The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

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Summary: The 21 Laws of Politics?
Review: This book is very superficial, and has no practical application. It is more about being a good politician than being a good leader.

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Summary: Develop Into The Leader You Want To Become!
Review: Leadership is something that I've always felt one way or another, you possess it or you don't. Reading this book has shown me that a leader is not born; a leader is formed and developed. I now have the confidence that if I do follow these laws of leadership, people will follow me. This was a very enjoyable book to read, it always keep the reader wanted to learn more and the content was easy to follow.

I especially enjoyed how John C. Maxwell shared his own trials and tribulations of learning to become an exceptional leader. Also the references to the outstanding leaders of the past and their accomplishments gave even a deeper understanding of how leaders can succeed and fail. One other key aspect of the book is that in every chapter it has an important quote or statement highlighted in a box to the side of the page. This is a helpful reminder on what the reader should learn from that precise law they are reading about.

The only negative review I have to add is that the book in some manner is directed more toward a middle-aged audience. Being a college student I did not relate to all of his examples of businesses and non-profit corporations need to improve their leaders for a stronger and more productive organization. I do think though that any age group will find this book helpful, even if not all the examples are related to them specifically. I would definitely suggest this book to anyone who is interested in improving themselves and their capability of becoming a leader, no matter if it's in a corporate office or on a social committee in college.

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Summary: Maxwell Excels!
Review: This book is not the first I have read by Maxwell, but I must say it is the best. Leadership is his forte, so when it comes to this topic he has a wealth of ideas to share. Each one of the 21 laws is applicable to church leadership or to corporate leadership.

Maxwell is easy to read, yet profound. His stories from real life illustrating each principle are extremely helpful and inspirational. This book definitely would be at the top of my recommended reading list for leaders, right beside "Courageous Leadership" by Bill Hybels.

If you've wanted to read Maxwell but aren't sure where to start among his many works, you've found the best place to begin!

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Summary: one of the least effective leadership books available
Review: of all of the leadership books available I found this to be the most superficial and un helpful. I also found the text to be extremely simplistic. The author appears to be a man who has found "success" starting companies talking about "success" but producing no product or real service.

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Summary: weLEAD Book Review by the Editor of leadingtoday.org
Review: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership is one of those books that ends too soon and makes you want to read more. The hallmark of this publication is the discussion of 21 common sense principles that apply to everyday leadership situations. John Maxwell has a ministerial background and has also started numerous organizations. This book is a reflection of his over 30-years of personal experiences, observation of great leaders and the qualities that set them apart from others. Some business consultants and academics have shied away from this book because of the religious background of Maxwell and the publisher. It is a sad loss because this is a book for everyone and is not a religious work. It is true that Maxwell regularly mentions his personal experience as a Protestant minister. However, except for one biblical reference, Maxwell skillfully mixes in numerous secular resources and examples like McDonalds, Lady Diana, GE/Jack Welch, Henry Ford and many others. 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership offers straightforward principles that can apply to virtually everyone from a housewife to a Harvard graduate.

All of these principles or laws have been taught and discussed in previous books and by other authors. Yet, Maxwell innovatively labels each law with some creative terms. For example, the "Law of the Lid" is another way of saying that one needs to constantly grow and expand their leadership qualities to go beyond their present personal limitations. This is true because your present leadership ability determines your level of effectiveness. Another quality that makes this book a delight to read is its energetic and uncomplicated style. However, a stylistic weakness appears in later portions of the book when Maxwell redundantly mentions his ministerial background experiences after they had been mentioned previously in the book. One thing is for sure, 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership is a joy to read with a practical message you can appreciate. You will only wish that Maxwell had spent a little more time emphasizing and reinforcing each law!

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Summary: Want to lead?
Review: This is the first leadership book I read. At first, I wasn't sure if it was right for me, but after I began to read it I saw what I thought was right for me wasn't. If you want to become a leader, I suggest you read this. It will let you see the reasons why leaders and people with the potential of leadership fail or succeed in the leadership world. He uses simple and easy to understand examples of people you've heard of (and some you haven't) to prove his Laws.

Once your done with that move on to 21 Qualities and then Developing the Leader Within You and you'll see your leaderhip develop.

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Summary: Leadership 101
Review: This book did not disappoint me. It was everything I thought it would be. Halfway through, I realized that I did not fully understand the ideas that lie under what leadership actually means, even though I was picking up a lot of good practical ideas that were the reasons for my buying the book. I felt I was in "Leadership 102" without having taken "Leadership 101". However, this book comes highly recommended from me, even though I went back to a "Leadership 101" book when I finished this one, to fill in the gaps.
(Recommended: Norman Thomas Remick's "West Point: Character Leadership Education", the "Leadership 101" book)

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Summary: Irrefutable Law 22? Own, read and reread this Book!
Review: Although I have published several Amazon.com book reviews, I have elected to focus on adventure education resource books. Responding to a request, I offer my review of the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.
The book is without a doubt the leadership book I most often recommend. Our agency has used this book and many of John Maxwell's resources for a number of years. The book will be required reading for all of our future facilitators.
If you are looking for a "how to be a leader by noon tomorrow" book, keep browsing. If you wisely elect to purchase this book you will get an excellent publication illustrating the complete range of leadership traits. Even better, you will almost certainly enjoy reading this book. An excellent balance of stories, humor, examples and tangible leadership information.
Some reviews have cited a lack of "practical application." Our team has found countless interpersonal and intrapersonal applications of the laws. We have frequently used the Laws as a foundation to equip leaders and build teams (corporate AND youth) via adventure based initiatives.
When you finish you will likely want more. There are companion materials specific to this book and numerous books by Maxwell and other authors available to provide greater depth into your specific areas (Laws) of interest, for example,"legacy" or "momentum."
If I were bold enough to suggest a 22nd leadership law it would simply read: "Own, read and reread the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership."

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Summary: 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
Review: The pros:
- easy to read
- ample real-life examples
- practical laws
- it works!!!

The cons:
- would like to know examples of people who defies these laws and still able to become a great leader.

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Summary: Read it in 2 days!
Review: This book is a great synopsis of what it takes to be a great leader. I could not put it down, and finished it on a 2 day road trip. It explains the rules (laws) of leadership, and gives great examples of how they have been applied in the past by great leaders. After getting this one, and learning what each rule is about, then get his next book which teaches how to apply them. The book includes a website, where you can sign up for a monthly newsletter on leadership, and find more on how to become a great leader. Leaders can be born, but more often leadership is learned...start your education with this book. Quick, Simple and to the point laws to show you the way.