Leaders Read#110

👋 Hello everyone,

Amy Edmondson said, “Silence is not a proxy for agreement. It’s a sign that people don’t feel safe enough to speak up.”

Here are a few resources you might have missed:

• Book notes: The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale

• Book notes: How to Know a Person by David Brooks

• All 200 Book notes for your enjoyment

• Catch-up: #1 - #109 Leaders Read Newsletters

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📚 Book Summary:

This week's book is "Death by Meeting" by Patrick Lencioni.

Like Lencioni’s other works, this is a business fable—this time centered on an executive whose leadership is faltering. After a company acquisition shakes up the team, a junior assistant steps in with a fresh perspective, helping transform meetings from passive status updates into active, engaging dialogue.

One of my favorite takeaways from the book is this:

"Meetings are boring because they lack drama. Or conflict. This is a shame because most meetings have plenty of potential for drama, which is essential for keeping human beings engaged. Unfortunately, rather than mining for that golden conflict, most leaders of meetings seem to be focused on avoiding tension and ending their meetings on time. And while these may seem like noble pursuits, they lie at the heart of bad meetings."

✅ Actionable advice:

You don’t need more meetings. You need better ones. Barack Obama once said he wanted to hear the opposing voices in the room. You should, too. In your next meeting, borrow a page from Edward de Bono’s Black Hat Thinking. Ask everyone to surface the risks, weaknesses, and dangers in your strategy. You’ll listen. Take notes. Resist the urge to interrupt. Give them a reason to engage. Make your meetings a place where drama isn’t the enemy. Avoiding it is. When people care enough to challenge you, you’re finally getting somewhere.

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Have a great week!