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Chess, Not Checkers: Elevate Your Leadership Game
As organizations grow in volume and complexity, the demands on leadership change. The same old moves won't cut it any more.
In Chess Not Checkers, Mark Miller tells the story of Blake Brown, newly appointed CEO of a company troubled by poor performance and low morale. Nothing Blake learned from his previous roles seems to help him deal with the issues he now faces. The problem, his new mentor points out, is Blake is playing the wrong game.
The early days of an organization are like checkers: a quickly played game with mostly interchangeable pieces. Everybody, the leader included, does a little bit of everything; the pace is frenetic. But as the organization expands, you can't just keep jumping from activity to activity. You have to think strategically, plan ahead, and leverage every employee's specific talents—that's chess. Leaders who continue to play checkers when the name of the game is chess lose.
On his journey, Blake learns four essential strategies from the game of chess that transform his leadership and his organization. The result: unprecedented performance!
Chess Not Checkers is an accessible and easily applied guide to help leaders deviate their own leadership and the performance of their entire organization.
In Chess Not Checkers, Mark Miller tells the story of Blake Brown, newly appointed CEO of a company troubled by poor performance and low morale. Nothing Blake learned from his previous roles seems to help him deal with the issues he now faces. The problem, his new mentor points out, is Blake is playing the wrong game.
The early days of an organization are like checkers: a quickly played game with mostly interchangeable pieces. Everybody, the leader included, does a little bit of everything; the pace is frenetic. But as the organization expands, you can't just keep jumping from activity to activity. You have to think strategically, plan ahead, and leverage every employee's specific talents—that's chess. Leaders who continue to play checkers when the name of the game is chess lose.
On his journey, Blake learns four essential strategies from the game of chess that transform his leadership and his organization. The result: unprecedented performance!
Chess Not Checkers is an accessible and easily applied guide to help leaders deviate their own leadership and the performance of their entire organization.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published April 6, 2015
121 people are currently reading
1213 people want to read
About the author
Mark Miller
25 books121 followersMy career at Chick-fil-A began over forty years ago as an hourly team member in one of the local restaurants. Shortly thereafter, I became the sixteenth corporate employee — my first job: working in the warehouse. Since that day, I have worked all across the business from starting our Corporate Communications group and our Quality & Customer Satisfaction Team to leading in Restaurant Operations, Training & Development, Leadership Development and more!
For the last twenty years, I have focused much of my time on serving leaders, helping them grow themselves, their teams, and their organizations. In addition to my role at Chick-fil-A, I’ve also had the privilege to teach and lead in not-for-profit organizations domestically and globally. Although the context is different in every organization, the problems have common roots and so do the solutions.
Along the way, I have been fortunate to author (and co-author) a few books – eight and counting. Today, more than a million books are in print in 25+ languages. My approach to writing has always been to find what is true in principle and figure out how to make it applicable to the real world.
For the last twenty years, I have focused much of my time on serving leaders, helping them grow themselves, their teams, and their organizations. In addition to my role at Chick-fil-A, I’ve also had the privilege to teach and lead in not-for-profit organizations domestically and globally. Although the context is different in every organization, the problems have common roots and so do the solutions.
Along the way, I have been fortunate to author (and co-author) a few books – eight and counting. Today, more than a million books are in print in 25+ languages. My approach to writing has always been to find what is true in principle and figure out how to make it applicable to the real world.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
July 27, 2015
A great, short book on leadership lessons told through the story of a new CEO. The mindset of envisioning a business as requiring chess strategy, not reactive checkers strategy is a powerful image. The main takeaways were:
1) Bet on Leadership - growing leaders grow the business
2) Act As One - alignment multiples impact
3) Win the Hearts - Engagement gets effort
4) Excel at Execution - Greatness hinges upon execution
1) Bet on Leadership - growing leaders grow the business
2) Act As One - alignment multiples impact
3) Win the Hearts - Engagement gets effort
4) Excel at Execution - Greatness hinges upon execution
May 27, 2023
Absolutely loved this. Super easy to read and digest, with some profound leadership wisdom. Mark breaks the organizational leadership principles into 4 distinct components:
1. Bet on Leadership (Growing leaders grow organizations)
2. Act as One (Alignment multiples impact)
3. Win the Heart (Engagement energizes effort)
4. Excel at Execution (Greatness hinges on execution)
What I love about these, after digging into each, is that it's quite intuitive but hard to achieve. I also love that this is holistic. You cant go too heavy on any without sustaining and maintaining the others.
