The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader
Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow
Authors: John C. Maxwell
Hardcover: 160 pages, $11.69
Published: June, 1999
I like most of John Maxwell’s stuff and 21 IQOAL is no exception. I was surprised, however, at the slim nature of this book compared to some of the others I’ve seen of his. But you shouldn’t let that prevent you from purchasing it as it’s packed with actionable steps to becoming a better leader.
Each chapter starts with a quick look at other known leaders and how they accomplished great things through the qualities presented, then moves on to provide some how-tos, moves then into some self-reflection questions considerations, and then finally brings it home to actionable points.
21 IQOAL is not meant to be read like a normal book, but each quality is meant to be taken one at a time, considered thoughtfully, mastered internally and then applied externally before moving on to the next. I admit, I did read it just like any other book, several pages per day (each of the 21 chapters are under 10 pages each and can be read in about 10 minutes.). I am now going back through the book one chapter at a time, mastering (to the best of my ability) each quality before progressing. It’s a great way to digest the information and find ways to apply each of the qualities every day.