
I’ve always been a lifelong learner. Since my mid-twenties, reading has been one of my favorite ways to expand my knowledge and grow as a leader. In fact, three of my top five strengths in the StrengthsFinder assessment are Input, Intellection, and Learner! It’s no surprise that I gravitate toward books that challenge my thinking and help me develop new perspectives - and that’s why John Maxwell’s work has been such an essential part of my leadership journey.
The first book I read by John, way back in 2000, was Developing the Leader Within You. It, along with each of his books I’ve read since, has helped to grow my leadership abilities and enhance my capabilities to support and influence those around me. This book, High Road Leadership, is the 25th book I’ve read by John Maxwell (who has written over 100 books). And while there may be hints of similar principles and stories in some, you’re guaranteed to finish the book with a new layer of leadership.
Before I dive into my own take on the book, if you haven’t read High Road Leadership yet and would like to, you can get your copy HERE.
This year, I intentionally chose High Road Leadership as my first book of the year because I wanted to start 2025 with a focus on continued growth, service, and vision— coincidentally, qualities Maxwell highlights throughout this book. As a consultant and leadership coach, these principles guide how we help businesses build stronger teams, improve resilience, and bridge generations within their workforce.
First and foremost, I get why John felt compelled to write this book. If you’re paying attention to the world around you, you see the divide – where there is less tolerance, more anger, and more conflict. John encourages and teaches people to value all people. He titled the book High Road Leadership to teach people to take the high road. Not to be misconstrued as seeing yourself above others, but instead, valuing all people, “doing the right things for the right reasons, taking accountability for their actions, and placing people above their own agenda.”
The High Road vs. The Low Road
Maxwell introduces us to the concept of three distinct approaches to leadership:
The Low Road – Leaders who focus solely on personal gain, cut corners, and prioritize self-interest. They often leave behind broken relationships and dissatisfied teams.
The Middle Road – Leaders who play it safe, meet expectations, and avoid risks. While these leaders may achieve moderate success, they fail to inspire others to greatness.
The High Road – Leaders who operate with integrity, prioritize others, and strive to make a lasting impact. These leaders create environments where trust, collaboration, and growth thrive.
My Key Takeaways from High Road Leadership
John outlined the 12 essential leadership practices, each having its own chapter. In this high road leadership review, I highlight the 12 essential leadership practices John Maxwell outlines, along with its pathway, two personal takeaways from each.
Bring People Together (Pathway: Common Ground)
“Willing to go first, give first, serve first, trust first” to build bridges
“To be a high-road leader, when your instincts tell you to fight, you need to extend a hand of friendship.”
Value All People (Pathway: Self-Worth)
“I had to learn that it was more important for me to love people than for them to love me…. You can’t effectively lead people if you need people.”
“How you see yourself translates to how you treat other people.”
Acknowledge Your Humanness (Pathway: Self-Awareness)
When you make a mistake, instead of asking yourself why, ask yourself what (ex.- What went wrong?)
“When you’re aware of your humanness and you acknowledge you don’t know all the answers, you listen to yourself and others.”
Do The Right Things for The Right Reasons (Pathway: Good Motives)
“I don’t always need to win, but I do always need to forgive.”
“The most important question leaders can ask themselves is: Why do I want to lead others? In other words, what are my motives?”
Give More Than You Take (Pathway: An Abundance Mindset)
“High-road leadership means living a life that says, ‘I want more for you than from you.’”
“To me, generous inclusion means people don’t work for me. They work with me.”
Develop Emotional Capacity (Pathway: Resilience)
Emotional Capacity is, “the ability to respond to adversity, failure, criticism, and pressure in positive ways.”
“The essence of high-road leadership is serving people and giving your best to them. That’s possible only if you have something to give and you possess the capacity to give it. The less emotional baggage you carry, the further you will be able to go.”
Place People Above Your Own Agenda (Pathway: Serving)
“We need to broaden our minds and perspectives if we want to become more empathetic. We need to get out of our own circles. And we need to seek out and embrace thinking different from our own.”
“One of the best things you can do for people you lead is to serve them.”
Embrace Authenticity (Pathway: Openness)
“When your authentic self is flawed but operates according to good values, you’re willing to show it to others.”
“Being your real self between the lines (of failure and success) is empowering. It frees you up to be who you really are, to authentically connect with people, and to lead them with integrity.”
Take Accountability for Your Actions (Pathway: Courage)
“To be considered accountable, you must demonstrate responsibility and ownership of your actions consistently, yet imperfectly.”
“Accountability is the glue that holds teams together, no matter how difficult circumstances become. Either a team is pulling together, or it is pulling apart.”
Live By the Bigger Picture (Pathway: Perspective)
“The hallmarks of maturity are humility, perspective, and patience.”
“Living by the bigger picture is seeing the world as it is, finding opportunities to help others become great, and using your skills, talents, and resources to help as many people as you can in the time that you have.”
Don’t Keep Score (Pathway: Grace)
“We need to focus not on what we deserve but on how we can serve.”
Platinum Rule says, “we should treat others better than they treat us.”
Desire The Best for Others (Pathway: Intentionality)
“The reality is that each of us is either a plus or a minus in the lives of others. We add value or we subtract it. We give or we take.”
“People can trace their success and failures to the relationships in their lives.”
Final Thoughts
John Maxwell’s High Road Leadership is more than a leadership book; it’s a guide for becoming the kind of leader the world needs right now—one who leads with character, vision, and inclusivity. And if you’ve read this far, then you’ll likely enjoy reading it in its entirety. If you have or do, please let me know your thoughts below.
Stay tuned for my next blog, coming out on February 10th, which will cover book #2 of the year, Blue Ocean Strategy, Expanded Edition. If you’d like to get the book ahead of time so that we can compare notes, get it HERE.
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