for?
   • If my life were absolutely perfect, what would it look like?

How effective is your organization in helping people in the second half of their lives move “from success to significance?” (Note: See also Buford's book, Drucker and Me.)

10. How to Deal With Annoying People: What to Do When You Can’t Avoid Them, by Bob Phillips and Kimberly Alyn. (Read my review.)

For years, I've encouraged leaders and managers (actually, anyone who takes nourishment) to study the four social styles: Drivers, Analyticals, Amiables and Expressives (visit the People Bucket). The authors have creatively communicated what makes people annoying to us (and us to them) by overlaying the social style construct on all things annoying. It's brilliant.

The book delivers conflict prevention and resolution principles, including 10 myths about conflict.
   • Myth #7: "Harmony is normal and conflict is abnormal."
   • Myth #10: "Conflict is a sign that people do not care." 

The book also suggests how to sell to annoying people. Example: explain to Expressives how their buying decision will "add more adventure, fun and excitement to their lives." (Fundraisers: take note.)

The chapter, "Dispelling 10 Stereotypical Gender Myths," is worth the price of the book. If you've bought into the myth that women are relationship-oriented and men are task-oriented, you've misread God's unique design in people—male and female. It's a must-read chapter.

And finally, these reminders:
   1) Delegate your reading—assign books to other team members and ask for mini-reports at staff meetings;
   2) Read relevant chapters only—don’t feel guilty for not finishing a book;
   3) Hold high the value of sharpening the saw—model it yourself and reward others who read; and
   4) Budget for books—invest in your people by investing in books.

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

Note: This is the NEW location for John Pearson's Buckets Blog. Slowly (!), the previous 650+ blogs posted (between 2006 and 2025) will gradually populate this blogsite, along with new book reviews each month.

Top-10 Books of 2007

 

Issue No. 69 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (Dec. 31, 2007) features the Top-10 books of 2007.  As you welcome in 2008, here's a recap of the books I've reviewed in 2007 (Issues No. 18 to 68). To download a PDF of the chronological list of book reviews, visit the Book Bucket page at the Management Buckets website. I reviewed 49 books and one DVD in 2007.

Here are my Top-10 picks of the year for the books I reviewed. It's a tough assignment to narrow it down to 10, since all of us are at different levels of competency within the 20 buckets. But...maybe this will be helpful to you. 

2007 Book-of-the-Year

The Best Question Ever: A Revolutionary Approach to Decision Making, by Andy Stanley (Read my review.)

I bought a full case of this book to give to clients in 2007. Must-read!

Good News! In 2021, Andy Stanley added four more questions and wrote Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets: 5 Questions to Help You Determine Your Next Move. At just 192 pages, it’s worth your time—and you’ll be sharing it with colleagues, friends, and family (and grandkids!). The five questions:

1. The Integrity Question: Am I being honest with myself? Really?
2. The Legacy Question: What story do I want to tell?
3. The Conscience Question: Is there a tension that deserves my attention?
4. The Maturity Question: What is the wise thing to do?
5. The Relationship Question: What does love require of me?

The Other 9 Books:

Note: Back in 2007, for the first 68 issues of the eNews, we did not select "Top-10" books for 2006 and 2007. So...now in 2026, I have cycled back and selected 10 for 2007 that have stood the test of time. Enjoy!

2. Stop Setting Goals If You Would Rather Solve Problems, by Bobb Biehl (Order from Amazon.)

Oops! Apparently not everyone is motivated by goals! (My bad!) You’ll love this contrarian book by a gifted management and leadership consultant who has mentored hundreds of leaders. Biehl's book also reminded me of the 2023 book. Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution, by Uri Levine. (Read my review of Levine’s book.)

3. Strengths Finder 2.0: Discover Your Clifton Strengths, by Gallup and Tom Rath (Read my review of this book and other “assessment” books in my book, Mastering 100-Must Read Books.)

Order StrengthsFinder 2.0 from Amazon. (Note: my Top-5 Strengths are Focus, Responsibility, Significance, Belief, and Maximizer.) What are your Top-5?

4. The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don’t Work and What to Do About It, by Michael E. Gerber (Order from Amazon.)

I have recommended this book to dozens and dozens of clients. The concept of building the organizational chart is brilliant. Example: Even if you have just three people in your new organization, create the chart for the number of people you’ll need in the next two to three years—then drop those three names (including yourself) into all of the boxes. Begin immediately to train people (volunteers, part-timers, etc.) for those boxes—so you can move on to the important stuff.

