Archive for Equipping
Finding the “want to”
Posted by: | CommentsMany years ago, I read about a survey of workers in the United States, who were asked if they could work harder on the job than they currently were. 85% of those surveyed said that they could. And more than half claimed that they could double their effectiveness “if I wanted to.”
I don’t know about you, but I want the people that I lead to “want to” be as effective as they possibly can all the time! And I want them to always give 100 percent of their effort.
The good news is that I believe that the people on my team DO work to the best of their ability. As I thought about my team and saw how hard they worked in comparison to the statistics, I wondered to myself, what makes John Maxwell Company staff “want to” double their effectiveness?
I believe it’s because team members receive five things from the leaders:
1. Relationship. My organization has been blessed with some exceptional people. It starts at the top with the CEO of the John Maxwell Company, Mark Cole, who has a real talent for connecting with his team. He truly practices what I preach when I tell people to reach for a person’s heart before asking for their hand.
2. Ownership. John F. Kennedy once said, “Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction.” I believe team ownership depends on a clear vision cast by the leader, which spells out their contribution.
3. Reward for work. Recent generations have gotten used to being rewarded just for showing up. But what really motivates achievers are rewards that are tied to production.
4. Pride. This is a direct result of ownership. When a team member understands how his contribution matters, and makes that contribution, the natural outcome is pride in the work. You can increase that pride by always offering recognition for a job well done.
5. Confidence through equipping. Harvey Firestone said, “It is only as we develop others that we permanently succeed.” Beyond casting vision, a good leader equips his people and helps them to grow. This adds value to their lives and sets them up for success.
Every leader wants a team that enthusiastically does the job to the best of their ability. More than that, we want our people to go “the extra mile.” I’m blessed to be able to rely on a leader like Mark Cole, who makes sure our John Maxwell Company team benefits from relationship, ownership, reward, pride, and confidence. And team members respond by doing their best work.
I believe that if you provide your team with the above five gifts, then they are more likely to “want to” offer you their best in return.
Level Up, Week 7: The Pinnacle
Posted by: | CommentsWelcome to Week 7 of our group study of The 5 Levels of Leadership. This week we’re studying Level 5, The Pinnacle.
The difficulty with teaching this level is that Level 5 leaders are just not very common. Until now, you’ve spent your time nudging group members to reach for the level being discussed. But to reach Level 5, a leader needs to be developing leaders – and not just leaders but Level 4 leaders – for many years. Most people leading groups won’t have a Level 5 leader in them.
You can still discuss this level, though, by meeting your people where they are. What you need to focus on is how well they are developing leaders right now, and getting them to commit to the process as a way of life.
READING ASSIGNMENT
Portrait of a Level 5 Leader, pages 271-286 (We will discuss this reading assignment and the overall impact of this study in NEXT WEEK’s post.)
DISCUSSION (Facilitator’s Guide)
1. (Icebreaker) tell about a time when you met a celebrity who was important to you.
2. Have you ever known a Level 5 leader? What was that person like?
3. What’s the difference between helping others with personal development versus helping them with leadership development?
4. What have you found to be the best way to teach another person to lead?
5. Describe a crucible moment in your leadership journey. What lesson did you learn from it?
6. How would you go about teaching that lesson to another person?
7. Of all the people you work with, who has the greatest leadership potential?
8. What experiences, resources, and people can you share with those potential leades to help them become better leaders?
9. Do you think there’s plenty of room at the top for addition leaders, or do you believe that space is always limited? Why? How does that impact the way you develop other leaders?
10. What efforts have you made to create an inner circle to help you grow and keep yourself grounded?
11. The chapter says to plan for your succession. Are you currently training someone to replace you? If so, how? If not, what must you do to make that happen?
ASSIGNMENT
Take responsibility for creating a leadership development environment. Dedicate significant amounts of your time and talent to it. Recognize and reward leadership accomplishments. And make it your responsibility to mentor your top leaders. This is a commitment required not just for a season, but for a lifetime if you want to someday reach Level 5.
