Most people who decide to grow personally find their first mentors in the pages of books. ~John C. Maxwell
The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live Them and Reach Your Potential
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Overall I give the book a 4.5 out of 5!
Truth be told, you'd be hard pressed to find a John Maxwell book that wasn't mega beneficial and practical. His books (including this one) are very clear and concise. I believe it takes a truly gifted communicator to make complex ideas easy to understand and applicable.
To be an effective next generation leader, one must be committed to self development. This book serves as a blueprint for your growth. It consists of probing questions and solid examples that will help position you for next generation growth as an individual. John is the poster child for intentional growth so heed his teachings for your own development. Any reason to grow is a good reason as long as it's YOUR reason.
One downfall of the book, is that I wish this book (and so many others) extended the story or message. By that I mean, extend the book into the social web for further application with peers OR provide tangible resources (aka websites, videos, worksheets, games, etc) that can solidify the connection and action of the books contents.
Top 3 Things I Gleaned From the Book:
1) The Law of Reflection: Learning to Pause Allows Growth to Catch Up with You.
One must establish a time and place to pause. Reflection turns experience into insight. Every year John reflects the day after Christmas up until New Year's Eve reviewing the entire year in his calendar. Every appointment, meeting, commitment and activity - hour by hour is evaluated for the last 359 days. This allows him to sort through his experience, put it into perspective and plan for the future. WOW! John truly lives out each of the laws.
2) The Law of Design: To Maximize Growth, Develop Strategies.
Systems permit ordinary people to achieve extraordinary results predictably. ~Michael Gerber. A life without any systems is a life where the person must face every task and challenge from scratch. I'm a sucker for systems and the few I have in place save me from a life of procrastination and stagnation. Effective systems take the big picture into action and move you forward.
3) The Law of Consistency: Motivation Gets you Going - Discipline Keeps You Growing.
Discipline is a morale builder. When you know your purpose and priorities and you have ordered your day, week, or year according to them you have a clarity of thought that strengths everything you do. I lucked out with some anal retentive DNA so I have a strong ability to stay organized and plan effectively. These disciplines give me great momentum in executing tasks and freeing up space and time to think creatively. Instead of being goal conscious, find the discipline to be growth conscious.
Favorite quote from the book: Everything looks like a failure in the middle.
Question: What are your greatest catalysts to personal growth?
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