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!)
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