Over the course of the last 12 laws, we have seen that leaders need to possess the ability to gain the trust and respect of others in order to establish a connection that will encourage people to follow them toward a common purpose. Obviously great leaders have some level of natural ability, but how does a person develop all the other attributes that enables him/her to become exceptional?
The "Law of Reproduction" states that it takes a leader to raise up a leader. A majority of effective leaders have been formed under the direction of other established leaders who mentored them. By surrounding ourselves with talented individuals who care about our development, we will absorb the same characteristics over time. Therefore, we must avoid authority figures who do not recognize the tremendous value of developing our abilities or are not secure enough to help us become better. We must find people who can see the big picture and challenge us everyday, because it will be these lessons that truly form us into leaders.
Next, the book goes into a fundamental difference between leaders and followers. Maxwell states, "The leader finds the dream and then the people. The people find the leader and then the dream." This quote brings us to the "Law of Buy-In" which simply means that people buy into the leader before the actual vision.
Many people believe that people will follow any cause as long as there is a solid plan supporting something good. However, people do not at first follow worthy causes. They follow worthy leaders who promote worthwhile causes. This point is exactly why actors and athletes are used in advertising. People want to believe in things that are promoted by the people they respect. As leaders, we will never get any credit for having a good vision. It will be our ability to get people where they need to go that determines success which will always begin before the vision is even shared.
In Maxwell's next law called the "Law of Victory", a true leader always finds a way for the team to win. He states, "Victorious leaders feel the alternative to winning is totally unacceptable, so they figure out what must be done to achieve victory, and then they go after it with everything at their disposal."
Successful leaders are always pursuing victory independent of circumstance. They can envision a way to conquer any obstacle and use their leadership to make others see it too. They respond to pressure and show their best in times of adversity. They refuse to back down and are quick to identify alternate routes to accomplishing the desired result. When a leader combines these characteristics with a team that carries unity of vision and a diversity of skills, victory will be inevitable.
Leaders must also find a way to make things happen. The first step in the process must be to prepare and motivate everyone involved in order to create something called momentum. Momentum is often a leader's best friend and that is why the next law is called the "Law of the Big Mo".
A leader is expected to get things started. He or she is responsible for taking action. However, it is important to know that small victorious steps have the ability to make a large impact during the early stages of a project. These adolescent victories will allow the team to pick up momentum that will be required to take on whatever stands in the way. The greater the momentum, the easier it will be to overcome unavoidable challenges and obstacles.
----------------------------------------
The following is a recap of the first 12 laws. A more in-depth explanation of each can be found in the first three entries under the title "Laws of Leadership".
- Law of the Lid
- Law of Influence
- Law of Process
- Law of Navigation
- Law of E.F. Hutton
- Law of Solid Ground
- Law of Respect
- Law of Intuition
- Law of Magnetism
- Law of Connection
- Law of the Inner Circle
- Law of Empowerment
No comments:
Post a Comment