THE 21 IRREFUTABLE LAWS OF LEADERSHIP

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership was written out of many studies and observations John Maxwell has carried out on leaders in various sectors like business, politics, military, sport and most of all his personal leadership experience. He poured out his heart into this book by giving us 21 laws that can help you become the most powerful and effective leader. The principles of leadership do not change over time, only the application does. These principles or law brings consequences; people will either follow you or they will not. It will depend on your mode of application. These laws when applied in real life form the foundation of leadership.

  1. LAW OF THE LID:  The law of the lid states that leadership ability is a determinant of a person’s level of effectiveness. This means that your effectiveness is determined by your level of leadership. When your level of leadership increases, you become more effective. An increase in effectiveness directly affects the level of success.
  2. LAW OF INFLUENCE:  Leadership is different from every other subject matter such as management or entrepreneurship. The true definition of a leader is determined by the level of people he has influenced. Your followers are the proof that you are a leader, nothing more or less.
  3. LAW OF PROCESS: Maxwell explains five different phases of leadership growth. He also explains that what sets a leader apart from their followers is their ability to learn, develop and improve their skill.
  4. LAW OF NAVIGATION:  A true leader is a leader with foresight. Leaders chart the course for their team because they have full vision of where they are going, understand the challenges and risk and also understand the right set of people needed to achieve the vision.
  5. LAW OF ADDITION: This law defines the ability of a leader to add value by serving others and making things better for them.
  6. LAW OF SOLID GROUND: The foundation of leadership is trust. Trust is built when a leader is consistently competent and displays remarkable character. Character conveys potential and builds respect.
  7. LAW OF RESPECT: In this book, Maxwell explains six ways leaders gain respect and how to access and improve your level of leadership. Leaders tend to stand out while others follow because they are perceived to be stronger.
  8. LAW OF INTUITION: We relate and see people based on who we are so leaders also see things with leadership bias. Maxwell explains in detail various ways a leader can apply their leadership bias and how to improve their leadership intuition.
  9. LAW OF MAGNETISM: You attract who you are. It’s as simple as that. People are drawn to others with similar characteristics like attitude, ability, leadership ability, energy level, etc.
  10. LAW OF CONNECTION: The key to connecting with people is by relating to them as an individual even if they are in a group. There is a need to connect with people emotionally as a leader before you can move them to action. Maxwell shares a bigger picture of how you can connect with yourself and others.
  11. LAW OF THE INNER CIRCLE: Your inner circle is the group of people you turn to for advice, support and assistance. These people must be chosen intentionally. They must be people who display excellence, maturity and good character in everything they do.
  12. LAW OF EMPOWERMENT:  The important thing in empowerment is believing in people. Most leaders refuse to empower others due to three key reasons: resistance to change, desire for job security and lack of self-worth. In this book, John Maxwell sheds more light on how to improve your self-worth and empower others.
  13. THE LAW OF THE PICTURE: Exceptional leaders understand the irreplaceable role of vision. A vision shows the picture of what is to be achieved. Therefore, for a leader to communicate it effectively, he/she has to model the vision by setting the right example and showing the way. This act of modeling gives the followers credibility, passion and motivation to carry on with the vision.
  14. THE LAW OF BUY IN: The secret is people buy into the leader first before buying into the vision. They listen to people who they trust, believe in and feel they are credible and worth going along with.  When followers buy into the leader and the vision, then they are ready and willing to follow such leader through any challenge and success.
  15.  THE LAW OF VICTORY:  A Good leader must take responsibility for all actions, be creative and transfer his success and passion to his followers. Failure or quitting is not an option on a leader’s list.  Maxwell wrote ”one thing victorious leaders have in common is that they share an unwillingness to accept defeat.” As a result, they take responsibility for the success of the team and do what it takes to lead the team to victory.
  16. THE LAW OF BIG MO: Momentum is a leader’s best friend. An organization or team with momentum can successfully pass through any obstacle, and momentum is a determining factor between winning and losing. It makes you unstoppable. In this book, Maxwell shares several characteristics of the Big MO and how to access where we are.
  17. THE LAW OF PRIORITIES:  Don’t just get busy, get productive. The heart of the law of priority states that leaders understand that activity is not about accomplishment. This means prioritizing requires leaders always to think ahead, to know what is more important and how it all relates to the vision. Maxwell discusses the Pareto principle and other key factors that help in setting a priority list which are Requirement, Reward, and Returns.
  18. THE LAW OF SACRIFICE: This law gives a glimpse of what leadership life is.  A leader might be looking glamorous on the outside, but the secret behind his true leadership is that he has sacrificed and still sacrificing. The hidden secret behind success is the sacrifice. And a true leader does not only sacrifice but also put others ahead of him.
  19.   THE LAW OF TIMING: Leadership is not only about how to lead but discerning the right time to take action. Maxwell summarizes his statement by saying “taking the wrong action at the wrong time leads to disaster and the right action at the wrong time leads to resistance while the wrong action at the right time leads to a mistake”. This shows that leadership ability goes beyond leading.
  20.   THE LAW OF EXPLOSIVE GROWTH: You can attain explosive growth when you choose to lead leaders and not followers. To lead leaders, you have to focus on the strength and not weaknesses, treat everyone differently and invest quality time into others rather than spending time together. Maxwell summarizes this law by saying leaders who develop other leaders experience incredible multiplication effect in their organization that can be achieved in no other way.