More reflections... I also love the overarching concept, which is the title of the book. As we mature in our careers, there's a transition that happens (that many of us miss) where the game goes metaphorically from checkers (simple, straightforward, fast-paced, highly reactionary) to chess (a game of strategy, thoughtfulness, and complexity). This is a rich metaphor, that I'm finding by itself is a great concept to help in thinking about evolving personally in your role with increasing responsibility.
Book rating criteria; to help objectify my ratings.
1. Will I read it again?
Yes, the parable and book are pretty simple but very approachable.
2. Would I recommend this to others?
Absolutely. This is a great one. Especially for leaders who aren't big readers. This is a very fast and simple read, so it's very approachable.
3. Am I smarter, better or wiser as a result of this book?
Yes, definitely new perspectives on the subject.
4. Was I entertained while reading this/it kept my attention?
Absolutely. Read it in 2 sittings.
5. This book was just the right length?
Yes.
1. Bet on Leadership (Growing leaders grow organizations)
2. Act as One (Alignment multiples impact)
3. Win the Heart (Engagement energizes effort)
4. Excel at Execution (Greatness hinges on execution)
What I love about these, after digging into each, is that it's quite intuitive but hard to achieve. I also love that this is holistic. You cant go too heavy on any without sustaining and maintaining the others.
More reflections... I also love the overarching concept, which is the title of the book. As we mature in our careers, there's a transition that happens (that many of us miss) where the game goes metaphorically from checkers (simple, straightforward, fast-paced, highly reactionary) to chess (a game of strategy, thoughtfulness, and complexity). This is a rich metaphor, that I'm finding by itself is a great concept to help in thinking about evolving personally in your role with increasing responsibility.
Book rating criteria; to help objectify my ratings.
1. Will I read it again?
Yes, the parable and book are pretty simple but very approachable.
2. Would I recommend this to others?
Absolutely. This is a great one. Especially for leaders who aren't big readers. This is a very fast and simple read, so it's very approachable.
3. Am I smarter, better or wiser as a result of this book?
Yes, definitely new perspectives on the subject.
4. Was I entertained while reading this/it kept my attention?
Absolutely. Read it in 2 sittings.
5. This book was just the right length?
Yes.
August 16, 2018
Simple book, extraordinary concept in leadership training!
January 30, 2022
The Four Chess Moves that has Parallel to Business
1. Bet on Leadership: Growing leaders grow organizations
• In a high-performance organization, one way to apply this idea is to proactively develop your leadership. The earlier in their career you invest in them, the better. You can’t wait until you need a leader to start developing one. All high-performance organizations do this.
• You cannot be a great organization without great leadership. All the moves are critical, but this is the first among equals. Leadership growth always precedes organizational growth.
• The quest for high performance always starts with the leader—so does Bet on Leadership. You have got to set the pace for your team. People do what people see. If you’re not learning and growing, don’t expect them to, either.
• Good chess players, and good leaders, think about the current move and the next move also—often several moves ahead. When you invest in emerging leaders, it means you’re serious about creating the future rather than just hoping it works out.
2. Act as One : Alignment multiplies impact
• Act as One is about getting everyone in your organization pulling on the rope in the same direction. That’s a prerequisite to unleash the full potential of your business. Getting everyone aligned can have a phenomenal impact on your performance.
• Here’s how this principle plays out in the world of chess. Imagine you want to attack one of your opponent’s pieces. To do so effectively requires focusing multiple resources on that single piece. To attack with one is futile—your piece will be lost. As a result, the best players don’t usually attack on too many fronts simultaneously. That approach spreads needed resources too thin and is not a winning strategy. To randomly attack—a piece to the left and one to the right—applies little, if any pressure, on your opponent. You’ve got to make your pieces work together to maximize your assault
• It is hard to imagine leaders who ask people to give their best without helping them know what success looks like“Or, why it matters,
• Decide, agree, and communicate.
