Customer Reviews

The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow

5 star:		(55)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Of all the books available on leadership, I have found this to be one of the best, and leadership is part of what I teach through my business management courses. This is by no means one of the lengthiest books or most in-depth books, but it says more in 157 pages than others say in 400 pages. The easy-flowing writing style creates an enjoyable reading experience which does not take an extensive amount of thought or time to comprehend. The end result is an accomplished, basic book served in a professional style.

The author uses these twenty-one qualities for the basis of successful leadership: character, charisma, commitment, communication, competence, courage, discernment, focus, generosity, initiative, listening, passion, attitude, problem-solving, relationship, responsibility, security, self-discipline, servanthood, teachability and vision. What a sensational, winning combination! Each of these twenty-one components is discussed separately. While all of these elements are critical for strong leadership, if I had to narrow the scope down to five areas of particular benefit, it would be the ones on character, competence, listening, generosity and self-discipline. I particularly liked Maxwell's straight-forward approach and positive attitude exhibited throughout the book. One other book that rated at the top of my list, and one I would also highly recommend, is a favourite, all-time classic, "How to Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie.

John seems to have one outline that he simply fills in different illustrations. He can only ride this horse so long. It is time for him to update his material. This book does not accomplish that. Sorry, I like him on the platform, but his writings are getting stale.

While the author seems well-intentioned, the book is very superficial. It seems to be recycled bromides and platitudes, connected by anecdotes and quotes, and punctuated by occasional exaggeration (like "everything rises and falls on leadership" - everything?). There are hundreds of leadership books with more meat.

Written to complement The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, this book will help you identify and develop the personal qualities you need to become a more effective leader.
Maxwell does an excellent job of getting to the heart of each quality in a few short pages. He starts with two relevant quotations to start you thinking. He then gives you a short real-life example of that particular quality in action.

He breaks each principle down into specific applications, gives you a brief period where you can assess your own effectiveness, offers you concrete ways to improve yourself, and wraps each chapter up with a profound thought that will stay with you long after you have closed the cover.

What you get out of this book depends on how you read it. This is a very simple read, and you may be tempted to race through it and miss some key points. Maxwell rightly suggests that you walk through each quality methodically, giving it the attention that it warrants based on your current level of competence.

While the material warrants five stars, some spelling mistakes and the author's use of his own quotes dropped it down a notch for me. Otherwise, an excellent handbook for improving your personal leadership qualities.

Larry Hehn, Author of Get the Prize: Nine Keys for a Life of Victory

The temptation will be to read this cover to cover in onesitting... But this is a book you need to read "one chapter perday" for 21 days... Great illustrations of what real leadersreally do. Also includes excellent suggestions for ways to internalize these 21 attributes. I had to buy a copy for each of my Team... This is John Maxwell's best thinking on the tangible qualities of effective leadership.

This is one of the best books on leadership I have read. It gives specific examples and motivational thoughts as to what it takes to live the life of a leader.

The book is an easy read and can be used as part of a 21 day/week/month program to apply the morsals and maxims of leadership Maxwell provides.

Now that my copy is all marked up, I can't wait to share it with my employees!

Leadership is a process that takes time. It does not occur overnight. Leaders are continually growing themselves. In the preface, Maxwell encourages us to use this book as a resource for character reinforcement. He reminds us, "How a leader deals with the circumstances of life tells you many things about his character."

There are so many insights in this book, it is challenging to pick a few to illustrate its value, but consider this one on using both hemispheres of the brain. He writes, "Discernment can be described as the ability to find the root of the matter, and it relies on intuition as well as rational thought."

He encourages us to read biographies and cultivate the gift of intuition through use. He quotes Peter Drucker who told us to build on the strengths we have rather than concentrate on the weaknesses. On energy and intensity, he writes, "...your passion will have more influence than your personality."

This is an excellent book by an outstanding Christian motivational leader. It builds on his other valuable contributions. John Maxwell is indeed, making his part of the world, a little bit better by his life.

Written to complement The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, this book will help you identify and develop the personal qualities you need to become a more effective leader.

Maxwell does an excellent job of getting to the heart of each quality in a few short pages. He starts with two relevant quotations to start you thinking. He then gives you a short real-life example of that particular quality in action.

He breaks each principle down into specific applications, gives you a brief period where you can assess your own effectiveness, offers you concrete ways to improve yourself, and wraps each chapter up with a profound thought that will stay with you long after you have closed the cover.

What you get out of this book depends on how you read it. This is a very simple read, and you may be tempted to race through it and miss some key points. Maxwell rightly suggests that you walk through each quality methodically, giving it the attention that it warrants based on your current level of competence.

While the material warrants five stars, some spelling mistakes and the author's use of his own quotes dropped it down a notch for me. Otherwise, an excellent handbook for improving your personal leadership qualities.

Larry Hehn, Author of Get the Prize: Nine Keys for a Life of Victory

This book works well in tandum with his 21 irrefutable laws of leadership. Great for anyone wanting to improve their skills as a leader, or work to discover what skills a truly fantastic leader has. A must read for anyone in a leadership position.

The book is fantastic. The content is simple and understandable. The concept of internalizing the information is great. Experiential learning is a most effective way to live the concept and observe the application on a daily basis. Awareness and knowledge, what a great combination. I would like to use the information and concepts in workshops that my consulting company will provide in 2000.