"The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth" (John C. Maxwell)

TITLE: The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live Them and Reach Your Potential
AUTHOR: John C. Maxwell
PUBLISHER: Center Street, 2012, (206 pages).

Potential. More specifically, how do we achieve our potential in life? This question is dealt with by the popular leadership guru, John Maxwell. His first two books that deal with "laws" cover leadership and teamwork. While he has 21 laws for leadership, and 17 laws for teamwork, he proposes 15 laws for individual growth. Maxwell calls his leadership laws "irrefutable," and his teamwork laws "indisputable." Now, his third book, he uses the word "invaluable." Focusing on achieving one's potential through growth, Maxwell focuses on 15 essentials for growing.

1. Intentionality: That growth does not happen at random. It needs a plan and a purpose, through the practices of closing 9 gaps. 
2. Awareness: Self identity helps determine a sense of direction. He suggests various ways in which one can recognize one's passion in life. 
3. Mirror: This law aims to help see one's sense of value, and to be true to self, and develop positive self-esteem and self-image.
4. Self-Reflection: Everyone needs to take a pause at periods of their lives to take stock, to investigate, to illuminate, to incubate, or to illustrate. 
5. Consistency: Growth needs consistent growing, not just the initial start. The discipline to continue is as important as the initiation to start.
6. Environment: Where we are can be a big factor in personal growth. We need to learn to assess ourselves, to make decisions for change whether in present or in future circumstances. Learn to find out the best kind of soil to grow, the best air to breathe in terms of purpose, and the best climate in people relationships. 
7. Design: One also needs to learn to develop strategies for maximum growth through systems.
8. Pain: Learning to manage bad experiences is a key part of growth. Whether it is inexperience, incompetence, disappointment,  conflict, change, bad health, hard decisions, financial loss, relationships, and many others, one can turn pain into gain.
9. Ladder: How high one grows depends on the how one cultivates one's character. People, passion, perspective, and principles matter.
10. Rubber Band: Learning to stretch oneself is critical to growth. Tensions are not necessarily bad. They can help one to grow, especially the part about stretching from the inside out.
11. Tradeoffs: Growing requires us to make decisions about compromise and constraints. Learning to give up where appropriate is better than pushing ourselves silly for little gain. 
12. Curiosity: Learning to ask why helps us avoid mental laziness. It is a core part of the learning process.
13. Modeling: Learn to model your growth with someone better than yourself. Choosing a good mentor is key.
14. Expansion: With growth comes capacity for learning. Whether it is thinking or doing, working or playing, growth is empowering and enlarging one's tent of personal growth.
15. Contribution: Finally, growing always means bringing blessings to others. 

My Thoughts

Maxwell has a way of communicating his ideas that are compelling, convincing, and also uplifting. After all, he is not a leadership guru by chance. What makes him such a popular author is that his books are filled with stories and real life examples. He does readers a favour by compiling an easy to read collection of ideas, backed by some of his learning from other experts. The "15 laws" that he has put together are packed with theory and practice, illustrations and steps for personal applications, put together in easy to remember acronyms and communication devices that enable readers to remember. The part about how to "Apply the law" is a valuable exercise for readers to put theory into practice.

Yet, for all the accolades he has won, and the powerful ideas he has put together, I cannot but feel a sense of arrogance in the way that he has described the laws in the first two books. Are his laws so "irrefutable?" Is his take on teamwork so "indisputable?" Is he that perfect in the first place, even considering the years of experience and expertise he holds? Thankfully, his third book has toned down a little bit when he titles it as "invaluable." Maxwell can be a little more modest, though. My problem with the labeling is that Maxwell by using such pounding words, he may have unwittingly hemmed in the minds of readers to think that there are only these numbers of laws. This is the unfortunate result of having such grand sounding titles. It attracts attention, but it can also create negative impressions. Moreover, is it really a "law?" Maybe, it will be better to tone down the rhetoric.

That said, this is still a very readable book, and readers will be challenge by the laws, or at least, some of them.

Rating: 4 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Hachette Book Publishers and NetGalley without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

"Linsanity" (Timothy Dalrymple)

TITLE: Jeremy Lin: The Reason for the Linsanity
AUTHOR: Timothy, Dalrymple
PUBLISHER: New York, NY: Center Street, 2012, (186 pages).

