Mentored by the Books I Read, by the Authors I Never Met #LeadersAreReaders December 2025

J. Oswald Sanders, in his book Spiritual Leadership (revised, 2017), writes: “If people are known by the company they keep, so also their character is reflected in the books they read. A leader’s reading is the outward expression of their inner hunger and aspirations. The vast number of titles pouring from the presses today makes discriminating choice essential. We can afford to read only the best, only that which invigorates our mission. Our reading should be regulated by who we are and what we intend to accomplish.” Sanders reminds us that what we choose to read both reveals and shapes who we are, especially for those called to lead. In a world flooded with information, intentional and discerning reading is not a luxury but a responsibility, as it profoundly influences our convictions, clarity, and calling.

Since mentoring can be understood as one life empowering another, I have always regarded certain authors as some of my most influential mentors. Though I never met them personally, their lives and insights came alive in my study as I spent countless hours reading their works, eager to learn and grow. Authors who have deeply shaped me include J. I. Packer (Knowing God), John Piper (Don’t Waste Your Life), John MacArthur (Ashamed of the Gospel), Adrian Rogers (Unveiling the End Times in Our Time), Oswald Smith (The Challenge of Missions), John Stott (The Message of 2 Timothy), Michael Heiser (The Unseen Realm), Anthony Robbins (Awaken the Giant Within), Jim Rohn (The Art of Exceptional Living), John Maxwell (The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership), and C. S. Lewis (The Chronicles of Narnia), among others.

In addition, biographies of heroes of the faith such as Charles Spurgeon, John Sung, and William Tyndale have also been a great help to me, as their lives and testimonies continue to instruct, inspire, and strengthen my walk with the LORD. As Sanders so aptly puts it, “The leader should read to have fellowship with great minds. Through books, we hold communion with the greatest spiritual leaders of the ages" 💯#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

Read my monthly articles on reading HERE 🔗 https://legasitv.blogspot.com/search/label/Book%20Review?m=1

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

How To Become A People Magnet: 62 Life-Changing Tips To Attract Everyone You Meet (2019) by Marc Reklau, Book Review

 How To Become A People Magnet: 62 Life-Changing Tips To Attract Everyone You Meet (2019) by Marc Reklau

Bad news: I've not become a people magnet after I finished reading it. Good news: This book reminds me to at least try to increase my magnet-ism or be a less annoying person (or don't make it worse! It is hard to be one if one of my heroes of faith is John the Baptist). Hey, these are "tips" not a book of spells, and reading alone will not make any difference in anyone's social lives if not practiced. It is application, not knowledge, that transforms people. For sure, salespeople need to read this book! But it is also good for anyone who wants to improve their social skills and relationships. The author writes, "The most successful people are usually the ones who best get along with people. (Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule). Science tells us that the number one predictor of success and lasting happiness is our social relationships. People with a strong social network even live longer!"

I've observed how tactless young people are today when they try to communicate with others. I've seen how insensitive people are when interacting with those who are younger than them. I've witnessed many awkward communications between students and coworkers. Some people say technologies and gadgets are the enemy, but it's not entirely true. I think it's our personal belief that says (at its core), "People are not important; I am!" Ryan Holiday's book title summed it up well: "Ego is the enemy.” Even if egoistic people seem interested in building relationships, their main goal is not to serve but to use others, not to build but to manipulate others. Thus, these tips can be used for both good and evil, but as the Scripture says, "There is nothing concealed that it will not be revealed, nor so hidden that it will not be made known."

This short book is divided into seven (7) parts. Some tips are very common sense ("Be friendly"), too positive ("Don't criticize"), and probably not suitable for certain types of people ("Praise and praise a lot!"). Most tips are good reminders ("Listen to people actively"), practical ("How to make a good impression"), and humbling ("Talk about your own mistakes first"). There are a few tips that I know I need to practice, but I just can't imagine myself doing them. My excuse is my personality, but in high probability, it's my ego. Lord, help me, a sinner. By the way, on a related topic, I want to recommend these books:

• Winning With People and 25 Ways to Win With People by John C. Maxwell

• How To Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie

• The Rules of People by Richard Templar

• The Laws of Human Nature by Robert Greene

 #ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #HowToBecomeAPeopleMagnet #MarcReklau #PeopleSkills #Relationships #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

To read my other book reviews/summaries, CLICK HERE

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication: Apply Them and Make the Most of Your Message (2023) by John C. Maxwell, Audiobook Review

 The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication: Apply Them and Make the Most of Your Message (2023) by John C. Maxwell

You can have the greatest idea in the world, the most loving heart in the universe, and the wisest wisdom in heaven, but if you cannot communicate your ideas, feelings, and thoughts well, all these are powerless. Robert Frost humorously but rightly observes: "Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can’t, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it." Communication skills are important. I once had a friend during Bible study who I sensed had something worth saying but couldn't express well because he was struggling to find words, phrases, and ways to communicate his points. Blessed message but poorly executed. Have you experienced the same thing?

This is why - especially if you're a leader but also not necessarily because everyone communicates in one form or another - you need to learn how to communicate well. Even if you're already good at it, I think John C. Maxwell can still add more value to you. I've read Mr. Maxwell's Laws books on leadership, teamwork, growth, and now communication (by the way, readers and doers are two different matters). This one is as good as the others. It has all the lessons that you can learn from his other book, entitled Everyone Communicates, Few Connect except more. Most of the 'laws' are not new or unique, but Mr. Maxwell, a very good communicator himself, has the gift of making complicated insights simple. If you have to choose only one book to read on communication this year, then, I highly recommend this one. These 'laws' are truly undeniable.

According to John C. Maxwell, there are five (5) essentials to communication: 1) Who Say It (The Law of Credibility, Observation & Conviction); 2) What Is Said (The Law of Preparation, Collaboration & Content); 3) How It Is Said (The Law of Connecting, Leverage, Anticipation, Simplicity, Visual Expression & Storytelling); 4) When It Is Said (The Law of Thermostat & Change-Up); and 5) Why It Is Said (The Law of Adding Value & Results).

In my first round of listening to the audiobook (8 hours 57 minutes), three laws that speak to me are:

• The Law of Credibility: Your Most Effective Message Is the One You Live
• The Law of Simplicity: Communicators Take Something Complicated and Make It Simple
• The Law of Change-Up: Sameness Is the Death of Communication

As for now, I want to focus on these three. I will listen to this audiobook again next month.

#ServeToLead #ReadersAreLeaders #The16UndeniableLawsOfCommunication #CommunicationSkills #JohnCMaxwell #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

To read my other book reviews/summaries, CLICK HERE

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Read Books and Beat the Goldfish! #LeadersAreReaders February 2022

Currently, I’m rereading Chris Bailey’s Hyperfocus (2018). When I went to MPH Bookstore the other day, I saw a new book that interest me by Johann Hari entitled Stolen Focus (2022). But the price is so expensive, RM89.90! I understand the book business is having a hard time nowadays and in the same way, owning physical books and encouraging people to be readers is getting hard too (state libraries and discount bookstores like BookXcess are saviors for bibliophiles). Not that I cannot afford to buy the book but as I browse through the contents - besides having newer research and the author’s unique perspectives - I realize that the challenge of managing attention and focus today is the same as yesterday. No new book can claim that this is a new phenomenon. Thus, I reread Hyperfocus and settle with just listening and watching interviews of Johann Hari online… hoping that soon the State Library will have it available. Lord, have mercy.

“Reading a book requires a good deal of attention,” writes Chris Bailey, “and with attention becoming a rare commodity, fewer people can devote themselves to reading without distraction.” Attention is our most limited and constrained resource. According to Microsoft Attention Spans Research Report*, the average human attention span in 2000 is 12 seconds and in 2013, it decreased drastically to 8 seconds (I don’t know how they measure this, but the goldfish have an average attention span of 9 seconds. 1 second longer than the average human!). In today’s fast-paced world of information overload, we’re constantly flooded with social media notifications, text messages, and games. Smartphone users, like you and me, check our devices about 80 to 90 times a day. No wonder we are so distracted. This is one of the reasons for the decline of book-reading culture in Malaysia and the world in general.  We still read but read bits and pieces of information. We have amassed lots of random information but lack actual knowledge, depth, and wisdom. This is not just affecting the overall quality of our work-life (or study-life, if you’re a student) but also the state of our mental health and spirituality.

Therefore, you must cultivate a love for reading books. It helps to train you (or force you, at the beginning) to increase your attention spans. It requires attention and it improves your attention. Jessalyn Lau, from the neuroscience perspective, says: “Reading has been proven to increase your focus, attention span, concentration, and to improve memory.” Perhaps you say you don’t have time to read books. I get what you mean. You have works to do, family to care for, products to promote, etc. But “no time” is a myth. Unless you move at the speed of light and the theory of special relativity applied to you, we all have the same amount of time. It's not about you don’t have time but it's about you MAKE time. We have no problem carving out time for things we want to do. So, take or buy a book that interest you, set an uninterrupted time (10 to 15 minutes for a start) today, turn off or switch your smartphone to silent mode and put it away from your reach, make a cup of hot coffee or tea or chocolate and start reading! Start small but do it frequently. At first, you will still be easily distracted. However, over time it will become a habit. And soon, you will be proud of yourself because you have beat the goldfish attention span record! Congratulation!

*https://www.scribd.com/document/265348695/Microsoft-Attention-Spans-Research-Report  

#ServeToLead #Hyperfocus #AttentionSpans #BeatTheGoldfish #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

To read my book reviews of #LeadersAreReaders FEBRUARY 2022, CLICK LINKS below:

1) On the Future: Prospects for Humanity (2018) by Martin Rees https://bit.ly/OnTheFuture

2) The Gift of Reading (2016) by Robert Macfarlane https://bit.ly/MacfarlaneReading 

3) 25 Ways to Win With People (2005) by John C. Maxwell https://bit.ly/25WaysPeople 

4) The Previous book reviews https://bit.ly/1Book1Week 

 

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/                             
Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiSpotify                            
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LEGASItv/                        

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

How to Stay Motivated: Developing the Qualities of Success (2008) by Zig Ziglar, Audiobook Review

How to Stay Motivated: Developing the Qualities of Success (2008) by Zig Ziglar, Audiobook

 
Hilary Hinton "Zig" Ziglar (1926-2012), hands down, is one of my favorite personal development and motivational speakers of all time. There were several periods in my life where I did nothing (not literally) but listened to motivational talks for hours, day after day while I'm riding, cycling, walking, hiking, and cooking. I listened to Anthony Robbins, Brian Tracy, Les Brown, Jim Rohn, and other old-school speakers. I always get valuable lessons and inspirational boosts from them but some of their teachings are questionable and straight out New Age. This requires discernment. But two speakers that I can listen to over and over again with confidence are John C. Maxwell and Zig Ziglar. Zig doesn't hide the fact that he is a committed Christian. He, from time to time, inserted Biblical principles in his talks (He is not a Christian speaker but a speaker who is a Christ-follower). At first, I cannot bear his Southern accent but after I'm getting used to his deep and raspy voice, his sense of humor, his storyteller skill, his vast knowledge, and wisdom, I started to like him and his teachings. I can complete his sentences because they are memorable and applicable.

This 7 hours 48 minutes audiobook of How to Stay Motivated (Volume 1) is a collection of Zig Ziglar's recorded live studio audience. I love it! You can hear his passion, audience interactions and imagine as if you're there in the seminars. To be honest, some of the lessons are repetitive but like Ziglar himself said: "Repetition is the mother of learning, the father of action, which makes it the architect of accomplishment." The audiobook includes how to achieve goals, enhance relationships, improve self-image, have a winning mindset, the power of leadership, purpose, attitude, and vision, the joy of service (one of his famous quotes say it all: “You will get all you want in life if you help enough other people get what they want"), and more. When asked why we need to stay motivated, his classic response was: “People often say motivation doesn’t last. Neither does bathing - that’s why we recommend it daily.”

I don't listen and read self-help books that much anymore. If I do, I usually go for the classics. The modern-day self-help books can be very shallow, cringe (like TikTok 'preachers'), hype, similar contents, and sometimes give bad and harmful advice. There are some good ones though. Again, this requires discernment. Too much self-help can be self-harm. As you can guess, I recommend Zig Ziglar's books especially See You At The Top, Over The Top, Better Than Good and God's Way Is Still the Best Way :) #ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #ZigZiglar #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

To read my previous book reviews (grammatical errors included), CLICK HERE

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/                            
Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiSpotify                           
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LEGASItv/                       

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

25 Ways to Win with People (2005) by John C. Maxwell and Les Parrott, Book Review

 25 Ways to Win with People: How to Make Others Feel Like a Million Bucks (2005)
by John C. Maxwell and Les Parrott

I believe in God’s calling in my life. As I reflect, it is impossible for me in the past to have worked in the people business and enjoy it (previously I was working in the cinema management team) and then enter into the people-centered ministry that I’m passionately doing now. Personality-wise, I’m not a people person. I was proud, selfish, and headstrong. But only by the love and grace of God, He slowly shapes my character and continues to teach - and often discipline - me to love others. When God calls, we must respond, then He will equip us. Having said that, loving people is not automatic (in my case, I need a miracle!) but it requires humility, perspective, and practice. But the question is WHY? Why it is important to love people? As Christ-followers, this should be obvious. Look at Christ’s examples and read Christ’s words. But generally speaking, we live with each other, we work with each other, we are dependent on each other, and we always meet each other. There is no such thing as a self-made man. Even Superman needs Louis! As John Andrew Holmes puts it: “It is well to remember that the entire universe, with one trifling exception, is composed of others.”

So, since we cannot avoid people, we might as well learn to love people. And when you try, you will eventually genuinely love them (Yes, some people require more grace from our part. Actually, vice versa). I brought this book back in 2010 because I saw the need for me to learn to develop relationships with my boss, colleagues, and staff to win their hearts. Besides, in the cinema business, I have to deal with many types of clients and customers. I was young and inexperienced but hungry enough to learn from my mistakes and try new things. This book together with John’s larger book Winning with People (2004) and Dale Carnegie’s classic How to Win Friends and Influence People (1936) have been a great help for me. 12 years later, as I read through this book again, I’m amazed by how relevant, important, and simply profound these twenty-five ways are to win with people. There are lots of good stories and I particularly love the “On Bringing It Home” section in every chapter designed to help the readers to put each way/lesson into action. There are lines, highlights, juicy quotes, and personal notes in my copy that bring back good memories.

Ps: One concern that I have with this kind of book is that: we must draw the line (no matter how thin the line is) between influencing and manipulating people. Use it wisely and ethically.

Truth be told, I have become slightly better in my relationships with people. Slowly yet hopeful. Some of these lessons have turned into habits; some I still have to practice; some are a bit more challenging - stubborn! - to implement. When I observe myself, people around me, and how people interact in social media and technologies like Zoom, Skype, Google Meet, etc. it reminds me that all the more we have to learn to connect with people effectively as humans, improve our interpersonal skills, breathe encouragements, be genuinely interested with others online and offline, and make the most of every opportunity to “keep winning by helping others win” said John Maxwell. I may forget my own advice or lessons that I learned from this book and realistically cannot win every people I encounter, but Lord, I pray, for me and you, to make a difference at least to one person even with a simple gesture of kindness that we meet TODAY. May he or she says, “I have become better for having known you.”

#ServeToLead #LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeaders #WinningWithPeople #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

To read my other book reviews by John C. Maxwell, CLICK HERE

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/                         
Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiSpotify                         
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LEGASItv/                     

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Read the Bible But Don't JUST Read the Bible #1Book1Week October 2021

“When people refer to a man as 'a man of one book’, meaning the Bible, he is generally found to be a man of multitudinous books, which simply isolates the one Book to its proper grandeur,” said Oswald Chambers, a preacher, teacher, and writer of a well-known devotion My Utmost for His Highest. “The man who reads only the Bible does not, as a rule, know it or human life.” I agree wholeheartedly! Mr. Oswald loves for books came in part from his sitting at the feet of the Scottish preacher Alexander Whyte, who taught a series of classes that Oswald attended as a young man. Many times Oswald saw Whyte hold up a battered old book, telling the students, “Sell your beds and buy it.”

Afterward, Oswald never went anywhere without a book. Once, while traveling, he wrote to his sister Florence saying: “My box has at last arrived. My books! I cannot tell you what they mean to me – silent, wealthy, loyal lovers. To look at them, to handle them, and to re-read them! I do thank God for my books with every fiber of my being. Why, I could have almost cried to an excess of joy when I got hold of them again. I see them all just at my elbow now – Plato, Wordsworth, Myers, Bradley, Halyburton, St. Augustine, Browning, Tennyson, Amiel, etc. I know them. I wish you could see how they look at me, a quiet, calm look of certain acquaintance" (quote taken from David McCasland's Oswald Chambers: Abandoned to God).

As Christ-followers, the Bible is our one and only chief Book that we all need to read, study and meditate daily. But this doesn’t mean that it is the only book that we need to read. Broaden your mind, enlarge your visions and uplift your spirit by reading other types or genres of books too. If I need to be inspired to walk in the faith, I read biographies like those of William Carrey, John Calvin, Hudson Taylor, Martin Luther, Charles H. Spurgeon, John Sung, etc. If I want to learn about the Scripture and theology, I turn to John McArthur, J.I. Packer, David Pawson, John Stott, etc. If I want to improve my leadership, I read John C. Maxwell and J. Oswald Sanders. To improve my critical thinking skills, I read Tony Buzan and Edward de Bono. So many subjects, so many choices, so little time! Read widely. Read more. Read daily.

#ServeToLead #GrowingLeaders #LeadersAreReaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

To read my October 2021 #1Book1Week reviews - obviously, my reading theme was on preaching this month - CLICK TITLES below ���

1) The Supremacy of God In Preaching (1990, 2004) by John Piper
2) Preaching & Preachers (1971, 1997) by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
3) Charles Spurgeon: The Prince of Preachers (1988) by J. C. Carlile,

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/                                
Podcast: http://bit.ly/LegasiSpotify                 
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/LEGASItv/             

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Do You Have a Reading Mentor? #1Book1Week November 2020

 

Do you have mentors? I hope you do. If you can, find one mentor for each skill that you want to develop. As for me, I want to develop in these areas: leadership, evangelism, attitude, and developing others (L.E.A.D.). As for evangelism, the late Charles H. Spurgeon is one of my distant (long death) mentors. I've read a dozen of his biographies and books. All in my library at home. I wish I can meet him in person and learn by observing his life. But he is the man of the past born in British in 1834 and died in 1892. His passion for winning souls is very contagious. His sermons are powerful and God-centred. Another thing that I admire about Spurgeon is his love for books. I want to emulate his reading habit but I'm far from his genius, concentration, and comprehension power.

From an early age, Spurgeon was a reader — and gradually became a ferocious reader, usually reading 6 books per week (that's #6Books1Week) even amid a busy schedule of sermon preparations (usually he preached 4-10 sermons a week), writing books and editing the monthly magazine. By the end of his life, he amassed a library of over 7,000 books. No doubt this reading habit played a major part in moulding his mind to powerfully unpack biblical truth with the clarity and imagination he is known for. The Prince of Preachers advises: "Give yourself unto reading. The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted. He who will not use the thoughts of other men’s brains proves that he has no brains of his own. You need to read [books]." Yes sir! Of course, he read mostly heavy theological books (just admire his God-given brain, don't need to compare) but he also read many 'secular' books.

If you know Spurgeon, my goal to read #1Book1Week is nothing in comparison. And that is good 😆 If I'm ahead, he will never be my mentor 🤭 To read my sort-of review for these books 👇 CLICK THE LINKS:

#1 Bribery and Corruption:Biblical Reflections and Case Studies for the Marketplace in Asia (2018) by Bishop Hwa Yung

#2 The 5 Essential PeopleSkills: How to Assert Yourself, Listen to Others, and Resolve Conflicts (2004) by Dale Carnegie

#3 The Holiness of God (1984) by R.C. Sproul

#4 The Leader’s Greatest Return: Attracting, Developing, and Multiplying Leaders (2020) by John C. Maxwell

#LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain #LeadersAreReaders #CharlesHSpurgeon

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/              
Podcast: https://anchor.fm/LEGASI.tv/           
YouTube: http://bit.ly/LEGASItv

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Five (5) Rules of Relationships (#GrowingLeader)

Relationships help us define who we are and what we can become. In the area of leadership, relationships are crucial. In fact, John C. Maxwell, who taught me to be R.E.A.L. (Relationship, Equipping, Attitude, Leadership), says, "Relationships are the foundation of leadership." I don't know about you, but I'm naturally not a people person. So these five (5) rules help me a lot:

1) GET ALONG WITH YOURSELF - The one relationship you will have until you die is with yourself. Treat yourself with the respect and love you deserve.

2) VALUE PEOPLE - You cannot make another person feel important if you secretly feel that he or she is a nobody. Recognize that everyone has innate value and treat them accordingly.

3) MAKE THE EFFORT TO FORM RELATIONSHIPS - The result of a person who has never served others? Loneliness (I always see this in WhatsApp statuses). Be proactive! Make the effort. Reach out.

4) UNDERSTAND THE RECIPROCITY RULE - What you put into the lives of others comes back into your own. That's why I love to inspire you through LEGASI.tv. Your growth is my joy.

5) FOLLOW THE GOLDEN RULE - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (but take considerations of people's real needs, contexts, and personalities).

I'm still learning. What is your best rule/principle/technique? 😊⚡✔ #ServeToLead #RelationshipLeadership #GrowingLeader

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/             
Podcast: https://anchor.fm/LEGASI.tv/          
YouTube: http://bit.ly/LEGASItv

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

Leadershift: The 11 Essential Changes Every Leader Must Embrace (2019) by John C. Maxwell, Book Review

 

Leadershift: The 11 Essential Changes Every Leader Must Embrace (2019) 

by John C. Maxwell

I've read this book twice. One during my travel to Peninsular Malaysia last year; and then I read again this year. John Maxwell has been my distant mentor ever since I started my first job after graduating from university. One quote from John that I will never forget is this: "Everything rises and falls on leadership." Core principles of leadership like competence, courage, consistency, character, etc. will never change but the world around us changes rapidly. It is not a call to compromise but to adapt - to shift our leadership. John highlights a study that was published in The Flux Report reported that "91% of future recruiting in the workplace will be based on people's ability to deal with change and uncertainty." Change or die!

What is leadershift? John defines it as an ability and willingness to make a leadership change that will positively enhance organizational and personal growth. "Leadershift is not easy," John reminds us, "especially when you first start doing it. Often you leave behind something that has worked to pursue something untested. You'll have to deal with the tension between the stability that gives security and the adaptability that opens up the opportunity... The desire to improve will drive you to keep learning. But here's the good news: learning to leadershift will make you a better leader!" I want that for myself - and as I share this short review - I want this for you too. We all can be highly benefitted from a good leadership paradigm. We all can learn and grow to become a leader we are meant to be. We all can be a better leader.

Here are the 11 shifts that we have to embrace, learn, and practice to be more effective (and relevant) as a leader in the fast-paced world today. I'm good with some, okay with a few, and there are a lot of improvements that I have to make. How about you? Check this out 👇👇👇

#1 The Focus Shift - from Soloist to Conductor
#2 The Personal Development Shift - from Goals to Growth
#3 The Cost Shift - from Perks to Price
#4 The Relational Shift - from Pleasing People to Challenging People
#5 The Abundance Shift - from Maintaining to Creating
#6 The Reproduction Shift - from Ladder Climbing to Ladder Building
#7 The Communication Shift - from Directing to Connecting
#8 The Improvement Shift - from Team Uniformity to Team Diversity
#9 The Influence Shift - from Positional Authority to Moral Authority
#10 The Impact Shift - from Trained Leaders to Transformational Leaders
#11 The Passion Shift - from Career to Calling

Buy this book (or ebook or audiobook). If it's too expensive for you, eat only once per day and save your money. Hey, you need to improve your leadership. Change or die! 😊📖💪 #ServeToLead #1Book1Week #LeadersAreReaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain #Leadership #Leadershift #JohnCMaxwell

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/             
Podcast: https://anchor.fm/LEGASI.tv/          
YouTube: http://bit.ly/LEGASItv

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

The 5 Essential People Skills, (2004) by Dale Carnegie, Sort-of-Book Review

The 5 Essential People Skills: How to Assert Yourself, Listen to Others, 

and Resolve Conflicts (2004) by Dale Carnegie

I've read How to Win Friends and Influence People and The Leader In You (to read my review, CLICK HERE) and so this is a refreshing and reminding course for me. Naturally, I'm not a people person. It's not that I don't love people, but people can be troublesome. In the past, I have no problem using people and influence them for my benefit but intentionally want to help and develop people? That one requires continuous learning, practicing, and humility. This book - and others like John C. Maxwell’s Winning with People - have helped me a lot  As I enter the workplace and serve in the ministry, people skill is even more important. Dale asserts, "No matter what your line of work, even if it's in one of the technical professions, your degree of success depends on your ability to interact effectively with other people."

The five (5) Essential People Skills are:

#1 Rapport Building
#2 Curiosity
#3 Communication
#4 Ambition
#5 Conflict Resolution

I want to summarize each skill but after some thought, it is better if you learn it for yourself. I suggest you don’t need to read the book, just listen to the audiobook. You can get so much value from just listening. Go to YouTube for the audiobook (for personal use only), CLICK HERE.

#ServeToLead #1Book1Week #LeadersAreReaders #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain #PeopleSkills #DaleCarnegie

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/            
Podcast: https://anchor.fm/LEGASI.tv/         
YouTube: http://bit.ly/LEGASItv

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

 

 

The Leader’s Greatest Return: Attracting, Developing, and Multiplying Leaders (2020) by John C. Maxwell, Book Review

 

The Leader’s Greatest Return: Attracting, Developing, and Multiplying Leaders (2020) 

by John C. Maxwell 

When I heard from a podcast that Maxwell’s newest book already arrived, I straightaway went to the bookstore and get it! One day I read this book at the coffee shop and my friend came to meet me. He was so shocked to see that the price is – RM59.90. He took the book from my hand and inspect the covers, thickness, and weight. After the inspection, he declares: “I can buy 3 meals with that money!” This is the classic clash of our values. He focuses on the loss; I focus on the gain. He thinks about his stomach; I think about my mind. He cannot afford to lose money; I cannot afford to be ignorant. Of course, if I can borrow this book or find the audiobook, I might do it. But since I want to grow in my leadership, a small price for knowledge and wisdom is reasonable. I love Desiderius Erasmus’s quote: “When I have a little money, I buy books; and if I have any left, I buy food and clothes.”

My judgment might be super bias - I love this book. Many so-called leaders don’t develop others to become their successors. In fact, for most people, the thought doesn’t even cross their minds. I’ve been in a position where my leaders don’t even intentionally equip me but 'hoping' that someday I will take the leadership position. It was just a talk, no follow up. Such an attitude is rampant around us. No wonder if you look at the government, the organizations, and churches today, there is always a leadership deficit. Mr. Maxwell says the United States doesn’t have enough good leaders – but I say, in Malaysia, we are experiencing a leadership famine. Yes, there are examples of good leadership in Malaysia, but very rare… or perhaps I’m too pessimistic. It's time for a new generation of young people to expose themselves to good leadership (books, mentors, examples), invest in their growth and as they become mature – develop leaders. Even the-not-so-young people who are reading this, it’s not too late to invest in others. But of course, the earlier you do it the better.

“The good news is that,” assured Mr. Maxwell, “leaders can be developed, and everyone wins when leaders develop other good leaders.” It will be challenging, take a long time and we will (no doubt) make mistakes but the Return of Investment (O.R.I.) is worthwhile. As I read this book, I’m convinced and compelled to develop the leaders around me. When I teach, I inform others. When I lead, I inspired others. When I develop leaders, I empowered a team. And with a team, we can achieve our dream. I may not (or couldn’t) follow all the process outline in this book, but I’m applying what I can for now. Thanks, John! “Success for leaders can be defined as the maximum utilization of the abilities of those working with them. There’s one way for a leader to help people maximize their abilities and reach their potential, and that is to help them develop as leaders.” How to do it? There are ten (10) steps: 1) IDENTIFYING LEADERS, 2) ATTRACTING LEADERS, 3) UNDERSTANDING LEADERS, 4) MOTIVATING LEADERS, 5) EQUIPPING LEADERS, 6) EMPOWERING LEADERS, 7) POSITIONING LEADERS, 8) MENTORING LEADERS, 9) REPRODUCING LEADERS, and 10) COMPOUNDING LEADERS. Skip 3 meals and buy this book!

#ServeToLead #1Book1Week #LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeader #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain #JohnCMaxwell #TheLeadersGreatestReturn

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

How To Know If The Leader Is Doing Good?

John C. Maxwell says in his highly recommended book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, The Law of the Lid, "Leadership ability determines a person's level of effectiveness." Or, in my own paraphrase, to see how the leader is doing, look at the people he/she is leading. Broken families? Look at the leaders (a.k.a. parents). Churches break down? Look at the leaders. Chaotic government? Look at the leaders.

Now, at some point, people are responsible for their own decisions or indecisions. But leaders almost always can make a difference! 😉⚡👊 #ServeToLead #GrowingLeader #SpiritualLeader #JohnCMaxwell’

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/   

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/LEGASI.tv/  

IG: https://instagram.com/legasi.tv/  

YouTube: http://bit.ly/LEGASItv  

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

#1Book1Week April 2020

For the past 2 years (?), my goal is to read #1Book1Week At first, it was the goal that I 'need' to do for personal achievement. But after a few months, I care less about achieving the goal, I just focus on the values, lessons, and pleasure that I get from reading. In short, it becomes my habit. I no longer 'need' but 'want' - even looking forward - to read books. Since April was the MCO month, I read more:

1) The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth (2012) by John C. Maxwell. I reread this book twice because I'm so impacted by it and I've made a YouTube series based on the book. Check it out here: http://bit.ly/The15Laws

2) Lead the Field (2018) by Earl Nightingale. He is a legend, classic self-development speaker. I love his definition of success, namely, it is "the progressive realization of a worthy goal or ideal" and his teaching on attitude "it is the refection of the person inside."

3) Get Smart! (2016) by Brian Tracy. The actual price is RM79.95 but Popular Bookstore sold it only for RM19.90! I get smart, so I bought it. The actual worth is way more than that! I've read 2-3 books by Brian, and expect that this book is a recycling lesson, but no! The 10 thinking tools outlined in this book is gold.

4) The Storyteller's Secret (2016) by Carmine Gallo. I've read Gallo's other book 'The Apple Experience' and know what to expect - "Wow!" I read this book with the belief that every one of us has great stories and ideas inside us, but it's all useless unless you know how to communicate them. This book will help you with that.

5) The Message of the Sermon on the Mount (1985) by John R.W. Stott. I take heed of J. C. Ryle's advice: next to the Bible, Bible commentaries are important. The Bible Speaks Today (BST) Series is my favorite and go-to commentary. I finished reading this one in 2 months because I use it as my reference book for my #InjilMatius Podcast Series. Check it out here: http://bit.ly/LegasiSpotify

6) The Compound Effect (2010) by Darren Hardy. All the things that I do good (and bad) are the result of the compound effect. Small Choices + Consistency + Time = Significant Results. When I first started a YouTube channel, for months, nobody subscribes and only a few views. But daily I improve my skills and people started to take notice. Darren equips, "The secret of your success is found in your daily routine."

#LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeader #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain #1Book1Week

FB Page: https://facebook.com/LEGASI.tv/ 

Podcast: https://anchor.fm/LEGASI.tv/ 

IG: https://instagram.com/legasi.tv/ 

YouTube: http://bit.ly/LEGASItv 

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.