One, decide what’s important to you.
Two, get agreement from your leadership team.
And, finally, begin an orchestrated effort to cascade and reinforce these messages throughout your organization.
• Often the leader is clear on what matters most, and his or her key leaders know, too—and yet everyone else remains in the dark. The information never reaches the front lines in the organization. This is a colossal leadership mistake. You can’t harness the power of everyone unless everyone is in the know. You will never really Act as One unless you master cascading communications!
3. Win the Heart: Engagement energizes effort
• In checkers, the pieces are basically interchangeable; each is allowed to move only on the diagonal squares. In chess, there are different types of pieces, each with its own unique moves.
• To be successful in chess, you want to understand and capitalize on these differing and unique capabilities. Here’s the principle: The more you can leverage the unique capabilities of each piece, the greater your chances of victory.
• When people are given the opportunity to do what they do best, you engage much more than their hands. When you allow people to contribute their unique gifts and ask them to work from a place of personal strength, you do much more than get work done—you honor them and their contribution.
• To Win the Heart is a process. To further complicate matters, when you are trying to win someone’s heart, one size doesn’t fit all. Activities that will raise one person’s engagement may not work with someone else.
If you have a manager’s mentality, you tend to treat people all the same. Leaders understand if you want to bring out the best in each person, you must treat them differently.
• Anyone whose heart you want to win. Every person on your team, from the most junior to the most senior, wants to know ‘Do you care about me?’ When they know the answer to that question is yes, they tend to reciprocate—caring begets caring.
4. Excel at Execution: Greatness hinges on execution.
To improve execution, be sure your business is built on systems, not on personality.
• Systems are replicable—personality is not. You don’t want something to be done with excellence only because a certain person is doing it. As an example, you don’t want a selection process that works because one person makes good people decisions—that’s checkers. What if that person leaves or dies? You want to build a system capable of making good people selections—that’s chess.
• Just like in chess, you will need to think deeply, choose wisely, and act decisively; every move counts. Excel at Execution—that’s how you ultimately win the game. It’s not the team with the most elaborate game plan; it’s the team that can successfully run the plays they call. And, they don’t just win—they become champions.
Attack the gaps
• This idea of high performance is really not something you ever fully realize. Once you think you’re finished, you’re finished. The competition is not sitting still. If you stop, or sometimes, all you have to do is slow down, the competition will blow right past you. High performance is a lifelong pursuit fueled by personal and organizational learning.
Chess is not a game of luck, and neither is business. When you win, it’s because you made good decisions.
• In chess, the more pieces you involve in the game, the greater your chances of winning; in business, including more people has the same effect. People want to be valued; they want to be useful; they want to contribute.
1. Bet on Leadership: Growing leaders grow organizations
• In a high-performance organization, one way to apply this idea is to proactively develop your leadership. The earlier in their career you invest in them, the better. You can’t wait until you need a leader to start developing one. All high-performance organizations do this.
• You cannot be a great organization without great leadership. All the moves are critical, but this is the first among equals. Leadership growth always precedes organizational growth.
• The quest for high performance always starts with the leader—so does Bet on Leadership. You have got to set the pace for your team. People do what people see. If you’re not learning and growing, don’t expect them to, either.
• Good chess players, and good leaders, think about the current move and the next move also—often several moves ahead. When you invest in emerging leaders, it means you’re serious about creating the future rather than just hoping it works out.
2. Act as One : Alignment multiplies impact
• Act as One is about getting everyone in your organization pulling on the rope in the same direction. That’s a prerequisite to unleash the full potential of your business. Getting everyone aligned can have a phenomenal impact on your performance.
• Here’s how this principle plays out in the world of chess. Imagine you want to attack one of your opponent’s pieces. To do so effectively requires focusing multiple resources on that single piece. To attack with one is futile—your piece will be lost. As a result, the best players don’t usually attack on too many fronts simultaneously. That approach spreads needed resources too thin and is not a winning strategy. To randomly attack—a piece to the left and one to the right—applies little, if any pressure, on your opponent. You’ve got to make your pieces work together to maximize your assault
• It is hard to imagine leaders who ask people to give their best without helping them know what success looks like“Or, why it matters,
• Decide, agree, and communicate.
