Summary: Everyone Communicates, Few Connect

Review and Analysis of Maxwell's Book

BusinessNews Publishing

• Publisher: Must Read Summaries
• Year: 2016
• eBook ISBN: 9782806233875
• Topic: Desarrollo personal
• Subtopic: Éxito personal

The must-read summary of John C. Maxwell's book: `Everyone Communicates, Few Connect: What the Most Effective Leaders Do Differently`.

This complete summary of the ideas in John C. Maxwell's book `Everyone Communicates, Few Connect` highlights the importance of effective communication in leadership and provides you with the five key principles of connection and the corresponding five key practices that will help you connect with people. This summary also outlines the best way to enhance your communication through practice. 

Added-value of this summary: 
• Save time
• Understand key concepts 
• Expand your communication and leadership skills 

To learn more, read `Everyone Communicates, Few Connect` and discover how to connect better and with greater efficiency.

Summary of Everyone Communicates, Few Connect (John C. Maxwell)

1. Five Key Principles of Connection

Connecting is purely and simply built on your ability to identify with people and relate to them. To become more productive and influential as a leader, you have to learn how to genuinely connect with others. To pull this off in real life, you have to understand five key principles about making personal connections:

1. Connecting increases your influence

People are always far more influenced by the depth and credibility of the connection you form with them than they ever are by the quality of your materials or even by the smoothness of your presentation. A genuine and sincere sense of connection can overcome all kinds of other difficulties and challenges.

In fact, one study of sixteen thousand executives (summarized below) suggested there is a direct and measurable correlation between achievement and the ability of an individual to connect with people. When you compare the characteristics of high, average and low achievers, it soon becomes clear communication abilities are a key differentiator.

“I am convinced more than ever that good communication and leadership are all about connecting. If you can connect with others at every level – one-on-one, in groups, and with an audience – your relationships are stronger, your sense of community improves, your ability to create teamwork increases, your influence increases, and your productivity skyrockets.”

– John Maxwell

It’s clear your ability to connect can make or break what you do in every area of your professional career and personal life. If you’re good at connecting, you’re going to achieve more. You position yourself to make the most of your own talents and abilities. This, in turn, means you will be more productive.

Although it may sound somewhat counterintuitive at first, the smaller the group you’re working with, the more important it becomes to be able to connect. Great leaders are always highly competent at connecting with people one-on-one, in a group setting and when giving a formal presentation in front of an audience.

To become better at connecting:

• Get into the habit of talking more about the other person and less about yourself and your own interests.
• Always try and inject a useful thought or idea into every interaction you have.
• Find ways to compliment what other people are doing.
• Be on the lookout for ways to add value to a group.
• If you’re fortunate enough to have some successes, acknowledge the role others have played in what was achieved.

“If I went back to college again, I’d concentrate on two areas: learning to write and to speak before an audience. Nothing in life is more important than the ability to communicate effectively.”

– Gerald Ford, 38th president of the United States

“The number one criteria for advancement and promotion for professionals is an ability to communicate effectively.”

– Harvard Business Review

“Those who build great companies understand that the ultimate throttle on growth for any great company is not markets, or technology, or competition, or products. It is the one thing above all others – the ability to get and keep enough of the right people.”

– Jim Collins, author, Good to Great

2. Connecting always focuses on others

When you’re trying to connect with someone else, keep in mind it’s never about you – it’s always about the interests and preferences of the person you’re interacting with. Focus on what’s important to them and you will be one of the most interesting people they’ve ever met.

This may sound obvious but there are all kinds of reasons why people can forget to focus on others:

• Maturity issues may cloud your judgement and encourage you to be self-centered rather than outward looking.
• You may have an overdeveloped ego and an unrealistic sense of self-importance.
• You may be so focused on your own agenda you don’t give the input of others a reasonable weighting.
• You may be trying to do everything yourself rather than harnessing the input of others to maximum effect.
• You may lack confiden...

Table of contents

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• Book Presentation
• Summary of Everyone Communicates, Few Connect (John C. Maxwell)
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