The 360-Degree Leader

Title: The 360-Degree Leader
Author: John C. Maxwell
Publisher: Thomas Nelson Publishers
Copyright: 2005

Reviewed by: Daniel Zampelli

What were the overall strengths of this book?
John Maxwell writes of being a leader in your organization regardless of your position in the agency.  He begins his book by addressing the myths associated with leading from the middle of the organization.  He then assesses the challenges and ways to lead-up, across and down the organization.  He concludes by listing five values of a 360-Degree leader.

This book re-enforces the fact that leaders are not just at the top positions of an organization.  Rather, “The true measure of leadership is influence- nothing more, nothing less”

What were the drawbacks, if any, of this book?
I did not see any drawback to this book.  It was easy to read and John Maxwell did an excellent job drawing from personal experiences and stories to help exemplify each point.

How does this book tie into the workplace and/or our community? How might you apply the insights in this book to your own leadership?
On a professional level, this book describes how a person at any position of the organization can be a leader by exercising influence to those around him/her.

From a personal perspective, this book makes clear that leadership comes from within.  “A position doesn’t make the leader, but a leader can make the position.”

To whom would you recommend this book and why?
I would recommend this book to anyone who is in the middle of their organization, especially to those who may be frustrated or believe they do not have value or make a difference in their organization.  In addition, I would recommend this book to anyone who wishes to strengthen their personal leadership skills.

What is the “bottom line” of this book?
The bottom line of this book is that leaders are not defined by the position they hold in the organization but, rather, the influence they have with those above them, below them and across from them: the “360-Degree Leader.”

Is there anything else you would like to add that stands out about this book?
John Maxwell has written numerous books about personal and professional leadership.  His focus is from a spiritual point of view and utilizes these beliefs to guide him throughout the book. It is my belief that, regardless of the readers’ spiritual perspective, they will benefit from the structure and content of these writings.

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