Be a People Person: Effective Leadership Through Effective Relationships [Hardcover]

John C. Maxwell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2007

Being a leader means working with people, and that's not always easy! Whether in your office, church, neighborhood, or elsewhere, your interpersonal relationships can make or break you as a leader. That's why it's so important to be a "people person" and develop your skills in tapping that most precious of all resources: people.

In this powerful new book, America's leadership expert John Maxwell helps you

• discover and develop the qualities of an effective "people person"
• improve your relationships in every area of life
• understand and help difficult people
• overcome differences and personality traits that can cause friction
• inspire others to excellence and success

Loaded with life-enriching, life-changing principles for relating positively and powerfully with your family, friends, colleagues, and clients, Be a People Person is certain to help you bring out the best in others-and that's what effective leadership is all about.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John C. Maxwell is an internationally respected leadership expert, speaker, and author who has sold more than 18 million books. Dr. Maxwell is the founder of EQUIP, a non-profit organization that has trained more than 5 million leaders in 126 countries worldwide. Each year he speaks to the leaders of diverse organizations, such as Fortune 500 companies, foreign governments, the National Football League, the United States Military Academy at West Point, and the United Nations.  A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Business Week best-selling author, Maxwell has written three books that have sold more than a million copies: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Developing the Leader Within You, and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader. His blog can be read at JohnMaxwellOnLeadership.com.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: David C. Cook; New edition (October 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0781448433
• ISBN-13: 978-0781448437
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 0.8 x 8.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #140,432 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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 

(What's this?)

#8 in Books > Business & Investing

#23 in Kindle eBooks > Business & Investing

#46 in Books > Religion & Spirituality

#51 in Books > Self-Help

#8 in Books > Business & Investing

#23 in Kindle eBooks > Business & Investing

#46 in Books > Religion & Spirituality

#51 in Books > Self-Help

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive and Applicable Guide to Understanding People November 4, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Unknown Binding

Written in the current prose of today's language, this book provides a wonderful glimpse at what happens to you when the steps in the book are followed. Maxwell provides a simple step by step walkthrough for life in general. His book can also be used as a guide to living and not just existing! Personally, this book has helped in my maturity as an individual in ways I would never have had I not read this book.

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars John Maxwell knows people!!! February 5, 1999

By A Customer

Format:Unknown Binding

If you are a person of influence or desire to be...this is the book for you! John Maxwell is one of the greatest leaders of our time and he really knows how to convey leadership principles. If you desire to build strong and effective relationships this is a must for you. This book will also aid teachers, administrators, salespeople and anyone else who is faced with various personalities. In short, John has mastered the art of positive persuasion in the negative situation. Read...Grow...Thank GOD for John Maxwell.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Improving Your Quality of Relationships June 24, 2004

By Michael Taylor TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover

Maxwell has written an excellent title on how to get along better with people, whether at home, work, church, neighborhood, community involvement, etc.

Among the points covered include:

1. Helping people to solve their problems.
2. Establish your worth according to God's value system.
3. Effective leaders are leaders who are disciplined in their daily lives.
4. How to become a person who people trust.
5. Characteristics of winning teams.
6. Tips for taking criticism.
7. Putting yourself in other people's shoes.
8. Loving difficult people.

Read and be encouraged to have better interpersonal relationships!

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An easy to read guide to understand all types of people! July 19, 1998

By A Customer

Format:Unknown Binding

Maxwell causes you to have a real "gut-check" of the real you!!! Are you the type of person other people would want to follow? From piercing questions like: What makes me draw people? to can I handle critism from my closest friends? Maxwell reminds the reader that every person is different and what technique that works on one, will not work on someone else. This is must reading for anyone who deals with people at any level. Maxwell uses humor & stories of real life...no silly theories here. Written in a compact book that will not leave your hands until you are done; and then only to pass it on to a friend. Great Job Maxwell! You done good! Everyone can learn the skills of being a good leader, but it takes work. Be a person that people would be PROUD to follow.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars revolutionary book to improve views on life and other people January 20, 2001

By V. Mitchell

Format:Unknown Binding

This is a very short, yet very comprehensive book on how to improve your view on life, people around you, improve their view of you, the art of persuasion, the art of bringing the best out if yourself and others around you. best short self-improvement book i've ever read.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Required reading if you want to get along May 22, 2009

By Greg Ferguson

Format:Hardcover

This is an earlier work of Maxwell's, but every word rings true today. One of the keys to being an effective communicator is understanding the other person's point of view. Knowing others' motivations and knowing how to get them to see benefits are covered here, much as they are in other books on communication. However, this book also covers subjects that you don't see in most books about communication such as:

What draws others to you?
Loving difficult people
Becoming a person people respect
How to handle criticism
Getting others to trust you

This book contains many of the concepts and ideas that Maxwell eventually expanded upon in more detail in later books. This is a Maxwell book that could become a classic.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Pro and con January 18, 2005

By Chris W.

Format:Paperback

Pro: It gives helpful advice on how to deal with difficult people from a Christian perspective.

Con: A lot of the advice is just a re-inerating of what is said in Dale Carnegie's book, "How To Win Friends And Influence People."

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic relationship thoughts from a great teacher August 15, 2011

By Craig T. Owens

Format:Hardcover

John Maxwell's insights into leading people perpetually astound me. He always finds such simple ways to explain what I know I should already be doing. In one of his earliest books, "Be A People Person," I (re)discovered some more great people principles.

"Be A People Person" perfectly describes this book: It's all about being a person who is trusted and accepted by other people. This, in turn, puts this people-person in a place to be an effective leader. So Dr. Maxwell talks about confidence, motivation, encouragement, empathy, trustworthiness, mentorship, and so many other people principles.

Because this was one of his earlier books, I see many of the seed thoughts that have become books in their own right later on. But that still didn't take away from the refreshing insights that I uncovered.

Unless you are a solitary hermit, there is so much to discover in this book to help you grow stronger and more effective relationships with family members, coworkers, and friends.