Pros: A solid primer on the critical role that thinking plays in success.
Cons: Some Skills seem similar to one another. But this is a very minor con.
The Bottom Line: An early text box succinctly captures Maxwell's rationale. “One of the reasons people don’t achieve their dreams is that they desire to change their results without changing their thinking.”
gungian's Full Review: John C. Maxwell - Thinking for a Change: 11 Ways H...
Maxwell makes a strong case for the value of "thinking well" if we expect to do well. After half dozen surgical procedures, I now accept that my vision will never be what it once was. But I was THINKING; will I allow that to keep me from my love affair with reading? I REFUSE! This is my first review in 9 months. Thank you for bearing with me.
These 257 pages of text paint a verbal roadmap of how sound mental habits can help pave a road to success. Not necessarily "the" road but "a" road. Maxwell's is a two-lane highway ramping up to success.
Part I: Change Your Thinking and Change Your Life is the travel lane that leads us to answer three basic questions.
Chapter 1. Understand the Value of Good Thinking (3 - 20) considers "What does it mean to be a good thinker?" In doing so, Maxwell leverages brief comments from the likes of Albert Einstein to Victor Hugo. Pages 18 and 19 pose four questions that can help the reader determine if he/she really "believes" that good thinking can be life changing.
Chapter 2. Realize the Impact of Changed Thinking (21 - 36) investigates "How does changing my thinking impact the level of my success?" This goes beyond the simplistic "does it contribute" or "doesn't it contribute". Rather, Maxwell discusses how incremental change in thinking can lead to increased success. It is about a continuum as opposed to a completion. On pages 35 and 36 he presents a trio of questions to help the reader assess her/his "readiness" for change.
Chapter 3. Master the Process of Intentional Thinking (37 - 56) addresses "How can I cultivate the habit of giving birth to, nurturing, and developing great thoughts every day?" Especially important are the other "players" who contribute to our thinking process. The five questions on pages 54 and 55 are intended to help the reader determine if he/she is willing to "pay the price" of change.
Part II: Eleven Thinking Skills Every Successful Person Needs is the passing lane that shows us how to harness our thinking horsepower to propel us forward.
1. Acquire the Wisdom of Big-Picture Thinking (59 - 76)
2. Unleash the Potential of Focused Thinking (77 - 96)
3. Discover the Joy of Creative Thinking (97 - 120)
4. Recognize the Importance of Realistic Thinking (121 - 136)
5. Release the Power of Strategic Thinking (137 - 154)
6. Feel the Energy of Possibility Thinking (155 - 172)
7. Embrace the Lessons of Reflective Thinking (173 - 190)
8. Question the Acceptance of Popular Thinking (191 - 206)
9. Encourage the Participation of Shared Thinking (207 - 222)
10. Experience the Satisfaction of Unselfish Thinking (223 - 238)
11. Enjoy the Return of Bottom-Line Thinking (239 - 252)
Maxwell uses descriptive vignettes and pithy quotes to illustrate his take on these skills. I currently reside in the Virginia suburbs close in to Washington DC. So perhaps you will forgive me if I got more than a chuckle from one of former mayor Marion Barry's big-picture musings. "Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country."
Thinking For A Change is a relatively easy read. Take it for a test ride.
John C. Maxwell is a well-respected in the field of leadership. Some of his other recent publications on the subject include: Maxwell 3-in-1 Special Edition (2000); The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader (1999); and The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership (1998).
Thinking For A Change 11 Ways Highly Successful People Approach Life and Work
John C. Maxwell
Warner Books
Clayton, VIC
Hardback 2003
ISBN 0-446-52957-5
At the heart of John C. Maxwell's brilliant and inspiring program is a simple premise: To do well in life, we must first think well...More at Audible.com
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