Monday, November 11, 2013

An excerpt from The Right to Lead by John C. Maxwell


Preface: What Gives a Man or Woman the Right to Lead?
What gives a man or woman the right to lead? It certainly isn't gained
 by election or appointment. Having position, title, rank or degrees
 doesn't qualify anyone to lead other people. And the ability doesn't come
 automatically from age or experience, either.

No, it would be accurate to say that no one can be given the right to lead. The right to lead can 
only be earned. And that takes time.
The Kind of Leader Others Want to Follow
The key to becoming an effective leader is not to focus on making other
 people follow, but on making yourself the kind of person they want 
to follow. You must become someone others can trust to take them 
where they want to go. As you prepare yourself to become a better leader, use the following 
guidelines to help you grow:
1.   Let go of your ego
The truly great leaders are not in leadership for personal gain. They 
lead in order to serve other people. Perhaps that is why Lawrence 
D. Bell remarked, "Show me a man who cannot bother to do little things,
 and I'll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big things."
2.   Become a good follower first
Rare is the effective leader who didn't learn to become a good follower first.
 That is why a leadership institution such as the United States Military 
Academy teaches its officers to become effective followers first - and 
why West Point has produced more leaders than the Harvard Business School.
3.   Build positive relationships
Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. That means 
it is by nature  relational. Today's generation of leaders seem 
particularly aware of this because title and position mean so
 little to them. They know intuitively that people go along with people 
they get along with.
4.   Work with excellence
No one respects and follows mediocrity. Leaders who earn the right 
to lead give their all to what they do. They bring into play not 
only their skills and talents, but also great passion and hard work 
They perform on the highest level of which they are capable.
John C. Maxwell and Elbert Hubbard quotes
5.   Rely on discipline, not emotion
Leadership is often easy during the good times. It's when everything 
seems to be against you - when you're out of energy, and you don't
 want to lead - that you earn your place as a leader. During every 
season of life, leaders face crucial moments when they must choose
 between gearing up or giving up. To make it through those times, rely 
on the rock of discipline, not the shifting sand of emotion.
6.   Make adding value your goal
When you look at the leaders whose names are revered long 
after they have finished leading, you find that they were 
men and women who helped people to live better lives and reach 
their potential. That is the highest calling of leadership - and its highest value.
7.   Give your power away
One of the ironies of leadership is that you become a better leader by sharing
 whatever power you have, not by saving it all for yourself. You're meant 
to be a river, not a reservoir. If you use your power to empower others, 
your leadership will extend far beyond your grasp.
Jackie Robinson and John C. Maxwell quotes

In The Right to Lead, you will hear from and read about people who have done these same
 things and earned the right to lead others. Because of the courage they found and the character they displayed, other people recognized their admirable qualities and felt compelled to follow them.
The followers who looked to these leaders learned from them, and so can we. As you explore

their worlds and words, remember that it takes time to become worthy of followers. Leadership isn't learned or earned in a moment.