Thank you for joining me on this journey through The 5 Levels of Leadership. I’ve enjoyed sharing a sneak peek at my book and reading your insights into what makes an effective leader. Now we’ve got just one more week before the book comes out. I hope you’ll purchase and read it – not just for my sake, but because I know that the concepts within it can teach you how to grow as a leader.
Here’s a sneak peek at Level 5: The Pinnacle. I hope it inspires you to become the kind of leader who can eventually rise to that level:
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Rare is the leader who reaches Level 5—the Pinnacle. Not only is leadership at this level a culmination of leading well on the other four levels, but it also requires both a high degree of skill and some amount of natural leadership ability. It takes a lot to be able to develop other leaders so that they reach Level 4; that’s what Level 5 leaders do. The individuals who reach Level 5 lead so well for so long that they create a legacy of leadership in the organization they serve.
The individuals who reach Level 5 lead so well for so long that they create a legacy of leadership in the organization they serve.
Pinnacle leaders stand out from everyone else. They are a cut above, and they seem to bring success with them wherever they go. Leadership at this high level lifts the entire organization and creates an environment that benefits everyone in it, contributing to their success. Level 5 leaders often possess an influence that transcends the organization and the industry the leader works in.
Most leaders who reach the Pinnacle do so later in their careers. But the Pinnacle level is not a resting place for leaders to stop and view their success. It is a reproducing place from which they make the greatest impact of their lives. That’s why leaders who reach the Pinnacle should make the most of it while they can. With gratitude and humility, they should lift up as many leaders as they can, tackle as many great challenges as possible, and extend their influence to make a positive difference beyond their own organization and industry.
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P.S. October 4 is the actual date of publication for The 5 Levels of Leadership. I’d appreciate it very much if you would help get the word out. On Twitter, you can use the hashtag #5Levels. And here’s the link that you can share anywhere:
http://tinyurl.com/5levelslead
Thank you!
On becoming an empowerer
Posted by: | CommentsThe ability to empower others is one of the keys to personal and professional success. John Craig remarked, “No matter how much work you can do, no matter how engaging your personality may be, you will not advance far in business if you cannot work through others.” And business executive J. Paul Getty asserted, “It doesn’t make much difference how much other knowledge or experience an executive possesses; if he is unable to achieve results through people, he is worthless as an executive.”
When you become an empowerer, you work with and through people, but you do much more. You enable others to reach the highest levels in their personal and professional development. Simply defined, empowering is giving your influence to others for the purpose of personal and organizational growth. It’s sharing yourself – your influence, position, power and opportunities – with others with the purpose of investing in their lives so that they can function at their best. It’s seeing people’s potential, sharing your resources with them, and showing them that you believe in them completely.
The act of empowering others changes lives, and it’s a win-win situation for you and the people you empower. Giving others your authority isn’t like giving away an object, such as your car. If you give away your car, you’re stuck. You no longer have transportation. But empowering others by giving them your authority has the same effect as sharing information: you haven’t lost anything. You have increased the ability of others without decreasing yourself.
What does it mean to be a COACH?
Posted by: | CommentsToday I thought I’d share with you one lesson from my free daily videos, Minute with Maxwell. This particular video generated the most discussion, which doesn’t surprise me, since it was focused on the word COACH.
(If you can’t view the above video, try clicking here or here.)
Do you find yourself in a situation where you need to coach someone? As I said in the video, one of the most important gifts a coach can give is perspective. Because we all tend to make decisions based on our perspective and attitude, it’s important for the coach to share the big picture.
Here are some attitudes and perspectives that all people have in common, followed by the action a coach can take to influence them:
- People are insecure… So give them confidence.
- People like to feel special… So sincerely compliment them.
- People want a better tomorrow… So show them hope.
- People lack direction… So navigate for them.
- People are self-centered… So speak to their needs first.
- People get low emotionally… So encourage them.
- People want success… So help them win.
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