Leadership Gold: Lessons I've Learned from a Lifetime of Leading »

Leadership Gold took leadership guru John C. Maxwell a lifetime to write, and it delivers his most valuable lessons from forty years of leading.

A leader among leaders, John Maxwell promised himself early in his career that he wouldn't write this book until he was sixty. And now it's finally here. Leadership Gold took Maxwell a lifetime to write, and it delivers his most valuable lessons from forty years of leading. With his signature style, Maxwell comes alongside like a mentor, candidly taking readers through what feels like a one-on-one leadership program. Leadership Gold offers the best of the best, the tried-and-true lessons that no one but Maxwell can share.

Publishers Weekly

Maxwell (the bestselling The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership) shares 26 nuggets of wisdom based on his nearly 40 years of leadership. A practical guide, complete with exercises and "mentoring moments," this collection offers a blend of advice, professional wisdom and personal recollection. Each chapter provides insight into a specific aspect of effective management. Some, such as "The Best Leaders Are Listeners" and "Keep Learning to Keep Leading," are hardly groundbreaking, but others such as "Don't Send Your Ducks to Eagle School" (a phrase borrowed from Jim Rohn) and "For Everything You Gain, You Give Up Something" provide perspective into less-explored facets of successful leadership. Maxwell also covers some of the more challenging aspects of his topic: defining personal success, guarding against unrealistic thinking and determining why people quit. Throughout, Maxwell includes call-out quotes from well-known leaders such as Jack Welch and Frances Hesselbein as well as from surprising voices like J.K. Rowling and Joyce Brothers. A solid addition to a crowded field, this book will be of value to seasoned leaders as well as those just starting out. (Apr.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Acknowledgments     v
Searching for Gold     vii
If It's Lonely at the Top, You're Not Doing Something Right     1
The Toughest Person to Lead Is Always Yourself     11
Defining Moments Define Your Leadership     20
When You Get Kicked in the Rear, You Know You're out in Front     32
Never Work a Day in Your Life     41
The Best Leaders Are Listeners     49
Get in the Zone and Stay There     57
A Leader's First Responsibility Is to Define Reality     66
To See How the Leader Is Doing, Look at the People     74
Don't Send Your Ducks to Eagle School     85
Keep Your Mind on the Main Thing     96
Your Biggest Mistake Is Not Asking What Mistake You're Making     105
Don't Manage Your Time-Manage Your Life     114
Keep Learning to Keep Leading     124
Leaders Distinguish Themselves During Tough Times     134
People Quit People, Not Companies     143
Experience Is Not the Best Teacher     154
The Secret to a Good Meeting Is the Meeting Before the Meeting     164
Be a Connector, Not Just a Climber     174
The Choices You Make, Make You     184
Influence Should Be Loaned but Never Given     193
For Everything You Gain, You Give Up Something     203
Those Who Start the Journey with You Seldom Finish with You     213
Few Leaders Are Successful Unless a Lot of People Want Them to Be     223
You Only Get Answers to the Questions You Ask     232
People Will Summarize Your Life in One Sentence-Pick It Now     244
Conclusion     253
Notes     255