5. Managing Transitions (25th anniversary edition, 2017): Making the Most of Change, by William Bridges and Susan Bridges (Read my review.)

When this book was first published in 1991, it was recognized as the definitive guide to dealing with change. It still holds that position. If it’s not on your organization’s resource shelf, it needs to be.

William Bridges writes, “It isn’t the changes that do you in, it’s the transitions. Change is not the same as transition. Change is situational: the new site, the new boss, the new team roles, the new policy. Transition is the psychological process people go through to come to terms with the new situation. Change is external, transition is internal.”

6. Nonprofit Board Answer Book, by Bob Andringa & Ted Engstrom (Read my review.) See also the second and third editions of Nonprofit Board Answer Book: A Practical Guide for Board Members and Chief Executives.

"Behind every good answer lies a good question," says BoardSource in the introduction to this third edition. Now with 85 questions and answers, it's a must-have resource for both new and veteran board members as you inspire them to be life-long governance learners. Suggestion: bring it to every board meeting--and pass it around the room. It will be irresistible to your board members in their search for proof texts!

When you scan the table of contents, dozens of relevant questions will jump off the page--and tempt you to read the crisp, well-written two- to four-page answers.

7. The One Minute Manager, by Ken Blanchard & Spencer Johnson (Order from Amazon.)

A classic! This must be on your organization’s resource shelf—and should be foundational to your performance reviews—with more emphasis on “One-Minute Praisings” and “One-Minute Reprimands” versus the annual performance review.

Bonus Book! This is also a must-read: The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey, by Ken Blanchard & William Oncken, Jr. (Order from Amazon.) See the five Ken Blanchard books spotlighted in my book, Mastering 100 Must-Read Books in the four sections of "Mount Rushmore Leadership Legends." The other three: Peter Drucker, Jim Collins, and Patrick Lencioni.

8. The Three Signs of a Miserable Job: A Fable for Managers (and Their Employees), by Patrick Lencioni (Read my review.)

I titled my review, ” Memo to Everyone I've Worked With Over the Last 40 Years: I'm sorry!” Honest! Had Patrick Lencioni written this book 40 years ago, when I assumed my first summer management position, I would have been a better leader and more nurturing manager.

His book will get your management juices going again. It's a five-star, must-read, very, very important book. 

9. The Treasure Principle: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving, by Randy Alcorn (Order from Amazon.)

Two words: read it! And the next time you hear a person say, "Yeah. I felt it was now time to give back..." Guess what? He or she never owned it in the first place! Randy Alcorn explains: "God owns everything. I'm His money manager."

10. TrueFaced: Trust God and Others With Who You Really Are, by Bill Thrall, Bruce McNicol, and John Lynch (Order from Amazon.)

Oh, my. If you’ve never read one of the many books and resources from the TrueFace team, drop everything now—and jump in. These guys are the real deal. Visit the TrueFace website for rich, authentic help in your walk with God. (See their latest book: The Path.)

BONUS BOOKS COMING!

In 2007, I wrote a short review of the excellent book, The Imperfect Board Member: Discovering the Seven Disciplines of Governance Excellence, by Jim Brown (Read my review.)

Breaking News! Watch for my reviews of two more books in 2026 from Jim Brown!

• The Imperfect Board Member (2026 edition), by Jim Brown

• The Imperfect CEO: Making the Climb to Organizational Health (May 19, 2026), by Jim Brown (Pre-order from Amazon.)

And finally, these reminders: 1) Delegate your reading—assign books to other team members and ask for mini-reports at staff meetings; 2) Read relevant chapters only—don’t feel guilty for not finishing a book; 3) Hold high the value of sharpening the saw—model it yourself and reward others who read; and 4) Budget for books—invest in your people by investing in books and audio books.

I have some fantastic books coming in 2008. Stay tuned—and Happy New Year!

P.S.  I’m pleased to announce that my new book, Mastering the Management Buckets: 20 Critical Competencies for Leading Your Business or Nonprofit, will be published by Regal Books in April 2008. (2026 update: Also check out the workbook!)

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

Note: This is the NEW location for John Pearson's Buckets Blog. Slowly (!), the previous 650+ blogs posted (between 2006 and 2025) will gradually populate this blogsite, along with new book reviews each month.

