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ThisbookisdedicatedtoMarkCole,theCEOofmycompanies.Noonehasservedmebetter.Noonehashelpedmemore.

Hesharesmyvisionwithclarity.Hedirectsmymissionwithconsistency.Hehandlesmybusinesswithintegrity.

Helovesme!

CONTENTS

Prefacetothe2.0Edition

Acknowledgments

1.TheDefinitionofLeadership:Influence2.TheKeytoLeadership:Priorities3.TheFoundationofLeadership:Character4.TheUltimateTestofLeadership:CreatingPositiveChange5.TheQuickestWaytoGainLeadership:ProblemSolving6.TheExtraPlusinLeadership:Attitude7.TheHeartofLeadership:ServingPeople8.TheIndispensableQualityofLeadership:Vision9.ThePriceTagofLeadership:Self-Discipline10.TheExpansionofLeadership:PersonalGrowth

What’sNext?

AbouttheAuthor

Notes

PREFACETOTHE2.0EDITION

I can hardly believe it’s been twenty-five years since I wrote the originalmanuscript ofDeveloping the Leader Within You. When I first put my four-coloredpen topaper, I thought Iwaswritingmyone leadershipbook.At ageforty-five I had been on quite a leadership journey. When I started myprofessional career as aminister in rural Indiana in 1969, I didn’t think aboutleadership.Ijustworkedhard.Itwasn’tuntilIwasatmysecondchurchintheearly ’70s that I realized everything rises and falls on leadership. I startedmyintentional growth journey at that time and targeted leadership as one of theareaswhereIwantedtogrow.WhileIwasleadingthatsecondchurchinOhio,Ibeganteachingothersleadership.Intheearly’80s,Itookontheleadershipofachurch in SanDiego. It eventually became recognized as one of the tenmostinfluential churches in America. While I was there I wrote Developing theLeader Within You. At that time I also started getting many more speakingrequests.AndIstartedacompanytohelpmetrainleadersanddistributetrainingresources. The demands ofmy schedule and the opportunities to train leadersnationallyandinternationallypromptedmetogiveupmychurchin1995.I’vespentmytimewriting,speaking,andtrainingleaderseversince.

ButgoingbacktowhenIwrotethefirsteditionofthisbook,asIpreparedtowriteit,IthoughtalotaboutthegreatestdiscoveryIhadmadeinleadingthosethreeorganizations:thatleadershipcanbedeveloped.Ihaddevelopedtheleaderwithin me. And my greatest desire was to share my leadership journey withothersandteachwhatIhadlearnedsothattheycoulddeveloptheleaderswithinthemalso.

I thought I had much to share from the first twenty-five years of myleadership life,butwhenI lookbacknow,I’mstruckbyhowmuchmoreI’velearnedinthetwenty-fiveyearssincethen.Thatshouldhavebeennosurprisetome,sinceI’vewrittenmanyadditionalbooksonleadership.Butsometimesyoudon’trealizehowfaryou’vetraveleduntilyougobackandlookatwhereyou

were.It’slikegoingbacktothehomeyougrewupintwenty-fiveyearslater:it’salotsmallerthanyouremembered!

Ican’t tellyouhowexcited Iam tosharewithyou the things I’ve learnedsince I firstwrote this book.There’s somuch to tell that I canhardly containmyself—orcontainitinjusttenchapters.

Ihaveextensivelyrewrittenthisentirebook.That’swhyI’mcallingit2.0.Itstillcontains the foundational lessonsforbecomingagood leader. It’sstill thefirst book I recommend that people read to start their leadership developmentjourneys.Andit’sstillthebookIrecommendthatleadersusetomentorothersinleadership.But I’ve takengreatpains togive itgreaterdepth, to focus itmorespecificallyonaleader’sneeds.Forexample,insteadofdoinggeneralteachingonintegrityandattitude,asIdidintheoriginalversion,Ilookmorespecificallyathowthosecharacteristicscanmakesomeoneabetterleader.

In addition, I also removed two chapters thatwere focused on developingstaff (which I cover indepth inotherbooks)and replaced themwith twonewchaptersontopicsvitaltodevelopingyouasaleader:servanthood,theheartofthe leader, andpersonal growth, the expansionof leadership. I lookbacknowandthink,HowintheworlddidImissthosethefirsttimearound?

Ifyoureadtheoriginalversionofthebook,you’regoingtobepleasedbyallthenewmaterial and insights I’ve included in thisnew2.0editioncelebratingthebook’stwenty-fifthanniversary.Ican’timagineofferingabetterleadershiptune-upthanthis.

If this book is new to you, you’re in for a treat, because you’re going toreceiveeverythingyouneedtotakeasignificantstepinyourleadershipjourney.AndifyoudoeverythingIsuggestintheapplicationsectionattheendofeachchapter,youwillbeamazedathowmuchyourinfluence,youreffectiveness,andyourimpactwillincreaseinsuchashorttime.

Solet’sgo.Turnthepage,andbegindevelopingtheleaderwithinyou.

