What Got You Here Won't Get You There

 

2013 BOOK-OF-THE-YEAR Issue No. 269 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (Feb. 18, 2013) highlights my book-of-the-year pick from 2013 by the "World’s #1 Leadership Thinker." (What's on your business card?) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Behavioral Tics and Tweaks  Good News: a client gave me this week’s book.  Bad News: a client gave me this week’s book. Whew!  This is one powerful, convicting book. Bestselling author Marshall Goldsmith says there are 20 workplace habits you need to break. He quotes Peter Drucker: “We spend a lot of time teaching leaders what to do. We don’t spend enough time teaching leaders what to stop. Half the leaders I have met don’t need to learn what to do. They need to learn what to stop.”   Goldsmith agrees and then asks, “When was the last retreat or training session you attended that was titled, Stupid Things Our Top People Do That We Need to Stop Doing Now?”   Mega-Warning! The author—called the World’s #1 Leadership Thinker (pretty good branding)—says the problem for leaders is “not deep-seated neuroses that require years of therapy or tons of medication to erase. More often than not, they are simple behavioral tics—bad habits that we repeat dozens of times a day in the workplace—which can be cured by (a) pointing them out, (b) showing the havoc they cause among the people surrounding us, and (c) demonstrating that with a slight behavioral tweak we can achieve a much more appealing effect.”   Perceptively, Goldsmith identifies co-workers, bosses, volunteers and board members you know: “people who do one annoying thing repeatedly on the job—and don’t realize that this small flaw may sabotage their otherwise golden career.  And, worse, they do not realize that (a) it’s happening and (b) they can fix it.”    But here’s his asteroid-size attention-getter: smart, successful people are pitifully blind to their own tics. (If you agree, then insert your own Big Gulp here.)   The author says that the faulty behavior that messes up the workplace (and your home) is not due to flaws of skill, intelligence or personality. “What we’re dealing with here are challenges in interpersonal behavior, often leadership behavior. They are the egregious everyday annoyances that make your workplace substantially more noxious than it needs to be.  They don’t happen in a vacuum. They are transactional flaws performed by one person against others.”   The 20 Workplace Habits You Need to Break include: #1. Winning too much. #2. Adding too much value: The overwhelming desire to add our two cents to every discussion. #3. Passing judgment. #5. Starting with “No,” But,” or “However”: The overuse of these negative qualifiers which secretly says to everyone, “I’m right. You’re wrong.” #9. Withholding information: The refusal to share information in order to maintain an advantage over others. #12. Making excuses: The need to reposition our annoying behavior as a permanent fixture so people excuse us for it. #14. Playing favorites. #16. Not listening: The most passive-aggressive form of disrespect for colleagues. #18. Punishing the messenger. #20. An excessive need to be “me”: Exalting our faults as virtues simply because they’re who we are.    There are another 10—equally convicting for some of us.  But here’s the good news: Goldsmith says that these faults are simple to correct. Yet there’s bad news: “The higher you go [in your career], the more your problems are behavioral.”   If you’re gutsy enough to read this, you will not get to page 223 unscathed. If you read with a pen, like I do, you’ll have few unmarked pages. As a bonus along the way, the leadership wisdom oozes out:    • Why not listening sends an “Armada of Negative Messages” (page 86) and three things all good listeners do (page 147). Goldsmith says “80 percent of our success in learning from other people is based upon how well we listen.”    • The seven phases of a project and why projects fail because we erroneously practice “one, two, three, seven.” Don’t skip Phase 5: woo laterally to get buy-in from peers (page 144).    • One big reminder about people styles: “You are not managing you” (page 208).    • Why the most successful CEOs and senior leaders often have the best personal assistants (page 196).    • Why people’s common sense gets fuzzy and opaque—when you’re talking about interpersonal behavior, and why leaders often choose the wrong thing to fix (the easy one, not the glaring one). See Goldsmith’s seven rules on the change process, including “Rule 1: You Might Not Have a Disease That Behavioral Change Can Cure” (chapter 13).    • Why you must say “Thank You” when receiving requested feedback—and then stop. Say no more. Nada! (Chapter 11: Following Up and Chapter 12: Practicing Feedforward)   I don’t know how I missed this gem-of-a-book, first published in 2007, but I’m very, very grateful to Gordon Flinn for this treasured gift.  It has already improved my conversations when my wife, Joanne, offers a kind tweak for one of my many tics. I’m learning to respond, “Thank you.” Period.    