Leaders Around You, John C. Maxwell Underscores

¶ … Leaders around You, John C. Maxwell underscores the importance of leadership development within an organization. Growing leaders, not buying them, can help a company achieve its goals. This is because Maxwell values human resources, and the ethical responsibilities existing managers have towards the people they train and mentor. Maxwell also does not limit his discussion to the study of corporate leadership. The author draws on Christian principles, which is why the principles addressed in Developing the Leaders around You can be applied just as well to a spiritual, educational, or family situation.

Developing the Leaders around You develops core concepts of leaderships and places them within a spiritual and ethical framework. For example, the author discourages leadership styles that emphasize authoritarianism or competitiveness. Instead, Maxwell urges readers to develop a cooperative attitude towards leadership, which makes teamwork a critical part of organizational achievement. A supportive corporate culture fosters collective growth and a commitment to mutual goals. Maxwell shows how a cooperative workplace environment creates opportunities for multiple leaders. Multiple leaders, rather than one singular authority, are ultimately beneficial to the future of any organization.

Yet Maxwell does not denounce the importance of strength in leadership. Leaders are effective because they are strong, visionary, and creative individuals. Maxwell defines leaders as initiators of change, who draw upon a wellspring of positive personality traits such as integrity and loyalty. Strong character is important because only by having a strong sense of self can a leader help foster growth in their mentees. Maxwell understands how to improve personal leadership traits as well as how to bring out those traits in others.

The book is divided into eight chapters, all of which are addressed to an audience already familiar with most leadership concepts. The first chapter refers to the leader's "key question," which is "Am I raising up potential leaders?" By asking this question, existing leaders can get a better understanding of their strengths, weaknesses, and need for change. The leader's toughest challenge, according to Maxwell in Chapter 2, is "creating a climate for potential leaders." This means creating a nurturing community and corporate culture conducive to growth. When members of the organization feel supported, they are more apt to rise to the occasion, accept new challenges and opportunities, and become future leaders.

In Chapter 3, Maxwell identifies the leader's primary responsibility. That primary responsibility is to identify potential leaders in the midst and help those candidates to reach their highest potential. It takes a discerning individual to recognize which team members will become future leaders. In fact, one of the core traits of an effective leader is being able to recognize leadership skills in another person.

Chapter 4 is about nurturing the potential leaders in the midst, which is the existing leader's crucial task. Nurturing is not a word normally used in a business scenario, and Maxwell helps readers become more comfortable using kinder, softer language. The leader's daily requirement, according to the author, is equipping potential leaders with the tools they need to succeed. Chapter 5 addresses these tools, and shows how they can manifest in the workplace environment. Maxwell uses mnemonic devices to help readers memorize key points in the text.

Developing potential leaders becomes a lifelong commitment, according to Maxwell. Chapter 6 outlines the importance of this commitment and helps readers to meet that responsibility. Chapter 7 refers to the leader's "highest return," which is forming a dream team. All organizations need a dream team, rather than relying only on one individual. Moreover, the dream team is comprised of several capable individuals. Even when those individuals do not agree, they can still see eye-to-eye on the issues that matter most.

Finally, Maxwell concludes Developing the Leaders around You with a chapter on the leader's greatest joy: coaching the dream team. The ability to work with and coach the dream team helps the leader to enhance communication skills and pass on valuable wisdom to the next generation of leaders. Good leadership is a lifestyle, according to the author. One does not leave leadership at the doorstep upon returning home. Leadership is a spiritual commitment: to promote a trend, a culture, and a tradition. Living the lifestyle of a leader means imbuing every aspect of life with strong leadership, and the ability to nurture others.