Why a RE_review?
WHAT IS A RE_review?
Simply, it’s a chance for me to put in writing my habit of proactively pursuing a life long passion of developing as a leader. Since leaders are learners, and learners are readers, I have made it a practice of mine to always having the bible in one hand and a leadership book in the other.
Tonight I finished my regular reading of John Maxwell’s The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. Over the years I’ve gained so much insight from this book, but each time I read it, I am either enlightened to some principal of leadership that I must have overlooked the last time I read it, or I am encouraged in the areas I’ve succeeded as well as failed. Because both success AND failure is the fertile ground for learning, I appreciate the times I take to stop and have moments of self evaluation based on the values and principals I’ve set for myself.
So what tidbits of truth did I find myself uncovering or rediscovering? Let me share a few:
- Concerning the Leader vs the Entrepreneur: “People may be buying what he (an Entrepreneur) ha to sell, but they’re not following him. At best, he is able to persuade people for a moment, but he holds no long-term influence with them.” From this quote, I realized why Pastor who say discipleship is like sales always rubbed me the wrong way.
- Champions don’t become champions in the ring – they are merely recognized there.
- Major barriers to successful planning are fear of change, ignorance, uncertainty about the future, and lack of imagination.
- …the deeper the relationships (with others), the stronger the potential for leadership.
- Build enough of the right kinds of relationships with the right people, and you can become the real leader in an organization.
- …people listen to what someone has to say not necessarily because of the truth being communicated in the message, but because of their respect for the speaker.
- How do people react when you communicate? When you speak, do people listen – I mean really listen? Or do they wait to hear what someone else has to say before they act?
- Truth is the foundation of leadership. To build trust, a leader must exemplify these qualities: competence, connection, and character.
- If people don’t know what to expect from you as a leader, at some point they won’t look to you for leadership.
- …who you get (to follow you) is not determined by what you want. It’s determined by who you are.
- (the quality of leaders around you) does not ultimately depend on a hiring process, a human resource department, or even what you consider to be the quality of your area’s applicant pool. It depends on you. Who you are is who you attract.
- Effective leaders know that you first have to touch people’s hearts before you ask them for a hand.
- You don’t get credit for being “right.” Your success is measured by your ability to actually take the people where they need to go.
- Great leaders recognize that when to lead is as important as what to do and where to go.
- Reading a situation and knowing what to do are not enough to make you succeed in leadership. Only the right action at the right time will bring success. Anything else exacts a high price.
- Success in not measured by what you are leaving to, but by what you are leaving behind.
- You will be judged by how well your people and your organization did after you were gone.
Good stuff =)
Now it’s time to rip myself apart and be honest with where I need more growth.
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