[3] The book was listed on The New York Times Best Seller list in April 1999[4] after marketing company ResultSource manipulated the list by making it look like copies of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership had been purchased by thousands of individuals when, in actuality, ResultSource had simply made a bulk order of the book.

[6] Professional basketball player Harrison Barnes read and spoke positively of the book.

[7] US swimmer Annie Chandler Grevers wrote of Maxwell's book, "it's cheesy, but ... it did me some good".

[8] Columnist Michael Hiltzik of the Los Angeles Times criticized Maxwell for including in the book "the insidious subtext ... that externalities have nothing to do with your failure", an assertion that Hiltzik argues research studies have demonstrated to be false.

[9] John Maxwell Team mastermind groups have developed from the principles in this book.