Disclaimer: I am a John C. Maxwell fan, and to me he is leadership personified. As my dad owns all of his books I was first exposed to leadership principles by reading his material.

People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care – John C. Maxwell

About the Author

John C. Maxwell is a best selling author who has 3 books which have sold over 1 million copies each. In total he has sold over 24 million books. After 30 years of pastoring, Maxwell now concentrates on speaking and writing.

Writing Style

The style in which John C. Maxwell writes is almost conversational, it is as if you are sitting down over a coffee and he is sharing little nuggets of wisdom with you. Maxwell has a story or example for every point he presents. They might be about Henry Ford and the Model T car or Roger Bannister and the four minute mile, however they always beautifully illustrated the point he is making. I can personally attest to his implementation of stories aiding my understanding and implementation of what he wrote.

Key Concept:- The 5 Levels of Leadership

Although I am sure this is explained in greater depth in Maxwells book ‘The 5 Levels of Leadership’ this chapter gives an insightful introduction to this concept. It exposed me to the level which I was previously on and to how those who I was leading at the time probably viewed me. I now understand that I was on the positional level, where it was based solely on the title I had. More importantly it showed me the level of Leadership which I should aspire to. This concept is an important one which every leader should learn, whether they are new or experienced.

The effectiveness of your work will never rise above your ability to lead and influence others. You cannot produce consistently on a level higher than your leadership – John C. Maxwell

Favourite Chapter – The Indespensible Quality of Leadership: Vision

John C. Maxwell eloquently explains the importance of vision for a leader. One element which particularly spoke to me was the difference between a person with vision and a visionary person. As with many different elements of this book, it was important to identify which kind of person I am when it comes to vision. What it really signalled to me and will do to many other leaders is  the importance of sharing your vision and how to go about doing so. Maxwell explains that without sharing your vision it will be almost impossible for others to buy into it.
Although it was only briefly touched upon I enjoyed when Maxwell spoke about how experience affects our vision. He outlined the importance of learning from our mistakes not to be idealistic and realise that people buy into the Leader before they buy into the vision.

Final Words

I believe this book is essential reading for every leader, both new and experienced. It will reveal things you did not know about yourself regarding leadership. This is always helpful as it shows us new ways we can improve ourselves.
Rating 9/10

Don’t forget to buy your copy of Developing The Leader Within You.