How Successful People Think: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life [Hardcover]

John C. Maxwell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2009

Gather successful people from all walks of life-what would they have in common? The way they think! Now you can think as they do and revolutionize your work and life!

A Wall Street Journal bestseller, HOW SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE THINK is the perfect, compact read for today's fast-paced world. America's leadership expert John C. Maxwell will teach you how to be more creative and when to question popular thinking. You'll learn how to capture the big picture while focusing your thinking. You'll find out how to tap into your creative potential, develop shared ideas, and derive lessons from the past to better understand the future. With these eleven keys to more effective thinking, you'll clearly see the path to personal success.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"If you want to go places you've never been before-you have to think in ways you've never thought before. This book will teach you how!" (Ken Blanchard, coauthor of 'The One Minute Manager' and 'Whale Done!' on Thinking For A Change )

"Maintaining an encouraging tone and a down-to-earth writing style honed from his more than thirty previous titles, Maxwell details the impact and practical value of eleven kinds of thinking..." (Publishers Weekly on Thinking for a Change )

"Masterful...Will change the way you think. I encourage you to buy it now." (James M. Kouzes, coauthor of 'The Leadership Challenge' on Thinking for a Change ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

John C. Maxwell, known as America's expert on leadership, speaks in person to hundreds of thousands of people each year. He is the founder of several leadership organizations, including Maximum Impact. A New York Times bestselling author, Dr. Maxwell has written over thirty books.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Center Street; 1 edition (June 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1599951681
• ISBN-13: 978-1599951683
• Product Dimensions: 4.4 x 0.6 x 6.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (82 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,719 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #89 in Books > Business & Investing > Job Hunting & Careers > Guides

More About the Author

John C. Maxwell is an internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker, coach, and author who has sold over 19 million books. Dr. Maxwell is the founder of EQUIP and the John Maxwell Company, organizations that have trained more than 5 million leaders worldwide. Every year he speaks to Fortune 500 companies, international government leaders, and organizations as diverse as the United States Military Academy at West Point, the National Football League, and the United Nations. A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Business Week best-selling author, Maxwell has written three books which have each sold more than one million copies: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Developing the Leader Within You, and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader. You can find him at JohnMaxwell.com and follow him at Twitter.com/JohnCMaxwell.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

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#10 in Books > Business & Investing

#25 in Kindle eBooks > Business & Investing

#49 in Books > Religion & Spirituality

#52 in Books > Self-Help

#10 in Books > Business & Investing

#25 in Kindle eBooks > Business & Investing

#49 in Books > Religion & Spirituality

#52 in Books > Self-Help

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 44 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars You must out think your competition April 4, 2011

By Skip Freeman

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

In today's competitive global marketplace, to win we must outwit, out maneuver and out think the competition. The world changes daily and new thinking is critical to success in both one's personal and professional life. Dr. Maxwell reminds us of a statement made by Albert Einstein, "Thinking is hard work; that's why so few do it."

What Dr. Maxwell does is show us how to make successful critical thinking a daily habit. That, of course, isn't going to happen just by reading this book. It is going to happen because one uses this book daily as a "hand book." It is the right size to easily keep with you in your computer case, keep on your desk and to grab and thumb through revisiting ideas and points on a consistent basis.

I bought a copy for every member of my team. We have been going over a chapter a week in our sales meetings. I recommend it for all sales professionals, managers, entrepreneurs...anyone who wants to up their game!

74 of 78 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Little Book By Maxwell June 26, 2009

By Michael Taylor TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

"How Successful People Think" by John Maxwell is a great little book and a timely read, particularly in a day where media and others encourage us to follow our feelings almost to the exclusion of thinking.

The book covers thinking in several areas:

1. Focused thinking.
2. Creative thinking.
3. Realistic thinking.
4. Strategic thinking.
5. Possibility thinking.
6. Reflective thinking.
7. Question Popular Thinking.
8. Shared thinking.
9. Unselfish thinking (get outside yourself!).
10. Bottom-Line thinking.

Each chapter is around 10 pages and usually contains the following that applies to the area of thinking being discussed:

1. Sayings by famous people.
2. Benefits of the particular type of thinking.
3. Principles to apply to improve your thinking in that area.

This is not one of those "touchy-feely" books designed to make you feel good about yourself. If that is what you are looking for, then do not bother to read.

Instead, if you want to improve your thinking in any of several areas, then this book is for you. The narrative flows freely and contains great information to inspire and challenge you.

Read, enjoy, and be challenged. Highly recommended!

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple and amazing June 23, 2011

By Kumaran

Format:Paperback

I have read a good number of books by John C Maxwell. I feel this is the best book to start with if you are planning to follow Maxwell's book. The case study in each chapter is mind blowing. The exercises are very simple and intuitive. I enjoyed reading each and every page of this book. This book is very simple and comprehensive for even people who are not in leadership position. Great job by Maxwell.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars As Usual....Maxwell Delivers October 17, 2010

By D. Rolle

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is a short book that will really turn your head.

