This book “High Road Leadership” is another masterful work of the leadership guru, John C. Maxwell. It is his latest book originally published May 7th, 2024. In it, he presents a kind of culmination to an idea he has been teaching of ‘living beyond success’. According to John, Beyond Success calls for a life of ‘significance’ where the leader focuses on ‘adding value to others.’ A conscious and intentional daily living directed toward value addition.
1. The ‘Low Road leadership’ – where the people think only of themselves, taking from others without the thought of giving anything back, think the world owes them, behave as the victims, and take advantage of the chasm that separates people and widen it if they can, more importantly, they devalue people. This road, according to John’s determinations, does not bring people together.
2. The ‘Middle Road leadership’ – where fairness is valued. On the middle road, the people are open to give-and-take to keep things even, preferring to get as much as they give and to be the first ones to receive. A ‘me-first’ leadership path. This road is based on a transaction mindset. To only give if given. To only listen if listened to. He counsels that this road too does not bring people together.
3. The ‘High Road leadership’ is the ultimate preferred path for a leader seeking a life of significance. This is where people give first without worrying about receiving anything back. The ‘others first’ leadership road. They value every person and want to keep the balance in the other person’s favor because they know it makes the world a better place (brings people together). He points out that this road requires a certain mindset that is focused on others; on their well-being, promoting them, directing their attention on them, and looking for the good in others to try to bring out their best. This road, he concludes, is the only one that brings people together.
Additionally, he brings up an advancement to the famed ‘value addition’ goal by suggesting to the reader about up-leveling added value to an ‘appreciated value’ which he adds has a multiplying factor. This he describes as “…giving people something of value plus finding out what they desire and adding that…”(John C. Maxwell, pg136) This book is a step-by-step structure on how to bring people together. Pointedly, it’s an all-round goal. .
John has demonstrated incredible proof supporting the importance of becoming a high-road leader. I am persuaded to follow his advice as I lead a life of significance in my life, family, work, social, and community
I recommend this book to anyone who desires to lead a life beyond conventional success and to every leader in all areas. To everyone who has gone through the ‘Beyond Success Round Tables’ by the ‘John C. Maxwell EQUIP Program,’ this book is a must-read and live. I am definitely looking forward to what John will present next.
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