WHAT SUCCESFUL PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT LEADERSHIP

SHARED FROM THE BOOK:

WHAT SUCCESFUL PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT LEADERSHIP

John C. Maxwell

Ben Bella Books, Inc. Dallas, Tx

156 pages

 

 

 

Self-leadership comes first.  If you can’t lead yourself effectively, everything else in life will be a struggle.

 

One of the reasons we have difficulty leading ourselves is that we have blind spots that prevent us from seeing the problems.  Blind spots can be especially harmful in leaders.  Their blind spots have multiplying effect on the people in their sphere of influence.

 

 

 

4 COMMON DESTRUCTIVE BLIND SPOTS AMONG LEADERS
1. A SINGULAR PERSPECTIVE Usually ending up talking about your favorite subject Keep giving the same speech, lecture, piece of advice over and over again You are always right even though nobody is always right	2.INSECURITY Continually think of themselves first Worry about what others think of them Fear of looking weak or foolish or insignificant Limit their best people Have difficult time seeing others rise Cannot genuinely celebrate victories won by others Have a hard time giving credit to others Keep information from staff to protect position Try to keep staff away from good leaders Threaten by the growth of others Often micro managed others Feel deserve the credit for team’s accomplishments
3. AN OUT-OF-CONTROL EGO Believe they know it all Believe others are inferior Often thinks the rules don’t apply to them Usually rigid and closed-minded Out of touch with clients and employees Blame others when anything goes wrong Live in the state of denial Never think about anyone but themselves Think they are indispensable or no one else can do a job as well as they can Disregard other people’s idea Other people often feel put down Don’t look for input or answers from anyone other than themselves	4.WEAK CHARACTER Often miss deadlines Often goes back to old behavior Place more importance on pleasing others Willing to share or shade the truth in order to get out of a tough spot Do what’s easiest Others are reluctant to trust you

 

 

 

WHAT GIVES A LEADER SUSTAINABILITY

1	PASSION Gives you energy and credibility
2	PRINCIPLES Stay true to their principles
3	PRACTICES Implement right and regular practices
4	PEOPLE Have fantastic friends Maintain strong inner circle Possess a loving family

 

 

 

MOST IMPORTANT VALUES OF A LEADER

1. SERVANTHOOD

Leading well means serving others

 

2. PURPOSE

Let your ‘why’ direct your ‘what’

Know your purpose in life

Grow to your maximum potential

Sowing seeds to benefit others

 

3. INTEGRITY

Live the live before you lead others

Set examples

Focus more on responsibilities than on your rights

Raise your standards

Do more than you expect of others

 

4. RELATIONSHIPS

Walk slowly through the crowd

Treat people with kindness and respect

Connect with them by going to where they are

Communicate vision

Seek out opportunities

Start initiatives that will benefit the organization

Ask question

Learn who the people are

Offer assistance

Find ways for them to success

 

5. RENEWAL

Replenish yourself daily

Make an effort to replenish your energy

Feed your soul

Renew your mind

 

 

 

CULTIVATE DAILY HABITS OF GIVING

1	Giving acknowledge that others have helped Mo one success on their own
2	Giving requires us to get beyond ourselves Think of others more Pay attention to others and what they want
3	Giving is by nature intentional
4	Giving changes the world – one person at a time
5	Giving generously to others without the hope of return

 

 

Changing your heart towards people is a choice.  You must decide to love people, be authentic and vulnerable with them to be effective.  You must choose to let them into your life so that you can add value and they can add value to you.

 

A leader needs to keep growing.  What got you to where you are today will not get you to where you want to go tomorrow.  Humility means thinking of yourself less.  It means valuing others and their contributions.  Humility encourages team building, values teachability, opens up to feedback, allows us to face reality and our mistakes, promotes character building, and enlarges our potential.  In general, people appreciate transparency.  It allow them to connect and it also inspire them.

 

 

TIPS ON MAKING DECISIONS DURING EMOTIONALLY DIFFICULT TIMES
1. DO YOUR HOMEWORK	Define the issue Gather information Consider credibility of sources
2. LIST YOUR OPTIONS AND WHERE THEY COULD LEAD	1.    Think of the outcomes 2.    Brainstorm every option
3. SEEK ADVICE FROM THE RIGHT PEOPLE
4. LISTEN TO YOUR INSTINCT
5. MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON PRINCIPLES AND VALUES YOU BELIEVE IN

 

 

Leading yourself is the most important aspect of leadership.  We must learn to lead ourselves successfully before we can be successful in leadership.  Leadership is a complex subject.  Great leaders don’t start out great.  Leadership is a process.