 

  1. LAW OF LEGACY:  This is the final law in this book. The law of legacy states that a leader’s lasting value is measured by succession. What do you want to be remembered for? Maxwell summarizes the life of a leader by saying that “achievement comes when they do big things by themselves. Success comes when they empower followers to do big things for them. Significance comes when they develop leaders to do great things with them. Legacy comes when they put leaders in the position to do great things without them.” He ends the chapter with the thought, “our abilities as leaders will not be measured by the buildings we built, the institutions we established, or what our team accomplished during our tenure. You and I will be judged by how well the people we invested in carried on after we are gone.” This is the greatest challenge of  a lifelong pursuit of leadership, but it is also the only thing that will matter in the end.

Undoubtedly, you are eager to know other laws of leadership. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership not only explains the laws but include several tips on how to apply the laws. Do not hesitate to feed on the richness of this innovation.

KEY POINTS

Key point #1: Leadership is built on trust and compounds over time

Key point #2: Leaders attract who they are.

Key point #3: Leaders must learn, grow and develop.

 

One Last Thing

“Leaders Who Attract Followers . . . Need to Be Needed

Leaders Who Develop Leaders . . . Want to Be Succeeded”

John C. Maxwell, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You

The 5 Levels of Leadership

John Maxwell, a leadership expert, and by far my favorite leadership author takes us through what he has researched as the five levels of leadership maturity. In this book, The Five Levels of Leadership, Maxwell describes how to recognize and manage these levels in an organization and what you can do to grow to the next level of leadership.

 

The 5 levels of leadership are:

Level 1 – Position: people follow because they have to, because of your position

Level 2 – Relationship: people follow because they want to

Level 3 – Production: people follow because of what you have done for the organization

Level 4- People development: people follow because what you have done for them

Level 5 -Respect: people follow because of who you are and what you represent

In the first level of leadership, Leadership is based on your position. It’s considered the entry level to the leadership ladder, being the lowest. John makes it clear that because someone is a boss does not necessarily mean he or she is a leader and some people will not get past level one. Advanced leaders understand that being the “boss” is so low in the level of influence, that they don’t label themselves as “boss” or mention that they’re the boss.  Getting a title means that someone in the organization believes in the potential of you growing up to be a leader. Getting your title is an invitation for personal growth and the first challenge will be to gain the trust so you can have a chance to grow to the next level.

The second level of leadership is based on permission. In this level, leaders are starting to develop their influential reputation because of their relationship and because how that relationship improves their team productivity. People follow you beyond your authority because they trust you and they believe in you and what you’re trying to accomplish. Building strong relationships enables people to support you instead of merely following orders. Leading through connections breaks down barriers to communication and deepens trust throughout the organization. The most natural step to grow into this level is to show interest in your colleagues at a personal level. A staff member is not just an employee, they also have a home, a family, their health struggles and personal traits.

