Tyranny of the Urgent

      

PIC No. 101: Pails in Comparison (June 5, 2025)

• Title: Tyranny of the Urgent (Revised & Expanded)
• Author: Charles E. Hummel
• Publisher: IVP Books (April 19, 1994, 31 pages)
• Management Bucket #9 of 20: The Team Bucket

Welcome to Pails in Comparison, the sidekick of John Pearson’s Buckets Blog. This blog features my “PICs”—short reviews of helpful books—with comparisons to other books in my 20 management buckets (core competencies) filing system. 

The Winds of Other People’s Demands!”

Oops! Back in April, I announced, “Call me crazy—but for the next 12 months, I’m going to read (or reread) a “time management” book every month. Join me! My theme was: “Inspire Your Team to Read a ‘Book-a-Month’ on Time Management!” (Read my blog.)

Oops! It’s already June and this is just #1 of 12 reviews. Where’d the time go? Ironic?

So please don’t blame me for starting with the shortest book on the list: a 31-page pamphlet! (Not a typo: just 31 pages. You do have time to read this!)

Charles E. Hummel wrote, “Have you ever wished for a thirty-hour day?” Hummel answers his own question: “But wouldn’t we soon be just as frustrated as we are now with our twenty-four-hour allotment?” (How about a 13-month year?)

By page 4, the author is almost poetic: “The winds of other people’s demands and our own inner compulsions, have driven us onto a reef of frustration.” Time is not the problem, Hummel preaches, it’s priorities. “We live in constant tension between the urgent and the important.”

To go deeper, read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey, and study the “Time Management Matrix.” This is also known as the “Eisenhower Matrix.” (For a fascinating book by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s granddaughter, Susan Eisenhower, read How Ike Led: The Principles Behind Ike’s Biggest Decisions. (Read my review.)

Hummel, who served as executive director of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA and president of Barrington College, died in 2004 at age 81. His popular pamphlet (just 31 pages!) packs a punch. He quotes Jesus’ prayer in John 17, at the conclusion of his 33-year ministry: “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.” 

The author pokes us: Are we crowding our schedules with “priorities” not assigned to us by our Father? Yikes! He documents how Jesus often left, or postponed, pressing priorities to focus on his Father’s work. What a life-giving reminder! Hummel points us to Mark 1:35 and asks, “What was the secret of Jesus’ ministry?”

The author blends theology with practicality and mentions a student who was proud of his “stewardship of time” and rejected Hummel’s counsel to track his time. But a month later, this engineering major conducted his own time inventory and found an extra six hours of time per week that could be better utilized. 

More Insights:
   • On budgeting your time—there’s no need to change everything overnight. “Our Lord is a gracious teacher who helps us to learn one lesson at a time.”
   • “I have come to realize that I am the indispensable person only until the moment I say no.”
   • Schedule one hour per week for a spiritual inventory assessment. “Ironically, the busier we get, the more we need these periods—and the less we seem able to schedule them. We become like the fanatic, who unsure of his direction, doubles his speed.”

“Over the years, I have found that one of the greatest struggles in the Christian life is the effort to make adequate time for:
   • daily waiting on God,
   • weekly inventory,
   • and monthly planning.
Yet this is the path to escaping the tyranny of the urgent.”

Hummel was the author of numerous books, including two full-length books on the “tyranny of the urgent” theme. (See below.)

See you next month for the next time-management refresher!

Note: This is the NEW location for John Pearson's Pails in Comparison Blog. Slowly (!), the previous 100+ blogs posted (between 2022 and 2025) will gradually populate this blogsite, along with new book reviews each month. Visit John Pearson's Buckets Blog for more book reviews. Subscribe here to receive every issue of Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews.

PAILS IN COMPARISON: Recalling these books reminded me of several other must-read books in the Team Bucket, plus other buckets/core competencies. 

