A good book to reflect on leadership
586844
After reading the book there is reason to believe the events as the author has written them, are true and accurate
4369809
I have been reading a lot of leadership material for my last class at Harding's School of Theology.  I am taking a class called "Spiritual Leadership" with Dr. Huffard.  This is hard to believe that it is going to be the last class for this program, but do not worry there is still plenty of dissertation work to do.  One of the books picked was, LeadershipNext, which was really one of the best leadership books that has been produced for a church setting in a long while.  It has a missional focus, and it seems that there was line after line of wisdom through the pages.  The strength of the book is its reflection on the changing dynamic of America culture.  It studied some of the up and coming leaders for insights into doing leadership within this generation.  The book deals with the postmodern matrix, the attitudes that people have toward authority, and the perspective people bring to a church.  The book builds a strong case in making sure church leadership understands the make up of the congregation to best reach and lead them.  It talks about some of the previous styles of leadership, and how these styles can be hurtful to present churches.  It is a good tool box, but also a good look into leadership dynamics for people who refuse leadership or authority.  Of course the author notes that churches must be moved to mission, and not be content to "play church."  Some of the authors lines are just funny, and maybe a little to true.  I love this one.  "Movements are meant to move."  If you are looking for an up to date text on leadership dynamics, and one that is missionally focused, this is one of the best.
13386
The book is simple, clean and well written. The chapters are short with application ideas at the end. Lots of examples from mainstream politics, business, polar exploration and his personal experience are used. Usually examples can be quite dry, but these do a very good job of illuminating his arguments.

There are subtleties in the book which, if studied over time, become evident to a reflective practitioner. The early Laws are quite straight forward, the later ones can appear less relevant or sometimes repetitive.  However closer examination reveals this is not so, and that Maxwell is attempting to tease out subtle but important distinctions. This is critical because it unearths aspects of leadership usually glossed over in general leadership texts and which are seen by advanced practitioners but almost never by academics.

While this book does not present an exhaustive view of 'laws' applicable to leadership, it is certainly an excellent introduction to advanced leadership practice. It is therefore a very important read for leaders who are growing.  The book is probably more advanced than many of Maxwell's others, and I would recommend a slow read-reflect-practice-read approach or, if faster consumption is your style, multiple readings.

It makes a very good read for skimmers.  It makes an even better read for serious leaders who are bent on developing their mastery of the intangible aspects of leadership.  I recommend highly.
2709520
I have mixed opinions about this book. Great insight into dangers of leadership and making adaptive changes. Also addresses very clearly the traps we all fall into while leading. Book has good ideas on how to deal with peoples' issues while leading but barely scratches the surface when it comes to personal overhaul and managing our own hunger. Highlights personal human issues but provides no insight into dealing with those. Still a good read for aspiring leaders.
4724655
The book has a good amount of sound leadership advice, and it is a quick and easy read. I do feel a little bored by it at points, and I don't think the author has broken down all of the major points into a way that is easy to remember and apply.
2115753
I found this book to be practical and chock full of useful stories that bring home leadership points in the book. Personal Leadership is an excellent book for front line supervisors. It provides many useful frameworks for things leaders may already know but don't have a way to be systematic about. It also brings out issues new leaders may not have even considered but are important to their success. As a trainer in leadership I have seen many books on leadership but few that I feel would be as useful as this one in helping new leaders hit the deck running.
1923448
Any person in a position of leadership to be should read this book. It has many insights and quotes that are worth remembering when leading people. The only drawback is that a business it isn't a game that ends after 4 quarters.
1760278
There are a lot of leadership books out there, a lot of them airport books. You know the kind: you get through check-in, go through security, and there's a bookshop selling the liquids you couldn't bring through security, magazines, some popular fiction, a few children's books and some grown-up looking books on business. Some of them are by recognised management gurus; others aren't. Some were rushed through the press in the wake of the latest Enron; others were rewritten to remove all praise for Enron. Most take a top-down approach to leadership.

Smith is one of the few writers I've come across who looks at leadership from a servant perspective, a Christian perspective. That's not to say that the leadership gurus who write airport books aren't Christian: some of them are, and their ideas often reflect that. But it's not front-and-centre in the way that Smith's book is.

He makes a point, then provides a challenge to action that point: it's like show-don't-tell in novels. We need leaders who will guide us with less talk and more action. I liked that. Smith is well-read in classic and popular management texts and quotes from a number of well-known managers and leaders, and provides a reading list at the end (including Servant Leadership by Robert K. Greenleaf).

Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power - Abraham Lincoln

There was one problem with Why Leadership Sucks: over-long paragraphs. Many were over a page long on my Kindle, and more paragraphs breaks would help readability.