One, decide what’s important to you.
Two, get agreement from your leadership team.
And, finally, begin an orchestrated effort to cascade and reinforce these messages throughout your organization.
• Often the leader is clear on what matters most, and his or her key leaders know, too—and yet everyone else remains in the dark. The information never reaches the front lines in the organization. This is a colossal leadership mistake. You can’t harness the power of everyone unless everyone is in the know. You will never really Act as One unless you master cascading communications!
3. Win the Heart: Engagement energizes effort
• In checkers, the pieces are basically interchangeable; each is allowed to move only on the diagonal squares. In chess, there are different types of pieces, each with its own unique moves.
• To be successful in chess, you want to understand and capitalize on these differing and unique capabilities. Here’s the principle: The more you can leverage the unique capabilities of each piece, the greater your chances of victory.
• When people are given the opportunity to do what they do best, you engage much more than their hands. When you allow people to contribute their unique gifts and ask them to work from a place of personal strength, you do much more than get work done—you honor them and their contribution.
• To Win the Heart is a process. To further complicate matters, when you are trying to win someone’s heart, one size doesn’t fit all. Activities that will raise one person’s engagement may not work with someone else.
If you have a manager’s mentality, you tend to treat people all the same. Leaders understand if you want to bring out the best in each person, you must treat them differently.
• Anyone whose heart you want to win. Every person on your team, from the most junior to the most senior, wants to know ‘Do you care about me?’ When they know the answer to that question is yes, they tend to reciprocate—caring begets caring.
4. Excel at Execution: Greatness hinges on execution.
To improve execution, be sure your business is built on systems, not on personality.
• Systems are replicable—personality is not. You don’t want something to be done with excellence only because a certain person is doing it. As an example, you don’t want a selection process that works because one person makes good people decisions—that’s checkers. What if that person leaves or dies? You want to build a system capable of making good people selections—that’s chess.
• Just like in chess, you will need to think deeply, choose wisely, and act decisively; every move counts. Excel at Execution—that’s how you ultimately win the game. It’s not the team with the most elaborate game plan; it’s the team that can successfully run the plays they call. And, they don’t just win—they become champions.
Attack the gaps
• This idea of high performance is really not something you ever fully realize. Once you think you’re finished, you’re finished. The competition is not sitting still. If you stop, or sometimes, all you have to do is slow down, the competition will blow right past you. High performance is a lifelong pursuit fueled by personal and organizational learning.
Chess is not a game of luck, and neither is business. When you win, it’s because you made good decisions.
• In chess, the more pieces you involve in the game, the greater your chances of winning; in business, including more people has the same effect. People want to be valued; they want to be useful; they want to contribute.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2019
A good concise overview of organizational leadership. My only sticking point is the phrase "win the heart." I strongly believe our hearts, as the wellspring of life, are meant to be won by our Creator, shared with our fellow image-bearers, and ENGAGED in meaningful work. It's too easy for work to become an idol for people and trying to win people's hearts won't help matters. The actions Miller suggests for doing so are great, I just disagree with the aim in mind.
February 27, 2021
This was a quick read and really interesting. But it will also be worth it to go back through to dig in to the principles and ideas presented, in order to better understand them and how to implement them.
This book is also not just for those in formal leadership roles - it should be read by those who want to increase their team's (and their own) performance.
This book is also not just for those in formal leadership roles - it should be read by those who want to increase their team's (and their own) performance.
July 30, 2025
Very simple, big picture ideas told via a story. 4 stars for the ideas - not necessarily the story or the writing, both of which were fine, but not exceptional.
August 20, 2018
Amazing book of strategy in the workplace!
January 2, 2024
The entire book is written as a story. It makes it more engaging and easier to follow. The theories make explained make sense and give you the will to apply them.
November 13, 2017
This is another one of those business books that presents information in the form of a made-up story (ie The Goal). The principles are pretty easy to understand right off the bat and the story doesn't add much but to repeat the original premise.