 

 

3 MAIN COMPONENTS

IN DEVELOPMENT OF A LEADER

1. Environment: incarnation of leadership
2. Exposure: inspiration for leadership
3. Equipping: intention for leadership

 

 

THE 4 MAIN LEADERSHIP CHALLENGES
Ability to Influence   Leadership is influence, and it can be learned.  Most leadership skills can be taught; and people can be equipped to lead.  All that is needed is the desire to lead and the willing ness to learn.  The key is influence.  The ability to influence others will be the single greatest factor in the success as a leader.   Influence must be developed with each individual.  With leadership are the responsibilities; what we do affects the people whose feelings and well-being are within our influence.  We can choose either it’s positive or negative influence	Ability to Add Value   Leadership is about adding value to people.  You need to make others better; help them remove their self-imposed limitations and encourage them to reach their potential.   Adding value to people by: Listening to their story to understand them Making their agendas your priority Believing in them Discussing ways to accomplish their visions Creating plans that fit them Helping them until the vision is accomplish   Good leaders always take into account the skills, abilities and interest of the person during the work.  Good delegation includes careful selecting the right person for a task and take into account the skills and abilities best suited.
Ability in making Decisions   The greatest challenge in leadership is making decisions that affect other people.  Leaders must be willing to make tough choices and uncomfortable decisions such as: Courages decisions (what must be done) Priority decisions (what must be done first) Change decisions (what must be done differently) Creative decisions (what might be possible) Peoples decisions (who should – and should not – be involved)	Ability to lead through difficult times   Another most challenging task is being a change agent and leading people through tough-times.   Tips on leading people through difficult times: Define reality – help define the things that are holding them back Remind them of the big picture – leaders are keepers and communicators of vision Help them develop a plan – identify the steps required Help them make good choices – understand that people’s choices define who they are and determine where they go Value and promote teamwork Give them hope = hope is the foundation of change   Difficult times can discipline us to become stronger Conflict can renew our chances of building better relationships

 

 

People move into leadership differently.  When taking on a new leadership position, we will receive temporary trust depending on so many things; the predecessor’s credibility, people’s influence, environment and culture.  Everyone will be wasting.

 

 

TIPS ON DEMONSTRATTING COMPETENCE

1	Work hard People respect someone who works hard No substitute for a good work ethic
2	Think ahead Begin with the end in mind Identify priorities
3	Demonstrate excellence The better you are, the higher your initial credibility
4	Follow through Bring thing to completion

 

 

 

COMMUNICATE YOUR LEADERSHIP CHARACTER TO TEAM

1	Care about the people you lead 3 important things to people on the team i. do the leader care for me ii. can the leader help me can I trust the leader
2	Makes things right When things does not turn out the way they are intended to, leaders owe their followers an explanation and apology.
3	Tell the truth Trust is gained when there is consistency between words and actions of leaders Honesty adds integrity People appreciate the truth

 

 

Nearly everyone has the potential to lead.  Not everyone can become a great leader, but everyone can become a better leader.  To be better, these 4 areas need to be examined:

 

1. Pay attention to the need you see
   Leadership begins with a need not filling up an empty leadership position.
2. Use your natural abilities to help others
3. Make the most of your passion
   People want to follow passionate people.
4. Develop your influence
   People who think they are leading, but have no one following them are only taking a walk.
    
   The best leaders knows what it’s like to follow and have learned how to do it.  Good followers add value to an organization.  A good leader understands following, and never forget what it’s like to sit in a followers chair.
    
   So much of leadership is about working with people, thus a more deliberate and continuous effort is needed to connect with people.  Leaders need to:
    

1. Understand the value of connecting with others
   People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
2. Connect with others using your strengths
   Build rapport and relationships with people.  Some of the qualities that can be relied on when working with people are:
   Humour,
   Authenticity
   Confidence
   Hope
   Simplicity
3. Ask good leaders to give you feedback
    
    

LEADER’S PERSONALITIES

Choleric (most natural leaders)

Phlegmatic (most loyal leaders)

Melancholic (most gifted leaders)

Sanguine (most loved leaders)

 

 

 

5 things to do to get off on the right foot and set up team success
1	Strengthen relationships             Get to know and understand each             person on the team.
2	Earn People’s trust
3	Position team members properly             Put each player in his or her     strength zone
4	Create clear expectations
5	Determine people’s capacity             One source of frustration in the             workplace is the frequent mismatch             between what people must do and       what people can do.

