The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader: Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow

by John C. Maxwell

Leaders are always looking for an edge. That often sends many of them looking for the next big thing. Although leadership approaches and trendy management fads come and go, what remains the same? The qualities of a leader. Internationally-recognized leadership expert, speaker, and author John C. Maxwell touches on the process of developing the art of leadership by giving the reader practical tools and insights into developing the qualities found in great leaders. As the authority on leadership today, Maxwell shares his innovative yet timeless principles on how to effectively lead others has impacted the lives of thousands of business leaders. In  The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader , Maxwell expands on the qualities every leaders needs to be successful such Everything rises and falls on leadership, and leadership truly develops from the inside out. If you can become the leader you ought to be on the inside, you will become the leader you want to be on the outside. The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader  will show you that when you develop these qualities, people will want to follow you. When that happens, you’ll be able to tackle anything in the world.

Genres: Leadership, Business, Nonfiction, Self Help, Personal Development, Management, Buisness

157 pages, Hardcover

First published February 28, 2013

About the author

John Calvin Maxwell is an American author, speaker, and pastor who has written many books, primarily focusing on leadership. Titles include The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader. Some of his books have been on the New York Times Best Seller List.

Reviews

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good points - read for a work class. Some excellent examples and little known facts about famous leaders.

[Tony Rogers Jr. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great book I love even more than the insanely popular book 21 Irrefutable laws of leadership written by the same author. In short, to the point chapters, Maxwell does an excellent job of capturing the heart of each quality.

Each quality is as follows:
1. Character
2. Charisma
3. Commitment
4. Competence
5. Courage
6. Competence
7. Discernment
8. Focus
9. Generosity
10. Initiative
11. Listening
12. Passion
13. Positive Attitude
14. Problem Solving
15. Relationships
16. Responsibility
17. Security
18. Self-Discipline
19. Servanthood
20. Teachability
21. Vision

Complete with application exercises and practical real life examples this is an invaluable resource for every leader.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a great leader: I speak my mind too freely, I'm not good at delegating, and sometimes I have a hard time hiding the fact that certain people irritate me. Believe me, I know my own weaknesses (most people do.) and I'm working on improving them.

While this book was chalk full of good qualities to have, I couldn't help but feel like I was sitting in some motivational seminar where someone was trying to sell me something. (I dislike the disingenuity of motivational speakers. Rather than feeling motivated I usually feel like I've been walked on.)

I had a sense that Mr. Maxwell was using good virtues as a means to an end, rather than gaining these qualities because we should just be good people. For inspiration in gaining admirable qualities I much prefer Way to Be.


Also of note was the fact that he used a myriad of examples of characteristics for "Great Leadership" in people who clearly did not have every characteristic! Yes, Michelangelo had Commitment... but I'm pretty sure his Charisma scores were low. Just sayin'.

[Khalid Hajeri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've seen many many business books written by John C. Maxwell in every bookstore and also on recommended e-book listings on websites such as Amazon. Having never read any of his books before, I did not have the slightest idea on where to start. Then I found this small book titled "The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader" and decided to give it a go. I was actually pretty satisfied after reading it.

At first glance, the book appears to be no different than the vast majority of other business leadership books that are widely available to read. Admittedly, in a way it is identical to such books at face value. However, as I got through the first pages I found the contents to be quite inspiring. Mr. Maxwell's picks on the best qualities that true leaders must radiate are supported by memorable examples of certain people in history whom possessed such leadership traits. Not just in the business world, but even in sports and entertainment, leaders show they have what it takes to make a difference. Simple qualities such as the ability to listen to others and the willingness to serve people are just some of the traits mentioned and explained, each with very interesting elaborations from the author.

Some of the qualities in the book may cause some readers' eyes to roll, especially the ones that are present in so many business and self-help books. I myself almost cringed when I read the chapters on 'courage' and 'positive attitude', for example. Such qualities are discussed far too often in other similar books. But in this book, Mr. Maxwell has a magical way with words that inspires readers to look inside themselves when regarding even the more repetitive topics such as those two that I mentioned. I thoroughly enjoyed the uplifting nature of the explanations of each of the 21 qualities.

"The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader" is a book with a very long title that many readers may overlook, especially since such a book will likely be swamped together with John C. Maxwell's other works and even books of a similar nature. However, if you are looking for a leadership book that is up-to-the-point while containing key examples of memorable leaders of the past and their influences, then this is one of the must-reads for you. Highly recommended reading for leaders everywhere.

