Laws of Leadership

Over the next few weeks, I will be reading a book on leadership called "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership" by John C. Maxwell. I plan to read a law each day and dedicate some time after completing each chapter to reflect on the lesson. I recognize the importance of actively seeking leadership guidance and am very excited to digest this acclaimed text. I have been looking forward to reading it for a while now and figured this would be a wonderful time since I will be striving to be a leader at my new job.

I am only on the fourth day of this journey, but I already feel that I am gaining valuable information that will help me tremendously going forward. I enjoy reading Maxwell's style of using real people and true stories to bring the material to life. His own experience, professionalism and leadership effectiveness shine on every page as he shares his hard earned wisdom. However, I also realize that it will be up to me to take the time-proven information and apply it to situations in my life. After taking this step, I expect to move out from my comfort zone and into a higher level of leadership.

The book begins with the first law which is named "The Law of the Lid." It basically states that leadership ability will ultimately determine a person's level of effectiveness. It is completely up to us to take control of developing the skills and characteristics of a successful leader. Using a hungry determination, we can achieve the necessary attributes over time. Basically, we will only go as high as the level of our leadership ability.

The next two laws were "The Law of Influence" and "The Law of Process." A true measure of leadership is influence. Without the ability to make others follow you, you can never truly call yourself a leader. He states that true leadership does not come from a title and cannot be awarded, appointed or assigned. It comes from an earned influence that is acquired through "The Law of Process." Leadership is slowly developed through hard work and dedication. The goal of aspiring leaders must be to get a little better every day by building on the previous day's progress.

Maxwell's fourth law is "The Law of Navigation." It outlines the importance of looking ahead to plan for the future by identifying possible obstacles and thinking of solutions before it's too late. He suggests that we look to our past experiences and gather information from available resources such as other people before making commitments that may be irreversible. It is important to always have a clear strategy that will prepare us for the road ahead.

As I get ready to start my fourth day at work, I accept that I am on a journey that will require me to constantly improve. I look forward to every challenge as an opportunity to learn and develop into a person more prepared for the next situation. I have a clear vision of where I want to be and will chase the end result with all my heart. Using focus and discipline, I have faith that I will emerge as a leader.