spotlights a stunning combination of project management savvy and soul care wisdom—based on the Book of Proverbs. Plus,
, including my recent reviews of books on two U.S. presidents:
. And this reminder: download
I’ve reviewed here.
Yikes! Is this a brilliant book on project management (comprehensive, yet even I could understand it)? Or is this a wake-up call on soul care—and matters of the heart—by a humble and accomplished executive who shares how to avoid the pitfalls and snares of success?
YES. This gem is so worth your time:
Sure…you’re pretty good at project management. (I thought I was too. Then I read Schraeder’s book.) Oh, my. We still have a lot to learn. And thanks to the author—who has managed projects totaling more than $4 billion—this step-by-step guide will be a lifesaver for you and your organization (no matter your size).
But get this! He’s a leader in the construction and design industry and the former president of the American Society of Civil Engineers Construction Institute (ASCE CI). His projects: huge! His empathy for project managers: also huge. He’s been there: behind schedule, over budget, huge conflicts—and no sleep.
“Years ago,” Schraeder confesses, “I took over as project manager on a $600 million transit project, which was behind schedule and had cost overruns and turmoil with the client. I was commuting by train to downtown Los Angeles and had to arrive at the train station every morning by 6:10 to get a parking spot. I slept an average of five hours a night and gained thirty-five pounds. While working to get the project back on track, I was living an out-of-balance life and unknowingly putting my health at risk.”
(It gets worse—much worse.)Wait. What? This overworked licensed professional engineer, with degrees in civil engineering and applied mathematics—clearly a lifelong learner—also allocated time to pick up a master of divinity degree?
Why? And now he’s a
professional leadership coach and integrates project management with Biblical wisdom?
(This I gotta see.) But before I tell you about the step-by-step project management process of coordinating huge construction projects (huge!), let’s go back a few years.
“When I was 26, I was dating a beautiful woman way above my class and trying to decide if I should ask her to marry me. I had heard some long-married couples confess that at least once in their lives they had questioned whether they married the right person. I didn't want to have regrets. I wanted my decision to be sound and not based solely on love and desire. So I did what engineers do: I made a matrix of the pros and cons to marrying this amazing woman. I analyzed my list, prayed about it, and then realized I was being an idiot. It all came down to one simple question: ‘Could I imagine life without her?’ The answer was a resounding, ‘No.’ So I proposed, and we've been happily married for over thirty years.”That’s from “Part 2: Vibrant Personal Life,” a very practical and transparent look at pitfalls and snares of success, long-term success, and instructions to your heart.And if you’re wondering—how does an engineer connect the dots from “Part 1: Successful Project Management” to the second half of the book? And why even try? (It’s brilliantly done and I’ve not read a book quite like it. Note: he mentions his discerning wife,
Nancy, often.)
NO CROWBARS! You know those “business/management” books, written by people of “faith,” that you sense had zero biblical principles in the first draft? They you’re guessing that—perhaps—an editor with the help of ChatGPT “crowbars” into the book a dozen or more Bible verses. (“AI thought these might be good fillers.”)
Arrrrgh! GOOD NEWS! There are no crowbarred Bible verses in
Ancient Secrets to Project Management. Instead—you’ll be amazed at the depth and width of Robert Schraeder’s understanding and use of Scripture (especially Proverbs). What’s different? I sense that the author starts with Scripture as the foundation and the guardrails—thus allowing the content to flow out of this ancient wisdom leadership: dozens and dozens of perfectly positioned verses, such as Proverbs 27:23-24, at the beginning of Chapter 7, “Track Your Performance.”
“Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds, for riches do not last forever; and does a crown endure to all generations?”
(This guy knows his Bible—and that informs his approach to project management.
Schraeder could teach a master class on integrating Scripture with your nine-to-five life. Maybe he already does? And if you currently have a 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. work life—help is available—he’s also a leadership coach.)
PROJECT MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLESSchraeder warns about destructive behavior patterns that may get the project done—but will torpedo your personal life. “It is rare to meet an extremely successful manager who also has a vibrant personal life.” So, on the project management side, you’ll learn about his time-tested processes (as well as his mistakes) that contribute to that work-life balance goal. My favorites:
7 Interview Questions. In the chapter, “Leading Your Team,” Schraeder shares “good questions to ask in an interview that help reveal a person’s character, motives, dreams, and personality.” Wow—I should have used these back-in-the-day:
• “What specifically did you do to prepare for today’s interview?”
• “What top three things annoy you about coworkers?”
5 Rules for the Care and Feeding of Monkeys. The author reminds us about the
HBR bestseller reprint, “
Management Time: Who’s Got the Monkey,” with the five rules for monkeys (tasks), including Rule 2: “The monkey population should be kept below the maximum number the manager has time to feed. It shouldn’t take more than fifteen minutes to feed a properly maintained monkey.” (
Read the book by Ken Blanchard, William Oncken, Jr., and Hal Burrows. See also the
Delegation Bucket.) Plus: see Proverbs 14:4, 24:17, and 26:10.
“Never Fall in Love With Your Own Argument!” That’s one of the pull-quote graphics in the very practical chapter, “Protect Your Scope and Margin.” And by the way, I counted 65 pull-quotes from page 1 to 175.
Really…it’s impossible to read this book like you’re supposed to. I couldn’t help myself. I skimmed the entire book first looking for those 65 juicy and memorable quotes! Like this one, on the inevitability of mission creep:
After mentioning
Proverbs 9:4-6, the author pokes another rib: “Being wise means anticipating that your project will face external problems, some quite complex.