Leadership based on results is the third level.  This is a sweet spot for organizations. This is the level where leaders are making things happen, having functional teams, and are getting results beyond the areas assigned to them. At this level, the leader can produce for themselves as well as for the team.  It is crucial that you as a leader define your vision and can explain why it is essential for the organization. It is that vision that will attract other producers and create an environment for collaboration.

Productive leaders are fully aware of the value that they bring to the table. They don’t try to play to the strengths of other leaders or try to imitate or mimic the work of other leaders. Because they understand their value, they are phenomenal in allocating resources appropriately, especially time. Maxwell recommends for a leader to be productive, they must assign their time as follows:

80% of the time on tasks within your strengths zone

15% of your time on tasks within your learning zone

5% on work outside your strengths zone

And 0% within your weakness zone

Leaders that fail to understand their strengths and value cannot measure their value or build measurable results within the team. This ability is very important to grow to the fourth level of leadership. If you want to move from level 3 to level 4, you must have a clear understanding of your value and strengths and dedicate the majority of your time on this.

The fourth level of leadership is leadership based on people development. To be successful at this level, John Maxwell suggests to regularly delegate your tasks when somebody else can do the same job in 80% or more of your efficiency. To develop others, you as a leader should always work on delegating your responsibilities to others. A leader in level 4 should spend about 80% of his time coaching colleagues and 20% with productive work. A critical piece to understand is the importance of focusing on developing people with the highest potential to becoming the next generation of leaders.

The fifth and final level of leadership is called the Pinnacle, leadership based on respect. This level is reserved for leaders such as Martin Luther King, Steve Jobs and Nelson Mandela to name a few. Level-five leaders are legacy-makers, they are iconic. Finding a level-five leader is rare. To reach this level requires a unique balance between understanding and mastering leadership skills and naturally having leadership abilities. Their influence is transcendental. These are leaders who are mentioned long after they have left the organization and the world.  This level of leadership is iconic. Even people that fundamentally disagree with them, end up at a minimum, respecting them.

The five levels of leadership are not about a personal scale of leadership but instead about creating and building leaders.

THE BIG THREE – KEY POINTS

Keypoint #1- The first person you must examine and understand is yourself. Become more self-aware. Connect with yourself before trying to connect with others.

 

Keypoint #2 – People buy into the leader and then they buy into the vision.

Keypoint #3- Keep developing your strengths and your ability to lead. Even more important, build the strengths and leadership skills of those around you.

One Last Thing

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” – President Barack Obama

FAILING FORWARD Turning Mistakes into Stepping Stones for Success

Failing forward is a strategic guide that helps people move beyond mistakes to fulfill their potential and achieve success.  In this book, John C. Maxwell took a closer look at failure and revealed that the secret of moving forward beyond failure is to use it as a lesson or stepping stone. He covers the top reason people fail and shows how to master fear instead of being mastered by it. Usually, failure is considered the opposite of success, but this is not true. Failure is not to be avoided but to be embraced.  It is a vital part of success. Learning to embrace failure, we will become stronger.  Each chapter of the book deeply explores the psychology of success and failure, using case studies of people, organizations, companies, and nations that managed to take advantage of their failure to succeed and even self-actualize.

Among my favorites stories in the book, we have the story of Mary Kay Ash, which Maxwell uses to make the point that the main difference between those who achieve and the average people is how people handle and respond to failure.

Other stories highlighted by Maxwell were, the story of the Major League Baseball player Tony Gwynn, and the founder of Chick-fil-A restaurant chain, Truett Cathy. The author leverages their stories to propose a new definition of failure. “Failure is the price a person pays for progress, as it provides growth and learning opportunities that would not be had otherwise.”

One of the most impactful chapters is Chapter Four,  the section presents many statistics of research on how fear of failure can impede success. Maxwell uses many of this statistics and studies to explained what he calls the “Fear Cycle.” The Fear of  Cycle start with  Fear, followed by Inaction and Inexperience, and close with Inability, and as inability is the main pre-angle to fear, the fear cycle begins again.  The Chapter closed with useful tips on how to break the cycle. Maxwell showed how we can cut from the past to create our own breakthroughs. And he explains the process of how we can see failure as a unique opportunity to face ourselves, and understand our own weaknesses and deal effectively with them.

The last chapter of the books explained how to grasp the positive benefits that each “negative” experience brings, and leverage from those benefits to keep taking risks because that’s the only way to succeed.

