How Successful People Think By John C. Maxwell

This tiny book measuring 6.5" x 4.5"with 124 pages took me too long to complete. I started when i went for my cruise last Nov and I just completed....after 9 long months. Anyway, here is a detailed summary.

Big Picture Thinking
Why Big Picture
A) Allows you to lead
- See the vision before others do.
- Size up situations, taking into accounts many variables
- Sketch a picture of where the team is going
- Show how the future connects with the past to make journey more meaningful
- Seize the moment when the timing is right
B) Keeps you on target
C) Allows you to see what other people sees
D) Promotes teamwork
E) Keeps you from being caught up in the mundane
F) Helps you to chart uncharted territory

How to acquire wisdom of big picture thinking
A) Don’t strive for certainty
B) Learn from experience
C) Gain insight from variety of people
D) Give yourself permission to expand your world (out of your experience and what you know)

Focused Thinking
Why focused thinking
A) Harnesses energy towards a desired goal
B) Gives idea time to develop
C) Brings clarity to the target
D) Will take you to next level

Which area to focus
A) Identify your priorities
B) Discover your gifts
C) Develop your dreams

How to stay focused
A) Remove distractions
B) Make time for focused thinking
C) Keep items of focus before you
D) Set goals
E) Question your progress

What to give up to go up
A) Not knowing everyone
B) Not doing everything
C) Not going everywhere
D) Not being well-rounded

Creative Thinking
Characteristics of creative thinkers
A) Value ideas
B) Explore options
C) Embrace ambiguity
D) Celebrate the offbeat
E) Connect the unconnected (Think – Collect – Create – Correct – Connect)
F) Don’t fear failure

Why creative thinking
A) Adds value to everything
B) Compounds
C) Draws people to you and your ideas
D) Helps you learn more
E) Challenges the status quo

How to be creative
A) Remove creative killers (“I’m not a creative person”, “Follow the rules”, “Don’t ask questions”, It can’t be done”, It’s too much work”, “Failure is final”)
B) Asking the right questions (“What is the root problem?”, “Why is this impt?”, What is the opposite?”, “Why must this be done this way?”)
C) Develop a creative environment
- Encourages creativity
- Place high value on trust among team members and individuality
- Embrace those who are creative
- Focuses on innovation
- Willingness to let people go outside the lines
- Appreciates the power of a dream
D) Spend time with other creative people
E) Get out of the box

Realistic Thinking
Why
A) Minimize downside risk (because pls for worst case scenario)
B) Gives a target and game plan
C) Catalyst for change (people rely on hope rarely make changes)
D) Provides security (because you make contingency plans more confidently and secure)
E) Gives credibility (not surprised by the unexpected)
F) Provides foundation to build on

How
A) Appreciates the truth
B) Makes one do his/her homework
C) Think through the pros and cons
D) Picture worst case scenarios
E) Align with your resources

Strategic Thinking
How to release the power of strategic thinking
A) Break down the issue
B) Ask why before the how
C) Identify the real issues and objectives
D) Review your resources
E) Develop your plan
F) Put right people in right place with right plan
G) Keep repeating the process


Question Popular Thinking
Why?
A) Sometimes means not thinking
B) Offers false hope
C) Slow to embrace change
D) Brings only average results

How?
A) Think before you follow
B) Appreciate thinking differently from your own
C) Continually question your own thinking
D) Try new things in new ways
E) Get used to being uncomfortable

Benefits from Shared Thinking
Why?
A) Faster than solo thinking
B) More innovative than solo thinking
C) More matured than solo thinking
D) Stronger than solo thinking
E) Returns greater value than solo thinking
F) Only way to have great thinking

How?
A) Value ideas of others
B) Move from competition to cooperation
C) Have agenda when meetup
D) Get right people around the table
E) Compensate good thinkers and collaborators well

Practice Unselfish Thinking

Why?
A) Brings personal fulfillment
B) Adds value to others
C) Encourages other virtues
D) Increases quality of life
E) Makes you part of something greater than yourself
F) Creates a legacy

How?
A) Put others first
B) Expose yourself to situation where people have needs
C) Give quietly or anonymously
D) Invest in people intentionally
E) Continually check your motives

Rely on Bottom Line Thinking
Why?
A) Provides great clarity
B) Helps you assess every situation
C) Helps you make best decisions
D) Generate high morale
E) Ensures your future

How?
A) Identify the real bottom line
B) Make the bottom line the point
C) Create strategic plan to achieve the bottom line
D) Align team members with the bottom line
E) Stick with one system and monitor results continually

You can see that my writings for each chapter gets shorter and shorter. I apologise for that. John Maxwell seems to be my favourite self-help(leadership) author for the moment. I ahve listened to his audio book and