Book Review - High Road Leadership

HIGH ROAD LEADERSHIP: Bringing People Together in a World That Divides. John Maxwell (2024, Kindle Edition)

We live in a world where disagreement reigns, where disrespect has become common, where empathy and kindness are considered weaknesses, and where distrust, conflict and division prevail. This propensity to fight and disrespect other people has become normalized as a standard of conduct among many political leaders which, in turn, has spread into nearly every aspect of societal life. According to John Maxwell, author of High Road Leadership, the path of mistrust and division will never lead to positive results. What is urgently needed are high-road leaders who can rise above the fray to forge unity and foster collaboration amidst a fractured social and political landscape.

In High Road Leadership, John Maxwell⎯bestselling author and world-renown speaker, coach and leader ⎯ provides a comprehensive roadmap for current and aspiring leaders who seek to bridge gaps and bring people together to build a better future. According to Maxwell, people choose one of three paths when they interact with others: the low road, the middle road, or the high road. “Low-road” leaders desire the best for themselves; “Middle-road” leaders desire what’s fair (i.e., a give-and-take transactional approach); whereas “High-road” leaders desire the best for others. The benefits of high-road leadership in Maxwell’s view are many: high-road leaders focus on connection and bring people together; they value people and bring out the best in them; they create winners without creating losers; they distinctively take the road less travelled and focus on adding value and significance to the lives of others. However, he cautions that high-road leadership requires patience, as bringing people together takes time. 

In the book, Maxwell outlines the pathway to high-road leadership which involves 12 essential leadership practices. In each case, he presents an associated actionable critical success factor for moving forward. In brief, the 12 essential practices and associated critical success factors (italicized) include:

1. Bring People Together…find common ground 

2. Value All People…build self-worth in others

3. Acknowledge Your Humanness…develop self-awareness in yourself and others

4. Do the Right Things for the Right Reasons…check your motives

5. Give More Than You Take…possess an abundance mindset and giver’s spirit

6. Develop Emotional Capacity…demonstrate resilience

7. Place People Above Your Own Agenda…serve and support others 

8. Embrace Authenticity…be open about who you are 

9. Be Accountable for Your Actions…show the courage to assume responsibility

10. Live by the Bigger Picture…maintain perspective on the long-term vision 

11. Don’t Keep Score…extend grace and good will to others

12. Desire the Best for Others…be intentional in everything you do

Each of the aforementioned high-road leadership practices is the topic of a dedicated chapter in the book. Each chapter includes a description of the leadership practice, the rationale as to why it is important, actionable steps for building capacity in the respective practice area, and concludes by highlighting the critical factor underlying the pathway to success. Throughout the chapters, Maxwell’s emphasis is on the application of ethical leadership practices, effective communication strategies and conflict resolution techniques.

For example, in Chapter 7, Maxwell outlines his suggested approach to addressing the high-road leadership practice for “Placing People Above Your Own Agenda”, which is a personal favourite of this reviewer. In the chapter, Maxwell addresses the question, “At what point does an agenda, a vision, or a cause become more important than people?”; and then explains why the answer should be “never”. He describes four simple things that can be done to grow in the leadership practice of placing people first, and also explains the importance of learning how to do the leadership dance in order to align one’s leadership approach to fit the constantly shifting situational context and needs of people. In this regard, Maxwell offers five ways leaders can interact with people more effectively doing the high-road leadership dance. Finally, Maxwell concludes the chapter by highlighting the critical factor underlying the pathway to success in placing people above one’s own agenda⎯that is, a willingness to SERVE people.

Throughout the book, Maxwell offers sound advice that stems from universally accepted leadership principles, along with actionable strategies for building one’s leadership capacity. Select quotes that particularly resonated with this reviewer include the following:

• Leadership can be a blessing or a curse. It can help people rise up to a better life, or it can cause people to fall into despair.

• If you can't work with people who disagree with you, you will never become the leader you could be.

• No matter what the circumstances, if we want to be good leaders, we must come to the table, sit in the middle without choosing a side, listen to others, and work to bring people together.

• This path of mistrust and division will never lead us anywhere we want to go. We can’t divide people and expect to accomplish positive results.

• Instead of widening the chasm between us, we need to build bridges and move toward others while looking for common ground.

• Treating others better than they treat you, and with consistency and without judgmentalism, is the best way to bring people together, and it’s the only way to make the changes we want to see in our world.

• When you value all people, everybody wins.

• Doing what’s right often has a price.

Overall, High Road Leadership provides insights, strategies, and practical advice on how to become a high-road leader who values all people, does the right things for the right reasons, assumes accountability for actions taken, and places people above their own agenda. This is an inspirational book that is definitely well worth the read!