As Benjamin Franklin said “whatever hurts, instructs,” and most times people get in their own way of succeeding for one or a combination of the followings ten reasons:

1. Poor People Skills

2. A Negative Attitude

3. A Bad Fit

4. Lack of Focus

5. A Weak Commitment

6. Unwillingness to Change

7.A Short-Cut Mindset

8. Relying on Talent Alone

9. A Response to Poor Information

10. No Goals

In conclusion, Peter Drucker says, “The better a man is, the more mistakes he will make, the more new things he will try.” Mistakes really do pave the road for achievement.

THE BIG THREE – KEYPOINTS

Key Point #1: Failure creates new and a better opportunity

Key Point #2: Turn failure into knowledge and knowledge into success

Key Point #3: The only way to make failure useful is to learn from it.

One Last Thing

Achievers are given multiple reasons to believe they are failures. But in spite of that, they persevere. The average for entrepreneurs is 3.8 failures before they finally make it in business. But here is the key, fail early, fail fast, fail often, but always fail forward.

~John C. Maxwell, Falling Forward

DEVELOPING THE LEADERS AROUND YOU

Developing the leaders around you is about creating other leaders while leading. It boils down to having a growth environment that encourages others to emerge from their closed selves and become leaders.

The first chapter of this book capitalizes on a leader’s success. A leader’s success is determined by maximizing utilization of the abilities and resources/talents under him/her. The author draws our attention to a biblical story of Moses as an example of the importance of developing leaders who you can trust and delegated duties to. When Moses failed to delegate work, he began to burn out. Jethro advised him to seek for other people’s assistance which he yielded to. He was glad he did. A leader who carries others along tends to be more efficient and successful.

The second chapter further encourages the development of potential leaders. We must create a space around us where leaders can rise and feel safe. In the next chapter, John Maxwell unveils how to identify potential leaders. He made the process easy by giving some interesting principles that help to determine a potential leader. I will talk expressly on one of these principles.

John Maxwell says the next thing to look out for in any leader, after strength of character, is ability to influence. A leader must be heading somewhere and have the ability to persuade others to follow him. There is more needed to be a person of influence. Some potential leaders are like a rough diamond. Some may carry the ability to influence but not yet possess other needed attributes. They should not be discarded, instead, consult the Holy Spirit. He alone can rightly judge a man. When you influence the right set of people, you will not be left with regret when raising up the future leaders.

The fourth chapter discusses the nurturing of the identified leaders. Once potential leaders have been recognized, you must start building them into the leader they can become. To achieve this, John Maxwell describes a strategy using an acronym, BEST, which means; Believe in them, Encourage them, Share with them and Trust them. Those closest to a leader will determine the success of that leader. Energy, drive and vision is not enough to be a leader. A leader must possess the ability to develop the leaders around him. You can only estimate the strength of a leader by looking at the those around him. You attract who you are. In developing a leader, there is a need to work on yourself and be personally secure. According to John, organizations either rise or fall depending on the trend of the leaders. A team must develop the habit of building a generation of new leaders, a strategy that requires a great deal of careful selection, planning, preparing, nurturing and follow through.

THE BIG THREE: KEY POINTS

Keypoint #1: Leaders must build an environment that encourages growth.

Keypoint #2: Leaders should not just lead but invest in others by seeing the possibilities in them and developing their potential.

Keypoint #3: The success of a leader is not only measured by the number of followers but the number of potential leaders he has been able to build.

THE 21 IRREFUTABLE LAWS OF LEADERSHIP

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership was written out of many studies and observations John Maxwell has carried out on leaders in various sectors like business, politics, military, sport and most of all his personal leadership experience. He poured out his heart into this book by giving us 21 laws that can help you become the most powerful and effective leader. The principles of leadership do not change over time, only the application does. These principles or law brings consequences; people will either follow you or they will not. It will depend on your mode of application. These laws when applied in real life form the foundation of leadership.