They shouldn’t surprise you. If your project were easy, the client wouldn’t need you.”“Relationships Are Your Biggest Asset” is Chapter 5’s theme and launches with wisdom from Proverbs 22:11 and 11:17, “A man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself.”
You read that right—Schraeder (an engineer) invests significant pages on the relationship side of project management. He admits early mistakes. He learns from Proverbs. And if you're like me, you’ll read many of his one-liners to your spouse or colleagues.
•
“You have the great privilege of working with incredibly talented, dysfunctional people. The sheer entertainment value is worth the price of admission.” • “An inspector in the field once told me, ‘Let’s admit it, Bob. I’m a [*&!%] and so are you.’ I replied, ‘Oh, Dave, give me a hug.’ From this interaction, we learned how to work together even though we had disagreements.”
Read why the author once walked out of his own meeting! “If you can’t control angry words from coming out of your mouth, put yourself in time-out.” Similar to putting children in time-out, “This also works for adults who have no emotional reserves left to deal with idiots.” (
LOL! Schrader then adds, “I shouldn’t have said idiots.”)
$5 Million Dirt! Read how—because of a strong relationship—Schrader once saved a client $5 million in trucking and disposal fees by offering an alternative plan. Maybe Proverbs 12:18 (be winsome) is not only wise, but cost-effective?
Are You a 2026 World Cup Fan? View this short video—and imagine the project management expertise that was required to prepare L.A.’s SoFi Stadium for the 2026 games!
Click here. (I wonder if anyone read Schraeder’s book first?) View “SoFi Stadium's massive transformation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup” (2.5 minutes).
“SoFi Stadium VP Juan Carrero and Clark Construction executive Rick Solomon broke down the months-long transformation that turned the Inglewood venue into a FIFA World Cup pitch, including natural grass grown 1,600 miles away in Washington and a playing field elevated higher than any NFL game ever played there.” CLICK HERE.5 Conflict Handling Modes. You’ll photocopy the chart on page 89, “Five Conflict Handling Modes.” The four corners: Competing, Collaborating, Avoiding, and Accommodating—with two continuums of Assertiveness and Cooperativeness. (Read more about the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument. But only
click on this link if you’ve ever mishandled conflict on the job or at home!)
1 Chapter in Proverbs Each Day. Schraeder reads one chapter of Proverbs each morning (31 chapters: one per day). He also reads five chapters each day from Psalms. That habit prompted me to return to that enriching Proverbs practice. One recurring theme I’m noticing: “The Lord is near.”
Too Much to Share! There’s not space to share another dozen gems—so I hope you read this book and learn what fuels this modern-day Nehemiah:
• Why Schrader supported rescue missions in the neighborhoods where he managed a project.
• His pick for the
best book on negotiating and why a former FBI agent used his “FM DJ voice—deep and reassuring” when negotiating with terrorists.
• Why the author sometimes “mutters” to God when he can’t sleep!
Morning Meditations. Some of my readers will remember that in Issue No. 666 of
Your Weekly Staff Meeting (Dec. 17, 2025), I highlighted “
12 Inspirational Resources” (one per month in 2026) for your daily inspirational times. You might be surprised to learn that
Ancient Secrets to Project Management was one of those 12 books. Over the past few weeks, I’ve enjoyed spending early mornings in this meaty book. The inspiration was expected, but the insights and wisdom on project management—a big bonus. I love this book and you will too.
TO ORDER FROM AMAZON, click on the title for
Ancient Secrets to Project Management: How to Lead and Thrive in Your Professional and Personal Life, by Robert M. Schraeder. (And thanks to the author for gifting me with a review copy.)
YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS:1) Raise your hand if you are responsible for project management on our team (any size, any type).
Now…raise your hand if you’ve ever read ONE book on project management. 2) Ancient Secrets to Project Management is one book of a
“baker’s dozen” list of books recommended in Issue No. 666, last December. If you’d didn’t launch your inspirational reading on January 1, 2026—you can start fresh on July 1, 2026, with the very short daily readings in
Reconstructing Faith: 365 Days to Reconsider Jesus, by Dick Daniels. (Watch for my review.)
What fuels your soul every morning?
SECOND READS: Fresh Solutions From Classic BooksYou have changed—and your problems have changed—since you read this the first time!Book #52 of 99: HalftimeFor your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by featuring Book #52 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.
Halftime:
Moving from Success to Significanceby Bob P. Buford (foreword by
Jim Collins)
Bob Buford (1939-2018) wrote, “I truly believe that God uses people in their areas of strength and is unlikely to send us into areas in which we are likely to be amateurs and incompetents.”
•
Read my review (Issue No. 34, April 27, 2007).
• Order from
Amazon (20th anniversary edition).
• Management Bucket #12 of 20:
The Volunteer BucketBob Buford suggested 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?My question for you: How effective is your organization, or church, in helping people in the second half of their lives move “from success to significance?” Bob Buford’s life coach asked him a life-changing question,
“What’s in the box?” Read Bob’s response. (
See the second article in Issue No. 383.)
CLICK HERE FOR BOOKS BY JOHN
For more on the Volunteer Bucket, read Chapter 12 in Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook, and also read Lesson 6 (the Board Hat, the Volunteer Hat, and the Participant Hat) in Lessons From the Church Boardroom. (Read the blog.)
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.
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