Developing the Leader Within You Paperback – October 1, 2005

John Maxwell one of my favorite authors has done it again with an incredible life-changing, book. Great advice so many nuggets of truth is hard to pick out just one. I’ve read the book a few times and referred to it many. Don’t be afraid to purchase I’ve given away, a dozen or so copies of this book

Purchased this book as part of a leadership course that my daughter and son-in-law were taking. Excellent information from John C. Maxwell.

To be perfectly honest, reading this book was a very uncertain (perhaps wild) choice for me. When assigned to read a book for a class based on fundamentals of leadership and/or small group communication, I chose this book on the Amazon.com website because it was the one that might be the most relatable and interesting to me as a college student. Theoretically, I could have opened it to discover a piece of literature wrapped in boredom and unsubstantiated generalizations regarding leadership.Thankfully, the book is a delight to read. It is a surprisingly captivating piece of non-fiction literature. Many books of this type that I have read in the past have offered broad generalizations, along with no stories, facts, or examples to back them up. However, this book is a completely different story. The author, John C. Maxwell, uses loads of wonderful quotes, stories, and lists to generate evidence for his very specific beliefs and claims concerning the hierarchy of leadership.The book also does an excellent job chronicling the various characteristics of leadership. The reader will easily be able to interpret the message that Maxwell tries repeatedly to project within the book: Leadership is a key attribute of any group. Without it, change, which is fundamental to the continued success and/or existence of any small group or society, will be hampered. Therefore, every individual should strive to meet the demands and needs of a group by gaining the many traits of leadership discussed within this book.Overall, the book is easy to follow and has a review section at the end of each chapter, which proved to be a valuable tool when used for further comprehension of the subject matter. According to the book, there is even an on-line leadership skills assessment survey. Unfortunately, an error message continually popped up on my computer's screen when trying to access the link, and when I tried to load the home page, it repeatedly made my computer freeze. After three or four failed attempts, I gave up on this endeavor. Perhaps other readers will be more successful in this endeavor.In conclusion, Developing the Leader Within You is a great introduction to the concept of leadership. The book is very well laid out, and Maxwell does a superb job of relaying the basics of leadership so that a wide variety of readers can understand and benefit from what he is saying. It provided me with much insight into just how important leadership is in terms of succeeding in our society today. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand more about the principles of leadership on an organizational and personal level.

Below are key excerpts from the book that I found particularly insightful:1- "Leadership is developed, not discovered. The truly "born leader" will always emerge; but, to stay on top, natural leadership characteristics must be developed. In working with thousands of people desirous of becoming leaders, I have discovered they all fit in one of four categories or levels of leadership: The Leading Leader...The Learned Leader...The Latent Leader..The Limited Leader."2- "Management is the process of assuring that the program and objectives of the organization are implemented. Leadership, on the other hand, has to do with casting vision and motivating people."3- "Listed below are some characteristics that must be exhibited with excellence before advancement to the next level is possible: Level I: Position/Rights...Level 2: Permission/Relationship...Level 3; Production/Results..Level 4: People Development/Reproduction....Level 5: Personhood/Respect."4- "Success can be defined as the progressive realization of a predetermined goal. This definition tells us that the discipline to prioritize and the ability to work toward a stated goal are essential to a leader's success. In fact, I believe they are the key to leadership."5- "Integrity is not what we do so much as who we are. And who we are in turn, determines what we do. Our system of values is so much a part of us we cannot separate it from ourselves. It becomes the navigating system that guides us. It establishes priorities in our lives and judges what we will accept or reject."6- "1. Integrity builds trust.2. Integrity has high influence value. 3. Integrity facilitates high standards. A. Integrity results in a solid reputation, Not just an image. 5. Integrity means living it MYSELF BEFORE LEADING OTHERS.6. Integrity helps a leader be credible, NOT JUST CLEVER. 7. Integrity is a hard-won achievement."7- "The more you change, the more you become an instrument of change in the lives of others. If you want to become a change agent, you also must change."8- "WHY PEOPLE RESIST CHANGE? The change isn't self-initiated...Routine is disrupted...Change creates fear of the unknown...The purpose of the change is unclear...Change creates fear of failure...The rewards for change don't match THE EFFORT CHANGE REQUIRES...People are too satisfied with the way things are...Change won't happen when people ENGAGE IN NEGATIVE THINKING...The followers lack respect for the leader...The leader is susceptible to feelings OF PERSONAL criticism...Change may mean personal loss...Change requires additional commitment...Narrow-mindedness thwarts acceptance of new ideas...Tradition resists change."9- "People change when they hurt enough they have. to change; learn enough they want to change; receive enough they are able to change. The leader must recognize when people are in one of these three stages. In fact, top leaders create an atmosphere that causes one of these three things to occur."10- "Great leaders understand that the right attitude will set the right atmosphere. which enables the right responses from others."11- "My success in developing others will depend on how well I accomplish each of the following: Value of people: This is an issue of my attitude. Commitment to people: This is an issue of my time. Integrity with people: This is an issue of my character. Standard for people: This is an issue of my vision. Influence over people: This is an issue of my leadership."12- "Successful people developers give THE RIGHT ASSISTANCE TO PEOPLE...I need to work out their strengths and work on their weaknesses...I must give them myself...I must give them ownership...I must give them every chance for success."13- "My observation over the last twenty years has been that all effective leaders have a vision of what they must accomplish. That vision becomes the energy behind every effort and the force that pushes through all the problems. With vision, the leader is on a mission and a contagious spirit is felt among the crowd until others begin to rise alongside the leader. Unity is essential for the dream to be realized. Long hours of labor are given gladly to accomplish the goal. Individual rights are set aside because the whole is much more important than the part. Time flies. morale soars upward, heroic stories are told, and commitment is the watchword. Why? Because the leader has a vision!"14- "The process for developing personal discipline...Start WITH YOURSELF...Start early...Start small...Start now...Organize your life...Welcome responsibility...Accept accountability...Develop Integrity...Pay now, play later...Become character driven instead of emotion driven."