The Right to Lead,
by John Maxwell
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.
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.
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