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Killing Cockroaches: And Other Scattered Musings on Leadership
Pastor and popular church culture blogger Tony Morgan once worked as a city manager, a CEO-type job with the suit and tie, corner office, the works. Despite his top-rank status, Tony’s list of responsibilities still included killing cockroaches whenever a freaked out co-worker spotted one in the building. That’s where this unconventional, unforgettable book on church leadership begins.
Morgan’s point is that great leaders don’t have to do everything. The key is to play from your strengths while building a team that manages around your weaknesses.
Written in a relaxed style similar to marketing guru Seth Godin, Killing Cockroaches’ 142 offbeat, on-target entries will delight and energize church leaders. Chapter titles include “10 Easy Ways to Make Your Church Services More Boring” (creative services), “Action Speaks Louder than Advertising” (meeting people’s physical needs), and “The Power of Simple” (eliminating noise).
Morgan’s point is that great leaders don’t have to do everything. The key is to play from your strengths while building a team that manages around your weaknesses.
Written in a relaxed style similar to marketing guru Seth Godin, Killing Cockroaches’ 142 offbeat, on-target entries will delight and energize church leaders. Chapter titles include “10 Easy Ways to Make Your Church Services More Boring” (creative services), “Action Speaks Louder than Advertising” (meeting people’s physical needs), and “The Power of Simple” (eliminating noise).
256 pages, Paperback
First published February 10, 2009
About the author
Tony Morgan
16 books4 followersTony is the Founder and Lead Strategist of The Unstuck Group. Started in 2009, The Unstuck Group has served more than 500 churches throughout the United States, Canada and several more countries around the world.
Previously, Tony served on the senior leadership teams of three rapidly growing churches including NewSpring Church in South Carolina. He has five published books including, The Unstuck Church, and, with Amy Anderson, he hosts The Unstuck Church Podcast which has thousands of listeners each week.
Previously, Tony served on the senior leadership teams of three rapidly growing churches including NewSpring Church in South Carolina. He has five published books including, The Unstuck Church, and, with Amy Anderson, he hosts The Unstuck Church Podcast which has thousands of listeners each week.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 17, 2016
Helpful, if inconsistent. I love books like this, Axiom by Bill Hybels and Fairness is Overrated by Tim Stevens.
This one had some fantastic chapters, but overall, I would just give it a "pretty good."
This one had some fantastic chapters, but overall, I would just give it a "pretty good."
January 12, 2009
have wanted to read this book for a while. I first heard about it through his blog, which is one of the best in the church world. His posts are short and sweet. It is the same way with his book.
It is an inspiring, adventurous and sometimes revolutionary book. If you want some fresh insights into leadership, either in the sacred or secular world (if those exist), this is a must read for you.
The only thing I have to say about this book is that you must read it slowly. I believe that I tried to digest too much all at once. There is going to be a day soon that I will have to read through it again. After all, Tony doesn’t really have chapters. Instead he has simple ideas that are worked through a page or so which are sometimes rehashings of his blog posts, so it is a quick read. I am thinking about even putting one copy in my bathroom for readings on the john (do people still do that?)
Here are some of my favorite quotes throughout the book:
quoting Sir Francis Bacon: “If we are to achieve results never before accomplished, we must expect to employ methods never before attempted” (57).
“So what does it take to encourage an environment that fuels innovation? How do we develop a culture where positive change is both expected and embraced? It begins by shifting what we value” (58).
“As Christians, we can become so focused on our own faith journey that we forget God’s command to go tell others the good news” (61).
“We should be just as committed as local businesses are in making sure our guests feel valued” (64).
quoting Kathy Sierra: “People aren’t necessary afraid of change. They’re afraid of being changed. And the only way to help overcome that out-of-my-control feeling is to be proactive, to innovate and initiate change…’the best way to predict the future is to invent it’ – Alan Kay” (107).
“People who feel more alone in their passion are often those who don’t have anyone to share it with” (108).
“The reality is that there certainly is a consumer mind-set in our culture, and unless we acknowledge that and deal with it, our message – the gospel message – won’t be heard” (127).