[TN · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was one of the most interesting book on leadership I read. It contains a lot of useful and practical lessons which will help me to develop my leadership habits. Thanks Mr. Maxwell!

[Nadja Nastez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Одлично книгиче кое се чита буквално одеднаш. Уживав читајќи го. 💚

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found some of this book to be contradictory,and I didn't really care for many of the examples. However, some of the book was good and thought provoking. I think it just seemed too much like Maxwell had been told he had to have 21 characteristics, and he was really stretching to get them. I also don't think you should quote yourself in a book about leadership... I mean, who is John Maxwell? I had never heard of him before I read this book, and I haven't heard of him since. Perhaps I just don't hang in the right circles, but still...

[Eeling · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book on leadership qualities - well-structured content, depicts well through example on why each quality is important for a successful individual / leader. The book also explains on how these qualities can be reflected in our daily activities and how it can be applied to our daily lives.

[Claire Bowers-Dingus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had to read this for school. Good advice; nothing spectacular. A lot of consumerism-focused thinking, along with espousing the American Dream. As a believer, I don’t believe Christ wants us to be materially successful (I guess I could sum this up by saying that I’m against the Prosperity Gospel). I did appreciate the parts focused on loving and serving your neighbor. A good Christian substitute would be “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry” or “Practicing the Way” by John Mark Comer.

[Abdulrahman · Rating 3 out of 5]

كتاب لا بأس به، مختصر و قصير، نصائح عامه قد تكون سمعت اغلبها مسبقا... استمتعت باخذ اقتباسات منه هنا و هناك. و متعتي الكبرى هي اخذ الكتاب من شخص رائع و قراءة ملاحظتها و تعليقاتها، اصبح و كانه حوار بيني وبينها :')

[Reza Pooryousef · Rating 5 out of 5]

خیلی خوب بود و این کتاب رو باید همیشه مرور کنیم . بعصی از کتاب ها به تنهایی قدرتی در آموزش و موفقیت داره که شاید حتی بدون خواندن هیچ کتاب دیگر و فقط رعایت کردن موصوعات در ان کتاب موفق شویم . و این نیز یکی از چنین کتاب هایی هست😊

[Estevo Raposo · Rating 4 out of 5]

El ameno estilo de John C.Maxwell hace que el libro se pueda escuchar casi de un tirón, pero el propio autor nos recomienda al principio, con muy buen criterio, no hacerlo: está pensado para entrar en nuestra vida por “sedimentación”, poco a poco. Una cualidad al día es un buen ritmo. Aunque fue escrito después de The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, debería ser leído antes, por ser más directo y básico.

Las 21 cualidades que Maxwell disecciona en este libro, con consejos prácticos y directos para adquirirlas son:

1 CARÁCTER: Sé un pedazo de roca
2 CARISMA: La primera impresión puedeser determinante
3 COMPROMISO: Es lo que separa a los hacedoresde los soñadores
4 COMUNICACIÓN: Sin ella, viajas solo
5 CAPACIDAD: Si la desarrollas, ellos vendrán
6 VALENTÍA: Una persona con valentía es mayoría
7 DISCERNIMIENTO: Pon fin a los misterios no resueltos
8 CONCENTRACIÓN: Mientras más aguda sea, más agudo serás tú
9 GENEROSIDAD: Tu vela no pierde nada cuando alumbra a otros
10 INICIATIVA: No deberías salir de casa sin ella
11 ESCUCHAR: Para conectarte con sus corazones, usa tus oídos
12 PASIÓN: Toma la vida y ámala
13 ACTITUD POSITIVA: Si crees que puedes, puedes
14 SOLUCIÓN DE PROBLEMAS: No puedes dejar que tus problemas sean un problema
15 RELACIONES: Si tomas la iniciativa, te imitarán
16 RESPONSABILIDAD: Si no llevas la bola, no puedes dirigir al equipo
17 SEGURIDAD: La competencia nunca compensa la inseguridad
18 AUTODISCIPLINA: La primera persona a la que tienes que dirigir eres tú mismo
19 SERVICIO: Para progresar, pone a los demás primero
20 APRENDER: Para mantenerte dirigiendo, mantente aprendiendo
21 VISIÓN: Puedes conseguir solo lo que puedes ver

[Bill Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am an optimistic thinker and have studied the characteristics of successful people for many years. From books like How to Win Friends and Influence People, to The Magic of Thinking Big, and Good to Great, I have read quite a few. I have listened to Tony Robbins, Paul Harvey, Zig Ziglar and countless motivational speakers. With all this background knowledge, I thought I had it down. That is, until I read The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader by John Maxwell.

