The Leader’s Greatest Return Book Review by Jeff Bush

by John C. Maxwell 

• A company cannot grow without until it grows leaders within.

• When an organization stops growing leaders, it stops growing.

• How well you lead will determine how others succeed.

• Your team will determine if you reach your dream. The wrong team will be more like a nightmare.

• So often we define being a better leader by having more followers, but being a better leader should mean we are developing and empowering other leaders.

• Over 90% of leaders only have followers.

• Everyone you hire on your team will make your team better or worse. 

• There are six A’s to think of when you are finding a leader:

1. 1. 1. 1. Assessment of needs. What area do you need filled?
         2. Assets on hand. Who within your organization can you help equip for the job?
         3. Assets not on hand. If you don’t have someone within, you might have to look for someone outside of your organization.
         4. Attitude of the potential leader. Are they willing? At the heart of attitude is willingness – willingness to learn, to serve, to improve, etc. 
         5. Ability of potential leaders. Are they able? A person’s gifts make room for him or her. 
         6. Accomplishments of potential leaders. Have they had results in the past? what have they achieved up to now? 

• Learn to ACT:

1. 1. 1. 1. Apply – what can you apply to your life from what is going on? 
         2. Change – what do you need to change in your life? 
         3. Teach – what can you teach others from what you are learning?

• Power of proximity. People learn more by going alongside you than they do by being told. It is more caught than taught.

• Before you develop people, you must connect with people.

• It is important that you touch a heart before you give a hand, because people will not follow until they trust you.

• Change the “me” to “we.” People are more likely to stay with you when they realize you are in it together.

• Learn to ask questions. Asking questions has the opposite effect of giving direction. 

• Questions clear up assumptions. Inviting the other person into the conversation lets you know the other person, builds relationships, places value on the other person and guides the conversation. 

• Assumptions are the major mess ups for leaders. 

• People in authority usually do not listen, they talk. But learning to listen will help you as a leader.

• Are you a leader that gives directions and then asks questions or are you a leader that asks questions and then gives directions?

• Live for a cause, not an applause.

• To help others give them your BEST:

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Believe in them. 
            2. Encourage them. 
            3. Show them. 
            4. Train them.

• If you’re going to help others, you must learn to LEAD: 

1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Learning. What are you learning right now?
            2. Experiencing. What are you experiencing right now? 
            3. Applying. What are you applying right now? 
            4. Developing. Who are you developing?

• A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle, it actually gains from lighting another candle.

• Give your leaders a growth environment.

• Each person must have a place for themself but the purpose of the team.