Archive for Influence
Level Up, Week 5: Production
Posted by: | CommentsWelcome to Week 5 of our group study of The 5 Levels of Leadership. This week we’re studying Level 3, Production.
This is the week when the task-oriented members of your group will probably understand the topic intuitively and wonder how anyone could miss the value of production. And the people-oriented individuals might be tempted to devalue production as not relational enough.
The truth is that leaders need both aspects of leadership if they’re going to advance and grow. Production needs to be emphasized this week, because it’s the foundation of teamwork and gives a leader credibility. People have more reasons to follow because the team gets things done and succeeds– more than just a connection to the leader. Leadership without results ultimately doesn’t keep followers motivated. But if you have a vision that you’ve articulated and are modeling, your followers will embrace it and continue the journey with you.
READING ASSIGNMENT
Level 4: People Development, pages 179-228 (We will discuss this reading assignment in NEXT WEEK’s post.)
DISCUSSION (Facilitator’s Guide)
1. (Icebreaker) Tell about something you made or created during your formative years that you were especially proud of.
2. What’s the difference between a producer and a production-level leader?
3. How do you balance remaining productive and leading others at the same time?
4. What’s the benefit of having earned permission on Level 2 before pressing to get work done on Level 3?
5. Why do you think the book says that leadership production is the foundation for team-building?
6. When you get into production mode, do you find yourself neglecting Level 2 Permission? If so, how do you change that?
7. Which of your talents, skills and strengths provide the greatest contribution to the team on Level 3? Would others on your team agree with your assessment? Why or why not?
8. When it comes to modeling, how do the leader’s actions impact the team, either positively or negatively?
9. In what kinds of leadership situations is it worth risking relationships in order to achieve productivity? What are your criteria for making those judgments.
10. Now that you have read about Permission and Productivity, in which area do you most need to grow? What will you do differently to become a more effective leader?
ASSIGNMENT
Think about the vision, mission, or objectives of the department or organization that you lead. Define that as clearly as you can. Then take some time to evaluate each person on your team and the talents, skills, strengths that they could contribute to that vision.
(If you do not currently lead anyone in the workplace, then apply this to your family or volunteer situation.)
Create a strategy for how all those different skill sets could work together to achieve the vision. Keep in mind how the individual personality traits or life experiences of the people involve could hinder or enhance their ability to contribute. Your goal as the leader of your team is to know what needs to be accomplished, know the individual contributors, put everyone in the best place to succeed, and help them overcome personal as well as professional obstacles to succeed. (No, it’s not easy. But that’s why not everyone wants to lead.)
With that game plan in hand, start working toward implementing it.
Level up, Week 2: Where do you go from here?
Posted by: | CommentsWelcome to Week 2 of our group study of The 5 Levels of Leadership! Last week, we hit the ground running, with a challenging assignment to read the introduction and complete the leadership assessment in just seven days. In this week’s meeting, your goal as leader is to learn where every member of the group is in their leadership journey.
We are aware that some groups will consist of people who actively pursue leadership and personal growth. This study won’t be alien to them. On the other hand, some groups or group members may be making their first foray into leadership development. As a leader, please take those factors into account.
Also, you may find that some in your group are very self-aware, while others are not. Today’s discussion questions have been written with everyone in mind, so give yourself the freedom to depart from them and go down any productive path that presents itself. At the end of your discussion, you should have a better idea of members’ understanding of the basics of leadership, their openness in the group, and how willing they are to change and grow.
Before you meet, I’d encourage you to personally do the reflection and journaling assignment below. Then you’ll be able to share what it was like and what your group members can expect.
If you’re in MY group (not in any group in real life), answer all of the questions below for yourself. (You can share answers in the comments if desired.)
READING ASSIGNMENT:
Level 1: Position, pages 37-81
(We will discuss this reading assignment in NEXT WEEK’S post.)
DISCUSSION (Facilitator’s Guide):
1. (Icebreaker) When you go on vacation, are you a meticulous planner or a seat-of-your-pants explorer? Tell about a memorable vacation that came about as a result of your travel style.
2. To describe leadership, the book uses 5 levels. In the past, what mental picture have you used to describe or understand leadership?
