What Successful People Know About Leadership by John C. Maxwell

I am a big fan of leadership. I believe everybody can learn and grow from having good leadership resources in their library. One such resource is: What Successful People Know About Leadership by John Maxwell. I am an avid fan of John Maxwell's books, videos, and live teachings.

This little book is a condensed version of Good Leaders Ask Great Questions. One of the reasons why I appreciate this book versus the larger book is that because it is distilled, it is easier to soak in the information. Of particular the chapter that spoke to me the most is chapter number 5: How to Succeed Working Under Poor Leadership. I'm not saying that I'm under poor leadership. However, I do know that there are times that every leader has flaws and the information in this chapter gives great advice on how address the flaws of any leader with character and integrity.

I also appreciate chapter number seven: How to Develop leaders. This is a great chapter for anybody who is looking to develop their leadership abilities and skills.

I highly recommend that you get this little book for the graduate in your life who was looking to go into college or maybe even graduate school. It will be a great investment and it'll be something that I believe will be used more than once by anybody who has it. 

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. 

Born for This by Chris Guillebeau

What were you meant to do?

Growing up, people have dreams of becoming something. Firefighters, teachers, dancers, athletes, business owners, etc. are just a few of the careers people have expressed over their lives of what they want to be when they grow up.

Yet, what if they are not meant to do those things?

In his book, Born for This, Chris Guillebeau instructs the reader that he/she may not know what they are meant to do and that is okay. In fact, it can be a great time if it is leverage right. By learning different skills, these "non-dream" jobs can develop a person so that when the "dream job" arrives he/she is prepared for it.

I really enjoyed this book and found its content to be inspiring and insightful. I am curious now to read Guillebeau's book $100 Startup and may have to get a copy soon.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Crown Business in exchange for my honest review.

It’s Not Who You Know, It’s Who You Are by Pat Williams

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Publishing in exchange for my honest review.

This book is filled with short stories of men and women who exemplify what it means to win in life. In the areas of success, leadership, motivation, personal growth, and more Pat Williams tells the stories of those who lived their lives in such a way so as to lead, by example, those who followed them.

This is a great book for anyone wanting to read a quick story to inspire, push, confirm, and even challenge the reader to be more than what they presently are. It would also be a great book for anyone wanting to give a gift to a graduate.

Redefining Leadership by Joseph Stowell

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Zondervan in exchange for my honest review.

Many books have been written about leadership and management. They discuss techniques, goal setting, strategies, and the like. This book...does not do that.

Instead, it deals with the heart of leadership: the leader's character. Above all else, Mr. Stowell's book address this key issue: a leader cannot lead until he/she has first led himself/herself.

Stowell uses the vanguard of leadership examples, Jesus Christ, to show that He was respected and loved because He led with character.Christ did use his position for personal gain, to belittle others so as to prop Himself up. Rather, He did what was right, leading with character, and exemplified values that were grounded in truth.

Stowell discusses how Jesus did this by dividing his book into three sections: A Redefined Priority, A Redefined Identity, and A Redefined Leader.

In A Redefined Priority, Stowell addresses areas in a leader's life that set the stage for prioritizing what is important in leading others. He examines items like: choices being made, defining success, and the importance of character in decision making. He also focuses on myths to which leaders may fall prey.

These myths are usually encompassed by an outcome-based mentality. If things are going well, profits are up, costs are down, then I am a good leader. Another myth is that the growing size of a company is the sign of excellent leadership. This may not be the case as Stowell points out that a company may grow by cheating, lying, or other unethical practices. Instead, A Redefined Priority puts the attention where it should be: character development. This segues into A Redefined Identity.

The section of A Redefined Identity deals with how should be identified. Characteristics like: follower of Jesus, moral, learner, and shepherd. Stowell makes his case that leader who lead by following Christ are the best leaders because they have a goal of imitating the one they follow; Jesus. This produces a heart of love. Love for Jesus and by extension, love for the followers. When love is present then the topic of the third section, A Redefined Leader, comes forth.

A Redefined Leader expounds on section one in that it deals with the character traits that a leader should have and continue to develop. Traits such as reliance, meek, and merciful are examined to show how a leader displays these traits. They may be displayed both internal to the company and external to the company. The way in which a leader addresses the competition will show if the leader has adopted his/her redefined way of life.

The book then culminates with the redefined expectation and that being: the magnification of Jesus with her/his life. To this I say "amen!" No leader will truly fail with this as the leadership motto.

How High Will You Climb? by John C. Maxwell

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas Nelson in exchange for an honest review. 

Your attitude determines much in life. How you see circumstances is greatly impacted by your attitude. Attitude is also what determines altitude; how high you climb in life. 

John Maxwell in his book How High Will Your Climb? gives excellent advice and encouragement on what your attitude does and how to cultivate a positive one. Armed with this information, Maxwell's goal is for the reader to achieve growth. He does this by first discussing the importance of attitude, how your attitude is constructed, stripping down a bad attitude, and finally cultivating a positive, growth-oriented attitude. 

He then summarizes his book by giving channels by which the reader can use daily to stay on target. One of the channels is by being around positive people or those who are working on being a positive person. The study guide in the back is a great way for attitude-improvement people to join together to strengthen, and encourage, attitude development. 

I would recommend this book for those graduating as much is taught about grades and hard work but very little is mentioned about the attitude required for success.

Drucker & Me by Bob Buford

*I received this book as a complimentary copy from Worthy Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

When it comes to management there is one name that is well known and respected: Peter Drucker. His influence, being started more than half a century ago, is still being felt by many people.

Imagine if you had the opportunity to sit down with this management giant and learn from him. Bob Buford did just that and this book is about his learning, being challenged by, and befriending Peter Drucker.

Throughout the book, Buford gives account of how he learned from Drucker’s unique ability to see into the future and project where society was headed. Whether it was corporate growth, economics, education, and how Buford should run his business, Drucker had the innate passion to get the most from others. He was a leader when many were trying to be task masters.

What I found quite interesting is Peter Drucker’s influence on churches or more specifically mega-churches. I have often felt that church need the leadership qualities of managers in the corporate world who attend their respective churches. Reading of how Drucker felt the same was both fascinating and eye-opening.

Knowing that the church needed great leadership, Drucker was used by Buford as a resource to pastors who wanted to know how to grow but do so effectively and efficiently. Seeing how Drucker wanted them to succeed challenged me to not limit myself to a certain area but use my talents wherever God so directs me.

I would love to see this book in the hands of every teacher, mentor, leader, coach, and pastor in the world. Such wisdom would be a great asset to those who desire to lead others.

Leadership RE:Vision by Jim Seybert

I've been reading this book for over six months now and its simple, but powerful, sections are timely for leaders.What is especially nice is that it is Biblically based but not sermon-like in its content. A leader can spend a few minutes reading a section but spend a great deal of time mediating on areas that are applicable. Leaders would do well to get a copy of this book.

Read the first chapter here. 

FYI - I received this book free from Tyndale Rewards. You should check it out and earn a book or two yourself.