[   ]  “12 Time Management Books (if you have time!)” – Our 12-month series with a book-a-month to read or reread. Click here.
[   ] Priorities: Tyranny of the Urgent (Christian Basics Bible Studies: Six Studies for Individuals or Groups), by Charles E. Hummel. (Order from Amazon.)
[   ] Freedom from Tyranny of the Urgent, by Charles E. Hummel. (Note: Winner of the 2004 ECPA Platinum Book Award) – (Order from Amazon.)
[   ] The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People®, by Stephen R. Covey. (Order from Amazon.)
[   ] How Ike Led: The Principles Behind Ike’s Biggest Decisions, by Susan Eisenhower. (Read my review, "Let's Not Make Our Mistakes in a Hurry."

BONUS!
[   ] Read this very helpful blog from Time Boss, “When Helping Stunts Your Team's Growth (And Burns You Out).”
[   ] Visit the Time Boss website. “Time Boss helps high-performing leaders master their time, scale with focus, and lead without overwhelm.”

TO ORDER FROM AMAZON, click on the title for Tyranny of the Urgent (Revised & Expanded), by Charles E. Hummel (31-page pamphlet). Listen on Libro (33 minutes).For more book reviews, visit John Pearson’s Buckets Blog and subscribe to Your Weekly Staff Meeting.

© 2025 John W. Pearson. All rights reserved.Pails in Comparison is posted every once in a while. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. As an Amazon Associate, we earn Amazon gift cards from qualifying purchases. As a Libro.fm Affiliate, we earn credits. By subscribing to Your Weekly Staff Meeting, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. 

Inspire Your Team to Read a "Book-a-Month" on Time Management!

     

PIC No. 99: Pails in Comparison (April 26, 2025)

Welcome to Pails in Comparison, the sidekick of John Pearson’s Buckets Blog. This blog features my “PICs”—short reviews of helpful books—with comparisons to other books in my 20 management buckets (core competencies) filing system. 

Time Management Book-a-Month!

Call me crazy—but for the next 12 months or so, I’m going to read (or reread) a “time management” book every month. Join me!

The craziness started when my wife, Joanne, discovered a little gem on her favorite bookshelf of Really Old Books (many found in antiquarian bookshops in our travels). 

She asked (with that doubting tone), “John, have you ever read this?”

As I paged through the 1910 clothbound edition of How to Live on Twenty-Four Hours a Day, I discovered a Christmas note from a coworker, Emily. She had given me this book when we worked together in the 1980s at what is now known as CCCA. And yikes—I don’t recall ever reading it—even though I’ve always appreciated time management books. (My bad!)

THERE’S MORE. Two weeks ago at the Tuesday morning weekly prayer gathering of our church, Scott Anderson shared a brief story he had written, “My Day at the Play.” (Read it here.) Oh, my. You will never forget this story.

The young boy in the story asked the usher if he could get advance tickets for all the plays yet to come. The usher responded, “It just doesn’t work that way ….one ticket for one day…. that’s the deal.“

So…I’m reading the book, How to Live on Twenty-Four Hours a Day, and Scott shares his story about “one ticket for one day…” Plus, Joanne asked me another one of her probing questions:

JOANNE: “John, that stack of books on the floor in your office—what’s that about?”

ME: “Oh, I’ve been thinking about books on time management. And…before you respond, I know. I’m not good at it! That stack has stared at me for two months now.”

THUS…this issue of Pails in Comparison. The following books are now OFF the floor and ONTO my reading schedule. Join me and/or delegate your reading and inspire one team member each month to share a snippet in your “10 Minutes for Lifelong Learning” segment at your weekly staff meeting.

Note: This is the NEW location for John Pearson's Pails in Comparison Blog. Slowly (!), the previous 100+ blogs posted (between 2022 and 2025) will gradually populate this blogsite, along with new book reviews each month. Visit John Pearson's Buckets Blog for more book reviews. Subscribe here to receive every issue of Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews.

[   ] #1. How to Live on Twenty-Four Hours a Day, by Arnold Bennett (2017 edition, 60 pages). Order from Amazon and watch for my review.
   • Favorite quote (so far): “Most people sleep themselves stupid.”