As a Christ-follower, I have one caveat to the book. There is a spiritual dimension missing, as is common in many business/leadership books. For the Christian, behavioral change is a mandate, but we’re not dependent on only bootstrap discipline and frank feedback. Made in the image of God, we can understand and implement real change only from a theological, biblical worldview. It’s not either/or, it’s both. (2020 Note: If I could thoughtfully integrate the practicality of this book with the deep spiritual context of the business book, The Pope and the CEO, then, wow, that would be the perfect balance. Stay tuned!)   Two additional notes: First, Chapter 12, Special Challenges for People in Charge, encourages leaders to write a document: “Memo to Staff: How to Handle Me.” If written with humility and transparency, it’s a brilliant, brilliant tool.   Second, the appendix features a “Global Leadership Inventory” that can be used as a 360-feedback assessment. Respondents are asked to rate their leaders on a five-point scale from Highly Satisfied to Highly Dissatisfied. (Example: #44: “Asks people what he/she can do to improve.”) This is worth the price of the book.   To order from Amazon, click on the title What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: Discover the 20 Workplace Habits You Need to Break, by Marshall Goldsmith with Mark Reiter. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Your Weekly Staff Meeting Questions: 1) The author says that a “minor” workplace foible can become a major crisis. Why? “More often than not, it’s because people’s inner compass of correct behavior has gone out of whack—and they become clueless about their position among their coworkers.” So…if all of us are somewhat clueless, what should we do? 2) Goldsmith lists a 21st behavioral issue by giving “Goal Obsession” its own chapter. Goal obsession is “…not a flaw. It’s a creator of flaws. It’s the force that distorts our otherwise exemplary talents and good intentions, turning them into something we no longer admire.” Why might that be? 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

How to Get Along With Anyone

 

Issue No. 648 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (June 9, 2025) asks you raise your hand if you ever have conflicts with coworkers or family. (I see those hands—and now there’s help!) Plus, click here for recent eNews issues posted at John Pearson’s Buckets Blog. And, check out the 20 management buckets (core competencies). The authors of How to Get Along With Anyone list nicknames for each of the five conflict styles. If your conflict style is Collaborator, perhaps “The Hostage Negotiator” moniker will be on your next office desk nameplate! Your Best & Worst Teammates! Raise your hand if you’ve read one or more books on dealing with conflict. Now…raise your other hand if you still experience conflict in your relationships. OK…I see those hands. (But…good news! Help has arrived!)   How to Get Along with Anyone:  The Playbook for Predicting and Preventing  Conflict at Work and at Home  by John Eliot and Jim Guinn (Feb. 18, 2025)   Really, Pearson? You read another book on predicting and preventing conflict in the workplace and at home? Why? Duh! But this review isn’t about me and my conflicts—but I’ll tell you what intrigued me about this book. (And for the record: this is the first of my “Summer Shorts” reviews—quick-read reviews of books to bring along to the beach or the mountains.) #1. FIVE CONFLICT STYLES. For years, I’ve addressed conflict through the filter of the four social styles (see the People Bucket): Analyticals, Amiables, Drivers, and Expressives. But the co-authors of How to Get Along With Anyone (Fortune 500 consultants, coaches, mentors to pro athletes, psychologists, mediators, and more) say there are FIVE conflict styles—and you can master them. Hmmm!    • AVOIDER: Uninterested in minor details; excels in solitary work with a knack for concentration.    • COMPETITOR: Always pushing the envelope; never rests on laurels and takes risk for achievement.    • ANALYZER: Evidence-based and methodical; patiently gather info before acting.    • COLLABORATOR: A deeply caring, “oration virtuoso” relying on exceptional relationships skills.    • ACCOMMODATOR: Prioritizes achievements and well-being of those they care about over their own. Recognize anyone on your team—or in your family. Or you? #2. MEMORABLE NICKNAMES! Warning! You may be tempted to order office nameplates with appropriate nicknames for your co-workers, but maybe hold off until your whole team has read the book. (LOL.) John Eliot and Jim Guinn deliver these memorable monikers:    • AVOIDER: The Golfer, The Chess Master, The Artist, The Architect    • COMPETITOR: The Linebacker, The Firefighter, The First Responder, The Race Car Driver, The Gladiator    • ANALYZER: The General Manager, The Detective, The Explorer, The Archaeologist    • COLLABORATOR: The Agent, The Diplomat, The Hostage Negotiator    • ACCOMMODATOR: The Point Guard, The Concierge, The Conductor, The Sherpa What’s your nickname? #3. BEST & WORST TEAMMATES. Face it—we naturally gravitate to certain styles. The authors enrich those inclinations with best and worst pairings. Examples: BEST TEAMMATES:    • Avoiders work well with Accommodators.    • Competitors work well with Avoiders.    • Analyzers work well with Collaborators.    • Collaborators work well with Analyzers.    • Accommodators work well with Avoiders. WORST TEAMMATES:    • Avoiders don’t work well with Analyzers.    • Competitors don’t work well with Analyzers (in the short term), and Accommodators (in the long term).    • Analyzers don’t work well with Accommodators.    • Collaborators don’t work well with Avoiders.    • Accommodators don’t work well with Competitors.   Note: This is the first of our “Summer Shorts” book reviews—short, crisp, and ready for your summer vacation. Enjoy! #4. QUICK SNAPSHOTS. The description of each of the five conflict styles includes one-liner memorable snapshots, including: Common Triggers, Strengths, Weaknesses, Ideal Conflict Scenarios, Main Mo, and per above—Nicknames, Best and Worst Teammates. Examples:    • Common trigger for Analyzers: “Haste or rushing; unrealistic offers or proposals; egotistical people, uncompromising people.”    • Common trigger for Competitors: “Back seat drivers; excessive opinions about how a task is or should be being performed; passiveness; inaction, excuses.” #5. POP QUIZ! CONTEMPORARY EXAMPLES! The authors identify well-known examples of each style. So here’s my pop quiz: Identify the style represented:    • Owl from Winnie-the-Pooh    • Mike Singletary    • Prince Harry    • Dr. Ruth    • George Bailey (Jimmy Stewart) in It’s a Wonderful Life BONUS! BIG 4 CHECKLIST. Normally, I look for the meat of a book on or around page 25. But I was patient and Eliot and Guinn delivered the payoff on page 55: “Big 4 Checklist.” I photocopied this and will bring it to my next meeting! The first of five columns lists the five conflict styles and then the other column headings showcase the “Big 4 Checklist” in four categories: Mode, Timing, Tone, and Route. Example: How will The Avoider response when her back is against the wall?    • Mode: E-mail    • Timing: As late as possible    • Tone: Dismissive then blunt    • Route: Avoid, then straight to the source NEED MORE HELP? Visit the authors’ website, “The Conflict Docs” to learn more. You can also purchase “The Conflict Styles Assessment,” a practical, hands-on tool “designed to help you identify different conflict types.” And as I mentioned, it’s almost summer here in the Northern Hemisphere, so I’m opting for shorter reviews for a month or two, knowing my vacationing readers will have more time to read these books. Enjoy!   TO ORDER FROM AMAZON, click on the title for How to Get Along with Anyone: The Playbook for Predicting and Preventing Conflict at Work and at Home, by John Eliot and Jim Guinn. Listen on Libro (9 hours). And thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy.   YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS: Does your corporate culture have “rules of the road” for addressing conflict? Is it time to refresh your resource library with selected books and niche chapters on conflict? Recommendations: [   ] Overcoming Conflict: How to Deal with Difficult People and Situations, by Bob Phillips.  [   ] How to Deal With Annoying People: What to Do When You Can’t Avoid Them, by Bob Phillips and Kimberly Alyn.  [   ] Uncommon Graces: Christlike Responses to a Hostile World, by John Vawter. [   ] Why We Argue and How to Stop: A Therapist’s Guide to Navigating Disagreements, Managing Emotions, and Creating Healthier Relationships, by Jerry Manney.  [   ] How to Work with (Almost) Anyone: Five Questions for Building the Best Possible Relationships, by Michael Bungay Stanier.  From Peacemaker Ministries: [   ] The Peacemaker: A Biblical Guide to Resolving Personal Conflict, by Ken Sande.  [   ] Daily Wisdom for Peacemaking: A 365-Day Devotional, by Brian Noble. (Order from Amazon.)        SECOND READS: Fresh Solutions From Classic Books You have changed—and your problems have changed—since you read this the first time! Book #18 of 99: The E-Myth Revisited For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by featuring Book #18 of 99 in our new 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.   The E-Myth Revisited:  Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work  and What to Do About It by Michael E. Gerber   According to the author, 40 percent of all small businesses fail in their first year. Of those that survive one year, 80 percent fail in the next five years. Only 20 percent that make it past five years are around for 10 years. Yikes!    • Read my review on Amazon (Issue No. 32, April 9, 2007).    • Order from Amazon.    • Listen on Libro (8 hours, 5 minutes)    • Management Bucket #18 of 20: The Systems Bucket I recently recommended this book to a person who the author describes as one “stricken with an entrepreneurial seizure”—a great label! Read why technicians who become CEOs or business owners (entrepreneurs) often miss the key steps for building a business when stricken with an “entrepreneurial seizure” (aka "The E-Myth").   It’s likely that your organization has content or program experts who are now managing departments or divisions, but still operating as technicians. This book could be a life-saver for them (or you). If you read it way back when—read or listen to it again. These three minutes are memorable! IMPORTANT NOTICE! Some of the links in this issue may not work. (Sorry!) Effective Oct. 1, 2025, all 657 eNews issues, previously archived on Typepad.com are slowly (!) being movedto this website. New book reviews will also be archived here at John Pearson’s Buckets Blog. And/or, click here for John’s recent book reviews on Amazon.   CLICK HERE FOR BOOKS BY JOHN      Does your culture anticipate workplace conflict? Check out Chapter 8, "The Culture Bucket," and Chapter 7, "The People Bucket," in the Buckets book. Podcast via AI 4 Leadership Books and 48 Niche Chapters! Click here to listen to the 12-minute AI-generated podcast, featuring two “AI podcasters” who “review” John’s reviews of four books with 48 niche chapters, including Leading People from the Middle, by Bill Robinson.  Time Management #2 of 12 Here’s Book #2 of 12 in our “book-a-month” time management series. Time is not the problem, Charles Hummel preaches. The problem is priorities. “We live in constant tension between the urgent and the important.” Read my review of this 31-page (not a typo) pamphlet that packs a punch: Tyranny of the Urgent. And visit Pails in Comparison Blog for more book reviews.

Founders Keepers

 

Issue No. 649 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (June 19, 2025) has this warning about founders: “When it comes to founder weaknesses, you’re not trying to get from good to great. You’re trying to get from terrible to average.” Plus, click here for recent eNews issues posted at John Pearson’s Buckets Blog. And, check out the 20 management buckets (core competencies). The authors of Founders, Keepers describe a startup founder: “Whereas the regular employee can detach and go home and focus on their family…they get to leave it behind. That’s not the case for him. He has no off button.” 46 Competencies of Successful Founders! Are you a founder? Do you work for a founder? Serve on a founder’s board of directors? Got fired by a founder? Wanna be a founder? I’ve got a book for you!   FOUNDERS, KEEPERS:  Why Founders Are Built to Fail,  and What It Takes to Succeed  by Richard Hagberg, PhD, and Tien Tzuo,  with Gabe Weisert (June 17, 2025)   Author Rich Hagberg confesses: “I’m a recovering founder. I fit the classic profile: high on vision, medium on relationships, and abysmal at execution. In other words, I’m part of the problem.” Fifteen years ago, Hagberg (a psychologist often referred to as Silicon Valley’s “CEO Whisperer”), began focusing his leadership coaching practice on founders, “because I found that I could personally relate to my clients. I resemble the people I am seeking to help.” Along with co-author Tien Tzuo (the guy who invented the phrase "Subscription Economy"), they conducted deep research on founders—those who failed and those who succeeded. They concluded: “Founders are ticking time bombs.” (But it gets worse—and don’t ever say I didn’t warn you!)  Analyzing Hagberg’s database (with personality tests and 360 feedback) on 122 founders, the authors landed on what they call “The Three Pillars of Leadership.” (Warning: trouble ahead!) THE VISIONARY EVANGELIST “A great thinker and visionary. But could not get s*** done to save his own life.” (anonymous 360 feedback on a founder) THE RELATIONSHIP BUILDER “Wanting to please everyone all the time sometimes just isn’t possible.” (anonymous 360 feedback on a founder) THE MANAGER OF EXECUTION “There are days when I’m glad that I work with him, not for him.” (anonymous 360 feedback on a founder) You’ll hit paydirt on pages 25-27: “The Visionary Evangelist, the Relationship Builder, and the Manager of Execution are all essential to the success of any organization, but each brings unique strengths and corresponding weaknesses. Founders gifted in just one leg of this three-legged stool create a dangerous imbalance. The message is clear: “…to be an effective founder, you have to be good at lots of things.” If you work for a founder, or serve on a founder’s board—you could probably fill in the blanks on founder weaknesses. The authors quote a founder’s colleague:   “The startup is an extension of his being, and so he is amped all the time,” says a colleague. “Whereas the regular employee can detach and go home and focus on their family or whatever. They get to leave it behind. That’s not the case for him.  He has no off button.” FOUNDER WEAKNESSES:    • The Visionary Evangelist: “drive-by delegation,” “tend to get distracted by shiny objects,” “quickly bored by routine.” And, “They are inspirational speakers who are frequently disasters at small talk.”    • The Relationship Builder: “They are conflict resolvers who hate conflict.” “…driven by a need to be liked by everyone, they don’t like to deliver bad news…” And this: “Their deep empathy and desire to avoid conflict can make them indecisive and overly accommodating.” In short, “they can be too nice for their own good.”    • The Manager of Execution: While this type of founder’s favorite phrase is “Vision without execution is hallucination,” they elevate micromanagement to an art form. They like to be in control. “They often suffer from ‘engineer’s disease’—because they are experts in a certain financial or technical discipline, they are therefore experts in everything.” (Yikes!) HAGBERG’S 46 COMPETENCIES! You’ll likely skip to pages 233-239 for the results of the 360 assessments of leadership capabilities “of almost 2,000 executives from multiple industries and in multiple countries.” Most were rated by an average of 12 people, including: their direct manager, their direct reports, board members, advisors, and other employees.  The authors remind us that scaling precedes success. (See my 2018 book-of-the-year, Scaling Up.) “These are the competencies that are required to grow a large organization, as exhibited by leaders who have successfully accomplished that monumental task.” Each of the 46 competencies include a two- to three-line definition. Examples:  • “Agent of Change—Challenges the status quo, supports fresh perspectives, tries out new approaches, and enlists support for change initiatives.” • “Creating Buy-In—Effectively builds commitment and wins support for initiatives through personal and professional credibility, trustworthiness, persuasive communication, stakeholder involvement, and by aligning expectations.” • “Decisiveness—Makes clear-cut decisions without unnecessary delay, even in tough situations.” If you’re already an expert at the above three competencies, don’t become a founder yet—see the other 43 critical competencies. Ask your direct reports to rate you at: Coaching, Listening, Culture Management, Delegation and Empowerment, Finding and Attracting Talent, Emphasizing Excellence, Information Sharing, Negotiation, Social Astuteness, Strategic Focus, and 33 more! (Must read and master: all 46 competencies!) What Makes a Founder a Founder? Chapter 2 explores three types of founders: The Good, The Bad, and The Worse!  • GOOD. “Almost all founders are strong Visionary Evangelists.” (Note: They read books and articles.) “Founders work incredibly hard. Running a startup was once memorably compared to ‘crawling across broken glass.’” • BAD. Founders generally score lower than average on “360 ratings of sensitivity, consideration, and empathy.” • WORSE. “Founders are terrible at giving praise and recognition. They’re equally abysmal at coaching. They tend to throw people into the deep end and expect them to figure out how to swim.” Hagberg and Tzuo add, “When it comes to founder weaknesses, you’re not trying to get from good to great. You’re trying to get from terrible to average.” MORE MUST-READ CHAPTERS. If you’re a founder, a founder wanna-be, or married to a founder, you will read every page of this book. With a pen. Twice. You’ll learn the differences between successful and unsuccessful founders—and how to develop the skills required to scale. (Buy this book for your founder friends.) Must-read chapters include:    • The Myth of the Genius Jerk    • Working Through Others: From Loners to Leaders    • From Dictator to Facilitator: How to Implement Strategy    • The Bridge Between Strategy and Execution: Planning, Prioritizing, and Maintaining Focus MORE SUCCESS INSIGHTS:    • “10 Questions: Focus, Prioritizing, and Planning” (Example: “How disciplined are you about following through on plans, ensuring that projects reach completion rather than losing momentum?”)    • The Team Assessment Quiz (15 poke-in-the-ribs statements)    • “10 Questions: Facilitating Conflict Resolution” (Example: “When there’s a disagreement, are you quick to assert your solution without truly understanding all sides?”) Note: see my recent book review. Chapter 14, “Mastering the Execution Triangle: Delegation, Accountability, and Coaching,” may surprise you. The authors believe that the execution triangle works “differently for founders than professional managers. It’s a trickier balance.”  They note Paul Graham’s insights and the answer to “founder mode” when founders hire bright people, but somehow feel they’ve given up control. Hagberg and Tzuo mention Airbnb’s founder, Brian Chesky, who had to get back “in the details and get very, very hands-on.” Interesting: read Ben Cohen’s WSJ interview with Chesky, May 13, 2025, or listen to the interview (19 minutes). What’s the point of this book?  “Dear Founders, It’s a difficult truth: to grow your startup,  you have to grow as a person.” TO ORDER FROM AMAZON, click on the title for Founders, Keepers: Why Founders Are Built to Fail, and What It Takes to Succeed, by Richard Hagberg, PhD, and Tien Tzuo, with Gabe Weisert. And thanks to the publisher for sending me a review copy.   YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS: 1) In March when everything was going swimmingly, the WSJ ran a fascinating article, “Trump and Musk Share the Founder’s Mindset.” The article mentioned the HBR Press book, The Founder's Mentality: How to Overcome the Predictable Crises of Growth. Have you ever read a book about founders? Describe three strengths and three weaknesses that you’ve observed about founders. 2) Yikes! In Chapter 3, “The Myth of the Genius Jerk,” Hagberg and Tzuo ask, “Aren’t all founders a bit narcissistic?” They answer their own question: “Of course they are. A heightened sense of self-worth is fundamental to their identify.” Yikes, again! But…wait. According to Darrell Puls, “Narcissism is a spectrum condition meaning that it goes from the least inclination to full-blown Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD).” So…maybe before you throw the first stone, read my review of Let Us Prey, Revised Edition: The Plague of Narcissist Pastors and What We Can Do About It. Question: You’re on a founder’s board. How would you coach your founder who tilts high on the spectrum?        SECOND READS: Fresh Solutions From Classic Books You have changed—and your problems have changed—since you read this the first time! Book #19 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 #19 of 99 in our new 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   The author inspires: “Don’t let anyone tell you that sharing your story is selfish, a sign of conceit or vanity. It’s an act of generosity.” He quotes poet Jim Harrison, “Death steals everything except our stories.”    • Read my review (Issue No. 564, June 14, 2023).    • Order from Amazon.    • Listen on Libro (6 hours, 16 minutes).    • Management Bucket #19 of 20: The Printing Bucket (aka The Communications Bucket) “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.” As the only fulltime obituary writer for The Wall Street Journal, Haggerty suggests you ask yourself three questions:     • What were you trying to do with your life?     • Why?     • And how did it work out?   CLICK HERE FOR BOOKS BY JOHN      See Lesson #8, “Design Your Succession Plan—NOW! What if your CEO is hit by a bus?” Read: More Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom. Read the blog. Read the chapter.  Podcast via AI Oh God, I’m Dying! Click here to listen to the 14-minute AI-generated podcast, featuring two “AI podcasters” who “review” John’s review of Oh God, I’m Dying! How God Redeems Pain for Our Good and for His Glory, by Terry Powell and Mark Smith. (Read John’s review here.) Visit here for more AI-generated podcasts. (You'll need a Google account.) IMPORTANT NOTICE! Some of the above links may not work. (Sorry!) Effective Oct. 1, 2025, all 657 eNews issues, previously archived on Typepad.com are slowly (!) being movedto this website. New book reviews will also be archived here at John Pearson’s Buckets Blog. And/or, click here for John’s recent book reviews on Amazon. Pie-Eating Contest Prize: More Pie! The authors of Founders, Keepers reference another book on start-ups, Zero to IPO: Over $1 Trillion of Actionable Advice from the World's Most Successful Entrepreneurs (read my review). Frederic Kerrest offers another metaphor for founders: “Some people say leading a fast-growing startup is like winning a pie-eating contest: the grand prize is that you get to eat even more pie.” For more book reviews, visit Pails in Comparison Blog.

Time to Stand Up

 

Issue No. 662 of Your Weekly Staff Meeting (Nov. 18, 2025) invites you to join Connor White and me over lunch, to discuss an extraordinary book. Plus, click here for recent issues posted at the NEW site for John Pearson’s Buckets Blog, including Delivering the WOW: Culture as Catalyst for Lasting Success. Also, check out the 20 management buckets (core competencies). Author Bill Hull “invites” 10 people to argue for or against the proposition of “The Great Debate.” I invite one friend to discuss this extraordinary book over lunch.   Elon, Oprah, Chesterton, and More! I should do this more often! My question: “Is this book as extraordinary as I think it is?” So I invited a friend (an out-of-the-box thinker who also makes me laugh) to join me for fish and chips overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Capistrano Beach, California. Connor White also read this book before our lunch appointment: Time To Stand Up by Bill Hull (Feb. 4, 2025)   JOHN: Tell me if I’m off-base, but I think I could pick a page—any page—in Bill Hull’s book and find fresh insights about God and reasons to believe. Plus: LOL humor! I’ve never read a book quite like it. CONNOR: You’re right. (How’s your lunch?) Bill Hull, obviously, is incredibly well-read. He’s super insightful—and amazingly self-deprecating. JOHN: Totally! (And the fish and chips are great.) In the “debate” section