  1. LAW OF THE LID:  The law of the lid states that leadership ability is a determinant of a person’s level of effectiveness. This means that your effectiveness is determined by your level of leadership. When your level of leadership increases, you become more effective. An increase in effectiveness directly affects the level of success.
  2. LAW OF INFLUENCE:  Leadership is different from every other subject matter such as management or entrepreneurship. The true definition of a leader is determined by the level of people he has influenced. Your followers are the proof that you are a leader, nothing more or less.
  3. LAW OF PROCESS: Maxwell explains five different phases of leadership growth. He also explains that what sets a leader apart from their followers is their ability to learn, develop and improve their skill.
  4. LAW OF NAVIGATION:  A true leader is a leader with foresight. Leaders chart the course for their team because they have full vision of where they are going, understand the challenges and risk and also understand the right set of people needed to achieve the vision.
  5. LAW OF ADDITION: This law defines the ability of a leader to add value by serving others and making things better for them.
  6. LAW OF SOLID GROUND: The foundation of leadership is trust. Trust is built when a leader is consistently competent and displays remarkable character. Character conveys potential and builds respect.
  7. LAW OF RESPECT: In this book, Maxwell explains six ways leaders gain respect and how to access and improve your level of leadership. Leaders tend to stand out while others follow because they are perceived to be stronger.
  8. LAW OF INTUITION: We relate and see people based on who we are so leaders also see things with leadership bias. Maxwell explains in detail various ways a leader can apply their leadership bias and how to improve their leadership intuition.
  9. LAW OF MAGNETISM: You attract who you are. It’s as simple as that. People are drawn to others with similar characteristics like attitude, ability, leadership ability, energy level, etc.
  10. LAW OF CONNECTION: The key to connecting with people is by relating to them as an individual even if they are in a group. There is a need to connect with people emotionally as a leader before you can move them to action. Maxwell shares a bigger picture of how you can connect with yourself and others.
  11. LAW OF THE INNER CIRCLE: Your inner circle is the group of people you turn to for advice, support and assistance. These people must be chosen intentionally. They must be people who display excellence, maturity and good character in everything they do.
  12. LAW OF EMPOWERMENT:  The important thing in empowerment is believing in people. Most leaders refuse to empower others due to three key reasons: resistance to change, desire for job security and lack of self-worth. In this book, John Maxwell sheds more light on how to improve your self-worth and empower others.
  13. THE LAW OF THE PICTURE: Exceptional leaders understand the irreplaceable role of vision. A vision shows the picture of what is to be achieved. Therefore, for a leader to communicate it effectively, he/she has to model the vision by setting the right example and showing the way. This act of modeling gives the followers credibility, passion and motivation to carry on with the vision.
  14. THE LAW OF BUY IN: The secret is people buy into the leader first before buying into the vision. They listen to people who they trust, believe in and feel they are credible and worth going along with.  When followers buy into the leader and the vision, then they are ready and willing to follow such leader through any challenge and success.
  15.  THE LAW OF VICTORY:  A Good leader must take responsibility for all actions, be creative and transfer his success and passion to his followers. Failure or quitting is not an option on a leader’s list.  Maxwell wrote ”one thing victorious leaders have in common is that they share an unwillingness to accept defeat.” As a result, they take responsibility for the success of the team and do what it takes to lead the team to victory.
  16. THE LAW OF BIG MO: Momentum is a leader’s best friend. An organization or team with momentum can successfully pass through any obstacle, and momentum is a determining factor between winning and losing. It makes you unstoppable. In this book, Maxwell shares several characteristics of the Big MO and how to access where we are.
  17. THE LAW OF PRIORITIES:  Don’t just get busy, get productive. The heart of the law of priority states that leaders understand that activity is not about accomplishment. This means prioritizing requires leaders always to think ahead, to know what is more important and how it all relates to the vision. Maxwell discusses the Pareto principle and other key factors that help in setting a priority list which are Requirement, Reward, and Returns.
  18. THE LAW OF SACRIFICE: This law gives a glimpse of what leadership life is.  A leader might be looking glamorous on the outside, but the secret behind his true leadership is that he has sacrificed and still sacrificing. The hidden secret behind success is the sacrifice. And a true leader does not only sacrifice but also put others ahead of him.
  19.   THE LAW OF TIMING: Leadership is not only about how to lead but discerning the right time to take action. Maxwell summarizes his statement by saying “taking the wrong action at the wrong time leads to disaster and the right action at the wrong time leads to resistance while the wrong action at the right time leads to a mistake”. This shows that leadership ability goes beyond leading.

