I read Developing The Leader Within You 2.0 by John C. Maxwell and it was made clear to me that by investing in yourself as a leader you will add to your effectiveness, subtract from your weaknesses, divide from your workload, and multiply your impact. Good leaders become great leaders not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others. Great leaders resist the urge to accumulate authority and rather focus on giving it away.
It is vital that leaders are able to identify the activities that give them the greatest return, and focus on those. A leader’s best work is accomplished when they enjoy it. Step one is finding something that they really like to do, so much so that they would gladly do it for free. Step two is learning to do that thing so well that people are happy to pay them for it.
But when individuals love their work, it can easily consume them. So unless they intentionally create margin in their life, they will never have it. Margin is the space that exists between our load and our limits, so instead of filling every space in the calendar, create white space to rest and grow.
Leaders should strive to be a coach, not a king. A coach brings out the best in others by investing in them. They help others reach deep down inside and discover their potential.
A sad reality is that most people spend time with others and few people invest time with them. Great leaders seek out ways to invest in their people. They never stop learning, and they pay attention to what they learn because they have a desire to intentionally share it with others. The ultimate goal in developing people is to help them transform their lives. While the act of teaching may help someone’s life improve, true personal development helps their lives change for the better.
Some leaders worry that if they reveal their shortcomings they will lose credibility, but in reality, vulnerability builds trust and unity. So instead of a leader pointing to their breakthroughs, they ought to direct people to the weaknesses and the hardships that have led to their success.
As a leader, think of yourself as a mosaic, made up of many broken pieces that have been made into something beautiful. It’s powerful because brokenness is not about using another’s struggles to feel better about ourselves; rather, when we can accept and recognize our own shortcomings, we can acknowledge our common humanity. That’s where empathy is born.
The influence the leader holds is essential to the effectiveness of their leadership, but true influence begins with a leader’s heart and not their head. People buy into a leader first because of who they are and then because of their vision.
A leader’s character determines their vision and their vision determines the direction for their lives, but because vision is based on an individual’s passion, it is impossible to borrow somebody else’s vision. A leader’s vision must come from a passion deep inside of them. Once they find it, if they nurture it and gain clarity on it, then they can invite others into a beautiful journey with confidence and direction.
One of the most important aspects of a successful leader is possessing a go get’em mindset. It’s what separates those who get things done from those who merely dream about what can be.
Good leaders cannot become complacent and they cannot become satisfied with yesterday’s success. Leaders see what can be and they continually seek to achieve it. They don’t see their obstacles as stumbling blocks, but are spurred on to use them as stepping stones because growth is a choice, not a function of circumstance. The struggles they experience make the successes achieved worthwhile. This endless potential drives them to get better, to achieve more, and to lead their people to new territory. The future belongs to people who are dedicated to making the world, their teams, and themselves better.
