Developing The Leader Within You 2.0 - John C. Maxwell

According to John Maxwell, leadership is not necessarily something we are born with, it is a skill that we develop. However, most schools and colleges don't teach us how to be a leader. But in the book "Developing the Leader Within You 2.0" you will learn all the necessary behavior to be a good leader.

No matter how good you are at your job, how ambitious your goals are and how much energy and persistence you have, if you aren't a leader, nothing guarantees your success, since "the effectiveness of your work is never beyond your ability to lead and influence others".

In this book, John Maxwell will show how to develop the leadership. Thus, this book is the answer for you to become a true leader.

Got interested in being a better leader to your team? Stay with us in this summary!

About the book "Developing the Leader Within You 2.0"

The book "Developing the Leader Within You 2.0", which was released in 2019, was written by John Maxwell.

This book combines his experiences as a leader for more than 40 years. It doesn't matter in what area you are - business, family, education or church. The ideas presented here will positively change your life.

The original edition of this book sold more than 2 million copies. It is one of John Maxwell's greatest bestsellers. In this version (2019) the book is composed by 224 pages and 10 chapters - in each chapter the author deals with a key concept.

About the author John C. Maxwell

John Maxwell was born in 1947 in the United States. He is an expert in leadership (theme on which he promotes lectures), founder of EQUIP and John Maxwell Company.

In addition, Maxwell is considered the number one business leader by the American Management Association and the most influential specialist in leadership in the world by Business Insider.

Much more than just leadership, John Maxwell is an expert in relationship techniques, a proof of that is his book "Relationships 101".

He has sold more than 30 million books, among them we have:

• "Leadership Gold"
• "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership"
• "Leadership 101"

There are many others books written by him on our website, you just have to search by his name and all the books will appear.

To whom is this book indicated?

If you are working in a career that requires outstanding personal skills, this book is certainly for you. Besides, you don't even need to be a leader to use this book.

We also point out this book for entrepreneurs who have employees, so they can learn how to treat them, lead them, and build followers through some practical leadership skills given in this book.

There are basic and exemplary actions and practices that every great leader performs to achieve success.

Main ideas of the book "Developing the Leader Within You 2.0"

• Show people that you care about them;
• True leaders are able to inspire people to perform well;
• Devote 80% of your efforts to 20% of your top priorities;
• Do not let day-to-day activities drain your time. Manage them;
• One of the key qualities of a leader is to develop other leaders. Therefore, encourage and guide other leaders in your organization;
• Develop the ability to deal with your work and problems in an organized way.

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Overview: The Definition of Leadership - Influence

According to John Maxwell:

"The one who thinks that leads and has no followers, just walks".

Therefore, an individual who has no followers can not be considered a leader.

The author also says that to lead is to influence, purely and simply this. It doesn't matter to be a people manager, if they don't follow you. If this situation happens you are not a leader.

There are 5 levels of leadership, each one depends on the precedent. They show us for what reasons people follow a leader. To become a leader it is crucial to understand them:

• "Position: People follow because they have to follow". Bosses are different from leaders. People follow the boss simply for his title. On the other hand, they follow the leader by his influence on them, that is, they follow him because they want to.
• "Permission: Relationship-Based Influence". According to Fred Smith:

"Leadership is getting others to work for you when you're not required."

We can say that you go from level one to two when people follow you simply because they want to.

• "Production: Results-based influence". From now on, people will follow you through the results that you have achieved as a leader, along with your followers.
• "People Development". Individuals will follow you because of what you have done for them. According to Maxwell:

"Leaders become great not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others."

• "Personality: Influence based on respect". You will be followed by the values you have. The author gives us examples of some level five leaders, such as Martin Luther King Jr., Leonardo da Vinci and Aristotle.

An important point to note is that Maxwell says level five can not be reached by all of us. Respect is freely given to us by others. So we should not focus on level five.

John will focus on developing levels 1, 2, 3 and 4. Which already requires a lot of hard work. In fact, he claims to be at the leadership level 4 and it is necessary to work day after day, year after year and decade after decade to maintain that level.

