The Imperfect Board Member - 2026

 

Issue No. 693 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (Sept. 30, 2026) admits we all must work with “imperfect” board members—but Jim Brown has refreshed ideas for you. Plus, click here for back issues posted at the new location for John Pearson’s Buckets Blog, including my review of two new leadership books. And check out these bite-sized book summaries (7- to 9-minute videos)—perfect for your weekly staff meeting.   The Imperfect Board Member is the perfect book for your next board retreat or your "10 Minutes for Governance" slot at your next board meeting. 10 Boardroom Shifts Since 2006 Brilliant idea! Take a great book that I’ve recommended to every board I’ve consulted with since 2006—and enrich that book with more resources and practical help. Congrats to Jim Brown for this 20th anniversary expanded edition—just published. The Imperfect Board Member:  Discovering the Seven Disciplines of  Governance Excellence  (20th Anniversary Updated & Expanded Edition) by Jim Brown (Sept. 29, 2026) I’m often asked by nonprofit CEOs and board members, “What’s the best board governance book we should read?” (You already know my answer: “It depends.”) That’s why in 2018-2019, I created my list of “18 Best Board Books.” The Imperfect Board Member is Book #2. (Read my 2006 review. See the list of 18 board books, plus five “bonus books.”) Jim Brown, the founder of OrgHealth, consults with corporate boards, nonprofit boards, and church boards (he’s one brave guy!)—and knows his way around the boardroom. Here are seven reasons you’ll appreciate this 20th anniversary update: #1. Board Members Will Read it! The “fable” format is real life. David, the CEO in this story, wakes up in a cold sweat—six nights, six nightmares. Board members will read and identify with the organizational challenges at work—and at home. (Spoiler alert! A pastor mentors this corporate guy on governance excellence!) #2. Lencioni Loves It! Patrick Lencioni, who wrote the foreword to the book, writes: “Finally, a book about boards that isn’t boring!” (High praise from an author who knows something about writing business fables.) #3. Twenty Years of Change Explained. What’s different now in 2026 versus 2006? Must-read: Chapter 14, “Twenty Years of Change in the Boardroom.” (Brilliant!) #4. Memorable Model. Part 2 of this expanded book drills down on Brown’s “Secret Formula for Organizational Effectiveness” (not secret anymore!) and “The Seven Disciplines of Governance Excellence.” (A colleague who read the book in 2006 can still quote the seven disciplines—because they’re memorable.) #5. New Coaching Highlights. “Compass icons” in the fable spotlight 10 coaching highlights (with application) in Part 3’s short chapters. You’ll be tempted to read these first: “Manipulating the Board,” “Forgiveness Versus Permission,” “Handling Conflict,” and “The Power of Owning Mistakes.” #6. New Nonprofit & Church Board Insights. Read the very practical chapter on “Governing Churches and Charities,” including an affirming section, “What Churches and Charities Can Teach Corporations.” #7. More Book Recommendations! Brown includes a recommended reading list of 15 titles—plus short paragraphs for each book explaining, “Why this book?” (Brilliant.) SO INSIGHTFUL! Brown details 10 shifts in the chapter, “Twenty Years of Change in the Boardroom.” (Why doesn’t every second edition of a book do this?) He notes that the shifts “…form the backdrop for everything boards must navigate today. Each represents both progress and a new layer of complexity.” Aligned with the new coaching highlights in this 2026 update, the shifts address board culture, chair leadership, and the complexity of governing organizations with multiple owner groups. Here are five of the 10 shifts over the last 20 years. (Each shift includes a lesson to be learned.)    • From Compliance to Strategic Stewardship    • From CEO-Controlled Agendas to Shared Leadership at the Top    • From Not Enough Information to Too Much at Once    • From Technology as Infrastructure to Technology as Strategy    • From Annual Evaluations to Continuous Board Learning BOARD BOOK/BOARD RETREAT. If I were still a CEO (I’m saying that a lot lately), I’d create a discussion guide for The Imperfect Board Member and inspire the board to make this their book-of-the-year; or use the guide for pre-reading prior to the next board retreat. (See Tool #13 from ECFA, “Board Retreat Read-and-Reflect Worksheets.”) MORE RESOURCES! Jim Brown also publishes two eNewsletters: [  ] The Imperfect Board eNews (subscribe here) [  ] The Imperfect Church Leader eNews (subscribe here) THE IMPERFECT CEO! Jim Brown is one busy guy. Also in 2026, he wrote The Imperfect CEO: Making the Climb to Organizational Health. [   ] Read my review. [   ] Order from Amazon. [   ] View the interview with Jim Brown on the “Life After Ministry” podcast (31 min.) . [   ] View the summary video (7 minutes) of my review of The Imperfect CEO.   