Greg A. Shelley, Georgetown and Colgate Leadership

Book Review:
Maxwell, J. (2009). How Successful People Think.
Hachette Book Group, Inc. New York.

"Where success is concerned, people are not measured in inches, or pounds, or college degrees, or family background; they are measured by the size of their thinking."
- David Schwartz

In his book, How Successful People Think, John Maxwell (2009) outlines 11 thinking skills and challenges the reader to assess not only "what" they think, but also "how" they think. The book is based on the premise that successful people think differently than others. In short, Maxwell states the following:

The right thought plus the right people
in the right environment at the right time
for the right reason = the right result.

Anyone can change how they think! It may not be easy but it is possible. It may not be quick but it can be done. And it may not be comfortable but it is necessary for improved success.

Remember: What we think about is what we move towards. If we think about success we move in the direction of success. If we think about our strengths we move in the direction of using and focusing on our strengths. In fact, "what we think determines who we are" and "who we are determines what we do" (Maxwell, p. 123). So, how's your thinking?

JOHN MAXWELL'S 11 WAYS OF THINKING

Examine Maxwell's 11 ways of thinking and challenge yourself to adopt and refine the following. Try to:

1. Cultivate big-picture thinking - this means clearly outlining the team vision and promoting teamwork in such a way that team members see the "big-picture" and how their individual roles fit with that of their teammates. Remember, big-picture thinking can keep you and your team focused (on target), striving for what many others cannot see (beyond the here-and-now), and ready to seize the moment at just the right time.

2. Engage in focused thinking - this means thinking about issues with a sense of clarity. In doing so, be sure to prioritize any short- and long-term goals, remove any potential and existing distractions, and maintain a "strength focus" (i.e., spend the majority of your time using your gifts, talents, and best skills). Take the time to focus your thinking (especially when surrounded by multi-taskers). In the long run, you will be more efficient and get more done by focusing on one task at a time.

3. Harness creative thinking - this means taking what you have learned and experienced in the past and turning these experiences into something even better. Your creativity (i.e., ideas) might very well be your most valuable coaching resource. And your ideas do not have to be original or new. Creativity generally has its seed from the past and is often modeled from those whom have gone before you. "Most often, creative thinking is a composite of other thoughts discovered along the way" (Maxwell, p. 24). In the end, creative thinking will help you learn more, challenge the status quo, and draw others toward you and your ideas; especially those that are looking for "options" on the road to success.

4. Employ realistic thinking - this means understanding the difference between what you wish to happen and what is most likely to happen. It is absolutely necessary for you (the coach) to define reality and set the stage for what is to come. Realistic thinking takes away the "wish factor" and helps to provide a solid foundation from which to start. Realistic thinking also takes away the "hope factor" as it requires your team to face reality, better define their goals, and more clearly understand the strategies needed to carry out the game plan. In addition, you can help to alleviate unneeded worry and doubt by assessing the pros and cons of the situation and examining the "worst-case" scenarios (so that you are ready for things if they don't go as planned).

5. Utilize strategic thinking - this means planning beyond one day at a time. And it's more than planning one week at a time. Strategic thinking is about looking far enough "down the road" to have the needed time to develop the most direct path toward achieving your goals and objectives. Such thinking allows for efficiency in planning, time to maximize strengths, and time to customize the best plan of action. So, be sure to break down the long-term plan, identify the real issues ahead of you, match your resources and personnel, and build on the fundamentals that are already in place.

Our Championship Coaches Network members can click on the link below to read Part 2 to learn more of Maxwell's thinking skills...

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