• Start Here
    • Power Definitions
  • Blog
    • Social Strategies
    • Career Strategies
    • Dating (Women)
    • Dating (Men)
    • Relationships
  • Resources
    • Reviews
  • Speed Learning
    • Store
    • Power University
    • Courses
  • Forum
    • Join In!
    • RegisterLogin
The Power MovesThe Power Moves
  • Start Here
    • Power Definitions
  • Blog
    • Social Strategies
    • Career Strategies
    • Dating (Women)
    • Dating (Men)
    • Relationships
  • Resources
    • Reviews
  • Speed Learning
    • Store
    • Power University
    • Courses
  • Forum
    • Join In!
    • RegisterLogin

Reviews

Home » How Successful People Think: Summary

How Successful People Think: Summary

how successful people think book cover

How Successful People Think provides readers with an overview of how the mindsets and beliefs of successful people.

Contents

  • Full Summary
    • Introduction
    • 6 Basic Rules to Change Your Mindset
    • 1. Focused Thinking
    • 2. Possibility Thinking
    • 3. Creative Thinking
    • 4. Realistic Thinking
    • 5. Strategic Thinking
    • 6. Reflective Thinking
    • 7. Question Popular Thinking
    • 8. Unselfish Thinking
    • 9. Bottom Line Thinking
    • 10. Big Picture Thinking
  • Review

Full Summary

About The Author: John Maxwell is an American pastor, keynote speaker, leadership expert and best-selling author.
He is also the author of “21 Irrefutable Rules of Leadership“, “Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn” and “12 Invaluable Laws of Growth“.

Introduction

Don’t fool yourself:

Changing your thinking will be neither automatic nor easy.
But it can be done if you apply yourself.
And it will very worth it.

6 Basic Rules to Change Your Mindset

Here are 6 ways to change your thinking for the positive:

  • Expose yourself to good input
  • Be around good thinkers
  • Only spend mental cycles on positive thoughts
  • Act on those positive thoughts
  • Schedule out time for thinking
  • Repeat the process

Also read:

  • How to develop a growth mindset
  • The antifragile ego (the most important mindset of self-empowerment).

1. Focused Thinking

Successful people have very clear targets.

A very clear target allows you to get highly relevant feedback in a short period of time, which, in turn, will allow you to take strides towards your goal.

2. Possibility Thinking

Winners have a can do attitude.
They believe in possibilities and believe there’s a way to achieve anything.

3. Creative Thinking

Creative thinking is the ability to make connections and association in a way that the final product is different than the sum of all the inputs.

Does it make sense?

Basically, Maxwell is saying that creative thinking is about combining different ideas and inputs to reach a conclusion which is different from each single input taken by itself.

I especially liked the concept that creative thinking has a relation with “screwball thinking”.
“Screwball thinking” means that to think creatively, you need to tolerate some craziness.

4. Realistic Thinking

Leaders must be grounded in reality and take into account best case scenarios, worst case scenarios and likelihoods.

5. Strategic Thinking

Strategic thinking requires that you put your ideas and solutions on a bigger plan.

Basically, thinking contingencies and how to actually make it happen.

6. Reflective Thinking

Reflective thinking takes time to ponder things.

Block out time and only dedicate it to thinking over your ideas.

7. Question Popular Thinking

Popular thinking is the most widely held view that most share.

But sometimes you need to escape and distance yourself from widely held view if you want to disrupt and come up with something groundbreaking.

8. Unselfish Thinking

Givers are the happiest people in the world.

If you want to improve yourself and the world, adopt unselfish thinking and learn to be a giver.

9. Bottom Line Thinking

Bottom line doesn’t necessarily mean thinking in dollar terms.

But it means knowing what you’re after, so that you can filter out your decision based on what you really want.

10. Big Picture Thinking

Successful people look deep.

But they don’t get lost at the tree level: they look at the whole forest.

how successful people think book cover

Review

If you’re into self development you probably won’t many “wow” moments as a lot of the material will not be new for you.

But that is not to say that the message is any less valid of course.
The principles Maxwell shares in “How Successful People Think” are true and timeless.
And they can always serve as a reminder.

I did prefer however some other work from Maxwell, including “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership“.

Read more summaries or get the book on Amazon

Tag:how successful people think, how successful people think change your thinking change your life, how successful people think john maxwell, john maxwell how successful people think

author avatar
Lucio Buffalmano

The author holds a master's degree from La Sapienza, department of communication and sociological research, and is a member of the American Psychology Association (APA).

He studies psychology, persuasion, social strategies, and anything related to people and power dynamics.

Lucio's approach combines science, critical analysis, and a continuous quest for first-hand experience. He loves all three aspects, and believes that to be effective at teaching social strategies, the three must go together.

You can learn everything Lucio has to teach with Power University

Previous post

RSD Julien Scandal: Here's How to Handle Shame Attacks
April 2, 2018

Next post

Pitch Anything by Oren Klaff: Summary & Review
April 2, 2018

You may also like

best books for women book cover
Best Books for Women’s Empowerment
14 January, 2021
underboss book cover
Underboss: How to Thrive in The Mob
13 January, 2021
I'll make you an offer you can't refuse book cover
I’ll Make You an Offer You Can’t Refuse: Franzese’s 9 Business Tips
10 January, 2021

Categories

  • Power Dynamics (295)
    • Case Studies (36)
    • Dating (Men) (59)
    • Dating (Women) (40)
    • Influence & Persuasion (19)
    • Leadership (7)
    • Power Theory (47)
    • Relationships (60)
    • Social Skills (49)
      • Body Language (7)
    • Workplace Power (26)
  • Reviews (485)
    • Business (56)
      • Entrepreneurship (31)
    • Dating Resources Men (46)
    • Dating Resources Women (26)
    • Leadership (21)
    • Learning Tools (11)
    • Persuasion (45)
      • Negotiation (13)
    • Power & Strategies (96)
      • Career Strategies (28)
      • Manipulation (42)
    • Psychology (145)
      • Dark Triad (42)
      • Evolutionary Psychology (18)
    • Red Pill (25)
    • Relationship Resources (32)
    • Self-Development (139)
      • Biographies (12)
      • Critical Thinking (17)
      • Wealth (15)
    • Social Skills Resources (80)
      • Body Language Resources (8)
      • Communication (32)
  • Self-Empowerment (10)
  • Social Science (5)

Recent forum posts

Value-takersby Ali Scarlett5 hours ago
Negotiation technique: "on your h …by Lucio Buffalmano9 hours ago
Leaders VS Idiots: how to spot th …by Lucio Buffalmano10 hours ago

popular for men

man breaking free of control

Women most read

man chasing a woman

Popular Courses

Power University

Power University

I started life as an underdog....
659 students enrolled



Login with your site account

Continue with Facebook
Continue with Google

Lost your password?

Not a member yet? Register now

Register a new account

Continue with Facebook
Continue with Google

Are you a member? Login now