 

 

[   ] #2. Manage Your Day-to-Day: Build Your Routine, Find Your Focus, and Sharpen Your Creative Mind, by Jocelyn K. Glei, Editor (253 pages). (Order from Amazon.)
   • “Should you answer that email, or answer your calling?”

 

[   ] #3. Tyranny of the Urgent (Revised & Expanded), by Charles E. Hummel (31 pages). Order from Amazon and watch for my review.
   • “Have you ever wished for a thirty-hour day?” Hummel answers his own question: “But wouldn’t we soon be just as frustrated as we are now with our twenty-four-hour allotment?”

 

[   ] #4. Crazy Busy: A (Mercifully) Short Book about a (Really) Big Problem, by Kevin DeYoung (128 pages). Order from Amazon and watch for my review.
   • Chapter 4: “The Terror of Total Obligation—Diagnosis #2: You Are Trying to Do What God Does Not Expect You to Do.” 

 

[   ] #5. Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives, by Richard A Swenson, M.D. (240 pages). Watch for my review. Order from Amazon.
   • Dr. Swenson is very, very practical. The margin doctor suggests you deactivate your voicemail, or record this message, “Please wait for the beep and hang up.” 

 

[   ] #6. Practicing the Present: The Neglected Art of Living in the Now, by John Koessler (224 pages). Order from Amazon. (Read my first review.)
   • Oh, my. I needed this. By page 11, I grabbed my pen. I didn’t release that holy tool until I had underlined almost the entire book. This. Book. Changed. My. Thinking (and my heart). Oh, my.

 

[   ] #7. Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity, by David Allen (352 pages). Watch for my review. Order from Amazon.
   • “The real issue is how we manage action.”  Example: Will a task take less than two minutes? Do it. If more than two minutes: delegate it or defer it. (Allen has a helpful yes/no flowchart for handling “stuff.”)  He uses “buckets” terminology (I like this guy) and says you must master the five functions of collection, processing, organizing, reviewing and doing.

 

[   ] #8. Your 168: Finding Purpose and Satisfaction in a Values-Based Life (Make Every Hour of Your Week Count), by Harry M. Jansen Kraemer Jr. (224 pages). Order from Amazon and watch for my review.
   • “No matter who you are, what you do for a living, where you live, or how productive you are, you only get 168 hours a week. The only difference is how you spend that time.”

 

 

[   ] #9. The 10-Second Rule: Following Jesus Made Simple, by Clare De Graaf (240 pages). Order from Amazon and read my first review.
   • “Just do the next thing you’re reasonably certain Jesus wants you to do—and do it within the next ten seconds.”

 

 

[   ] #10.The Power of a Half Hour: Take Back Your Life Thirty Minutes at a Time, by Tommy Barnett (224 pages). Order from Amazon and watch for my review.
   • “Read this book in half-hour spaces in your schedule. Each of the 30 chapters is short enough to read easily in a half hour.” Barnett adds, “You have heard that it takes about a month to establish a new habit? I urge you to use this thirty-day plan to make the power of a half hour a habit you will never break.”

 

[   ] #11. 42 Seconds: The Jesus Model for Everyday Interactions, by Carl Medearis (176 pages).  Order from Amazon and watch for my review.
   •   “Forty-two seconds: That’s the average length of Jesus’ conversations as recorded in the Bible.” The author suggests you read this book for inspiration or as a “four-week devotional that teaches you how to be like Jesus in your everyday interactions with those God has placed in your life.” 

 

 

#12. No! A Guide for Busy People: Banish Busyness and Focus on What Matters Most, by Doug Fields (105 pages). Read my first review. Order from Amazon.
   • “What I didn’t realize was that every ‘yes’ I was saying turned into an unspoken ‘no’ as well, often to the people most important to me.”

PAILS IN COMPARISON: Recalling these books reminded me of several other must-read books in the Team Bucket, plus other buckets/core competencies. 

[   ] Come Up for Air: How Teams Can Leverage Systems and Tools to Stop Drowning in Work, by Nick Sonnenberg. (Order from Amazon.)

