Tag: John Maxwell

Jun 02

5 – The Law of Addition

In John C. Maxwell’s book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You (2007), John shares the law of addition. While leaders often receive the accolades for success, great leaders understand that success results from the collective effort of a team. Using those successes to bolster one’s own position at the exclusion of the team eventually erodes the loyalty of followers to that leader and the ability of the leader to inspire those that follow. Many view leadership and success in a similar way – climb the ladder as fast and far as possible. The law of addition  focuses on advancing others, not ourselves.

Leadership is an act of service to others. The best place to serve is not always at the top. The best place to serve is where you add the most value to others. Leaders add value to others but valuing others, adding value to others, and relating to what others value.

Great leadership is based on establishing relationships and relationships require that you truly value people. I discussed this topic with a manager at Motorola whom I respect for his leadership ability and managerial skill. He stated, “It’s not about me, it’s about the people.” That attitude, when exhibited in daily interactions, instills loyalty in the team.

Great leadership requires that you add value to others. Adding value to others necessitates that you build skills and experience then share that learning with others. This points us back to an important trait of the leader. The leader is dedicated to life-long learning, as ceasing to learn begins the erosion of the value that you can offer to other people.

Great leadership requires that you relate to what other people value. We expect to receive great service but often fail to give great service. Great service requires that you understand those you serve, which comes through listening to and learning about the people you interact with.

Leadership greatness begins by adding value through service to other people. Do you truly value the people with whom you interact? Do you add value to others by sharing your knowledge, skill, and experience? Do you understand and appreciate what other people value?

Links
Links to other posts in this discussion on the laws of leadership.
Mind map of the 21 laws of leadership.
Introduction to the leadership laws
1 – The Law of the Lid
2 – The Law of Influence
3 – The Law of Process
4 – The Law of Navigation

Reference
Maxwell, John. (2007). The 21 irrefutable laws of leadership. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Permanent link to this article: http://darrylpendergrass.com/Blog/5-the-law-of-addition/

May 29

4 – The Law of Navigation

In John C. Maxwell’s book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You (2007), John shares the importance of navigation to the leadership arsenal. Leaders plan the route to the desired destination, which is much more that simply controlling the direction of travel. Navigation incorporates vision, strategy, planning, and execution. The vision represents the mental model or picture of the desired end-state. The strategy provides the approach and the plan captures the considerations of all aspects potentially affecting the attainment of the goal. Those leaders that follow the law of navigation, see more than, see farther than, and see before others do (Eims, as cited in Maxwell).

Leaders that navigate draw on information from a variety of sources as shown in the graphic below. Leaders consider past success that build confidence for tackling a new venture. Leaders consider their own past failures and the failures of others. Leaders tend to look forward, forgetting the past. Great leaders learn from the past and the lessons that those experiences provide and apply them to future endeavors.

Leaders that navigate consider the current conditions before embarking on the path. What is the cost in terms of finances, time, and resources? What is the level of commitment to this action? Does the culture support this endeavor? Does the action carry any momentum? Is this the right time for this action?

Leaders that navigate solicit and consider the input and counsel of other people. One person rarely has all the answers to every question or issue that arises when tackling a major initiative.

Leaders that navigate balance their optimism, intuition, and faith with the realism, planning, and fact surrounding any major initiative.

Leadership-MixBooks abound that contain detailed approaches information related to visioning, strategic planning, and project planning and execution, but Maxwell (2007) shares a simple acrostic – PLAN AHEAD – that provides a reminder of the major steps involved in navigational leadership.

  • Predetermine a course of action
  • Lay out your goals
  • Adjust your priorities
  • Notify key people
  • Allow time for acceptance
  • Head into action
  • Expect problems
  • Always point to the successes
  • Daily review the plan

Over the years, I committed many hours to learning various processes and planning techniques. My personal library (physical and virtual) contain many books on those topics. I recognize the important contribution that process definition and planning provides to reaching goals successfully. Some try to convince me that the current environment does not lend itself to thorough planning but I am not convinced. I firmly believe that going slow to move fast comes into play for any project of consequence. I recognize the need to balance the plan’s level of detail with the level of project complexity. I also witness the tendency of many to rush into implementation with an appropriate level of planning.