“We can continue ignoring MTV and their audience. We can complain about their programming that influences young lives. We can explain all the reasons why their music doesn’t fit in our services. We can argue why their issues and questions are not appropriate for our messages. That same MTV audience, however, seems to be ignoring the church” (132).
quoting Nelson Searcy: “Meetings are the best time-saving devise ever invented. Meetings are the playground of highly effective ministry teams. The problem is not with ‘meetings’ but with how many meetings are run” (135).
“If the message doesn’t relate to their world, they probably won’t hear it, no matter how ‘deep’ it is” (137).
“Technology is a wonderful tool, but ultimately it’s not about the tool. It’s about what we accomplish with the tool. At the judgment seat, Jesus won’t say, ‘Hey, Phil, you did a great job with those emails.’ He’ll ask if I accomplished my purpose and calling” (151).
“If your church closed its doors tomorrow, would anyone really miss you and why?” (155).
“I don’t think it’s a stretch to say people listened to Jesus teach because he first listened to the people’s needs” (157).
“Creativity rarely sneaks up on us” (174).
“Sometimes God doesn’t fully reveal his will until you take the first step” (206).
“Maybe we’re too focused on arguing about what we’re against instead of being what the church was intended to be in people’s lives” (207).
“People will begin to form perceptions of what they’re going to experience before they ever step foot on your campus” (214).
“Shouldn’t my life and my worship make sense to both God and others?” (222).
“When Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth, he cautioned them to consider the reaction of unbelievers when the church gathers” – speaking of worship music (224).
“We’re afraid to engage the culture. We prefer to yell at it. And ironically, the louder we yell, the less the world listens” (226).
“We must address their needs and their questions before we can impose our agenda” (227).
“When you have a chance, it might be a good idea to make sure your audience can respond to your message” (228).
http://jbunch.wordpress.com/2009/04/2...
It is an inspiring, adventurous and sometimes revolutionary book. If you want some fresh insights into leadership, either in the sacred or secular world (if those exist), this is a must read for you.
The only thing I have to say about this book is that you must read it slowly. I believe that I tried to digest too much all at once. There is going to be a day soon that I will have to read through it again. After all, Tony doesn’t really have chapters. Instead he has simple ideas that are worked through a page or so which are sometimes rehashings of his blog posts, so it is a quick read. I am thinking about even putting one copy in my bathroom for readings on the john (do people still do that?)
Here are some of my favorite quotes throughout the book:
quoting Sir Francis Bacon: “If we are to achieve results never before accomplished, we must expect to employ methods never before attempted” (57).
“So what does it take to encourage an environment that fuels innovation? How do we develop a culture where positive change is both expected and embraced? It begins by shifting what we value” (58).
“As Christians, we can become so focused on our own faith journey that we forget God’s command to go tell others the good news” (61).
“We should be just as committed as local businesses are in making sure our guests feel valued” (64).
quoting Kathy Sierra: “People aren’t necessary afraid of change. They’re afraid of being changed. And the only way to help overcome that out-of-my-control feeling is to be proactive, to innovate and initiate change…’the best way to predict the future is to invent it’ – Alan Kay” (107).
“People who feel more alone in their passion are often those who don’t have anyone to share it with” (108).
“The reality is that there certainly is a consumer mind-set in our culture, and unless we acknowledge that and deal with it, our message – the gospel message – won’t be heard” (127).
“We can continue ignoring MTV and their audience. We can complain about their programming that influences young lives. We can explain all the reasons why their music doesn’t fit in our services. We can argue why their issues and questions are not appropriate for our messages. That same MTV audience, however, seems to be ignoring the church” (132).
quoting Nelson Searcy: “Meetings are the best time-saving devise ever invented. Meetings are the playground of highly effective ministry teams. The problem is not with ‘meetings’ but with how many meetings are run” (135).
“If the message doesn’t relate to their world, they probably won’t hear it, no matter how ‘deep’ it is” (137).
“Technology is a wonderful tool, but ultimately it’s not about the tool. It’s about what we accomplish with the tool. At the judgment seat, Jesus won’t say, ‘Hey, Phil, you did a great job with those emails.’ He’ll ask if I accomplished my purpose and calling” (151).
“If your church closed its doors tomorrow, would anyone really miss you and why?” (155).
