The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

Rating:
Summary: Get The Whole Picture
Review: John Maxwell is really an excellent author and practicioner. His book is everything I have been told it is by other Amazon. com reviewers. And, I particularly appreciate the review... who recommended reading "West Point" by Norman Thomas Remick to get the philosophical basis for "The 21 Irrefutable Laws". I took the trouble of getting that book, also on Amazon.com. It was really an education. If you are truly interested in understanding leadership and becoming a good leader, I recommend Mr. Maxwell's books (I've read his others, too), and what I tell everyone is the best kept secret, "West Point"

Rating:
Summary: Nothing to apply. . .
Review: A majority of these "laws of leadership" are beyond our control or ability to influence. There is no practical application to making them work for you. I also found that some of his laws seem to contradict. For example, one law talks about developing leaders around you, but in another law he explains that he took over a position and replaced an entire staff of 40 people (with the exception of two) because they were holding back the organization. So do I try to develop those around me or fire them and bring in new ones? I didn't find very much of the information helpful.

Rating:
Summary: OK for the intro course, but..............
Review: Let's start with a definition. "Leadership" is using a group of people to attain a goal. The bigger the group of people and the more complex the goal, the more leadership is required. By this definition, the book is OK on tactics and not bad on strategy -- but silent on choosing a goal (or "vision" in Maxwell's terms). [Actually, his goals can be inferred from his examples: increased membership; increased staff; increased budget; and more games won -- all from the shallow end of the pool.]

And choosing a worthy goal is both important and increasingly overlooked. Covey's immensely popular "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" contains the following observation, "much of the success literature of the past fifty years was superficial .... [while] almost all the literature in the first 150 years or so focussed on .... the character ethic". This is more a book on tactics than on ethics, which puts it in the first category. Nothing at all wrong with studying tactics -- but even the finest sense of tactics isn't going to do you much good without a well-chosen goal.

Taken for what it is, the book is a fast read -- and a good basic outline, albeit painted with a very broad brush, for someone beginning a career, but it doesn't stand up to the more critical scrutiny of a more experienced person. Of his twenty-one laws, some are either tautologies or ways to recognize a leader, rather than ways to be one. The first (leadership is influence) is a good example of a tautology; the fifth (when a real leader speaks, people listen) is a great way to recognize a leader. The key is law number seven: people .... follow leaders stronger than themselves. Most of the other laws are tactics to increase your influence, both during your tenure and after your departure.

The examples, particularly those chosen from the lives other than the author's, leave me wanting more detail.

Mr. Maxwell is reaching a bit when he calls his laws "irrefutable". "Guidelines" may not have the same oomph - but it's a more accurate word. The most notable leaders have been strong people -- and often people with strong quirks that refute the "irrefutable" laws. FDR was a fine manipulator as was Churchill; General Schwarzkopf's temper is legendary -- but his remarkable performance during Desert Storm doesn't show a lot of empowerment, getting people to buy in, or touching people's hearts in any meaningful way. Nevertheless, each of the three would be considered a top-flight leader -- and a leader with a meaningful goal -- by almost anyone.

Rating:
Summary: Which way is up versus how to get there
Review: I found this audio tape to be life changing, and I'm about to buy 7 more copies of it to distribute to people that I believe can benefit from it.

There appears to be a divide in the reviews of this material (referring to both book and audio tape).

Many of the reviews with higher ratings note that the material is really about principles and characteristics of leadership, which can be considered "laws" in the sense that the degree of leadership in a person depends on the degree to which these principles and characteristics are followed or manifest.

Many of the reviews with lower ratings in essence comment that the audio book does not describe how to develop these principles and characteristics.

To me, Maxwell's contribution is that he has created signposts that point to leadership, and at the same time, he reinvigorates the idea that leadership is important. In other words, Maxwell has said "This way is up, forward, progress, development, effectiveness, virtue, goodness."

It's easy to be suspicious and cynical about leadership...most of us have had some exposure to poor leadership, from parents, teachers, employers, or politicians, and history is full of corrupt rulers and murderous tyrants. But really, where would humanity be without leadership? It's kind of like capitalism and democracy...hardly perfect, but a heck of a lot better than anything else in the real world. And obviously, we need more and better of it.

So it's a gift to get a clear message about "Which way is up?" As to the question of "How to get there", it's the universal answer...take a look at yourself, and ask yourself, "Does my behavior manifest these principles and characteristics?" If you're able to ask that question, and honestly answer it, then it's not that hard to figure out what to do about it. The tough part, as usual, is the self-examination to begin with.

In addition, Maxwell offers a learning guide (in the "also bought" list) that looks like it guides the self-examination (my impression just from the excerpts.)

Good luck, and good leading!

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing product of John Maxwell
Review: The table of contents gave me some hope that this would be a useful and practical book on developing leadership attributes. I was hoping for sophisticated discussion from an accomplished leader-teacher. Instead I found one anecdote after another, with very little useful analysis and very few practical points to apply to my organization. I'm sure Mr. Maxwell knows more than this book reflects; I just can't find it here.

Rating:
Summary: Simple but powerful
Review: While not the thickest or meatiest book on the leadership subject, Maxwell's "21 Irrefutable Laws" succeeds on many levels. It is very accessible to new leaders, and it's straight-forward organization makes each of the 21 laws easy to memorize and master. Recommended highly for church organizations, but I intend to share it with my peers at work, too.

Rating:
Summary: Help in identifying leadership, not developing it.
Review: Dr. Maxwell offers up 21 easliy digestable servings on effective leadership. The book's greatest contribution is in helping the reader identify leadership attributes in himself or in others. This book, however, is not a how-to book or a guide in developing leadership qualities within you or in those around you. It does offer sound advice from Maxwell's own experiences as well as plentiful anecdotal evidence from other well known leaders. Maxwell's counsel is sound and trustworthy, and the book's format allows for quick intake.

Rating:
Summary: Becoming a leader
Review: John C. Maxwell discloses the secrets of becoming a leader. The 21 laws that he explains in his book wiil mold a person to become a leader or a better leader.

Those laws are real universal facts that will refine a person if he or she follows them. I find this book very useful.

I recommed this book to anyone who wants to climb the ladder of leadership.

Rating:
Summary: LEARN THESE LAWS NOW!!!
Review: The audiobook version of the "21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" is a brisk, entertaining look at values that need to be incorporated into the lives of leaders everywhere. I particularly enjoy the fact that Maxwell uses real life examples to illustrate each law effectively. The best part of this book is that each of these values is based in doing the right thing and that the book effectively indirectly demolishes such ideas as stepping on other people to get ahead or building an empire for self-oriented reasons. I highly recommend you get this audiobook and play it repeatedly (as I am doing now) and begin to absorb these values in your own life.

Rating:
Summary: Leadership 101 at best
Review: A good book for a High School student who would like to look at the very basics of leardership. If you are already in a leadership roll ,as an adult, in business, government or other organization and you need this book....you should resign you position.