I regularly create project workbooks that contain the project’s charter, plans, decisions, and results. The workbook includes the plans for risk management, resources, development approach, artifact library, testing, deployment, and others. Those workbooks capture many of the concepts highlighted in this post and in Maxwell’s book. I use the workbooks at work and in my volunteer activities. My experience supports the approach that planning contributes to the successful execution of the project. My observations also support the fact that ineffective planning nearly always results in projects that take longer and cost more than expected or results in project cancellation or project deliveries that fail to meet stakeholder needs.

In 2007, the leaders of the church where I attend requested that I lead an effort to organize the ministry leaders with organizational planning to improve the efficacy of the various church programs. This group and I spend many Saturdays over five months, which culminated in documented plans for each ministry. I began with a strategic planning session to assist these leaders with solidifying the organization’s vision and mission, understanding their strengths and weaknesses (SWOT Analysis), and aligning the various programs with overall organizational objectives. I presented a planning template for each ministry leader to develop that identified the ministry goals and the plans to achieve those goals. Each leader presented their respective planning to the other leaders and collectively refined the plans to ensure alignment and support. At the beginning of the new year, each leader presented their plan to the entire membership and sought volunteers to assist with the execution. The entire process garnered positive feedback from the leaders and church members. The benefits and results of the effort also caught the attention of other people and groups seeking to leverage the approach. With navigation applied, the group benefited by gaining a thorough understanding of each program’s contribution to the overall success of the organization.

Links
Links to other posts in this discussion on the laws of leadership.
Mind map of the 21 laws of leadership.
Introduction to the leadership laws
1 – The Law of the Lid
2 – The Law of Influence
3 – The Law of Process

Tools
Six Hats – a tools for group or individual thinking that assists with evaluation from a variety of perspectives.
SWOT Analysis – an approach for evaluating strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to gain greater perspective for evaluation of a venture.

Reference
Maxwell, John. (2007). The 21 irrefutable laws of leadership. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Permanent link to this article: http://darrylpendergrass.com/Blog/4-the-law-of-navigation/

May 12

3 – The Law of Process

In John C. Maxwell’s book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You (2007), John discusses the importance of understanding the path to leadership is a process and does not happen overnight. We live in a time that is dominated by a microwave mentality. We like our popcorn in three minutes or less. Television portrays the resolution of problems in 30 to 60 minutes. The constant and sometimes subtle reminders of instant gratification lures us to desire that leadership development also occurs rapidly if not instantly. Maxwell reminds his readers that leadership development is an investment. Similarly, you are unlikely to become financially independent in one day but small financial investments over time compound and often result in financial success over long periods.

Some people demonstrate natural leadership ability and grow more rapidly, while others require a focused approach to develop leadership skills. Growing the factors that contribute to leadership ability – character, relationships, knowledge, intuition, experience, and past success – takes time and your focus to develop (see leadership factors in this blog post for more details).

Personal Growth Phases

Personal growth tends to follow the phases shown in the following figure. Your dedication to personal growth influences the progression through the phases. Bennis and Nanus (1997) state, “It’s the capacity to develop and improve their skills that distinguishes leaders from their followers” (p.56) and therein lies the responsibility for each of us to take charge of our personal growth.

Phases-LeadershipGrowth

On a personal note, over many years I developed an enjoyable and rewarding career in technology. I was provided and pursued many opportunities that allowed me grow my technical and leadership skills.

