The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You (Hardcover)

by John C. Maxwell (Author)
Key Phrases: leadership intuition, leadership bias, inner circle members, United States, New Orleans, Mother Teresa (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

If you've never read The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, you've been missing out on one of the best-selling leadership books of all time. If you have read the original version, then you'll love this new expanded and updated one. 

Internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker, and author John C. Maxwell has taken this million-seller and made it even better: 

• Every Law of Leadership has been sharpened and updated
• Seventeen new leadership stories are included
• Two new Laws of Leadership are introduced
• New evaluation tool will reveal your leadership strengths-and weaknesses
• New application exercises in every chapter will help you grow

Why would Dr. Maxwell make changes to his best-selling book?   

"A book is a conversation between the author and reader," says Maxwell. "It's been ten years since I wrote The 21 Laws of Leadership. I've grown a lot since then. I've taught these laws in dozens of countries around the world. This new edition gives me the opportunity to share what I've learned."

 

About the Author
John C. Maxwell is an internationally recognized leadership expert, speaker, and author who has sold over 13 million books. His organizations have trained more than 2 million leaders worldwide. Dr. Maxwell is the founder of EQUIP and INJOY Stewardship Services.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson; 10 Rev Upd edition (September 18, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0785288376
• ISBN-13: 978-0785288374
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,753 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great leadership book made even better, November 23, 2007

By	Walter H. Bock "Wally Bock - Author, Blogger,... (Charlotte NC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

At the beginning of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You by John Maxwell, the author reminds us that any book is fixed at a moment in time. Maxwell's first version of this book captured his best thinking as it was a decade ago.

But while the book has remained unchanged, its author has grown and matured. He has read more, worked with more people, and taught his principles over and over again. And so the book we get from this fifty-one-year-old author is a more mature and developed one than we got from John Maxwell when he was forty-one. That is a very good thing.

In the intervening decade Maxwell found that some laws needed to be combined. He also adds two new laws. The number of laws remains the same.

This book is better than the first version. You can count up the new stories and examples if you want, but the numbers aren't the story. The story is that this man who wrote one of the best books on leadership has added the growth, maturity and insights of a decade and made it even better.

As Maxwell outlines it on page 245, there has been a trajectory to his thinking. In the beginning he understood leadership development as primarily a process of personal development. That's still part of his thinking, but he's added understanding of the importance of a leadership team, and, especially, the importance of developing other leaders.

There are two key questions to ask and answer about any book like this. First: "If I read this book and apply what I learn, will I be a better leader?"

The answer to that is a resounding "yes." The content here is good and it's practical. Leadership is an apprentice trade. You learn most of it on the job, by trying things out, observing how you do, and adjusting how you do things in the future based on results and feedback.

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership gives you a great starting point for learning. At the end of each chapter there's a section on applying this lesson to your life. There's also a law (number 3) called "The Law of Process" that reminds you that "Leadership develops daily, not in a day."

There's no promise of magic here. But you can count on improved results if you use the book to guide your actions.

The second question to ask and answer is: "Is the book written well enough that I can move through it easily and learn its lessons?"

The answer to that one is another "yes." There's excellent use of stories and examples, which will help you learn and understand. Key points are highlighted throughout the book. The writing is smooth and easy to read.

There are some things to quibble with. I think his description of how Robert E. Lee wound up with the generals he did is simply, historically wrong. But you can leave that example out of the book and the chapter where it appears and still get value from both.

There are also things that may trouble individual readers. Maxwell learned his leadership trade as a pastor and it's obvious from several of his personal stories. That makes some people uncomfortable. Others think that you need to learn leadership in business or the military, because a church is a "soft" environment.

Don't believe it. Maxwell learned is trade in one of the most demanding environments for a leader. Pastors and other nonprofit leaders don't have many of the tools of reward that their business colleagues have. The lack the disciplinary tools that the military gives its leaders.

The result is that people who learn their trade in the nonprofit world develop skills of communication and persuasion that can escape leaders in other sectors. The lessons Maxwell learned will work anywhere.

If you're just starting out as a leader, this book can provide you with a self-development roadmap to guide you as you work to master the leadership craft. If you've been practicing leadership for a while, this book will give you a refresher as well as new insights.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Like Taking a Course from an Expert, February 2, 2008

By	Happy Chappy "An Avid Reader." (Elk Grove, California) - See all my reviews

This book review will cover The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, 10th Anniversary Revised and Updated Edition, by John C. Maxwell. Maxwell has written numerous bestselling books on leadership. Maxwell's other works include, but are not limited to; Developing the Leader Within You, The 21 Indisputable Qualities of a Leader, Leadership 101, and The 360 Degree Leader. Maxwell has a gift for relating his points to personal and historical examples that emphasize his suggested rules of leadership. These 21 Irrefutable Laws include: The Law of the... Lid, Influence, Process, Navigation, Addition, etc.

With each Law, the author describes the theory behind the Law. For example, with the Law of Sacrifice, the theory is that a leader must be willing to sacrifice in order to achieve. He expounds upon his point by explaining that a leader gives up rights - in exchange for responsibilities - the higher the leader rises. The example that he gives in this chapter is the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. The author shows how the more sacrifice King made in terms of sacrificing his personal rights and freedoms, the more the Civil Rights movement gained. This is indicative of the way a leader must sacrifice for the good of the organization.

Maxwell suggests that all of the Irrefutable Laws are important for a leader, but admits that it is rare for everyone to do each perfectly. This is where the Law of Inner Circle comes in. The author opines that a leader's potential is determined by those closest to him/her. Thus, if you are weak in certain areas, you can strive to get better. But if you know that you have a weakness in a specific area, you should ensure that your inner circle comprises leaders that have the skills you lack. A real life example that Maxwell gives is Lance Armstrong. Although Armstrong was a wonderful bike rider, he always credited his team for helping him reach the great achievements he enjoyed in the Tour de France. The author quotes another great leader in Mother Teresa - whose life embodied many of the Laws; especially Sacrifice and Legacy - who stated, "You can do what I cannot do. I can do what you cannot do. Together we can do great things." This is one of the examples that Maxwell uses to drive points home.

Every chapter in this book covers a Law, and every Law is like a quick course on Leadership. Leadership can be learned, but the effort must be put forth to recognize your strengths and to work on your weaknesses. There are several self-quizzes and exercises in this book to help you achieve your potential in these 21 Laws. Maxwell writes, "To become an excellent leader, you need to work on it everyday." Leaders must strive for excellence and they must strive to prepare others to take over for them when they move on. This is an excellent book on leadership. Maxwell has a way of speaking directly to the reader.

Reading this book was a rewarding experience that had me wearing out the yellow highlighter as there were valuable insights on page after page.

I highly recommend this 5 star book

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for new managers, February 15, 2008

By	Karen Gittings "K Gittings" (Arlington Tx) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am a Corporate Trainer and Product Developer. This book is an essential new manager read. What a great congratulatory gift for someone receiving a promotion to their first management position. Great for an office book club.