[   ] Leadership Success in 10 Minutes a Day, by Bob Phillips. (Read my review. Order from Amazon.)

[   ] 7 Seconds to Success: How to Effectively Relate to People in an Instant, by Gary Coffey and Bob Phillips. (Read my review. Order from Amazon.)

[   ] Superhabits: The Universal System for a Successful Life, by Andrew V. Abela. (Read my review.)

[   ] The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath, by Senator Joe Lieberman. (Read my review. Order from Amazon.)

[   ] “How CEOs Manage Time,” by Harvard Business School prof Michael E. Porter and Harvard Business School Dean Nitin Nohria (11 pages) - Visit HBR.

TO ORDER FROM AMAZON, click on the links above for one or all of the books. For more book reviews, visit John Pearson’s Buckets Blog and subscribe to Your Weekly Staff Meeting.

© 2025 John W. Pearson. All rights reserved.Pails in Comparison is posted every once in a while. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. As an Amazon Associate, we earn Amazon gift cards from qualifying purchases. As a Libro.fm Affiliate, we earn credits. By subscribing to Your Weekly Staff Meeting, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. 

Cracked Vessels

    

PIC No. 109: Pails in Comparison 

• Title: Cracked Vessels: True Stories of Real Life Restoration
• Authors: J.P. and Diana Spitz with Mark Ellis
• Publisher: Deeper Revelation Books (Oct. 7, 2024, 200 pages)
• Management Bucket #13 of 20: The Crisis Bucket

Welcome to Pails in Comparison, the sidekick of John Pearson’s Buckets Blog. This blog features my “PICs”—short reviews of helpful books—with comparisons to other books in my 20 management buckets (core competencies) filing system. 

First Book I’ve Ever Read Without a Pen!

Many of my friends have heard me—incessantly—tell them, “You should write a book.” Or sometimes, “That would be a great chapter in the book you’re going to write!”

Oh, my. I’m so grateful that Mark Ellis collects “God stories” and posts them on his website, God Reports. (Example: read this stunning true story from the book, Cracked Vessels.)

Earlier this year, Ellis gave me a copy of this extraordinary book by J.P. and Diana Spitz. Here’s a teaser from the back book cover:

“How did a 73-year-old retired barber, former pastor and businessman find himself in Pakistan negotiating with the Taliban for the release of Christian slaves in Pakistani brick factories?” (Read the four chapters—documenting four visits to Pakistan. When you let those stories soak in, your heart may need a spiritual adjustment. Oh, my.)

I’ve read and reviewed over 750 books since 2006 and in each book, I underline all-over-the-book! (It's messy!) I write notes in the books and often end up with more than 50 juicy ideas for writing my book review. But…this book? After reading one chapter—I stopped and prayed:

“Lord…I sense that I should read this book—not with a book review in mind—but to first hear Your voice. This isn’t a ‘To Do’ List obligation—it’s a joy journey—and maybe a wake-up call. So…I’m putting my pen down and opening my heart to hear what You want to say to me through one or all 32 chapters.”

Honest. I didn’t underline one word. I just read, and read, and prayed. So…no spoiler alert here, but this review comes with my heartfelt recommendation: READ THIS BOOK! Pray through this book. As you marvel at the stories of changed lives and how our Gracious God used J.P. and Diana Spitz to bring Christ’s redemption and restoration to others—be prepared to hear that Still, Small Voice. Maybe something like:

“Lord, here am I, send me.”

(P.S. OK…just one spoiler alert.) You’ll read the amazing God story of the Southern California ministry, Kathy’s House, founded by Diana Spitz—and how the Lord led Jon Phillips to become the executive director. (He has his own God story. Read the book!) I just heard Phillips speak at this week’s quarterly summit of The Barnabas Group/Orange County.

Honest—I can’t stop talking about this book! At TBG/OC this week, I mentioned this powerful book to Mike Brickley of Families Set Free. (Learn more about their rescue ministry among some of the 20,000 brick-making factories in Pakistan.)