However, the telecommunication downturn and recession of 2001 initiated vast workforce reductions throughout the industry. After many years of growth and demand for technologists, the reductions flooded the market with a pool of talented people. As a result, many employers raised the standard for entry to personnel with degrees. The situation created some personal anxiety and concern regarding my viability in the workplace and overall marketability. While I remained employed throughout that period, I choose to return to school to complete a bachelors program to bind my experience and skill with education. The phases of personal growth became readily apparent throughout the education process and reinforced the necessity to maintain a watchful eye over industry trends and to close the gaps that affect my personal marketability.

To summarize, growth is a process that requires observation, planning, and dedicated focus. One does not develop leadership ability in a day but evolves over time through attention to the growth process.

Links
Mind map of the 21 laws of leadership.

Reference
Bennis, W. and Nanus, B. (1997). Leaders: Strategies for taking charge. HarperCollins.
Maxwell, John. (2007). The 21 irrefutable laws of leadership. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Permanent link to this article: http://darrylpendergrass.com/Blog/3-the-law-of-process/

May 02

2 – The Law of Influence

In John C. Maxwell’s book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You, John discusses the importance of influence and the ability to lead.

Maxwell (2007) identifies five common myths about leadership. The first is the misunderstanding that management and leadership are equivalent terms. The second is that entrepreneurs are natural leaders. The third is that knowledge alone creates leadership ability. The forth is that pioneers must be leaders because they are at the front of the crowd. The fifth is that one’s position aligns directly with leadership. Maxwell claims that to identify a leader, skips the claims made by the individual, forget examining credentials, and ignore the person’s title but rather true leadership is identified by one’s influence and that people willingly follow.

Any assumption that management and leadership are synonymous terms limits individual and organizational creativity and innovation. Leading is a management function but restricting leadership to the realm of management fails to leverage important organizational capital. Management is the effective and efficient use of people and resources directed at attaining organizational goals (Bateman and Snell, 2004). Ignoring the leadership of individuals, outside the managerial ranks is a failure to recognize the potential contributions of important resources. Effectively leveraging the non-management leaders requires a healthy organizational culture that develops and supports the development of those individuals.

Management

Management delineates the officially recognized authority bestowed by an organization, with the manager as a realization of that authority. The manager; therefore, is responsible for accomplishing the organizational goals, which manifests in the oversight of the daily operations of the organization.

A manager can effectively oversee the daily operations and be successful without demonstrating the traits and behavior associated with leadership. For instance, in operations that are well defined, the manager’s responsibility lies in controlling the process from input to output. Developing a myopic view and focusing on the short-term is a common side effect of that responsibility. The myopic view is inappropriate in the today’s environment where globalization and competition press from every side. Organizations need manager-leaders that mobilize and energize employees, leveraging the collective brainpower to accomplish goals.

Management Leader

The management-leader recognizes the extension of his or her role to include coaching and orchestrating. The value of those skills will continue to grow well into the future. Batman and Snell (2004) differentiate between supervisory leadership and strategic leadership. While supervisory leadership focuses on the day-to-day operations, strategic leadership gives purpose to the organization.

Non-management Leader

In contrast to the manager and manager-leader, the organization bestows no formal authority to the non-management leader. However, neglecting to recognize the contributions of the non-management leader is a constricting force on the organization. The non-management leader exhibits characteristics that appeal to others. The appeal and admiration of the non-management leader are powerful traits and when properly channeled can motivate others to higher achievements. In addition to appeal and admiration, people recognize the knowledge and experience of individuals, creating yet another source of influence.

The insecure manager feels threatened by employees that exhibit those power sources and attempt to constrict the leadership. The astute manager; however, recognizes the aforementioned traits in people and seeks to develop and nurture those people and in affect, extend his or her own management capability and capacity. Successful organizations exhibit cultures that develop leaders at all levels of the organization.

