Leadership And Success
Every significant human accomplishment has been the result of one common ingredient: strong leadership. The value of leadership cannot be overstated, and it is as vitally important today as it has ever been in our nations, large corporations, small businesses, families, churches, and volunteer organizations. Strong Leadership is the key to success.
Many people believe that there is a “leadership gene” that some possess from birth, but the truth is that everybody has the potential to be a highly effective leader. Leadership is governed by a set of laws that everyone can learn and apply.
Why Is Leadership Important?
John Maxwell, the world’s #1 leadership authority, says that your level of effectiveness, and therefore your success, is determined by your leadership ability. If you have low leadership ability, you will experience little success. If your leadership ability is strong, you will enjoy greater success. It is The Law of the Lid.
One of my friends loves McDonald’s hamburgers. McDonald’s started in 1937 as a single restaurant owned by brothers Dick and Maurice McDonald. They became very successful when they discovered that streamlining their menu and implementing tight processes in the kitchen resulted in a quality product produced quickly and consistently. The fast-food industry was born.
However, the McDonalds failed miserably at franchising the restaurant. They had hit their Leadership Lid. It took Ray Kroc, a blender salesman, to successfully franchise the operation. Kroc’s Leadership Lid was much higher, and therefore he enjoyed much greater success.
What Is Leadership?
Margaret Thatcher said, “Being in power is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you’re not!”
Some believe that a person’s position in the corner office or the top position on the organizational chart makes them a leader. That is not true.
A person who has a position of leadership in an organization usually has leverage, and their team members must do what that person says if they want to keep their jobs. It is command and control, and that leverage is only in effect during business hours.
True leadership is influence, not leverage, and influence is enabled by adding value to people. True leaders have influence all of the time, including nights, holidays, and weekends. People follow true leaders because they want to, not because they have to. Zig Ziglar said, “You can have everything in life you want if you will just help other people get what they want.”
Increase Your Leadership Skills
Leadership is a learnable skill that evolves over time. You can’t read one book or attend one training program and become a great leader overnight. It takes time, commitment, and continual investment into your leadership skills. If you make that investment, your leadership skills, and your success will increase.
Everything worth doing takes a process. Anyone that has learned to read, write, or play a musical instrument knows this.
When we see a world-class musician or athlete performing, we think, “They are so talented!” We tend to minimize the years of training and dedication that went into the short performance that we see on the world stage.
A woman sat in the audience and watched a master pianist play a concert. Afterwards, she spoke with the performer and said, “I’d give anything to play like you do.”
The pianist looked at her and said, “No you wouldn’t, or you already would have. You’d give anything except eight hours of practice every day for 20 years – anything but that! If you gave what I have given, then you would play pretty much as well as I do. Maybe a little less, maybe a little better, but pretty much the same.”
A process takes time. Begin developing and enhancing your leadership skills now. Don’t wait for the next opportunity to present itself – by then it will be too late!
Start now and be ready. Success occurs when preparation meets opportunity.
Here are some good ways to get started:
- Read and apply “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” by John C. Maxwell
- Join a Mastermind Group that focuses on Leadership
- Hire a Leadership Coach.
- Increase your success by investing in your leadership skills today. Your future self will thank you.
Michael Barrovecchio is President of CAPO Leadership Consulting and a Certified John Maxwell Team Coach, Trainer, and Speaker. He equips organizations with the Maxwell Method of Leadership, enabling business leaders and teams to perform at increased levels of effectiveness and influence. He can be reached at 732-713-1900 or Michael@CAPOLeadershipConsulting.com.