John C. Maxwell has delivered countless books on personal development, leadership and growth. Millions of people have found his books and works to be stimulating and I have personally read several of his most recent work.

This book is a recommended read. I highlighted so much of this book! In fact I found myself referring back to several chapters for a more in-depth look at more strategic thinking.

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Where's the beef? November 17, 2011

By DSC46

Format:Hardcover

Nothing new here.

Also no credible evidence that "successful" people (never defined) owe their success to the approaches that Maxwell likes. He only gives us anecdotes, and we can all think of counter-examples. Sure, successful people may think in ways that he lists. So do unsuccessful people.

This book might be food for thought for some people. It's definitely a money-maker that didn't involve much thought.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A significant `must read' for the aspiring business manager or entrepreneur February 6, 2011

By Anthony R. Dickinson

Format:Audio CD

A significant addition to the `must read' library of any aspiring business manager or entrepreneur, whether ceding small or larger scales, Maxell's How Successful People Think outlines exactly what the title suggests. Not only does he do this, however, he also advices his readers how they might also learn to think about their business (albeit clinical, corporate, commercial, personal, even spiritual), in such a way as to enhance the likelihood of success. This text would certainly make a great gift for anyone thought by others to not yet have achieved their much sought after `success' ! Although the current reviewer has not seen the print version, the content of this audiobook presentation covers territory that will be familiar to the reader of `how to xxx' and other `tips for business development without tears'-type books, organised by Maxwell as readily digestible `lists' of whys and hows with respect to 11 categories of thinking expertise.

Presented as 42 parts over 3 audio CDs, each part lasts 4-5 minutes, and covers an introductory section (Why Change Thinking, and How to Become a Better Thinker) followed by the 11 thinking style chapters. Each `thinking' chapter then uses the same format (why do this kind of thinking, thereafter, how to do that of thinking), reminiscent of Tom Peter's `Essentials Series', with its lists of key points to think about, and remember. Such a format lends the listener (if not the reader ?) to require considerable concentration and note taking, but with easy replay/review as each part is relatively short.... Maxwell's key thinking categories for success include Big Picture Thinking, Focused Thinking, Creative Thinking, Realistic Thinking, Strategic Thinking, Possibility Thinking, Reflective Thinking, Popular Thinking, Shared Thinking, Unselfish Thinking, and Bottom-line Thinking. The why section of each chapter lists 4-8 reasons for developing better thinking skills of the sort being explored, followed by 4-6 ways to actually become better able to think in that way. Such an organisation of his material affords the listener easy access to Maxwell's information/advice once realised, but the current reviewer would have preferred to hear more examples of `success' following their implementation (and admittedly at the expense of generating a much longer text). The reading thus appears to sound a little `preachy' at times (and noticing the unusually large number of biblical references, we later discover that the Maxwell is indeed a Christian pastor), though well intentioned, respectful and presented with significant humility.

Many How to xxx texts organized in this way in the past have tended to offer much repetition (even contradiction) across their different chapters, but somewhat refreshingly, this is not the case here. And although the 11 types of thinking explored by Maxwell will seem arbitrary to some listeners/readers (most of us could propose several other `types' of thinking one might also include), repetition of specific advice list items were minimal - notable repeats involved the need to check/recheck one's assumptions, `removing oneself from distractions' and `asking the right questions'. Possible contradictions were also largely absent, though some listeners may rightly be concerned with reconciling the advice concerned with not spending time with people of the same mind set as yourself (Avoiding Popular Thinking chapter), yet at the same time trying to follow the suggestion to think with others `thinking in the same direction' (Benefitting from Shared Thinking chapter). Without any references to the many quotes or other resources reviewed, Maxwell's text cannot be easily checked or followed up (as with most audiobook presentations), so it is difficult to be sure of the factual validity of examples that are given (e.g., the nuclear bomb was not built and tested in 1945 as the author suggests, but at a much later date).

Also available in print and already a NY Times listed best seller, the current reviewer enjoyed the audio version presentation very much (as read by Chris Sorensen), the whole text manageable within a single afternoon session walking in the hills. In using the 11 thinking style typology as proposed, Maxwell does not, however, offer his typology of thinking-style assessment to be used with candidate application screening (recommending the use of standardized professional personality tests such as DISC or the ARL-MBTI+ to do that), instead proposing that any person may (indeed, should), change their thinking in a number of distinct ways (by following his advice), in order to more efficiently achieve their goals and dreams. In preparing for this review, I found that I eventually needed to write continuous notes whilst listening a second time, and only then discovered the organisation of the text, once noting that I had essentially produced written four pages of itemised lists - each referencing a different kind of thinking skill, why I should wish to develop them, and then how to set about doing such, in order to achieve greater success.

Dr. Tony Dickinson.
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