This is an amazing first read for anyone wanting to know what truly sets a leader apart from others. When looking at the 21 points in retrospect to my own business life, I found that Maxwell has definitely hit the nail on the head. This is a great read for anyone wanting to be a leader and is HIGHLY recommended for those just starting in the business world. If only I had this information back then.

As I read each chapter, I found myself yearning to learn more and my Type A personality wanted “action plans”. But alas this was only an overview of these qualities as John has other books and programs that cover the how to’s. I can say that I am now a John Maxwell follower and will definitely be reading his other books on leadership.

[Gbello]

I find the book really helpful...for a busy person this book is a quick read, has great stories of people that are inspiring, it is to the point with the advise on what each quality is and what you need to know on how to improve for each if you need to improve on them, and you can always go back and reflect on this information. Being a leader is constant improvement and maintaining leadership is just constant.

[Andrew Vanderlinden · Rating 4 out of 5]

21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader

This book helped me identify areas of my leadership I have neglected. Its short chapters and engaging stories kept me coming back for more. It helped me recognize personal characteristics that I need to improve If I want to be a truly effective leader.

If you want to be a leader that people want to follow then this book is for you.

[Ben Denison · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading a lot of these, there is no magic formula. Self-Discipline, Initiative, Commitment, etc...

Maxwell does a good job putting together the list and good examples. Never hurts to get a reminder (kick in the butt) every once in a while to remind/reset on what you need to be doing.

[Ciara Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was published in 99, but still every bit as relevant for todays leaders.

[Nima Pouryousef · Rating 4 out of 5]

کتاب خوبیه
بیست و یک ویژگی شخصیتی رو همراه با داستان هایی از رهبران یا افراد موفق توضیح داده و سوالاتی مطرح میکنه که هرکسی خودشو بسنجه یا در مورد اون ویژگی خودشو بیشتر بشناسه و در نهایت که به نظرم مهمترین قسمت کتاب هستش بخش عملیه هر فصله که با دادن راهکارهایی برای تقویت هر ویژگی، مطالبشو کامل میکنه. شاید بهتر باشه کتاب مرور بشه یا خلاصه نویسی بشه ازش که راحت تر بشه مطالب مهم یا راهکارهاشو دوباره خوند و ویژگی هارو تمرین کرد... من ترجمه داود نعمت الهی رو خوندم . ایراد خاصی ندیدم.

[Jacob Runyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt like everything in this book was quotable. I understand why John Maxwell is seen as a leadership guru. As I read, I kept a little summary sheet of each chapter that included quotes and reflections. The book felt like a more concise version of Dale Carnegie. I love how he used historical figures to introduce each trait and then elaborated on the trait itself. Amazing book.

[Brandon Still · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader was a captivating read. Maxwell lays out each quality he thinks is important for a successful leader, followed by practical ways to implement these qualities into yourself, and how to self evaluate where you are at. As someone seeking to be a leader, as we all should, this book shows the importance of putting self aside and providing and seeking value for others. This will not only bring the best of your team, organization, etc. but will also provide and attract the best culture possible. One of my favorite quotes in this book is, "no one can do the minimum and reach his maximum potential." Seek to do more. This is a must read.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have some great tips and activities to do. Valuable book.

[Chris Cates · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buy. Read. Repeat.

[David Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and simple. Great principles followed along with great quotes and great applications.

[Lucas Gabella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Filled with good quotes (I have multiple underlines in most chapters) and I liked the short chapter format. Nice shorter "self-help" book.

[Baxter Friedman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much better than I expected it to be. The format of each chapter gives you exactly what you need to do to live just a better life in general. Forget being a leader, this book tells you how to live better. I do want to be a better leader but I think you know what I am saying. The quotes he chooses are perfect and a lot when into my quote book I keep. LOVED IT

[Kim Tong Lim · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has provided me guidance as I lead a team in my job. It contains several gems of ideas and qualities which we should adopt.

