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The Leadership Handbook

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The Leadership Handbook

26 Critical Lessons Every Leader Needs

Thomas Nelson,

15 min read
10 take-aways
Audio & text

What's inside?

Learn about leadership from one of the world’s foremost experts on the topic, John C. Maxwell.

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Editorial Rating

6

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

Leadership expert and prolific author John Maxwell offers 26 perceptive lessons for both new and experienced leaders. Maxwell peppers his book with great quotations from famous leaders and with warm personal anecdotes that illustrate his leadership lessons. He explains why leaders should learn from their experiences and from other people, why they need to understand people to lead them, and what leadership demands. He offers easy, practical formulas, tools and aphorisms. Maxwell’s encouraging advice, while not innovative, is reliably solid. getAbstract recommends his worthy lessons to seasoned leaders and up-and-comers alike.

Summary

Become a Strong Leader

Anyone can lead, but becoming a quality leader requires a lifetime of learning. Some leadership discoveries will come from your mistakes, which often provide valuable lessons. Absorb these lessons and your errors, no matter how difficult that may seem at the time. As poet Archibald MacLeish said, “There’s only one thing more painful than learning from experience, and that is not learning from experience.”

Leadership Lessons

To be a leader, you must be courageous, take risks and accept responsibility. Put the following 26 leadership lessons to work, not as theory but as practical and appropriate action.

  1. “If it’s lonely at the top, you’re not doing something right” – Leaders don’t reach the top of the mountain on their own; they need help. Leaders should reciprocate and help those they lead climb as well. The focus of leadership is people, so develop your people skills. Routinely stroll through your office to interact personally with your staff members.
  2. “The toughest person to lead is always yourself” – Leaders cannot always see themselves objectively. To gain an honest appraisal...

About the Author

John C. Maxwell is a best-selling author, coach and speaker. He also wrote Good Leaders Ask Great Questions, Sometimes You Win – Sometimes You Learn, and many other popular books.

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