 

 

Good leaders have to be willing to take the heat so that they could move people forward.  Confidence makes it possible for leaders to take risks and speak up.

 

 

TIPS ON IMPROVING LEADERSHIP CONFIDENCE

1 Spend time with people who give you confidence

2 Find a way to get a few wins under your belt

3 Quit comparing yourself to others

4 Specialize until you’re special

 

 

There’s no one clear path to leadership.  There’s no simple checklist for becoming a leader.  Each person’s journey is different.  Leaders have to grow into their roles.  Leadership is a privilege and a responsibility; and its open to anyone who’s willing to work hard enough to get it.

 

 

Leaders often wait because they don’t like making difficult decisions.  Leaders need to help their people understand that nothing good comes out of being average professionally.  Incremental challenges will increase the confidence of the people who achieve them.

 

Tips on facing issues

1 Meet privately ASAP to discuss their behavior – do something about it quickly

2 Ask for their side of the story

3 Try to come to a place of agreement

4 Set out a future course of action with a dead line

5 Validate the value of the person and express your commitment to help

 

 

Leaders can’t really change people.  People must change themselves.  Leaders are responsible to create an environment and culture where motivation is valued and rewarded.

 

 

Ways to create motivated environment and culture

Start with motivated people -       Leaders themselves must be motivated -       People do what people see -       Hire motivated people, not focus too much on talent or skill

Understand the connection between relationships and motivation

Give each person a reputation to uphold -       All people have talents, skills, and positive traits -       Encourage an environment where people say positive things about positive things about one another

Reward what you want done

 

 

Leaders can help people to finish better by helping them understand what happens when they don’t follow through and finish something:

Losing the reward of finishing

Lowering own self-esteem

Sabotage own success

Losing the trust and respect of others

 

The ability to deal with difficulties, mistakes, failure, and loss is crucial to people’s success:

 

1. Share your passion – a leader’s passion is contagious.  It can attract other passionate people.
2. Paint a picture of a better future – help them envision the future so that they can make a difference in life.
3. Show how their role makes a difference – give team members a sense of ownership.
4. Challenge them to keep growing – help people see the value of growing.
    
    

TIPS: succeed working with difficult leaders
1. consider whether you might actually be the problem	Determine what’s wrong with us first before start looking at what’s wrong with your leaders.
Determine whether you have specific evidence to support your opinion	Try examining them rationally, without emotion
Assess your influence and credibility with your leader	Figure out where you stand with your leader
Think through every possible outcome	Have a discussion with the leader only if you are willing to accept the outcome
Make a decision to act	Either take action or accept the situation
Ask to speak with your leader privately	One of the worst mistake you can make with difficult leaders is to criticize them or call them out publicly
Meet, outline your complain, and seek a collaborative solution	The goal is not to vent or get even.  The point is to seek a positive situation
Determine whether you should stay or it’s time to move on
If you decide you can stay, give your best and publicly support your leader

 

 

When working with a difficult leader:

Process your emotion

Look for common ground

Be consistently pleasant

Solving problems

Going the extra mile

 

Tips working with difficult leader who always play it safe

Put yourself in their shoe (see things from their perspective)

Acknowledge their feelings

Help them take action

 

 

Steps to help move through transition

Consider possibilities

Weigh the risks and rewards

Get affirmation from your inner circle

Take action and move forward

 

 

Guidelines to implementing change

Change what needs to be change, not what is easy to change

Let go of yesterday so you can go to tomorrow

Communicate the message with simplicity and power

Activate belief in people

Remove barriers for people

Lead with speed

 

 

Criteria of people with leadership potential

Ability to make things happen

Ability to influence other people

Have good people skills

Ability to attract people; people want to hear what they say; people like spending time with them

Ability to add value

Ability to see and seize value

Willing to take good risks and pay attention

Take responsibility, embrace opportunity, and follow through

Live up to commitments

 

 

Leaders help people to believe in the vision and in their leadership; and in themselves.  They help people turn hope into action.  Leaders should encourage people to move forward and reach for their potential.