What's the reason for Jeremy Lin's rise from mediocrity to linsanity? This is the underlying question that laces the entire book. The overnight hero and unlikely star has not only become a basketball sensation, he has galvanized hope for many in a society that is currently economically depressed and spiritually hungry for hope. Jeremy Lin provides glimpses of hope that tell us that any ordinary person who works hard will always have a chance at stardom. Jeremy comes from an Asian culture staunch in educational pursuit and a work-hard attitude. Like any typical Asian American family, his parents put a huge emphasis on academic excellence, and sports often become a distant second or third priority. At the same time, it is hard for any Asian to break into the domain of the world of sports, usually dominated by non-Asian Americans. Despite these barriers, the way Jeremy rescues his team from the brink of defeat, to become a genuine force to contend with in the tough NBA league has made him a household name not just in sports-mad America, but in many Asian communities worldwide.

The author interviews Jeremy, and writes a captivating summary of the events that made Jeremy a star. Using the seven game winning streak by the New York Knicks to coincide with the significance of the number 7 in Hebrew culture, Dalrymple details the background and the ups and downs of the emotions from Game 1 to 7. Like a skilled storyteller, the author weaves in Jeremy's background stories in the midst of an exciting coverage of how Jeremy manages to outshoot, outwit, and outplay some of his toughest and most formidable basketball opponents. In Game 1 against the New Jersey Nets, Dalrymple highlights the role of perseverance in Jeremy's upbringing and character. In Game 2 against the Utah Jazz, the author points out a mysterious and miraculous way in which Jeremy was offered a chance to continue his magical play. As Jeremy celebrates his team's victory with lowly and down to earth humility, the media bursts out highly praising his virtues. The next Game 3 happens to be away against the Washington Wizards.  By then, Jeremy already has a sizeable following, especially among Asians. Dalrymple compares Jeremy's attitude with that of the famous Chinese General Li, whose passion for excellence took center stage. Not only is his team beginning to climb up the table, he is rising up in fame and popularity. It is Game 4 against the LA Lakers that cement his heroic status. It pits a rising superstar in Jeremy against the world famous Kobe Bryant. In a culture split between ethnic cultural expectations and somewhat tense inter-racial relations, coaches, supporters, even players are forced to look at the damage and the silliness of discrimination. As long as Jeremy is playing, the fans keep on coming. By the time Game 5 is played against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Jeremy has become a household name. The underdog has become the hero. Winning five in a row makes Jeremy an automatic first team player. In a world of basketball, Asians are a force to be reckoned with. Game 6 against the Toronto Raptors has one of the most sensational endings. With only 2.2 seconds left to win the game, guess who threw the winning shot? Jeremy's faith in his game stems from his deep faith in God. Even many of the local Toronto fans (with a huge Asian population), scream in delight as they watch the Knicks win the game. Game 7 against the Sacramento Kings shows how Jeremy has played his point guard role to perfection.

My Thoughts

This book is inspiring and gives readers a background on how and why Jeremy Lin has become such a sensation. Not expected to perform, he outperformed all expectations. An unknown on the morning of February 12th, 2012, he became a superstar in a matter of days. Against all odds, Jeremy defines for many of us what "possibility" means. His faith shows Christian believers one version of what hope and trust in God looks like. Dalrymple makes this observation about something that makes Jeremy different. While stars like Kobe Bryant are expected to win, it is stories like Jeremy Lin's that connect better with the everyday man and woman in the street. Just like the story of David and Goliath. While Goliath is "awe-inspiring," David is "inspiring."

Personally, I am inspired by Jeremy Lin's never-say-die attitude to persevere on in a tough environment marked by competitiveness, brutal expectations, discrimination, and unequal status. At the same time, it is also humbling to see how a star like him can continue to maintain a low profile, choosing to honour others before self. Perseverance in one's faithfulness. Humility toward people. Faith in God. These three are the hallmarks of any star. Jeremy Lin has shown us the way. Let more of us be inspired to live not just for ourselves or for others, but for God.

Rating: 4.5 stars of 5.

conrade

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This book is provided to me free by Center Street Publishers, part of the Hachette Book Group of companies, without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.