3. Why do you think the 5 levels are in the order that they’re in? Would you have put them in that order? If not, why?
4. Why do you think it says that you’re not on the same level with every person?
5. What surprises did you find in the results of your leadership assessment? Do you think others’ assessment of you accurately reflects where you are in leadership? (If you haven’t yet completed the four-part assessment, you need to do so before your next meeting.)
6. What level are you on with most people according to the assessment? Where would you like to be?
7. Up until now, has your leadership development been planned, or have you simply tried to learn as you go?
8. How open are you to changing your leadership style to become more effective and influential in your life? What are you willing to do? What are you willing to give up?
ASSIGNMENT:
Take some time this week remove yourself from distractions and interruptions to reflect on where you are as a leader. Set aside at least an hour for this. Be sure to write in a journal about the current state of your personal influence, career, and life legacy. Are you where you would like to be? Reflect on how growing in leadership using the 5 Levels could positively impact those three areas.
You will not be expected to share this with your group. It’s for you alone to gain perspective and spend some time in self-examination.
In this information age, people tend to spend too little time truly alone, quietly reflecting without any distractions. No matter what you write in your journal, this exercise will yield positive results for your leadership development.
NOTE:
In the comments section, the questions are threaded so you can answer each individually if you’d like. (This makes it easier for others to find them and contribute to the discussion.) But please feel free to answer all questions in one comment if that serves you better.
Level up, Week 1: Finding your starting point
Posted by: | CommentsWelcome to Week 1 of our group study of The 5 Levels of Leadership! I’m excited to join you in this journey! Each week, we’ll tackle a section of the book, with insights, discussion questions, and an assignment. If you’re leading a group, you can use the section labeled “Facilitator’s Guide” to lead group discussion. We’ll also use the comments section to create group discussion right here on the blog.
If you’re a group leader, remember that your primary responsibility is to put people at ease so that they will participate freely in all discussions. To do that, you need to focus not on being interesting, but on being interested – in each person’s background, opinions, and goals. Plan to speak no more than 20% of the time. Ask a question and truly listen to responses. This is not a time for giving advice or challenging people’s answers. Instead, you and other group members can ask follow-up questions for clarity or deeper insight. This week’s focus is on helping group members get to know one another better.
If you’re not in any kind of “real life” group, I strongly encourage you to find at least one other person to learn along with you. It will multiply this study’s effectiveness for you both. However, if you end up doing this study alone, then you can consider this blog your group. Commenting and reading the comments of others will still give you insight and encouragement.
For this week, we have a lot of work to do in only seven days. Besides reading the introduction (which I encourage you to do early in the week), you and every member of your group need to complete the four-part assessment to determine where you are currently as a leader.
READING ASSIGNMENT:
You Can Have a Leadership Game Plan for Your Life, pages 1-20
Leadership Assessment, pages 21-36
(We will discuss this reading assignment in NEXT WEEK’S post.)
DISCUSSION (Facilitator’s Guide):
1. (Icebreaker) Share with the group your name, your favorite hobby, and the most unusual thing you’ve ever eaten.
2. Why did you agree to engage in this study?
3. In what area of life do you most greatly desire the ability to develop influence with people?
4. What do you see as your greatest obstacle in leadership?
ASSIGNMENT:
Do the leadership assessment on pages 21-36***.
This will require intentionality and follow-through if it’s to be completed in a week. But it’s EXTREMELY important to know your starting point. If you’re tempted to skip the assessment because of all the steps, you’re greatly undermining your growth in leadership through the study.
The assessment consists of four parts:
- Assess your own leadership characteristics.
- Determine how you lead specific followers. (If you don’t currently lead anyone, assess your influence with specific friends, colleagues or family members.)
- Ask those same followers (or people you influence) to measure your leadership.
- Tally results.
***If you don’t have a hard copy of the book or would just prefer to print out assessments, The John Maxwell Company has provided a pdf of the assessment HERE that you can download and print. Please do not distribute, and print and use only what you need to do the assignment.
Greatness cannot be locked up
Posted by: | CommentsHello from Harare, Zimbabwe! For the past few days, I’ve been speaking on leadership in cities in Zimbabwe and South Africa. It’s been a wonderful trip, with audiences hungry to grow. And I’m grateful to my host, Dr. David Molapo. He’s taken care of every detail.
But today I want to tell you about something else I’m grateful for. In Cape Town, South Africa, I received a very meaningful gift from my friend Shaun Battleman: a visit and private tour of Robben Island.
