When Peace Paralyzes

Sometimes, peace at all costs is not the solution; avoiding difficult decisions can actually harm our relationships and spiritual life. Abraham has to make the difficult decision, a conflicted choice that may mean sorrow and despair in his life. He chooses to throw his life into turmoil and sacrifice his immediate peace, to gain peace in the long haul. Often, as in this case, when conflict is chosen, God supplies a ram in the thicket. The results, long range, turn out well

Imagine running into the ultimate management mentor late one night on an otherwise deserted commuter train. You have a strange encounter, and walk away with a concise guide to success in the corporate world. Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? That's exactly what screenwriter and business coach Patrick Lencioni has done in The Five Temptations of a CEO: A Leadership Fable (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1998).

"Designed to be read in a single sitting," writes reviewer Howard Rothman, "this book uses the unexpected meeting between troubled high-tech honcho Andrew O'Brien and a mysterious old man named Charlie to explore a series of common traps that can unwittingly ensnare any hard-driven executive. Lencioni hones in on the five 'temptations' of the workplace: desires to jealously guard career status, consistently remain popular with subordinates, unfailingly make correct decisions, constantly strive for an atmosphere of total harmony, and always appear invulnerable. A discussion...