The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You

I agree with almost all of the other criticisms of this book posted here. This book is a waste of money. If you remove the lengthy "inspirational" stories from the book, very little remains. Many of the stories don't exactly fit to either illustrate or prove his point. For example, just look at how forced his example is on pages 96-97. For another example, he distinguishes leadership from management, but then proceeds in chapter 17 to illustrate one of his so-called "laws" using an example of management. He constantly confuses management with leadership. In fact, most of what he talks about is management.In several places he defines leadership as "...influence. Nothing more and nothing less", but then he goes on to add to the definition of leadership as he proceeds through the book. If leadership is merely influence, as he so insists, then Hitler and Jim Jones were great leaders. Is being a top used car salesman mean one is a great leader? I mean, that is influence is it not?Maxwell also talks way too much about himself and what he has done. The constant self-referencing throughout the book is sickening. He ends his book talking about (again) his accomplishments and his EQUIP organization. As others have noted here, the book leads up to selling his other books/conferences. This book gives me the impression that Maxwell is not a leader, per se, but a salesman--nothing more and nothing less. The key skill of the salesman/woman is influence. Leadership is, essentially, about where to go (mission, vision) and management is about how to get there. Most of what he talks about is organizational management and project management (See PMI). But even then, he does a poor job of it. There is very little substance to what he has to say. Anyone who has been in a leadership and/or management role for any length of time will immediately see the problems with this book.There are other things wrong with this book, but it is not worth any more time pointing them out, particularly since others have already done this (e.g. inaccurate stories, etc.).(Nothing personal Mr. Maxwell. It is just a poor book)

I picked up this book for the first time in 2001 and it instantly became one of my go to reference for developing new and current leaders around me. Maxwell's combination of down to earth leadership principles, combined with relevant examples and his experience in multiple organizations, makes this book an authority on the subject. This revised addition keeps true to the original, with updates to some keys concepts to bring it into alignment with new leadership concepts in today's environment. If you are struggling to understand how to lead, how to develop others around you into better leaders, or just need a refresher on key concepts, this book is for you!

Dr. John Maxwell has dedicated his life to helping people. In his book.. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, he summarized leadership into 21 laws. First we have to be a leader on the inside, or rather think and have the right values of a leader. The result of thinking is doing. So we have to act like a leader. And finally leadership is all about influence. As Dr. John Maxwell says... "if you are taking a walk in the forest, and no one is following, you are mere talking a stroll." One of the BEST leadership books I have read, and a MUST read for anyone who wants to make an impact in life.William TehInvestor | Author | EntrepreneurTTTrends Investments

If I only knew these laws years ago, I know I could have increased my leadership skills 50%. The book is a must for those people who have areas of responsibility that impact others. If you want to make a difference in your life and those around them, this book should be required reading.

I bought this book for a class I was taking in college. It's a great book. Lots of wisdom imparted on the pages. I liked it so much that I went online and watched videos by John Maxwell. I also liked the examples he used for each of the different laws. This book influenced me tremendously. I do not treat people the same way as I used to. I am more patient and understanding. A must read for anyone contemplating becoming a leader.

Most leadership books I've found to have nothing useful and are just common knowledge, taken from other writers, seem like the writer has never actually led or managed anyone, or are just complete idiot bunk trying to make the work force a happy place where nothing seems to get done anymore as we're supposed to be everyone's friend. This book is the absolute exception. I received more quality leadership information from this book than every other leadership/management book I've ever read put together. If you'd like to learn how to become a better leader, forget the rest, read this book!

I really enjoyed reading this book. A good roadmap for a leader at any stage of leadership . I hope to apply the lessons I learned in my own leadership.

I've worked with some managers, and I've worked with some leaders, and believe me, there is a HUGE difference between the two! This book was recommended to me by a true leader, one who is invested in my success and who knows firsthand that leadership trumps management any day of the week. Every chapter has real-life examples of the laws in action in the lives of people whose names you'll know. I've discovered which of the laws come naturally to me and which I will need to develop through building a team of leaders around me. Whether you're a seasoned business person or a neophyte manager, you should read this book to build an effective leadership style that others will want to follow.

Very American. The book opens with an example that immediately undermines itself. It tells of a pair of brothers who ran a pleasant sounding restaurant and enjoyed a decent amount of success. In the authors view they are failures. The real hero is the man who turned the nice restaurant into a faceless corporation and spread obesity and heart disease. This reads like an anti-example to anyone that isn't American.Worth skim reading to understand your colonial colleagues but avoid embracing without due consideration.

There are quite a few areas of the book that are not very accurate for anyone but americans and there is quite a bit of religion based anecdotes resulting in a lower score

This book is a bag full of golden nugets the author has dug through the years. Do we have wat it takes to use them properly?

Reading this book helped me to understand certain traits, behaviours and ways of thinking that I've had since I was young. I intend to use this book to grow as a leader and lead other leaders.

Practical guide for success