THERE’S MORE! Raise your hand if your board chair has a business card that reads, “Cultural Architect.” Brown believes that every board member helps shape culture, “but the chair is the architect. The best chairs are more than meeting managers. They’re facilitators, tone-setters, and bridge-builders." He adds, “And the chair’s work doesn’t stop when the gavel drops,” because board chairs “see culture as a living system that needs constant tending." This reminded me of David McKenna’s book, Call of the Chair (read my review). He defines nine roles of the board chair: Missionary, Model, Mentor, Manager, Moderator, Mediator, Monitor, Master, and Maestro.  Should the CEO also serve as board chair? (This is common in some companies and organizations, very uncommon in others.) Brown confesses that when he wrote The Imperfect Board Member in 2006, he “sidestepped one of governance’s most loaded debates.” Now in 2026, this gutsy guy writes an entire chapter: “To Chair or Not to Chair: Why Splitting the Roles Makes Sense for Most." (Don’t skip pages 205-206, “Four Common Risks of CEO-Chair Duality” and “Recognizing the Dark Side.”) Bottom Line for Me: The Imperfect Board Member (2026 edition) remains on my “18 Best Board Books” list. Santiago “Jimmy” Mellado, president and CEO of Compassion International, calls this new update “an indispensable guide to governance.” I just ordered the book for the elder board at our church. TO ORDER FROM AMAZON, click on the title for The Imperfect Board Member: Discovering the Seven Disciplines of Governance Excellence (20th Anniversary Updated & Expanded Edition), by Jim Brown.    YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS: 1) What book did you read 20 or more years ago that needs an updated and expanded edition now in 2026? 2) In the foreword to The Imperfect Board Member (2006), Patrick Lencioni wrote, “The author—a friend of mine—often jokes that a greeter at WalMart gets more orientation than most board members ever do. We all know that’s no joke. It’s true for boards of every description. And it’s appalling. Although it sounds extreme, management guru Peter Drucker wrote, ‘There is one thing all boards have in common . . . They do not function.’” QUESTION: How would your three newest board members evaluate the recruitment and orientation process they endured? (There’s help!)          SECOND READS: Fresh Solutions From Classic Books You have changed—and your problems have changed—since you read this the first time! Book #60 of 99: $50 Fine for Boring Meetings! For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by featuring Book #60 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. Unbroken:  A World War II Story of Survival,  Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand (Nov. 16, 2010)   Wait…what? Yes…I’m recommending the page-turner, Unbroken, as an antidote to boring meetings. Learn why.     • Read my review (Issue No. 308, Oct. 2, 2014).    • Order from Amazon.    • Management Bucket #20 of 20: The Meetings Bucket $50 Fine for Boring Meetings! After 30 years of CEO work, I turned in my keys and credit cards at the end of 2005, and there are days I wish I could rewind the video—and get a do-over on my leadership years. For example, I would institute a $50 fine for every boring staff meeting—and I would double the fine for myself if anyone caught me leading an uninspired, ho-hum meeting. Today, I would follow “Pearson’s Radical Wall Poster Team-building Exercise: 4 Easy Steps.” One idea: plan a “Book-of-the-Quarter” event.  P.S. Oops! By the way, if you’re taking notes, in my 99-book journey through “Second Reads: Reread to Lead,” I mistakenly spotlighted Thinkpak - A Brainstorming Card Deck in both #60 of 99 and #23 of 99. (My bad!) So, this is a substitute blog for #60 of 99. (At least I admit my mistakes!)   