Thanks to the author for providing a free ebook for review.
3138010
"A leadership parable" is the subtitle for this new book by James Galvin, and that's exactly what it is. Galvin presents his leadership principles in story form. It's the story of four young adults who are having difficulty in their work situations. They seek out the advice and counsel of a retired Army Sargeant and former missionary. The leadership ideas he presents are put into play in their specific situations, with varying and sometimes surprising results! The book is in two parts: the first is the parable; followed by a smaller section concisely stating a summary of the leadership principles. Galvin indicates in the introduction that he wanted to create a book on leadership that the younger generation would actually read. I believe his choice of presenting ideas in the form of a story is clever. The book reads more like a novel but is full of leadership nuggets. As a story it is somewhat shallow and unrealistic, but taken for what it is - a fleshed-out leadership model - it rates as one of the more interesting books on leadership I have read. The premise of Galvin's leadership principle is that everyone needs to learn how to follow well before they can lead well. I appreciated this perspective. I have run into many "bosses" who were "toxic" in their leadership, and wish I knew then what Galvin presents here about following well even when the leader does not lead well. It's a humble, servant-minded perspectve. I recommend this book for anyone who is in the early stages of their career, positioned under another's leadership, or already leading. There is wisdom here to keep us all learning and growing. 4 out of 5 stars. For more information on the book, you may visit [...]
602075
Jenni Catron's The 4 Dimensions of Extraordinary Leadership was a pretty good read. Catron examines the big idea of Leadership through the lens of the Great Commandment (Mark 12:30). Jesus tells his disciples - and by extension us - that we are to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.

As part of the Introduction to the book, Catron briefly breaks down what each dimension of the Great Commandment looks like when applied to leadership. In further chapters she then goes on to flesh out what it means to lead with your hear, soul, mind, and strength using real-life illustrations of good leadership, bad leadership, and then extraordinary leadership.

The last part of the book is the practical application section- for me that's always the best part. The author goes through a series of statements geared to help you become an extraordinary leader and maintain those skills (Pass it On, Readily Teach, Relentlessly Realign, Never Give Up, etc.).
1158898
I really enjoyed this book . I think it helped more than most leadership books I have read.
Most leadership books give you the "be a cheerleader and all will be well" kinda message. I felt this one helped me to A) take a deep breath and realize somethings are beyond my control B) sometimes no matter how hard you try- you will not be the next bill gates in your lifetime- because you missed the boom,not because you lack the skills. I was born in the 80's : too young to be a part of the computer birth, and investing in online companies (this is my humble opinion- others may/will disagree) too old to have grabbed the app craze. Just the right age to be killing it in the science world.
I felt this book hit some interesting points. It is important to remember this book is his opinion and observations on soft science topics and NOT hard science. I read this as an interesting viewpoint and things that could be applied to my life with success ( example: there is a time and place for mitigated speech)
I recommend it to people
2568364
It is a classic self help book with a focus on the leader.

It starts with a chapter on communication and of course that started with listening.  I know in my heart I can only learn from listening and I continue to remind myself to listen better.  It has some hints and trick on this.

It gets into teams and leadership including speaking of leading different generations.  I must say I would not like to be in the cohort labelled the entitlement generation (and no worry - I am far from that agewise).  I think to some extent we become what we are labelled.  Anyways - it had tips on managing them.

I liked the chapter on "Prioritize for Productivity".  It covered all the time management stuff that I know but always need to be reminded of.

Good book.  Fast read.  Really quite inspirational.
4167967
I was caught to read this book by the subtitle of "how ordinary managers become extraordinary leaders". Being a middle management person and technical lead for long time, I am interested in some more improvement. This book is really easy to read but it has big ideas that people can really use to help to become a better leader. The author uses 7 metaphors as a description of leadership that really represents the shifts in various leadership stage. I especially like the way the author discussed his metaphors, with declarative statements of fact to lead us to thoughtful conclusions. Don't get me wrong, this is not a cook book with a step-by-step model to create extraordinary leaders. However, it does get people to think about how they might apply the presented principles to achieve their goals.

In summary, this is a great book for anybody, even if you are not at management level in your work. It's a very interesting read with stories to support his metaphors in leadership.
1975076
Some of the highlights of the book I enjoyed:

-- "Followership means we rely on each other, set aside personal agendas, and collaborate for the good of the organization."  Before we can be good leaders, we have to be good followers first.

-- Leadership moments do not require much time.

-- Nkosi Johnson's challenge (very effective).

-- Leadership legacy.  Important part of this book as we often times don't realize the impact we have on an organization when we leave.
4752854
A good and practical guide for those seeking to improve or develop leadership skills which will achieve the results expected from those who practice good leadership disciplines.  Generally to the point and clear to understand and as identified in the title it makes sense. I am going to use it in the development of new leaders for my company and I applaud Rick Forbus for his insight into necessary management skills and for providing  a leadership guide to develop those skills. .
763104
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in developing leadership in those they work with on a daily basis - an inspiring book.
3401938
This is one of the best books on leadership that I have ever read.