of Time to Stand Up, he channels David Mamet, the playwright, director, and screenwriter. Hull’s hilarious back-and-forth with Mamet has the playwright responding, “Mr. Hull, you give satire a bad name. There is no business like no business, and looking at your social media numbers, I’d suggest retirement.” CONNOR: I loved this book. As a Christian leader, pastor, and author (and a fan of Bonhoeffer and Dallas Willard)—the author dares to allow himself to be misunderstood. No dumbing down of his content. The debate chapters in his book spotlight his incredible creativity. And—he is so, so funny! JOHN: I agree. The debate section—11 short chapters and just 95 pages of this 388-page book—amazingly imaginative. I’m wondering who were your favorite debaters—and how did they fare? You’ll recall he “invited” five to speak in favor of the proposition and five who opposed it. CONNOR: Right. And all 10 “guests” at the debate had to be living—except immediately Hull violates his own rules (hilarious!) and brings two debaters back from the grave for this pretty serious topic: “Jesus is God come to earth in human flesh. Yes or No?” JOHN: I was intrigued by his line-up:    • For the Proposition: Andrew Klavan, Larry Alex Taunton, Dr. Scot McKnight, Nancy Pearcy, and G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936).    • Against the Proposition: David Mamet, Don Henley, Jordan Peterson, Oprah Winfrey, and Hannah Arendt (1906-1975). CONNOR: I’m still amazed at his deep research and the book's unique format. Here’s this imaginary lecture hall for “The Great Debate,” and Hull pulls it off so well, you feel like you’re right there. His color commentary during the breaks—between debaters—is often very funny. He has guts: taking on a life-changing topic, but with irreverent one-liners! JOHN: Exactly. He notes the fork-in-the-road observation by C.S. Lewis: “If Christianity is false it is of no importance. If it is true it is of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” Then, in describing debater Nancy Pearcy, Hull writes: “You know how hard it is to find a woman who likes to argue? Nancy is a great apologist and wins most of the time, just ask her husband.” CONNOR: Ha, ha! I had to laugh at why he didn’t include C.S. Lewis as one of the debaters: “I would need to say he would be much too smart for our debate and he smoked constantly. Plus, I have it on good authority, an apocryphal rumor, that he and brother, Warnie, cut out of church a bit early each week because the local Pub opened at 11:00 and they wanted to get a good seat. Sounds awfully fleshy to me.” JOHN: So…getting back to my question—“Who were your favorite debaters—and how did they fare?” CONNOR: Wow. Tough to pick just one or two. Hull’s “on-stage” introduction of Larry Alex Taunton is classic. Taunton speaks for the proposition and, in real life, has debated Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and others. In 2007, he organized "The God Delusion Debate.” I laughed at this:    “I would like to tell you that Larry is an internationally known figure of great renown, but the truth is he is internationally known by people who are internationally known.” Hull describes Taunton’s stunning travel adventures (“He makes Rick Steves look like a piker…”) so I’m tempted to read at least one of Taunton's books, maybe Around the World in (More Than) 80 Days. JOHN: Ditto! This jab by Taunton during the debate jumped off the page: “Atheists claim that God doesn’t exist because evil exists. How do they know to call it evil? Because they have a God-given knowledge of what is good.” (See Romans 1:18-32.) CONNOR: I was also intrigued that Bill Hull included Oprah Winfrey in the group of naysayers. I don’t think her fans would appreciate that. JOHN: Bingo! Hull writes: “Oprah loves Jesus, but not the one in the Bible. Jesus claimed he was sent to judge. Oprah wants justice, but she doesn’t want Jesus as her judge.” CONNOR: One more. No spoiler alert needed here, but your readers will also find out why Hull positioned Jordan Peterson as a "NO" and why Hull thinks “…not long from now he will be switching teams.” JOHN: Right…no spoiler alerts, although readers might guess who wins the debate in the end. But before lunch is over—and you have to go back to work, we should talk about the rest of the book. (By the way, great family photo on your White & White Construction website!) John recruited Connor White to add color commentary to this review of Time to Stand Up. (Pictured: Connor and his family.) I counted 46 short chapters (and 46 striking illustrations by Kris Hull)—perfect for your next 46 weekends: a chapter every Saturday or Sunday! Major sections:    • The Age of Anxiety (6)    • Elon Musk Wouldn’t Mind Being Saved (10)    • The Great Debate (11)    • Seven Deadly Sins (7)    • The Church That Came in From the Cold (3)    • Salvation by… (9) CONNOR: You mentioned you first read the three chapters in “The Church That Came in From the Cold." JOHN: Yes. I love books that don’t require a sequential reading. Hull describes a four-day seminar he attended and comments, “I don’t like being put into situations where I am asked to do silly things, where there is great pressure to conform. An odd hang-up for a pastor, but I have found that is not rare.” Yet…during one exercise, a “somewhat manipulative, even childish activity” he was subjected to, the experience actually prompted a spiritual wake-up call.  