Developing the Leader within

Authored by John C Maxwell, enhanced by Peter Wiz4.biz 4/13

10 Traits are discussed, by Author John Maxwell, that an individual needs to focus on – in his/her own life – in order to become more effective in their leadership roles.

Chapter 1 – The Definition of Leadership = INFLUENCE
Being able to cause other people to move in the direction that they need to go to achieve the aims of the organization is all there is to being a leader. Whether or not that direction is correct (or even right, if you follow the difference) is irrelevant. You only become a leader by gaining followers. Maxwell notes that many people would define leadership as a position, not as the ability to influence, but that’s only one facet of being a leader. You are initially given a position of authority, but people don’t follow positions; they follow people. The only way to become a leader is to invest the time & energy into an organization (and the people that make up that organization) to prove that you’re someone worth following. “A man who thinks he’s a leader, but who has no one following, is merely taking a walk”.

Chapter 2 – The Key to Leadership = PRIORITIES
As a leader, you need to set priorities. Maxwell discusses the Pareto principle, which states that an organization derives 80 % of its results from 20 % of its people. You can’t do everything for everyone in your organization, so you need to take the time & effort to prioritize. Work in the areas which will produce the greatest return, and don’t focus on areas that aren’t high yielding. This goes for people, projects, & everything else. Ruthlessly protect the priorities you’ve set, because it’s impossible to do everything.

Chapter 3 – The Most Important Ingredient of Leadership – INTEGRITY
That’s what life’s all about. Most people, I think, have a concept in their mind of what the word “integrity” means. It means you don’t lie, or mislead, you keep your word, and all that other good stuff. That certainly is a part of what integrity is, but the definition is actually more broad. It’s “the state of being complete, unified”. It means that who you are on the outside is the same as who you are on the inside. You don’t present one persona to your friends and another to your business associates. You are who you are, no matter what company you’re in. If you can demonstrate this quality to those you’re attempting to influence, they’ll realize they can trust you. They’ll begin to know that you will do what you say you’re going to do, and that allows them to have confidence in the vision you’re trying to sell. If they don’t think you’ll pave the way for the organization to reach the goals it’s set, or that you’ll give up in the middle of the process, you’ll never develop much of a following.

(Change, Problem-Solving, Attitude, People, Vision, Self-Discipline, Staff Development continued in Premium Content)