Note: This is the NEW location for John Pearson's Pails in Comparison Blog. Slowly (!), the previous 100+ blogs posted (between 2022 and 2025) will gradually populate this blogsite, along with new book reviews each month. Visit John Pearson's Buckets Blog for more book reviews. Subscribe here to Your Weekly Staff Meeting eNews.

PAILS IN COMPARISON: Reading this book reminded me of several other must-read books in the Crisis Bucket, plus other buckets/core competencies. (Over the years, I’ve reviewed fascinating books—like the following—under the heading, “You Should Write a Book!”)

[   ] When Kingdom Light Shines: Stories That Inspire Faith, by Mark Ellis (Read my review and order from Amazon.)

[   ] Stories of Sheer Pure Grace, by Nancy Nelson. (Read my review. Order from Amazon.)

[   ] A Life In The Day Of: A Strategic Air Command Veteran's Memoirs of The Cold War, by Edward D. Sabol (Read my review. Order from Amazon.)

[   ] Crazy Ambulance Tales, by Chris Treece (Read my review. Order from Amazon.)

[   ] The House at Channing and Moonsail, by Mark Ellis (Read my review. Order from Amazon.)

TO ORDER FROM AMAZON, click on the title for Cracked Vessels: True Stories of Real Life Restoration, by J.P. and Diana Spitz with Mark Ellis. For more book reviews, visit John Pearson’s Buckets Blog and subscribe to Your Weekly Staff Meeting.

© 2025 John W. Pearson. All rights reserved.Pails in Comparison is posted every once in a while. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. As an Amazon Associate, we earn Amazon gift cards from qualifying purchases. As a Libro.fm Affiliate, we earn credits. By subscribing to Your Weekly Staff Meeting, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. 

The Board and the CEO

   

PIC No. 108: Pails in Comparison (Sept. 3, 2025)

• Title: The Board and the CEO: Seven Practices to Protect Your Organization's Most Important Relationship 
• Authors: Peter Greer and David Weekley
• Publisher: CreateSpace (July 12, 2017, 144 pages)
• Management Bucket #14 of 20: The Board Bucket

Welcome to Pails in Comparison, the sidekick of John Pearson’s Buckets Blog. This blog features my “PICs”—short reviews of helpful books—with comparisons to other books in my 20 management buckets (core competencies) filing system. 

Breaking News! In addition to this review, read my recent review of the new book from Peter Greer and Jill Heisey, How Leaders Lose Their Way: And How to Make Sure It Doesn't Happen to You. 

Stop the Presses!

This week, I mentioned a funny story to a colleague who was wondering if he should accept the invitation to serve on the board of directors of a nonprofit organization. Two challenges: the ministry is founder-led and the founder is a close friend.

My suggestion: ask the founder if the board can fire him! (Read my funny story.) Ironically, that story launches my review of another excellent book by Peter Greer, Succession: Seven Practices to Navigate Mission-Critical Leadership Transitions, by Peter Greer and Doug Fagerstrom. But today…I’m reviewing another book by Greer.

Stop the Presses! Add Book #19! Several years ago, I wrote a series of blogs, “18 Best Board Books.” Guess what? I just added Book #19, The Board and the CEO. You’ll love this book—and I’ll explain why.

But lest you think that if you’ve read one board governance book—you’ve read them all—maybe read Proverbs 18:9. I encourage all board members to be lifelong learners, just like we want our airline pilots and surgeons to be lifelong learners! To put boots on the ground, I encourage boards to spotlight the wide array of helpful books with a “10 Minutes for Governance” segment at every board meeting.

Rotate the leadership and ask each presenter to share five minutes of content from a board book and then facilitate a five-minute conversation with one or two well-chosen questions. (Break into groups of two or three—to further engage people.) Read more in Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom, by Dan Busby and yours truly:

   • Chapter 38: “Great Boards Delegate Their Reading” (Read the chapter.)

   • Chapter 39: “Invest 10 Minutes for Governance in Every Board Meeting.” (See another discussion option here with a 3, 4, and 3-minute plan.)