CONNOR: Wow! Along with Hull’s deep insights, we also see his deep transparency. This was unbelievable! He admits: “I returned to the church, confessed my sin to the entire congregation, and I began my quest to love from a satisfied soul.” JOHN: After reading that, I felt I could trust Bill Hull’s work—and enjoy his insights and humor even more. As I told you, I don’t think I’ve ever read a book quite like this one. And by the way, Hull blogs regularly on Substack and is a prolific author. I have two of his books on my “Library of Candidates” book shelf—yet to read. CONNOR: And…how brilliant to include those 10 chapters on “Elon Musk Wouldn’t Mind Being Saved.” As Hull points out Musk’s successes and sins (and there are many on both sides of the ledger), he weaves in thoughts from Dallas Willard: “Few people stop to ask themselves if they deserve to live in paradise. They just want to. And when they don’t get what they want, they feel insulted.” JOHN: Hey, we’ve barely scratched the surface of this extraordinary book. Any last comments or questions? CONNOR: Yeah. Are you going to eat all those fries? TO ORDER FROM AMAZON, click on the title for Time to Stand Up, by Bill Hull.  YOUR WEEKLY STAFF MEETING QUESTIONS: 1) Bill Hull writes, “The gospel begins to penetrate when one day you realize, ‘I’m the schmuck,’ ‘I’m the idiot,’ ‘I’m the jerk,’ ‘I’m the sinner.’ G.K. Chesterton entered the London Times inquiry contest to the general public, ‘What is wrong with the world?’ Chesterton answered, ‘I am.’ One day it was a revelation to me, ‘What is wrong with this congregation?’ The answer came to me, ‘I am.’ This revelation started a journey for me to have a satisfied soul.” QUESTION: What is wrong with our organization? 2) After you journey through Time to Stand Up (one week or 46 weekends), let me recommend your next book: the just-published international bestseller, God, the Science, the Evidence: The Dawn of a Revolution, by Michel-Yves Bollore and Olivier Bonnassies. (Warning! 562 pages!) ASSIGNMENT: In less than 562 pages (!), describe the evidence for the proposition, “Jesus is God come to earth in human flesh.”       SECOND READS: Fresh Solutions From Classic Books You have changed—and your problems have changed—since you read this the first time! Book #32 of 99: Simply Strategic Volunteers For your team meeting this week, inspire a team member to lead your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” session by featuring Book #32 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. Simply Strategic Volunteers:  Empowering People for Ministry by Tony Morgan and Tim Stevens (Sept. 15, 2005) “It is easy to get lost in the micro-purpose of the ministry and forget the macro-vision of the organization," write Morgan and Stevens in their incredibly practical book (99 quick ideas for working with volunteers).    • Reviewed in Issue No. No. 83, April 7, 2008.    • Read my review on Amazon.    • Order from Amazon.    • Management Bucket #12 of 20: The Volunteer Bucket. Is your volunteer program in alignment with your organization's mission? Do you have a run-away program (led by volunteers, perhaps) that is no longer aligned with the macro-vision of your organization? Do your programs flow out of your mission statement and your Big Holy Audacious Goal? Remember: your unpaid volunteers and paid volunteers are on the same team!   CLICK HERE FOR BOOKS BY JOHN      Mistake #1 of 8: “Governing by Opinion, Not Policy.” Read more in the new workbook, The 8 Big Mistakes to Avoid With Your Nonprofit Board—and take the pop quiz on page seven. Shroud of Turin Museum Opens Nov. 19 Orange County, CA “The Shroud of Turin: An Immersive Experience,” a $5-million, 10,000-square-foot museum dedicated to the world’s most studied artifact, opens to the public on Nov. 19, 2025, in Garden Grove, Calif. This landmark museum—the largest of its kind—will immerse guests into the life and times of Jesus of Nazareth, presenting compelling evidence on the purported burial cloth He left behind. More info here. (Watch for my review.) IMPORTANT NOTICE!  Effective Oct. 1, 2025, all 657 eNews issues, previously archived on Typepad.com are slowly (!) being movedto this website. New book reviews will also be archived here at John Pearson’s Buckets Blog. And/or, click here for John’s recent book reviews on Amazon.   562 Pages! Read my review of the international bestseller,  God, the Science, the Evidence: The Dawn of a Revolution, by Michel-Yves Bollore and Olivier Bonnassies. (Warning! 562 pages!) Or listen on Libro (15 hours, 6 minutes). Listen to the two-minute purpose of the book.