If you haven’t heard of Robben Island and the prison that used to be there, you might have heard of one of its more famous prisoners: Nelson Mandela. You might also be familiar with this picture of him in his jail cell, where he spent 27 years of his life for the “crime” of protesting South Africa’s policy of apartheid.
On a sunny spring day in Cape Town, we boarded Shaun Battleman’s yacht and traveled over to Robben Island. After disembarking, we were taken on a private tour of the facility (which is now a museum). Our tour guide, Jama, had been imprisoned there at the same time as Mandela.
Once we entered the former prison, the doors were slammed shut – to give us a sense of what it felt like to be locked in. We saw the area where prisoners were issued a number and lost the use of their name, along with the censor’s office, where news from loved ones was literally cut out of letters.
Most significantly, we visited Nelson Mandela’s cell – the one in the picture above. Here’s another photo that shows more of the interior.
The furnishings consisted of a bucket, a stool, and a “bed” that was really just a mat on the floor. Jama allowed me to unlock the cell door and enter the space that had been “home” to Mandela for so long. First, I lay down on the mat – it was very uncomfortable, as you might imagine. Then I looked out the cell window onto the prison yard, just like Mandela did in the first photo. And I was overcome with emotion, inspired by Nelson Mandela’s courage and commitment. For you see, he never stopped fighting apartheid, even while imprisoned.
He and fellow prisoners, who were not allowed to interact, met in the one place in the whole prison where the guards left them alone: the cave that they had to use as a toilet. Because of the smell of the cave, the guards would not go in. So it was there that Mandela and his fellow prisoners discussed the future of South Africa.
Released in 1990 after the dismantling of the system of segregation, Mandela went on to serve as first president of the new South Africa from 1994 to 1999. And after retiring, he continued to serve his people. He’s now 93 years old, and one of the leaders that I admire most who I haven’t been able to meet. We had an appointment set up last year, but Mr. Mandela had a health problem that forced us to cancel. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to meet him, but I can tell you the lessons I’ve learned from him. This is what I took away from my visit to his prison:
- Our surroundings need not control our spirit.
- People who devalue us do not determine our value.
- Dreams can be birthed during the daily grind.
- Out of our brokenness, we can be made whole and bring healing to others.
A writer in the Bible’s book of Proverbs wrote, “A man’s gift makes room for him.” Nelson Mandela had no room in his cell, but his gift could not be contained. In time, his gift made room for him to lead and bless his country.
A case for reviewing The 5 Levels of Leadership
Posted by: | CommentsIf you follow me on Twitter, you might have read the exciting news that The 5 Levels of Leadership made it onto the Wall Street Journal hardcover business bestseller list. What an honor. I know a lot of that is because of you, and I’m grateful! Thank you.
I really believe in this book and its ability to help people learn to lead people better. If you’ve had a chance to read The 5 Levels, and you’re interested in letting others know what you think of it, I’d love for you to review it with the online booksellers. Positive or negative, I’d like to know whether or not the book helped you.
And just to make things fun, I’ve decided to host a giveaway here on the blog. This is for those of you who’ve read The 5 Levels and are willing to share your opinion online.
To enter the giveaway, all you need to do is post a review with Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Books-a-Million (the review can be positive or negative), then leave a comment here to let me know. (Please be sure to enter a valid email address. It will not be displayed.)
If you want to post a review on more than one site, you can do so and enter more than once; just leave a separate comment here telling me about each review you’ve posted.
Then this Friday (10/28) at noon Eastern time, two (2) winners will be chosen randomly from those who posted reviews.
What will you win? Well, you probably already own the book, but maybe you’d like to share it with the people you influence? The winners of this giveaway will receive a CASE (10 books) of The 5 Levels of Leadership!
Perhaps you have employees or friends or family members who would benefit from the teaching. Maybe you want to slip a copy to your boss… Or you might want to start a study group using the book.
(This is a good time to announce that here on John Maxwell on Leadership in January of 2012, I’ll be hosting a “New Year, New You” group study of The 5 Levels.)
I truly hope The 5 Levels of Leadership has a positive impact on you, teaching you what leadership is and providing a roadmap for your growth as a leader.
UPDATED 10/28/11, 12:11 pm: Because of some confusion about where reviews should be posted, we’ve extended the deadline for this contest until 5pm EDT today. Please remember to say in your comment where you posted your review so we can verify. Thank you!