CLICK HERE FOR BOOKS BY JOHN     View the video summary of “Mistake #4: Not Learning How to Listen. Way too late in life, I’m learning ‘the case for listening’” (8 min.). (Lee Strobel was talking. I wasn't listening. LOL.) See the workbook, Mastering Mistake Making: My 25 Memorable Mistakes—and What I Learned (10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning Workbook), by John Pearson with Jason Pearson. NOTICE! Effective Oct. 1, 2025, all 657 eNews issues, previously archived on Typepad.com are slowly (!) being moved to a new website here at John Pearson's Buckets Blog. The Imperfect CEO View the summary video (7 minutes) of John’s review of The Imperfect CEO: Making the Climb to Organizational Health, by Jim Brown. (Read the review.) BONUS! As of today, 32 video podcasts (7 to 9 minutes each) are posted here. Perfect life-long learning snippets for your weekly staff meeting. 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 • PODCASTS: John Pearson's Buckets Podcasts  Transforming Church Boards “Perhaps the most important difference between corporate governance and church board leadership is the task of discernment.” That’s from Book 3 of 3 in the series, Transforming Church Boards: For Churches in Transition (read my review), by Dennis Baker, David C. Fisher, and John Vawter (yes, the same guy who wrote the hilarious golf book!). For more book reviews, visit the Pails in Comparison Blog.

The Imperfect CEO

 

Issue No. 680 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (May 19, 2026) invites you to make the climb up four peaks to organizational health. Must-read: The Imperfect CEO—just published today. (View the video!) Plus, click here for back issues posted at the new location for John Pearson’s Buckets Blog, including my recent review of I Am Not a Robot: My Year Using AI to Do (Almost) Everything.  Jim Brown writes in The Imperfect CEO: “The first two peaks—Collaborative Culture and Leadership Accountability—take you a long way. But if you miss the next peak, you’ll be stepping off a cliff.” (See Peak #3 of 4: Strategic Momentum.) [Graphic: ChatGPT]   “What you see as strong leadership, younger staff sometimes see as controlling…” I was hooked—right from the get-go. (Who reads a book’s foreword, anyway?) Yet...in the foreword, Stephen M.R. Covey writes that Jim Brown, author of The Imperfect CEO, “has a gift for making complex things simple.” Also, “He teaches principles without arrogance, and he’s relevant without the ego.” Covey’s seven-page high-five is clearly one of the most compelling book forewords I have ever read. He adds, “The world is desperately in need of leaders who are less interested in looking good and more interested in doing good.” He urges all imperfect leaders (that’s you and me) to read this powerful book.   The Imperfect CEO:  Making the Climb to Organizational Health by Jim Brown   Jim Brown writes, “The idea that an organization ought to be healthy has progressed from a novel concept to an undeniable imperative. No one wants their company to be ‘unhealthy,’ yet thousands of businesses continue to operate with painful and preventable imperfections.” Raise your hand if you know any imperfect CEOs, leaders, managers, team members, board members, and customers! (I’m in that group—and I just learned I should re-title one of my books. Mastering Mistaking-Making will now be called Mastering Learning Moments. Brilliant!) For your next weekly staff meeting (with coffee and bagels): POP QUIZ! Your assignment: Discover “the four peaks” that your organization or company must climb to be healthy. What are the four? Illustrate with three bullet points for each peak. And then describe how you will communicate this in a book with no more than 160 pages (plus notes, etc.). Do not read the rest of this email! ANSWERS! How about a business fable—a compelling story—that sounds a lot like your shop? In about 100 pages, we meet the six members of the executive leadership team of EVaant, including David, the CEO, and Carmen, the Chief People Officer. We also meet Jorge, the Chief Revenue Officer—but then he quits in a big huff! And (does this sound familiar?)…the CEO admits, “Clearly, we had the wrong guy—I picked the wrong guy—and that was costing us more than we imagined.” THE FABLE. I love business fables because I can remember the story and the relatable characters (and some are definitely characters). Think about what we learned from The One Minute Manager Meets the Monkey, by Ken Blanchard, and The Motive, by Patrick Lencioni. (Also, those memorable stories—parables—told by Jesus!) Spoiler Alert! Picture this: David, the CEO, is meeting with his board chair, Maria, and another board member, Dennis. (Not a pretty picture, because Maria is not pleased.) It’s a difficult conversation, but David is growing as a leader.  “David took it in. Part of him was defensive. But he wanted to be sure not to miss what the learning could be. He was pushing back against his default to defend. Replace judgment with curiosity, he told himself. ‘Tell me more,’ he said sincerely.” THESE FOUR PEAKS WILL PREACH! #1. Collaborative Culture (“the essential core”). The chapter, “Teamwork Can Be Tough,” spotlights the struggle to create a Collaborative Culture (one of the four peaks). The “heated exchange” between promises made by sales and the impossible deadlines foisted upon the production team—well, you’ve been there. Can this be fixed?  The five “Coaching Questions” and five “Exercises” in this chapter are gutsy. Example: “Reflect on a time when you prioritized your department’s goals over the organization’s collective goals.” The recommended exercise: develop a “Collaboration Charter” for your leadership team. Note: Gratefully, Brown does not just inspire and motivate—he gives away the store. The book is filled with “Coaching Highlight” notations—and links to online resources. #2. Leadership Accountability (“the pivot point”). I’m so tired of hearing CEOs and other leaders apologize to the media for their missteps with the well-worn PR answer, “I will be holding myself accountable.” (My opinion: that’s meaningless. Don’t say that!) In Brown’s business fable, instead, we get a realistic view of what leadership accountability—as a team—looks like. Read why accountability can be framed as “leadership homework.” By the way—the four peaks on the climb to organizational health DO NOT magically appear after the leader comes down from the mountain with staff marching orders. You’ll love the give-and-take (disagreement, wrestling, strong opinions) that emerges as the CEO shuts-his-mouth and steps back to allow everyone to engage—as the four peaks slowly emerge. (This is a brilliant story.) Early in the fable, Carmen takes a risk and tells her CEO, “I think you’re accustomed to speaking to your employees with confidence and clarity and having them appreciate your leadership authority.” Then she paused and continued, “In case you haven’t noticed, the world changed. Confidence and clarity are often seen by Gen Zs and millennials as if you think you know it all and that you get to order people around. What you see as strong leadership, younger staff sometimes see as controlling—and they make up most of this company.” #3. Strategic Momentum (“the rudder”). The three bullet points:    • Clear strategy    • Sustainable profitability    • Proactive adaptability Discussing the “proof of a good strategy,” the author quotes Ken Blanchard and Peter Drucker in the same paragraph. That’s a TwoFer! I named Blanchard, Drucker, Lencioni, and Jim Collins to my “Mount Rushmore of Leadership Legends” list. Similar to Jim Brown’s book, The Imperfect Board Member (I named this one of 18 “best board books”), the fable and the model are applicable both for nonprofit organizations and for-profit companies. “For an organization to be healthy, it has to be fruitful.”    Two-Thumbs-Up! Carmen, the Chief People Officer notes, “I love how some people say that nonprofits should stop labeling themselves by what they aren’t and start declaring what they are—‘for-impact’ rather than ‘not-for-profit.’ So Strategic Momentum for them would be about the impact they’re making in the world.” (Or…as others have said, “Nonprofit is a tax designation, not a management philosophy.”) #4. Talent Magnetism (“the beacon”). In “The Model,” the second part of the book, I found my favorite chapter, “Talent Magnetism.” Brown lists seven “Case in Point” examples of the talent magnetism principles, including:    • An Australian software company features “ShipIt” days when staff “are encouraged to set aside their regular tasks for 24 hours to tackle any project that excites them.” (And yes…it includes a show-and-tell segment.)    • Mastercard encourages “reverse mentoring programs, where senior leaders pair with young leaders to learn about emerging trends and new technologies.”    • And the unorthodox interview settings that Southwest Airlines uses to discern the core values of applicants—how they’ll really react in real life.  There’s More!    • The Two-Minute Rule. “Encourage team members to take collaborative actions that can be completed in two minutes or less."    • Read why Jimmy Mellado, Compassion International CEO, says The Imperfect CEO is “a must-read,” and why Jay Bransford, CEO of Best Christian Workplaces, writes, “This book doesn’t shy away from the tough stuff.”    • You’ll appreciate the CEO’s “learning moments” with his grandson—which may prompt you to read the book, The Neurodiversity Edge (see my review).    • Accountability Exercise: “Pick a recent costly misstep. Map out who was consulted before the decision. Identify whose input was missing and how earlier listening could have prevented the error. Present findings to the leadership team.” Honest! Out of the 50 or more “Coaching Highlights” and “Coaching Questions,” I could easily have selected any 10 statements or questions—and delivered 20 take-aways. (Maybe I should have done that!) Example: “When was the last time you adjusted your approach based on feedback from team members? What did you learn from that experience?" So…how many imperfect CEOs and imperfect Leaders do you know? How many copies of this book should you order? (And as Stephen M.R. Covey reminds us, “The great thing is that you don’t need to be a CEO to benefit from this book! Any leader can benefit.") TO ORDER FROM AMAZON, click on the title for The Imperfect CEO: Making the Climb to Organizational Health, by Jim Brown. (And thanks to the author for hand-delivering a signed review copy!)      VIEW the AI-generated summary of this review here. BONUS! Free eNewsletters: “The Imperfect Church Leader” and “The Imperfect Board.” BONUS! Listen to the "Life After Ministry" podcast (May 17, 2026) featuring an interview with Jim Brown about his new book. Listen here.   YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS: 1) Chief People Officers, I predict, will buy this book for every executive leadership team member. In the business fable, Carmen reminds David, the CEO, what he learned from John Maxwell: “Everything rises and falls on the leader.” Jim Brown lists 30 books in the “Sources and Inspirations” notes. Question: How many of these books are in our Staff Resource Library? 2) Jim Brown writes: “The first two peaks—Collaborative Culture and Leadership Accountability—take you a long way. But if you miss the next peak, you’ll be stepping off a cliff.” (Re: The Strategic Momentum Peak.) Question: Do our board members and leadership team members know and own our strategy? (Read more: Ram Charan’s Question #5 of 14: Does Our Board Really Own the Strategy?)       SECOND READS: Fresh Solutions From Classic Books You have changed—and your problems have changed—since you read this the first time! Book #48 of 99: The Speed of Trust For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by featuring Book #48 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 Speed of Trust:  The One Thing That Changes Everything   by Stephen M.R. Covey (Oct. 17, 2006)   Covey says that “leadership is getting results in a way that inspires trust.” His 13 behaviors tell you how to do that.     • Read my review in Issue No. 186 (June 7, 2010).    • Order book from Amazon.    • Management Bucket #8 of 20: The Culture Bucket “Contrary to what most people believe,” writes Covey, “trust is not some soft, illusive quality that you either have or you don’t; rather, trust is a pragmatic, tangible, actionable asset that you can create—much faster than you probably think possible.” His content is very deep (character isn’t enough, you must also pair it with competence). His four cores of credibility will preach: Integrity, Intent, Capabilities, and Results. Bonus! Covey (and his co-authors) wrote another bestseller in 2022, Trust and Inspire: How Truly Great Leaders Unleash Greatness in Others. Watch for my review! CLICK HERE FOR BOOKS BY JOHN      On page 89 in the Culture Bucket chapter of Mastering the Management Buckets Workbook, you'll find "11 Confidential Questions to Assess Your Culture." Question #6: "We squander too much time in unnecessary meetings." 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. Chopsticks & Fulcrums: The Board Chair/CEO Relationship “The board chair-CEO relationship is like a pair of chopsticks,” writes Michael Naufal. “One is much more effective with the support of the other.” Read my blog post at ECFA’s “Governance of Christ-Centered Organizations” blog. 5 Teasers & 4 Confessions I urge someone on your team to read this book—and inspire your organization to take a look in the mirror. Read my four confessions and my five teasers in my review of The Neurodiversity Edge: The Essential Guide to Embracing Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and Other Neurological Differences for Any Organization, by Maureen Dunne. See more reviews at the Pails in Comparison Blog.