This book could be an infographic.
This book could be an infographic.
October 21, 2015
An engaging read on what's needed to lead a business today. Some might find trite that the lessons were packaged as a story, but I thought it was well done.
August 2, 2025
The four part framework of a high performing organization:
1. Bet on Leadership: Growing leaders grow organizations
2. Act as One: Alignment multiplies impact
3. Win the Heart: Engagement energized effort
4. Excel at Execution: Greatness hinges on execution
Highlights:
- If your heart is not right, no one cares about your skills.
- When you don’t have time to think and plan, that’s a good indication you’re playing checkers. As a senior leader, thinking is your primary job.
- Develop your pieces early for maximum strategic advantage. Proactively develop your leadership.
- Leadership growth always precedes organizational growth. Your capacity to grow determines your capacity to lead
- “Did you just fire me?” “No, you fired yourself.”
- To be on the team requires three things: 1. Willingness and ability to grow with the business. 2. A desire to help transform this organization. 3. Wanting to be on this team.
- If a person can’t thrive in your environment and you release him or her to find another place better suited for them, you’ve given them a gift. To allow someone to stay in the wrong job is an epic leadership failure.
- A unified assault is always preferred over a fragmented one.
- Part of your never-ending role is to keep the organization aligned on what matters matters.
- When superior results and competitive advantage are achieved and maintained over an extended period of time, that’s high performance.
- Leaders are the architects of the future.
- When people are given the opportunity to do what they do best, you engage much more than their hands. When you allow people to contribute their unique gifts and ask them to work from a place of personal strength, you do much more than get work done — you honor them and their contribution.
- If you have a managers mentality, you tend to treat people all the same. Leaders understand if you want to bring out the best in each person, you must treat them differently.
- Most employers are trying to extract value from their people. If you foster dreams you’ll be adding value to their lives.
- To improve execution, be sure your business is built on systems, not on personality.
1. Bet on Leadership: Growing leaders grow organizations
2. Act as One: Alignment multiplies impact
3. Win the Heart: Engagement energized effort
4. Excel at Execution: Greatness hinges on execution
Highlights:
- If your heart is not right, no one cares about your skills.
- When you don’t have time to think and plan, that’s a good indication you’re playing checkers. As a senior leader, thinking is your primary job.
- Develop your pieces early for maximum strategic advantage. Proactively develop your leadership.
- Leadership growth always precedes organizational growth. Your capacity to grow determines your capacity to lead
- “Did you just fire me?” “No, you fired yourself.”
- To be on the team requires three things: 1. Willingness and ability to grow with the business. 2. A desire to help transform this organization. 3. Wanting to be on this team.
- If a person can’t thrive in your environment and you release him or her to find another place better suited for them, you’ve given them a gift. To allow someone to stay in the wrong job is an epic leadership failure.
- A unified assault is always preferred over a fragmented one.
- Part of your never-ending role is to keep the organization aligned on what matters matters.
- When superior results and competitive advantage are achieved and maintained over an extended period of time, that’s high performance.
- Leaders are the architects of the future.
- When people are given the opportunity to do what they do best, you engage much more than their hands. When you allow people to contribute their unique gifts and ask them to work from a place of personal strength, you do much more than get work done — you honor them and their contribution.
- If you have a managers mentality, you tend to treat people all the same. Leaders understand if you want to bring out the best in each person, you must treat them differently.
- Most employers are trying to extract value from their people. If you foster dreams you’ll be adding value to their lives.
- To improve execution, be sure your business is built on systems, not on personality.
May 21, 2024
"Chess Not Checkers" stands out among leadership books with its unique blend of practical tips and clever ideas. It's not just about improving your leadership, but also about transforming how you lead and do business.
Bet on Leadership: Help your team grow to make the business successful. When you invest in your team, you drive the success of the whole organization.
Act As One: Getting everyone on the same page amplifies the impact. It's all about ensuring everyone is in sync to get the most out of it.
Win the Hearts: Putting in effort leads to engagement. A connected team is a motivated team.
Excel at Execution: Greatness is all about execution. Amazing strategies need perfect implementation.