Leadership Factors

Several factors contribute to your leadership ability. Character describes who you are at your core. People are attracted to leaders that display depth in their character. Building relationships contributes to your ability to lead. Growing your leadership ability depends on growing your  relationships. Knowledge and the ability to process information contributes to your leadership ability. The knowledge factor alone does not guarantee you will be a leader, but without knowledge your leadership ability is hampered significantly. Intuition – the ability to sense intangibles – also contributes to leadership ability. Influence requires you to sense energy, morale, timing, and momentum. Your past experience influences others to trust you through an understanding of your credibility and capabilities. Likewise, your past successes contribute to your track record that builds confidence among those that follow you. Finally, your ability instills confidence that you can lead people to the goal.

The law of influence recognizes that your ability to influence people to willingly participate and follow you is true leadership. “No matter what anybody else may tell you, remember that leadership is influence – nothing more, nothing less” Maxwell (2007, p.20)

Action Plan
On a scale from 1 to 10, assess the techniques you rely upon to influence others and assemble a plan for improving your influence for the traits with low ratings.

Leadership_Influence
Volunteer: volunteering for an organization tests your ability to lead by influence (referent power) rather than through positional(legitimate) power  or coercive power, see definitions.

Links
Mind map of the 21 laws of leadership.

Reference

Bateman, T. S., & Snell, S. A. (2004). Management: the New Competitive Landscape (6th ed.). NewYork, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
Maxwell, John. (2007). The 21 irrefutable laws of leadership. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Wikipedia. (2010). Power. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_%28sociology%29#Five_bases_of_power

Permanent link to this article: http://darrylpendergrass.com/Blog/2-the-law-of-influence/

May 01

1 – Law of the Lid

In John C. Maxwell’s book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You, John discusses the effect of leadership toward improving one’s overall potential and personal effectiveness. Improving your personal effectiveness involves two major approaches. Improving your personal ability is the first approach and improving your leadership ability is the second.

This figure represents a person with relatively high personal ability but low leadership ability.

Low Leadership Ability

This person can improve personal effectiveness by focusing on improved personal ability. According to the Law of Diminishing Returns, at some point the applied effort  exceeds the benefit received. As shown in the next figure, striving to improve your personal ability results in only a small return on your investment or a small improvement in your personal effectiveness.

Improved Personal Ability

Despite the small to moderate returns, many people focus on this approach to improve personal effectiveness for several reasons. First, this approach is comfortable because we tend to have more control over this method. Second, we tend to believe that doing things ourselves is the most expedient way to complete tasks. Third, after dedicating the  time to improve our personal ability, we are often reluctant to share knowledge with others for fear of losing the edge we achieved through our dedication to personal excellence. However, striving to improve personal effectiveness in these ways lead to several problems. First, the approach returns smaller gains with increased effort. Second, if you always do things yourself, you will always have to do those things. Third, the margin of performance between you and your peers or competitors is often short lived. Personal effectiveness is limited without leadership ability.

The following figure shows the increased personal effectiveness by focusing on the second approach – improving leadership ability.

Improved Leadership Ability

As shown, even moderate improvements in leadership ability result in significant improvement in personal effectiveness. Improving your ability to lead multiplies your personal effectiveness. Of course, this requires a change in the mindset discussed earlier because that mindset inhibits your personal growth. To reach higher levels of personal effectiveness, you must raise the level of the leadership lid.

Action Plan

What are your major goals? Write them down. If your major goals need the cooperation and participation of others, your leadership ability significantly effects your effectiveness or ability reach those goals.

Assess your leadership ability: the book includes a leadership assessment form but you can also search the Internet with the keywords “Leadership Assessment” to locate other forms and on-line assessments. Next, seek the input of others about your leadership ability. Comparing those inputs to your self-assessment provides a more objective assessment of your leadership abilities.

Prepare your leadership improvement plan. Use the results of the leadership assessment to plan the activities needed to improve your leadership ability and personal effectiveness, then follow the plan.

Links
Mind map of the 21 laws of leadership.
Leadership-tools.com
Managementhelp.org – overview of leadership in organizations

Reference
Maxwell, John. (2007). The 21 irrefutable laws of leadership. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Permanent link to this article: http://darrylpendergrass.com/Blog/law-of-the-lid/