“I don’t think it’s a stretch to say people listened to Jesus teach because he first listened to the people’s needs” (157).
“Creativity rarely sneaks up on us” (174).
“Sometimes God doesn’t fully reveal his will until you take the first step” (206).
“Maybe we’re too focused on arguing about what we’re against instead of being what the church was intended to be in people’s lives” (207).
“People will begin to form perceptions of what they’re going to experience before they ever step foot on your campus” (214).
“Shouldn’t my life and my worship make sense to both God and others?” (222).
“When Paul wrote to the Christians in Corinth, he cautioned them to consider the reaction of unbelievers when the church gathers” – speaking of worship music (224).
“We’re afraid to engage the culture. We prefer to yell at it. And ironically, the louder we yell, the less the world listens” (226).
“We must address their needs and their questions before we can impose our agenda” (227).
“When you have a chance, it might be a good idea to make sure your audience can respond to your message” (228).
http://jbunch.wordpress.com/2009/04/2...
December 26, 2014
Rating 3.25
In this book Tony Morgan rambles through his life as a church leader. He discusses mostly church leadership but lots of that can be applied to any type of leadership. A few highlights from the book for me were:
"Are we truly engaged in his Great Commission if every extra moment of our lives is spent at church?"
"People will follow vision, they won't follow information." - now on this one I struggle to follow vision without information but I think most people don't need the nuts and bolts of the operation to jump on board.
One point he made about rules and policies that I had not thought out was
"Can we accomplish this without a policy"
This is great organizational thinking. Because this not only takes into account the problem but the longevity of the situation.
In this book Tony Morgan rambles through his life as a church leader. He discusses mostly church leadership but lots of that can be applied to any type of leadership. A few highlights from the book for me were:
"Are we truly engaged in his Great Commission if every extra moment of our lives is spent at church?"
"People will follow vision, they won't follow information." - now on this one I struggle to follow vision without information but I think most people don't need the nuts and bolts of the operation to jump on board.
One point he made about rules and policies that I had not thought out was
"Can we accomplish this without a policy"
This is great organizational thinking. Because this not only takes into account the problem but the longevity of the situation.
March 29, 2009
Shortest review possible: the greatest hits of church leadership blogger, Tony Morgan (http://tonymorganlive.com/).
Slightly longer review: A collection of musings & thoughts on leadership, vision, change & life. It's not that Tony is saying new "I've never thought of that before!" stuff on each page... it's that he's reframing key issues in eye-opening ways and using personal stories to make his points crystal-clear. I keep finding myself wanting to find the original post & send it to my volunteer leaders or stick it up on my blog. Excellent resource for church leaders... esp. those who don't follow blogs and can't understand what all the fuss is about.
UPDATE: re-reading this in 2012...
Slightly longer review: A collection of musings & thoughts on leadership, vision, change & life. It's not that Tony is saying new "I've never thought of that before!" stuff on each page... it's that he's reframing key issues in eye-opening ways and using personal stories to make his points crystal-clear. I keep finding myself wanting to find the original post & send it to my volunteer leaders or stick it up on my blog. Excellent resource for church leaders... esp. those who don't follow blogs and can't understand what all the fuss is about.
UPDATE: re-reading this in 2012...
April 13, 2009
This book captures over 100 of Morgan's best blog entries from the past few years. I circled about 20 that I will revisit in a week or so.
Encouraging themes:
1) Do what ever you must to get healthy and stay healthy.
2) Delegate as much as possible, but make sure you're not just handing off tasks; hand off responsibility.
3) Trust your gut, especially when it comes to staffing matters.
4) Simplify whatever you can.
5) Automate whatever you can.
6) Take time to really evaluate the church through the eyes of someone we're hoping to attract.
7) Keep it positive.
These aren't revolutionary, but just really good reminders.
Encouraging themes:
1) Do what ever you must to get healthy and stay healthy.
2) Delegate as much as possible, but make sure you're not just handing off tasks; hand off responsibility.
3) Trust your gut, especially when it comes to staffing matters.
4) Simplify whatever you can.
5) Automate whatever you can.
6) Take time to really evaluate the church through the eyes of someone we're hoping to attract.
7) Keep it positive.
These aren't revolutionary, but just really good reminders.
