Designs of My Life

Everyone Communicates, Few Connect

Everyone Communicates, Few Connect

By John C. Maxwell

I will admit that it took me a while to get through this book. I’ve had it for a month and a half, when most of the other books I’ve reviewed have only taken me a week or two. I’m not sure why, but I just couldn’t get into this one as much as the other ones. 

I have heard John Maxwell speak live before, and he is truly one of the greatest speakers I’ve ever heard. So I was expecting a lot from this book, especially since it was on communication. The book is divided into two parts: Connecting Principles and Connecting Practices. So you get the general thought processes behind effectively connecting with people, and then some practical ways that you can implement the principles. At the end of each chapter, Maxwell also provides you with applications for the chapter in three different settings: one-on-one, in a group, and with an audience. 

The content of the book was very good. Maxwell puts into words the communication principles that deep down, we probably all know. We just don’t consciously acknowledge how important the principles are, or if we do, we don’t know how to make them work for us. One of my favorite points he makes is in the last chapter, “Connectors Live What They Communicate.” He tells of a speech he gave about the importance of leaders making themselves vulnerable and admitting their weaknesses to the people they are leading. One CEO came up to him afterwards and politely disagreed with him. This gentleman said that he believed that a leader should never appear weak. Maxwell answered: “You think your people don’t already know your weaknesses. They do. By admitting them, you’re letting them know that you know them.” 

I think the main reason I didn’t get as involved with this book is because of the format. For one, the chapters are all a bit long, and the subject of each chapter is broad. By the time you get to the end of the chapter, you’ve chased after so many tangents that you’ve forgotten the main idea of the chapter. Not that these tangents aren’t relevant, it’s just that there are so many. Another thing I did not like about the format is Maxwell’s excessive use of the first person. I realize that he is a great communicator. And that if I want a communication role model, he’s one of the best. But throughout the whole book it was “This is how I do things….” “When I am speaking to a crowd…” “My common practices are…” “Here is what people say about me…” I know it was not his intent, but it came across to me as arrogance. He could have put in all of the same information without saying that it was the exact way that he lives his life. 

Overall, it was a great book if you are looking for ways to really connect with the people around you. Maxwell is one of the best, so there isn’t anyone better to learn from. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers 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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”