If I Knew Then What I Know Now

 

Issue No. 671 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (Jan. 22, 2026) spotlights a wisdom-crammed book I first read in 1996! It's even better today. Plus, click here for recent issues posted at the NEW site for John Pearson’s Buckets Blog, including my year-end “Top-10 Books of 2025 and Book-of-the-Year.” Also, check out the 20 management buckets (core competencies) and more book reviews at the Pails in Comparison Blog. Richard Edler has some Meetings Bucket wisdom: “Even today when I go into a meeting, I put a BIG ‘L’ in the upper right hand corner of my note pad. It is a reminder to myself to ‘Listen first, dummy. Just shut up and listen.’ Sometimes I even visualize the person across the table from me sitting and swinging on that BIG ‘L.’”   “Never attend a meeting unless you know when it’s going to end.” In 1996, 30 years ago (!), I thumbed through this fascinating book and underlined my favorite insights and wisdom from seasoned CEOs. I even used some quotes in the newsletter I wrote at the time, CMA Management Monthly. (CMA is now CLA.) So I was intrigued when our church, Paradigm Community, launched a series of 10-minute segments (one per Sunday) on the topic, “Advice I Would Give Myself If I Were 20-30 Years Younger.”  Bingo! So, I searched for my book (waiting patiently for me on my bookshelf—“my library of well-read friends”) and read it again. The wisdom jumped off the page. (Too bad I didn’t appreciate this book even more 30 years ago!)    If I Knew Then What I Know Now:  CEOs and Other Smart Executives Share Wisdom  They Wish They’d Been Told 25 Years Ago  by Richard Edler   Author Richard Edler, with a background as president or managing director of three different ad agencies in Los Angeles, invited colleagues, publishers, athletes, and others to weigh in on the question, “Wisdom they wish they’d been told 25 years ago.” (He also gave a college commencement speech on that topic.) And, oh my, what a list of friends and colleagues! I counted 159 people who contributed their wisdom and wishes including: Pat Riley, Marjorie Blanchard, Peter Ueberroth, Helen Gurley Brown, Senator Orrin Hatch, Dennis Prager, Rabbi Harold Kushner, Condoleezza Rice, and others. Wisdom? For the last 20 years, I’ve filed and categorized wisdom, insights, and books via my 20 management buckets system—so I’ve noted the “bucket category”for each of the snippets below. (Below are about two dozen insights. I've posted all 40 brilliant ideas at the Pails in Comparison blog.) Enjoy! THE RESULTS BUCKET [   ] “Have a goal. A goal is just a dream with a deadline.” (Marjorie Blanchard) [   ] “Every night ask yourself this question: ‘Have I made a profit for my employer today?’ If the answer is ‘yes,’ you’ll still have a job tomorrow. If it’s ‘no,’ get your resume together.” (Buddy Weiss) [   ] After reading thousands of resumes during his 55 years in business, Monty McKinney lists five insights when reading resumes.       #2. “I never look at letters of recommendation. As one of my colleagues once said, ‘I never saw a bad one.’”      #5. “Frequency and trends in job changes count. My father taught me that there are two serious mistakes a young person in business can make—changing jobs too often, and not changing jobs enough.” THE CUSTOMER BUCKET [   ] “If a customer calls, and I consider it an interruption, I know I have to take some time off to adjust my attitude.” (Don Keough) THE STRATEGY BUCKET [   ] “Specialize in something. Become an expert.” Allen J. Larson adds, “Know more than anyone else around you about some topic.” [   ] “I turn around deeply troubled or bankrupt companies for a living," writes Alfred Jay Moran, Jr. "It doesn’t matter what business they are in. I have found that the same five steps apply every time. I wish someone had told me this 25 years ago instead of having to learn it the hard way.” Note my summary:    • Step 1: Grab the cash.    • Step 2: Freeze the expenses.    • Step 3: Interview everyone you can. “All the information about what is wrong and what should be done is already in house.”    • Step 4. Formulate a strategy. “You are better off with a half-right strategy now, than a perfectly right strategy in six months. By then it will be too late.”    • Step 5: Create the “ideal” organization chart that requires “the minimum staff to implement the strategy.”      He adds, “Lay out the organization first. If people don’t fit, get rid of them. Sounds cold, but executives are paid to execute.”  THE DRUCKER BUCKET [   ] “I wish someone had told me when I came out of law school, all set to practice, that I need immediately to find somebody to practice on.” (Mort Janklow) [   ] “During my 20s I would occasionally break the rules, and it would pay off. For instance, when I entered a contest to ‘write about your goals for the future’ I decided it might be more attention-getting to write ‘Why I have no goals.’ I won.” (Kate White) [   ] “On hindsight, it would have been helpful if someone told me that validation, or a ‘second opinion’ from a trusted friend, could often help clarify my judgment. Nothing is as important as the accurate evaluation of our perceptions.” (Bert Newman) [   ] “Never follow a John Wooden.” Jim Helin adds, “This kind of situation is not healthy for your career. These kinds of opportunities can only lead to unrealistic expectations, little credit for a job well done, and absolutely no fun on the job.” (Read my review of Coach Wooden One-on-One.) THE BOOK BUCKET [   ] Hall of Fame Basketball Coach Pat Riley wrote “Twenty-five years ago I wish someone had given me the Serenity Prayer.” (Read it here and consider this for your office or home.) THE PROGRAM BUCKET [   ] “Make lots of mistakes. Mistakes are the fuel for fast career development. Learn how to make brilliant recoveries. And then never make the same mistake twice.” (J. Melvin Muse) Note: Since writing Mastering Mistake-Making in 2021, I’ve become a zealot for spotting great mistake quotes. (In book margins, I draw an “M” with a circle around it—to point out insightful mistake-making principles.) See my list of 16 mistake-making books. THE PEOPLE BUCKET [   ] “Twenty-five years ago I wish someone had told me that the enduring meaning in my life would be found in shaping my children’s values, not in my professional success.” (Rabbi Harold S. Kushner) THE CULTURE BUCKET [   ] “Don’t be afraid or ashamed of believing in God, and of maturing spiritually.” (Bill Bean) – Note: Need more reasons to believe? Read this. [   ] “Go get international experience.” (Peter Sealey, former senior VP, Global Marketing, The Coca-Cola Company) [   ] “Give serendipity a chance. You don’t have to plan or try to focus every step in your life. I wish I had taken advantage of the opportunity to just learn about as many things as possible when I was younger. I wish I had just listened to all the World History and World Culture courses, instead of just trying to get an ‘A’ on the exam. Stay loose early. You spend the rest of your life narrowing your focus.” (Condoleezza Rice)  THE TEAM BUCKET [   ] “Never burn your bridges. Don’t even spray graffiti on them. You never know when the boss you resign from today may be hiring you again at another company, promoting you to another job in the same company, or acting as a future reference. So when you exit, always do so with grace and appreciation.” (Tony Hoyt) [   ] “Hire slowly. Fire quickly. It’s not the people you fire that hurt you. It’s the people you don’t fire." (Marcio Moreira) THE HOOPLA! BUCKET [   ] “When your children are born, and every year thereafter, write them a letter on their birthday. Save them up, but don’t tell anyone. Then give your children their letters on their twenty-first birthdays.” (Rich Gold) THE CRISIS BUCKET [   ] “Learn to distinguish between a mishap, a setback, and a tragedy.” (YPO Wisdom) [   ] “Expect to fail miserably 30 percent of the time.” (Bill Lupien) [   ] “Always take the job working on the product or the office in trouble. Never take over a business doing well.” (Tom O’Sullivan) Note: This reminded me of the four kinds of organizational situations you might inherit in your next job. Read my review of The First 90 Days and learn more about the acronym, “STARS.”  THE BUDGET BUCKET [   ] “If you start saving a fixed amount at age 20 and your twin brother saves the same amount beginning at age 30, by the time you are both 65 you will have twice as much money as he does. The same is true for loving and investing in your children. It’s never too soon to start.” (Larry Higby) [   ] “Every good business will have its best years followed by lean years. Budget for the lean years.” (Mike McCormick) THE OPERATIONS BUCKET [   ] Learn why Dennis Pope recommends you approach decision-making without emotions. “To decide anything, first write down the pros and cons, and then photocopy your list. Then throw the original away and look at only the copy. Also type it instead of using your own handwriting.” THE PRINTING BUCKET (aka THE COMMUNICATIONS BUCKET) [   ] Tips for writing the perfect business memo (from unwritten and unofficial guidelines at Procter & Gamble Company):    • “For the rest of your life begin every memo with the word ‘This.’ It allows you to get started, and to tell the reader in the first sentence what the purpose of the memo is.”    • “There are three reasons for everything. Never two or four. If you have two, make another one up. If you have four, cut one out.” THE MEETINGS BUCKET [   ] “Try to take a two-minute break between each meeting or phone call. This will prevent the tone of one event from infecting the next. You’ll find that your analysis will be more accurate, your decisions much wiser, and your actions more appropriate.” (Susan J. Petersen) [   ] “Never attend a meeting unless you know when it’s going to end.” (Peter Brown)   Richard Edler, the author of this fantastic book, adds his commentary to Lynn Upshaw’s wisdom on listening—with this: “Even today when I go into a meeting, I put a Big ‘L’ in the upper right hand corner of my note pad. It is a reminder to myself to ‘Listen first, dummy. Just shut up and listen.’ Sometimes I even visualize the person across the table from me sitting and swinging on that Big ‘L.’” [   ] Paul Foley shares 10 “Adages for Ad Agencies,” including these:    • “Beware of management by total surprise.”    • “Large meetings are often used to share the blame.”    • “It is possible to make excellent television commercials within 100 miles of home.”    • “It is difficult to build a backlog of good will; ill will, yes—but good will starts from scratch at 9:00 every morning.” THERE'S MORE! Read all 40 insights at the Pails in Comparison Blog. Better yet: read the book! TO ORDER FROM AMAZON, click on the title for If I Knew Then What I Know Now: CEOs and Other Smart Executives Share Wisdom They Wish They’d Been Told 25 Years Ago, by Richard Edler. Note: click here for the “mass market paperback” edition. Listen on Libro (2 hours, 42 minutes).   YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS: 1) Your turn! What wisdom do you wish you'd been told 25 years ago? (Email me your list and I'll publish a selection of reader wisdom in a future issue. Thank you!) 2) Dan Bolin, author of the forthcoming book, A Board Prayer (watch for my review on Feb. 11) was the first friend who shared this wisdom with me: "Hire slower. Fire faster." While this might be a delicate topic for your next staff meeting, it's a good one to discuss when everything is going well! Why do you think "Hire slower. Fire faster." is a best practice?       SECOND READS: Fresh Solutions From Classic Books You have changed—and your problems have changed—since you read this the first time! Book #39 of 99: Yours Truly For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by featuring Book #39 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. Yours Truly:  An Obituary Writer's Guide to Telling Your Story  by James R. Hagerty (Dec. 27, 2022) The author assures us: “No, telling your story is not another irksome task, like making a will or clearing out the attic. Telling your story is less difficult than you may imagine. Telling your story can be amusing. It can pay off in unexpected ways.”    • Reviewed in Issue No. 564 (June 14, 2023)    • Read my review on Amazon.    • Order from Amazon.    • Management Bucket #19 of 20: The Printing Bucket (aka The Communications Bucket) I titled my review (with this great line from the author), “Your life story is not a nomination for sainthood.” James Hagerty, at the time, was the only fulltime obituary writer for the Wall Street Journal. He suggests you ask yourself three questions:     • What were you trying to do with your life?     • Why?     • And how did it work out? Read his memorable 2025 WSJ tribute to his mother, “Marilyn Hagerty, Whose Column on Olive Garden Went Viral in 2012, Dies at 99.”   CLICK HERE FOR BOOKS BY JOHN      Mistake #7 of 8: “Skipping Your CEO’s Annual Assessment.” Read more in the new workbook, The 8 Big Mistakes to Avoid With Your Nonprofit Board—and learn how your board can customize the “Cut-and-Paste Template” for your own CEO’s annual “360” performance review. (See pages 81-90.) 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. WHAT IF... YOUR CEO IS HIT BY A BUS? More than 300 board governance blogs by John Pearson (and guest bloggers) are archived at ECFA’s Governance of Christ-Centered Organizations Blog. Read Bill Frisby’s commentary on Lesson 8 of 40 from More Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom, “Design Your Succession Plan—NOW! What if your CEO is hit by a bus?” 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 Job Architecture On the Pails in Comparison blog, watch for my review of the new book (Jan. 13, 2026), Job Architecture: Building a Language for Workforce Intelligence, by Ben Zweig. Read why Dr. John Boudreau of the Center for Effective Organizations at USC writes in the foreword that this book “offers an important evidence-based perspective in the evolution of a new understanding of work and labor markets.” And why “this book will inspire reflection and debate, a worthy aspiration.” (See more books at the Pails in Comparison blog.) Note: This is the NEW location for John Pearson's Buckets Blog. Slowly (!), the previous 650+ blogs posted (between 2006 and 2025) will gradually populate this blogsite, along with new book reviews each month.