August 8, 2014
Just Okay...
Just Okay...
I like Tony's blog...I like other writings of Tony....but this one was not my favorite. I think many things could have been said in a more succinct way, thus making it more appealing to me. The topic was good, don't get me wrong. I just felt like it took to long at times to get to the point...but that is my preference. Again, Tony's material is great...and I love his insight and writings....but this one did not grab me as others did.
Just Okay...
I like Tony's blog...I like other writings of Tony....but this one was not my favorite. I think many things could have been said in a more succinct way, thus making it more appealing to me. The topic was good, don't get me wrong. I just felt like it took to long at times to get to the point...but that is my preference. Again, Tony's material is great...and I love his insight and writings....but this one did not grab me as others did.
Read
August 10, 2011Great book with tons of relevant and applicable articles. I thought the second half finished a lot stronger than the first half began. This would obviously be a great leadership team book to go through in a church setting and would help any team analyze and improve their current operating procedures. I found myself feeling tired of the blog to book format in the first half, but Morgan finished strong and won be back over in the second.
February 24, 2012
I'm a HUGE fan of short and sweet blogs. So, of course, I follow Tony Morgan. This is a fantastic compilation of some of his blog postings. There are a handful of concepts that are repeated, which goes back to my "keep it short and sweet, and don't repeat.". That's why I gave it a four. I know. Harsh.
June 14, 2020
It’s a bit dated since the cultural references are MySpace, yahoo, blackberry, etc. there are some great nuggets in it overall and a nice read. I wasn’t a huge fan of his sense of humor but nothing wrong just landed flat for me.
December 13, 2021
Great book on leadership. Don’t sweat the small stuff (killing cockroaches). Focus on the vision. Tony Morgan is very down to earth, funny, witty & gives practical advice for ministry leadership. This is a must-read for those in ministry
September 2, 2023
I came across this book on the shelf of the church library and thought to give it a shot, as I was curious about the interesting title and cover. This book is about leadership, and the author talks about his leadership experiences in the corporate world and in the church. Includes leadership tips that can be applied to any organization and provides some insights to look at ministry and leadership from a different perspective. There were several situations discussed that I was able to relate to, as I too have held the leadership title in various industries. Sometimes, I too go kill the cockroach only to later perhaps regret it, but it's good to know that as a leader, one can be approached to stamp out any fire or cockroach. Scripture verses are taken from the MSG, NLT, and KJV and peppered throughout the book. Some verses do not even have the version listed. These inconsistencies somewhat irritated me. I think the author should have used the same translation throughout, either sticking with the KJV or NIV. The MSG and NLT are too loose in my personal opinion. Page 226 "Yelling at the television"—whether one is a sports nut or not, most can relate. I don't watch sports on television, but I have definitely yelled at the screen on more than one occasion. Includes an acknowledgement page and notes at the end of the book. Every leader in the church should read this book. I appreciated the foreword by Andy Stanley.
December 30, 2008
Tony's take on worship music beginning on page 220 is worth the price of the book. Music in the church is one of the most debated topics, at least within church people. He makes some great points. Tony is a really good leader and an important voice in the church. Good read.
Read
June 30, 2010Tony has a particular bias which shows throughout this book. There are some great things in it but after a while it all starts sounding like the same stuff you hear at a mega church conference. Not all bad but pretty skewed as to how preaching and ministry should be done.
December 16, 2011
This was a good book on some leadership thoughts. Like the title says, it is definitely scattered. While some of the book was just personal stories that were not particularly helpful there were other parts that provided great questions or ideas to consider.
July 10, 2012
Some good thoughts and insights, though seems fairly narrowly focused on what church should look like (large, contemporary, broadly evangelical). Read a bit like a blog, which is how many of the thoughts started (if I recall).
July 15, 2009
GREAT book that will help Church staffers!
March 28, 2010
Great read full of practical information for all things church and ministry. Tony does a great job keeping things short, power and to the point. It reads like a blog gone wild. Great read.
November 29, 2010
This was a good book, if a little odd.
Read
March 31, 2011Great book! Lots of great leadership ideas & tips.
January 3, 2014
Good book about distractions and staying focused on what really counts. Great for leaders in church, but good for leaders across the board.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews