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John C. Maxwell

Thinking for a Change

11 Ways Highly Successful People Approach Life and Work

Warner Books, 2003

15 min read

10 take-aways

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What's inside?

Want to change your life? Or get better results from your actions? Nothing changes until you change your thinking.

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Recommendation

Anyone can apply the principles in John C. Maxwell’s book, in any business, in any circumstance, in any stage of life. Great thinkers have an unlimited capacity to achieve, and Maxwell tells you how to become one. While books of this nature are typically geared toward entrepreneurs or those in leadership roles, getAbstract recommends this book to any person who is committed to ongoing personal development and living life with purpose. You will benefit from learning more about the different specific thinking skills that have an impact on your daily decisions. Maxwell teaches an unusual skill: how to make conscious choices that shape your thoughts, your actions and, ultimately, your success. Think about it.

Summary

The Skill of Learned Thinking

Good thinking is a skill, and like any other skill, you can develop it deliberately and methodically. In fact, good thinking is comprised of 11 different thinking skills, all of which, when more fully developed and practiced, can lead to greater success in all areas of your life. The 11 thinking skills are:

Big-picture thinking

Learn continually. Expand your mind and look for opportunities to develop yourself, your knowledge and your experiences. Listen intentionally to discover something new, ask deliberate questions and try to understand situations from multiple perspectives. Look beyond your agenda and consider how your decisions affect others. Big-picture thinking enables you to lead, create visions and avoid getting bogged down. As a big picture thinker, consider how your actions affect others. See the potential in each situation.

Focused thinking

Focused thinking helps you zero in on a specific target or goal to derive new solutions or improvements, more fully develop an idea or product, or find a breakthrough solution to a problem. It helps you develop clarity and concentration, remove distractions, and set...

About the Author

John C. Maxwell, called America’s expert on leadership, is a New York Times bestselling author who has sold more than 10 million books. He communicates frequently to Fortune 500 companies and organizations such as the US Military Academy at West Point, NCAA, and NFL. Maxwell is the founder of The Maximum Impact Group, INJOY Stewardship Services and EQUIP.

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S. U. 5 years ago

A wonderful book