Overview: The Key to Leadership - Priorities

Setting priorities is critical to become a true leader. One way, indicated by the author, is to use the Pareto Principle.

Pareto Principle or rule 20/80, says that 20% of your activity generates 80% of your results. For example, 20% of authors own 80% of books sold and 80% of scientific discoveries are performed by 20% of scientists.

To rank your priorities, determine what is extremely necessary, which activities generate the greatest returns, and which ones you like the most.

Now, for those that are not among the most important, you can delegate or even neglect. Thus, more time will be left to carry out other projects. Do not forget to re-evaluate periodically your priorities, as things change fast.

There is also the book of Stephen R. Covey which explains that: "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". One of Covey's habits is precisely the prioritization of activities.

Remember, your most important asset is time, because you'll never get more. You can only choose how to use it every moment of each day whether you believe it or not.

Overview: The Basis of Leadership - Character

John Maxwell defines character as:

"Character is a set of characteristics and traits relating to the way of acting and reacting of an individual or a group. It's a moral fit. It is the firmness and coherence of attitudes."

All the qualities and defects of people will determine their conduct, their morality and their character. Your values and moral firmness define the coherence of your actions, your procedure and behavior.

Maxwell says that you must embrace the four dimensions if you want to become a leader.

"And never be afraid to admit that you're wrong. Doing so is like saying you're wiser today than you were yesterday."

Overview: The Supreme Test of Leadership - Creating a Positive Change

It is normal for a human being to resist change, with leaders this is no different. Also, persuading others to change is even more difficult. To change means to grow and without change, a company can not improve. Of course, not every change is an improvement.

Maxwell says that to facilitate change, you study the needs of your business, both technical and motivational. Ask for help from others and keep communication open.

In this way, people will be more inclined to support the change, because now they share the same idea.

Overview: The Fastest Way to Gain Leadership - Troubleshooting

Problems are everywhere. They are part of our life, and they make us grow. Without them, we would still be ignorant and our society would not develop in any way.

Therefore, leaders need to know how to solve problems and prioritize them. To solve them, Maxwell lists some tips:

• Deal with problems one at a time and organize them in order of priority;
• Review the possible causes of the problem.
• Evaluate the problem from the point of view of current trends and company goals;
• Try to define the problem by a sentence;
• Discuss the problem with creative and trustworthy people;
• Create solutions as much as you can. Think outside the box;
• Among the solutions created, start with those that are more likely to work;
• Share the solutions with others. Ask them to indicate failures;

Maxwell says that while problems are important to our growth, you should also try to avoid them.

This can be done by encouraging the team to work better with each other, without you ever being present. That way, you will not have to solve the problems of the company always alone.

Overview: The Indispensable Quality of Leadership - Vision

According to Andy Stanley:

"The vision gives meaning to the meaningless details of our lives. Vision brings order to chaos. A clear vision allows you to see everything differently."

So all leaders have a vision of what they have to accomplish. It becomes the energy and strength necessary to overcome all obstacles.

What do other authors say about it?

Daniel Goleman in his book "Focus" says that every effective leader must focus the attention of the company where it is most needed and productive. Pay attention to your behaviors and the effects of your actions. Leadership requires knowing your values and communicating your vision to inspire and motivate others.

Another book that also talks about leadership is the "Leadership Pipeline". Its authors, Ram Charan, Stephen Drotter and James Noel, share that leadership is a set of skills that can be learned and must be practiced.

Simon Sinek says in his book, "Start with Why", that people follow a leader only after they buy their vision. They have the necessity to know that the leader's reason for doing things is aiming something greater than themselves.

Okay, but how can I apply this to my life?

"Developing the Leader Within You 2.0" contains many concepts that if applied will help you develop as a leader. Some of these concepts may sound "common sense", but do not be fooled, few people practice them.

In your path to leadership, commit yourself to becoming a better leader. Ideas shared by Maxwell will only be effective if you are fully committed.

Great leaders are extremely rare, but now that you have what it takes to become one, just start practicing. Don't forget to be resilient, great things doesn't happen in one day, you should believe in your purpose and show it for your team. Make them trust and see a value on that!

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