BOOK #19! So why am I now adding The Board and the CEO to my “Best Board Books” list? While this book is brief and to-the-point, it’s packed with wisdom and practical next steps for any board. Seven practices:

   #1. Mission, Not Ego
   #2. Clarity, Not Confusion
   #3. Consistent Communication, Not Mystery
   #4. Accountability, Not Platitudes
   #5. Healthy Conflict, Not Kumbaya
   #6. Prepared, Not Panicked
   #7. Involved, Not Detached

There’s plenty of meat in those short chapters—but you’ll also find gold in seven resources from pages 106 to 136, including:

   • Annual CEO/Executive Director Evaluation
   • Annual CEO/Executive Director Self-Evaluation
   • Annual Board Self-Evaluation
   • Board of Directors Survey
   • Board Nomination Form
   • Annual Board Member Affirmation Statement
   • Nonprofit Board Member Profiles

The final resource will surprise you. The first nine "profiles" of potential board members, suggested by Chris Crane, co-founder and board member of Edify, are listed as red flag warnings! (Oh, my.) Here are just five for your DO NOT INVITE onto the board list:

   • “Those who wish to be on the board primarily to have a feel good experience and to build their resume.”
   • “Those who want to run the organization.”
   • “Those who are single-issue focused.”
   • “Those who are sincere but inexperienced.”
   • “Those who understand good governance but do not wish to make waves.”
   • “Those who understand good governance but don't have the time.”

Note: Each chapter has application questions—and, if you’re gutsy enough, you will leverage them in your boardroom. For example from the chapter, “Healthy Conflict, Not Kumbaya,” read this: “When is the last time you as a board member acknowledged that another board member was right and you were wrong?”

PAILS IN COMPARISON: Reading this book reminded me of several other must-read books in the Board Bucket, plus other buckets/core competencies.

Note: This is the NEW location for John Pearson's Pails in Comparison Blog. Slowly (!), the previous 100+ blogs posted (between 2022 and 2025) will gradually populate this blogsite, along with new book reviews each month. Visit John Pearson's Buckets Blog for more book reviews.

[   ] Succession: Seven Practices to Navigate Mission-Critical Leadership Transitions, by Peter Greer and Doug Fagerstrom (Read my review.)

[   ] Note: Peter Greer is a writing machine—and I’ve reviewed several of his books, including The Gift of Disillusionment: Enduring Hope for Leaders After Idealism Fades, by Peter Greer and Chris Horst, with Brianna Lapp and Jill Heisey. (Read my review.)

[   ] Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom: 40 Insights for Better Board Meetings (2nd Edition), by Dan Busby and John Pearson (2018) - Order from Amazon. (Read 40 blogs by 40 guest bloggers.)

[   ] More Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom: Effectiveness, Excellence, Elephants! by Dan Busby and John Pearson (2019) - Order from Amazon. (Read 40 blogs by 40 guest bloggers.)

[   ] Lessons From the Church Boardroom: 40 Insights for Exceptional Governance (2nd Edition), by Dan Busby and John Pearson (2019) - Order from Amazon. (Read 40 blogs by 40 guest bloggers.)

[   ] ECFA Tools and Templates for Effective Board Governance: Time-Saving Solutions for Your Board, by Dan Busby and John Pearson (2019) - Order from Amazon. (Read the 22 blogs on the 22 tools and templates). (Download the tools at ECFA.)

TO ORDER FROM AMAZON, click on the title for The Board and the CEO: Seven Practices to Protect Your Organization's Most Important Relationship, by Peter Greer and David Weekley. For more book reviews, visit John Pearson’s Buckets Blog and subscribe to Your Weekly Staff Meeting.

© 2025 John W. Pearson. All rights reserved.
Pails in Comparison is posted every once in a while. We do not accept any form of compensation from authors or publishers for book reviews. As an Amazon Associate, we earn Amazon gift cards from qualifying purchases. As a Libro.fm Affiliate, we earn credits. By subscribing to Your Weekly Staff Meeting, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.