The strategies in 'Chess Not Checkers' may be familiar to seasoned leaders, but they are presented with a strategic focus that can revolutionize your leadership style. This book is a valuable tool for developing leadership, aligning your team, fostering engagement, and executing tasks effectively. It's a must-read for anyone serious about their professional growth!
Bet on Leadership: Help your team grow to make the business successful. When you invest in your team, you drive the success of the whole organization.
Act As One: Getting everyone on the same page amplifies the impact. It's all about ensuring everyone is in sync to get the most out of it.
Win the Hearts: Putting in effort leads to engagement. A connected team is a motivated team.
Excel at Execution: Greatness is all about execution. Amazing strategies need perfect implementation.
The strategies in 'Chess Not Checkers' may be familiar to seasoned leaders, but they are presented with a strategic focus that can revolutionize your leadership style. This book is a valuable tool for developing leadership, aligning your team, fostering engagement, and executing tasks effectively. It's a must-read for anyone serious about their professional growth!
October 30, 2019
A quick read that was a book for work. Sets up under an imagined story of a business needing to be turned around and the new ceo who is mentored to do it. Along the way, readers and the CEO learn 4 key strategies to winning chess matches that allow businesses to succeed. Operating from the premise that organisations today are overmanaged and under-led Miller offers these 4 ideas:
1. Bet on Leadership and encourage others to develop their capacity to lead
2. Act as One--get everyone aligned with your goals and vision
3. Win the Heart--get people to lead from their personal strength
4. Excel at Execution--Make the right moves at the right time to "win".
It seems simple enough and is a quick read, but execution is not painless I'm sure.
1. Bet on Leadership and encourage others to develop their capacity to lead
2. Act as One--get everyone aligned with your goals and vision
3. Win the Heart--get people to lead from their personal strength
4. Excel at Execution--Make the right moves at the right time to "win".
It seems simple enough and is a quick read, but execution is not painless I'm sure.
July 16, 2021
I liked that it read more like a story. However, I'm not sure this story would help me, in the long run, to know exactly what to do to start up a business. It's not very easily laid out to follow. The story also read like a child's story and was incredibly cheesy. I still am annoyed at the entire start of the book with the dress code. I have worked in places with dress codes and without. I don't believe someone in a suit and tie does any better than a person just in jeans and a T-shirt. In fact, my most enjoyable jobs have been those where I can simply wear jeans, and a T-shirt, or whatever I want within reason. The jobs I loathed, was treated the worst at and had the worst profesionalism and judgmental attitudes were those with professional dress requirements.
December 20, 2022
Chess Not Checkers is an inspiring business leadership book that offers practical strategies for achieving success in today's fast-paced and constantly changing world. Author Mark Miller draws on his extensive experience as a business leader to provide valuable insights and guidance on how to think and act like a chess player, rather than a checkers player, in order to outmaneuver the competition and achieve long-term success.
Miller's writing is engaging and easy to follow, and he includes a range of real-world examples and case studies to illustrate his points. Whether you're a seasoned business leader or just starting out in your career, Chess Not Checkers is an invaluable resource that will help you take your leadership skills to the next level.
Miller's writing is engaging and easy to follow, and he includes a range of real-world examples and case studies to illustrate his points. Whether you're a seasoned business leader or just starting out in your career, Chess Not Checkers is an invaluable resource that will help you take your leadership skills to the next level.
May 24, 2020
The book uses conversational tone in order to convey the content of chess not checkers experience by a new CEO, a fifth one that's trying to lead a company that is heading toward a ruin.
Playing checkers as leader is reactionary instead of playing chess which is planning, anticipating and deeply responding to the action of opposing company. A fragmented attack is better than disorganized one.
Just ask the team what they're good at and they will share them. The writing of the content is vastly interesting and I loved reading it.
Playing checkers as leader is reactionary instead of playing chess which is planning, anticipating and deeply responding to the action of opposing company. A fragmented attack is better than disorganized one.
Just ask the team what they're good at and they will share them. The writing of the content is vastly interesting and I loved reading it.
