Saturday, March 22, 2014

Attitude and Altitude

John C. Maxwell has put forward a brand new book rather than simply updating earlier work, and I am quite a fan of this new book.  How High Will You Climb?  Determine your Success by Cultivating the Right Attitude returns back to his roots as a Christian.  Many of his leadership books espouse his theories or synthesize some other thoughts from other works.  While this book on attitude is a bit of that, much of his work is drawn from teachings of Scripture.  His final chapter – The God Above You – brings it all to conclusion and clearly states that we cannot do anything without Him.  Finally, Maxwell produces a leadership book that speaks at length about our desperate need for a right relation with the Righteous One who redeemed us through His Son.

As the title of the blog reveals, Maxwell argues that our attitude determines our altitude.  If we are positive and examine the world through the lens, then we see opportunities that can be worked through as we climb to the top.  On the other hand, if we examine the world through a negative lens, then we see obstacles that are insurmountable and we stop our efforts.  Page 7 summarizes this quite well:  “my attitude dictates my performance.”

To lay out his argument and present his case, the author has broken the book down into 4 major sections:  consideration of your attitude, construction of your attitude, crashing of your attitude, and changing of your attitude.  The first section is the theoretical foundation upon which all the other pieces are formed.  The second section specifically targets the materials that you need to create and maintain a positive attitude for success.  The third section lists and describes the internal and external fears or events that can destroy a positive attitude.  Finally, the fourth section, puts forward the manners whereby we have the opportunity to make change. 

Unfortunately, many folks are content with the obstacles and never change their attitude.  Why?  The answer is simple – personal comforts are just that…comfortable.  Rather than taking the risk to bring the necessary change, it is simply easier to sit back and do nothing.  Maxwell cites the ever-known “Murphy’s Law” but says it should be replaced with something he calls “Maxwell’s Law:”  nothing is as hard as it looks; everything is more rewarding than you expect; and if anything can go right, it will and at the best possible moment. 

What I appreciate about this book is that it can be read in two ways.  First, you can fly through it in a couple of hours like I did.  Second, you can go through this slowly by completing the “Attitude Application” sections at the end of the chapters.  I will be going back through this book slowly after I finish the study guide to Peter Drucker’s The Effective Executive.

If you have ever read any Maxwell book, you will find that he is highly quotable and makes the complex so simple.  This book is no different in that regard.  Should you buy it?  Yes, but ONLY IF you plan to follow its tenets.  Should you read it?  Yes.  Will it be helpful to you?  Yes. 



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLookBloggers.com review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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