Of the 21 indispensable qualities, Character was in the first chapter of the book. Character comes with it Integrity and strong moral values. Several major corporate scandals invariably boil down to leaders who were of dubious or unethical characters. Character also refers to a strong will to stand up for your values and to take courage to defend the weak or right the unjust action imposed on another person.

The author covered this topic with 4 main points.

1) Character is more than just talk. It must be demonstrated by your actions and in a sincere manner.

2) Talent is a gift, but Character is a choice. A person may be born musically talented or with a high IQ, this is not something you can pick at birth but you can decide on the character you want for yourself. You can choose to cheat or to resist the temptation of easy money.

3) Character brings lasting success with people. If you think you are leading and no one is following you, then you are only taking a walk! It is like in the army, when the officer in the field shouted CHARGE forward and you are the only one running forward and your soldiers are not following right beside you, you know where you stand with your men.

4) Leaders cannot rise above the limitations of their Character. Even if you are highly talented but have flawed Character, you will be hampered to reach greater success because you are alone without the collective strengths of your team. Such leaders are destined for one or more of the 4 A’s: Arrogance; painful feelings of Aloneness; destructive Adventure-seeking; Adultery. (Steven Berglas, a psychologist at Harvard Medical School)

[Lanre Dahunsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

According to John C. Maxwell, the 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader are the following :

1 CHARACTER: Be a Piece of the Rock
2 CHARISMA: The First Impression Can Seal the Deal
3 COMMITMENT: It Separates Doers from Dreamers
4 COMMUNICATION: Without It You Travel Alone
5 COMPETENCE: If You Build It, They Will Come
6 COURAGE: One Person with Courage Is a Majority
7 DISCERNMENT: Put an End to Unsolved Mysteries
8 FOCUS: The Sharper It Is, the Sharper You Are
9 GENEROSITY: Your Candle Loses Nothing When It Lights Another
10 INITIATIVE: You Won’t Leave Home Without It
11 LISTENING: To Connect with Their Hearts, Use Your Ears
12 PASSION: Take This Life and Love It
13 POSITIVE ATTITUDE: If You Believe You Can, You Can
14 PROBLEM SOLVING: You Can’t Let Your Problems Be a Problem
15 RELATIONSHIPS: If You Get Along, They’ll Go Along
16 RESPONSIBILITY: If You Won’t Carry the Ball, You Can’t Lead the Team
17 SECURITY: Competence Never Compensates for Insecurity
18 SELF-DISCIPLINE: The First Person You Lead Is You
19 SERVANTHOOD: To Get Ahead, Put Others First
20 TEACHABILITY: To Keep Leading, Keep Learning
21 VISION: You Can Seize Only What You Can See

Leadership is an inside job.

Leaders are effective because of who they are on the inside—in the qualities that make them up as people. And to go to the highest level of leadership, people have to develop these traits from the inside out.

Everything rises and falls on leadership. And leadership truly develops from the inside out. If you can become the leader you ought to be on the inside, you will be able to become the leader you want to be on the outside. People will want to follow you. And when that happens, you’ll be able to tackle anything in this world.

1 CHARACTER: Be a Piece of the Rock

Leadership is the capacity and will to rally men and women to a common purpose and the character which inspires confidence.—Bernard Montgomery, British Field Marshal

How a leader deals with the circumstances of life tells you many things about his character. Crisis doesn’t necessarily make character, but it certainly does reveal it. Adversity is a crossroads that makes a person choose one of two paths: character or compromise. Every time he chooses character, he becomes stronger, even if that choice brings negative consequences.


Improving your character

• Search for the cracks. Spend some time looking at the major areas of your life (work, marriage, family, service, etc.), and identify anywhere you might have cut corners, compromised, or let people down. Write down every instance you can recall from the past two months.

• Look for patterns. Examine the responses that you just wrote down. Is there a particular area where you have a weakness, or do you have a type of problem that keeps surfacing? Detectable patterns will help you diagnose character issues.

• Face the music. The beginning of character repair comes when you face your flaws, apologize, and deal with the consequences of your actions. Create a list of people to whom you need to apologize for your actions, then follow through with sincere apologies.

•Rebuild. It’s one thing to face up to your past actions. It’s another to build a new future. Now that you’ve identified any areas of weakness, create a plan that will prevent you from making the same mistakes again.