 

  1.   THE LAW OF EXPLOSIVE GROWTH: You can attain explosive growth when you choose to lead leaders and not followers. To lead leaders, you have to focus on the strength and not weaknesses, treat everyone differently and invest quality time into others rather than spending time together. Maxwell summarizes this law by saying leaders who develop other leaders experience incredible multiplication effect in their organization that can be achieved in no other way.

  1. LAW OF LEGACY:  This is the final law in this book. The law of legacy states that a leader’s lasting value is measured by succession. What do you want to be remembered for? Maxwell summarizes the life of a leader by saying that “achievement comes when they do big things by themselves. Success comes when they empower followers to do big things for them. Significance comes when they develop leaders to do great things with them. Legacy comes when they put leaders in the position to do great things without them.” He ends the chapter with the thought, “our abilities as leaders will not be measured by the buildings we built, the institutions we established, or what our team accomplished during our tenure. You and I will be judged by how well the people we invested in carried on after we are gone.” This is the greatest challenge of  a lifelong pursuit of leadership, but it is also the only thing that will matter in the end.

Undoubtedly, you are eager to know other laws of leadership. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership not only explains the laws but include several tips on how to apply the laws. Do not hesitate to feed on the richness of this innovation.

KEY POINTS

Key point #1: Leadership is built on trust and compounds over time

Key point #2: Leaders attract who they are.

Key point #3: Leaders must learn, grow and develop.

One Last Thing

“Leaders Who Attract Followers . . . Need to Be Needed

Leaders Who Develop Leaders . . . Want to Be Succeeded”

John C. Maxwell, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You

No Limits

John Maxwell, a prolific writer, speaker and leadership coach, helps us to explore areas where we have limited ourselves. In his book, No Limit, he says that we often limit ourselves in various areas of life causing us not to live up to our fullest potential. Breaking down capacity into three parts, awareness, ability and choice, he stated his capacity challenge. He says if you grow in your awareness, develop your abilities and make the right choice, you can reach and grow your capacity. What if our limit is not really our limit? Each chapter of this book opens us up to traits and skills we can increase to blow the cap off our capacity.  Some are things we already possess such as energy, creativity and leadership. Other things we have to choose such as attitude, character and intentionality.

He also draws the reader’s attention to talent and the ability to use your gift the best way you can. Rather than wasting time on your weak areas, it is advisable to focus on your natural strengths and develop them for your benefit and that of others. The author recommends forgetting the “anything is possible” myth. He said what stops people from reaching their capacity often isn’t lack of desire. It’s usually lack of awareness. Sad is the day for any man when he is absolutely satisfied with the life he is living, thoughts he is thinking, deeds he is doing. Dysfunctional people want others to function on their level, and average people want others to be average while high achievers want others to achieve. No one has ever stayed the same while at the same time rising to a higher level. Willingness to change is a price we need to pay to grow. You have to make yourself better so that you can have more to give. This requires an abundance mindset. The question is how can we make things better if we are already successful? Being successful sometimes comes with a temptation to be lulled into false security to believe that we have arrived. The greatest detriment is relying on past success continually. The world will try to talk you out of hard work. Sometimes we have a conviction that we can’t get ahead, we feel down and we watch our lives go down the hill.  The good news is this; your production capacity is within your control. Repeated choices to take responsibility give you mental and emotional momentum which only makes you feel stronger and better about yourself. Resilient people don’t focus on negative experiences, they focus on what they can feel from experience. The truth is if you cannot manage yourself, you cannot manage your life. You cannot maximize your capacity if you do not increase your discipline. The author concludes with words of affirmation:

“I believe in you and I believe in your ability to reach your capacity.”

This book contains everything you need to become aware of what is limiting you, the ability you need to develop the capacities in you and how to make choices that will help to maximize your capacity.

THE BIG THREE – KEY POINTS

Key point #1: Awareness + Ability + Choice = Capacity

Key point #2: Focus on your natural strength and not on your weakness

Key point #3: Your Production capacity is within your control

One Last Thing

“Life is like a ten-speed bike. Most of us have gears we never use.”
― John C. Maxwell