30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great book but website FAILED TO DELIVER, January 23, 2002
17 Qualities of a Team Player is an easy read chocked full of great quotes and stories on each of the qualities mentioned in the book. The book has a quote, a story and then a brief evaluation of what he is trying to convey to the reader. I believe Maxwell's interpretations are right on the money and a very refreshing way of looking at teamwork, a skill that is essential in today's economy and future economy, which promises to be more based on social skills and business networks.
Mr. Maxwell uses 17 qualities to describe a successful team player: Adaptable, Collaborative, committed, communicative, competent, dependable, disciplined, enlarging, enthusiastic, intentional, mission conscious, prepared, relational, self-improving, selfless, solution oriented, tenacious.
I believe the key ingredient in getting long-term value out of this book is to highlight the quotes/stories you love and integrate them into your daily life. Practice what you read if it ties in with your VALUES. I believe that the values / qualities expressed in this book provide a practical guide to achieving personal fulfillment in your career, marriage and social relations.
I gave the book a 4 star rating because the website, which has assessment tests, is not up and running until February yet I was able to buy and read the book well before such date. If a publisher/author is going to incorporate such tools/add-ons into a book they should make sure they are operational and running 100% effectively by the time the book is published. To me, that is business 101. Perhaps Maxwell should learn something about that! After all, commitment and vision were two of the qualities he espoused in his 21 qualities of a leader book. Practice what you preach John!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Mostly fluff, December 9, 2007
This review is from: The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player: Becoming the Kind of Person Every Team Wants (Hardcover)
I've read most of Maxwell's stuff and I'm not a huge fan. This book is another in his series of "17" books, and I find that once again he could have combined most of them and made it the five or six essential qualities of a team player.
The book is laid out systematically: name of the quality, feel-good story, 3-5 points of explanation, 3-5 points of application, next quality. It's chocked full of stories and quotations, so if you're looking for anecdotes, this is the book for you. It's a very easy read.
It's not a bad book and there are a few points that I found useful, but for the most part it's just a run-of-mill Maxwell book. He's more of a storyteller. If you're looking for a good book on improving teamwork, I would recommend Patrick Lencioni's "Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Field Guide for Leaders, Managers, and Facilitators".
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Teamwork Resource for Organizations, October 24, 2003
Maxwell's book has many simple lessons for leadership, however I was disappointed to learn that the website cited in this book did not work. After a search on the internet I did locate the site under a different URL title -- http://www.lawsofteamwork.com/
John Maxwell has many valuable insights into organizational leadership and principles of teamwork that many of my graduate students enjoy. This book relates several good stories about the importance of teamwork, including one about former MLB player Reggie Jackson and Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver. The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player is a great resource and a fast read for those interested in learning more about leadership and teamwork.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