February 4, 2018
I thought the basic principles of this book were outstanding, however, the fictional story in which these principles were applied was a little too unrealistic for me. This made it somewhat difficult for me to read. I do feel like the book could have been condensed down to about 50 pages or less as well. Regardless, I think it’s worth the read for anyone who would have the desire to grow as a strategic leader.
February 26, 2019
Similar to Lencioni, Miller uses a fictional story to illustrate. It makes the book a quick read. The concept boils down to four "moves" based on the chess motif foreshadowed in the title. I won't give them here so as to not deter one from buying the book.
Worth the time. A little pricey (though, in full disclosure, the author gave them out at a large meeting, so I can't complain), but the production quality is superb.
Worth the time. A little pricey (though, in full disclosure, the author gave them out at a large meeting, so I can't complain), but the production quality is superb.
March 10, 2019
A very quick read on organizational leadership. The book is presented as a fictional narrative of a new CEO who is learning the ropes of leading a struggling business. His mentor provided four tactics to help him view organizational leadership as chess instead of checkers.
The book is engaging and something you finish in a couple hours. If you are interested in leadership I would recommend the book.
The book is engaging and something you finish in a couple hours. If you are interested in leadership I would recommend the book.
May 24, 2020
This is a brilliant little book. Little, because I read it in about 90 minutes. Brilliant because using a story/case study/fictitious business the author identifies 4 simple principles that lay the foundation for a effective, successful, sustainable organization - be it a church, business or not-for-profit. I will be using some of the points Miller makes in this book in my courses on leadership. EVERY leader needs to take a couple of hours to read this book. You won't regret it.
June 19, 2017
This book was an excellent tome on leadership. It clearly describes what leadership is and how to do it well. I likened chess to leadership and checkers to management. You need to be able to play both well. However, you cannot lead change effectively if you do not play chess well. An excellent book. I will be taking much away from it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2022
The book reads a lot like Ken Blanchard's "parable" books. It wasn't until later that I found that Miller has co-written with Blanchard - so it all makes sense. The content is concise and excellent for anyone leading a team or an organization. It is a very easy read with simple, yet profound, tools to move your team forward into maximum productivity.
August 4, 2025
While the book offered plenty of valuable advice, I found the storytelling to be very bad. The characters seemed to exist solely to cheer on the author’s ideas and endlessly repeat the motto “chess not checkers”—which quickly became tiresome. Honestly, the analogy felt forced and unnecessary; you don’t need to understand chess, checkers, or any game to grasp the point the author was making.
August 17, 2025
Here's the takeaway:
1. Bet on Leadership - growing leaders grows organizations - invest in your leaders
2. Act as One - alignment multiplies impact - ensure your entire organization understands purpose, mission and values
3. Win the Heart - engagement energizes effort - leverage people's strengths
4. Excel at Execution - greatness hinges on execution - help them pursue their dreams
1. Bet on Leadership - growing leaders grows organizations - invest in your leaders
2. Act as One - alignment multiplies impact - ensure your entire organization understands purpose, mission and values
3. Win the Heart - engagement energizes effort - leverage people's strengths
4. Excel at Execution - greatness hinges on execution - help them pursue their dreams
October 24, 2017
Short story about a new CEO. This is an easy read. The main take always are grow leaders, prepare them for the future by investing your time and investing in training. Communication help employees to be engaged. Great book.
December 8, 2017
Much like the Energy Bus, this sort of parable should be read to fifth grade students. The book is an embarrassment to business publications and CEO recommendations that proclaim it worthy of one's time.
November 6, 2019
Foundational Information Wrapped Into a Short Story
This is a really quick read with some great ideas wrapped into a short story. Everything is all a little neat and tidy, but this helps drive home the key points.
This is a really quick read with some great ideas wrapped into a short story. Everything is all a little neat and tidy, but this helps drive home the key points.
May 13, 2020
This is an easy read and a useful business fable for leaders. Essentially it prescribes thinking and acting with strategy in mind, rather than reacting to everything. The lessons also reinforce the need for leaders to invest in their people.
January 28, 2021
Such a simple concept at surface level but Miller does an excellent job of storytelling to take a simple concept and apply it to difficult issues a company or organization may face. Such a good quick read that can elevate your leadership to new levels if applied.
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