CHARISMA: The First Impression Can Seal the Deal

How can you have charisma? Be more concerned about making others feel good about themselves than you are making them feel good about you. —Dan Reiland

Roadblocks to Charisma

Pride. Nobody wants to follow a leader who thinks he is better than everyone else.

Insecurity. If you are uncomfortable with who you are, others will be too.

Moodiness. If people never know what to expect from you, they stop expecting anything.

Perfectionism. People respect the desire for excellence, but dread totally unrealistic expectations.

Cynicism. People don’t want to be rained on by someone who sees a cloud around every silver lining.

3 COMMITMENT: It Separates Doers from Dreamers

People do not follow uncommitted leaders. Commitment can be displayed in a full range of matters to include the work hours you choose to maintain, how you work to improve your abilities, or what you do for your fellow workers at personal sacrifice. —Stephen Gregg, Chairman and CEO of Ethix Corp.

What is commitment? To each person, it means something different:

To the boxer, it’s getting off the mat one time more than you’ve been knocked down.
To the marathoner, it’s running another ten miles when your strength is gone.
To the soldier, it’s going over the hill, not knowing what’s waiting on the other side.
To the missionary, it’s saying good-bye to your own comfort to make life better for others.
To the leader, it’s all that and more because everyone you lead is depending on you.

If you want to be an effective leader, you have to be committed. True commitment inspires and attracts people. It shows them that you have conviction. They will believe in you only if you believe in your cause. As the Law of Buy-In states, people buy into the leader, then the vision.

When it comes to commitment, there are really only four types of people:

1. Cop-outs. People who have no goals and do not commit.

2. Holdouts. People who don’t know if they can reach their goals, so they’re afraid to commit.

3. Dropouts. People who start toward a goal but quit when the going gets tough.

4. All-outs. People who set goals, commit to them, and pay the price to reach them.

4 COMMUNICATION: Without It You Travel Alone

Educators take something simple and make it complicated. Communicators take something complicated and make it simple. —John C. Maxwell

Improving your communication

To improve your communication, do the following:

•Be clear as a bell. Examine a letter, memo, or other item you’ve recently written.

“To a communicator, your best friends are simplicity and clarity. Write your next piece of communication keeping both in mind.

• Refocus your attention. During the coming week, pay attention to your focus when you communicate. Is it on you, your material, or your audience? If it’s not on people, you need to change it. Think about their needs, questions, and desires. Meet people where they are, and you will be a better communicator.

[David J. Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not even done with it and I've been amazed by what it has been teaching me. Although the book is simplistic in style and open to many types of leadership, it poses many good points on how to be a leader in good and bad times.

What I've learned most is when he tells a story about a leader that achieved great things because of their intuition, drive, passion, listening, and so on and so forth. It allowed me to see deeper into the process of Sam Walton of Wal-Mart and Oprah Winfrey and how they rose to success. Even though I'm not a fan of either one, it gives me an open end to seeing how the were driven toward success in their life and shown all of their efforts did them a lot of good.

I'm reading this book for a class so it's a required book, but I recommend this book to anyone who has the desire to be a leader for others. You can't be a leader without many good things, and Maxwell walks you trough 21 short chapters on how to excel in all 21 chapters. Please check this book out and read it!!

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know, I know. A book about leadership and how great can that actually be. Well, pretty damn great in this case. The book is small (155 pgs) and the synopsis of the "qualities" are short, but what makes the book great is the common sense approach to a subject that some of us really use in everyday life. Whether you're a seasoned pro or a new manager this book will offer a great refresher course or a foundation for what great leadership really is: Developing effective communication.

I have been reading sections of the book to my Executive Staff in our daily stand-up meetings and everyone has commented on how many of the precepts have changed their management style.

Read it and become "the person others will want to follow".

[Alex Timberman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure how helpful self-help books really are. Lot of times, they say the things we want to hear, but don’t provide any lasting impressions, unlike the power of a good novel.

But for what it is, this was an interesting book. I like his ethical Christian perspective and he put in a lot of research to turn out an easy to read book on leadership. He goes through 21 traits of leadership with some historical examples along with a short summary of the trait at the end of each chapter. He recommends that you focus on each trait and make it a part of your life.

There’s a lot of agreeable advice here, but not the kind that really transforms the way you view yourself, others, and society. I recommend it those that want an easy to read, feel-good book.