“It’s lonely at the top.” Like most clichés, this one gets repeated so often because it expresses at least a little truth. In fact, according to some research, at least half of all CEOS report feelings of loneliness. As one researcher puts it, “You can imagine that … over time having to make a lot of tough, unpopular decisions that are constantly going to upset at least one part of your constituency could start to feel isolating.”

Even though the roles of CEO and senior pastor are different in many ways, I can relate. The lead pastor may feel as if he’s the only one who truly understands all the issues and the challenges. Carrying such a weight can isolate you.

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The world gasped Sunday as the news hit the airwaves and spread across the Internet. Kobe Bryant was dead, killed in a tragic helicopter crash along with his 13-year-old daughter and seven others.

You didn’t have to be a sports fan to feel the impact. TV networks suspended regular programming that evening to share the news and offer tribute. A throng amassed outside the Staples Center, “the house that Kobe built,” to mourn his passing while performers and producers from the nation’s music industry gathered inside for the annual Grammy Awards. The packed house paused to remember Kobe while spotlights shone on his jerseys framed above the arena.

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Maybe you’ve seen a circle of vultures hovering above the carcass of a dead animal. Once they’ve identified their prey, they pluck at it till it’s picked clean. A couple of weeks ago I drove past a dead deer on the side of the road, with the ugly black birds perched on its flank. Two days later the remains weren’t recognizable. The vultures had completely destroyed it.

This started me thinking about the fact that too many churches harbor a small flock of vultures, those who find a fault or a weakness and pick at it till the damage they inflict is complete. Their number may not be large, but their harm can be huge in a relatively short amount of time. If left unchecked, they can pick a pastor clean till he just decides to give up and walk away.

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Last year I read at 77 books, and as you can see from the following reviews, they certainly do not all fit in the same category.  But I highly recommend each of these 10 titles (plus a bonus book at the end). All of them will contribute to your outlook on life, each in a different way.

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