Thankyouto:CharlieWetzel,mywriter

StephanieWetzel,whoeditedthefirstdraftCarolynKokinda,whotypedmymanuscriptnotes

LindaEggers,myexecutiveassistant

ONE

THEDEFINITIONOFLEADERSHIP:

INFLUENCE

Everyone talks about it; few understand it.Most people desire to cultivate ahigh capacity for it; few actually do. I can put my hands on more than fiftydefinitionsanddescriptionsofitfrommypersonalfiles.Ifyougoogleit,you’llgetmorethan760millionresultsforit.WhatamItalkingabout?Leadership.

When Iwrote the first editionof thisbook in1992,peoplewhowanted tosucceed in businesses and other organizations focused their attention onmanagement.Everyyearanothermanagementfadseemedtobeinfashion.Butfewpeoplepaidanyattentiontoleadership.Itwasn’tonmostpeople’sradar.

Ihaveearnedthreedegrees:abachelor’s,amaster’s,andadoctorate.YetIhadnot taken a single course in leadershipduringmy studiesbefore the1993publication ofDeveloping the LeaderWithin You.Why?Because none of theuniversitiesIattendedofferedasinglecourseonthesubject.

Today, however, leadership is a buzzword. And schools and universitieshaveembraced it. Ifyouwanted to,youcouldearnanadvanceddegree in thesubject at more than a hundred accredited universities. All three of theuniversitiesIattendednowoffercoursesinleadership.

Whyhas leadershipbecome so important?Becausepeople are recognizingthat becoming a better leader changes lives. Everything rises and falls onleadership. The world becomes a better place when people become betterleaders.Developingyourself tobecometheleaderyouhavethepotential tobewillchangeeverything foryou. Itwilladd toyoureffectiveness,subtract fromyourweaknesses,divideyourworkload,andmultiplyyourimpact.

WHYMANYPEOPLEDON’TDEVELOPASLEADERS

More and more people recognize the value of good leadership, yet not verymany work to become better leaders. Why is that? Despite the widespreadprevalenceof leadershipbooksandclasses,manypeople think leadership isn’tforthem.Maybeit’sbecausetheymakeoneoftheseassumptions:

I’MNOTA“BORNLEADER,”SOICAN’TLEADLeaders are not born.Well, okay, they’reborn. I’ve nevermet an unborn

leader.(AndIwouldn’twantto.)WhatIreallymeanisthatyourabilitytoleadisnot setatbirth.While it’s true that somepeoplearebornwithmorenaturalgifts that will help them lead at a higher level, everyone has the potential tobecome a leader. And leadership can be developed and improved by anyonewillingtoputintheeffort.

ATITLEANDSENIORITYWILLAUTOMATICALLYMAKEMEALEADER

Ibelievethiskindofthinkingwasmorecommoninmygenerationandthatof my parents, but it can still be seen today. People think they need to beappointed toapositonof leadership,when the reality is thatbecomingagoodleader requiresdesireand somebasic tools.Youcanhavea titleand seniorityandbeincapableofleading.Andyoucanhavenotitleorseniorityandbeagoodleader.

WORKEXPERIENCEWILLAUTOMATICALLYMAKEMEALEADER

Leadership is like maturity. It doesn’t automatically come with age.Sometimesagecomesalone.Tenuredoesnotcreate leadershipability. In fact,it’smorelikelytoengenderentitlementthanleadershipability.

I’MWAITINGUNTILIGETAPOSITIONTOSTARTDEVELOPINGASALEADER

This last assumption has been the most frustrating to me as a teacher of

leadership.When I first started hosting leadership conferences, people wouldsay, “If I ever become a leader”—meaning if they were ever appointed to aleadership position—“thenmaybe I’ll come to one of your seminars.”What’stheproblem?AslegendaryUCLAbasketballcoachJohnWoodensaid,“Whenopportunitycomes,it’stoolatetoprepare.”Ifyoustartlearningaboutleadershipnow, not only will you increase your opportunities, but you’ll also make themostofthemwhentheyarrive.

HOWWILLYOUDEVELOPTHELEADERWITHINYOU?

Thebottomline is that ifyou’veneverdoneanything todevelopyourselfasaleader, you can start today. And if you have already begun your leadershipjourney, you can become a better leader than you already are by intentionallydevelopingtheleaderwithinyou.

What will that take? That’s the subject of this book. These ten chapterscontain what I consider to be the ten essentials for developing yourself as aleader. I’ve also created free bonus materials that you can access atMaxwellLeader.com. Included is an assessment thatwill help you gauge yourcurrentleadershipability.Iencourageyoutotakeitbeforereadinganyfurther.

Let’sstartwiththemostimportantconceptoftheten:influence.Aftermorethan five decades of observing leaders around the world and many years ofdeveloping my own leadership potential, I have come to this conclusion:Leadership is influence.That’s it—nothingmore,nothing less.That’swhymyfavorite leadership proverb is “He who thinketh he leadeth and hath no onefollowinghimisonlytakingawalk.”Foryoutobealeader,someonehastobefollowingyou.IlovewhatJamesC.Georges,founderandchairmanofthePARGroup,saidinaninterviewIreadyearsago:“Whatisleadership?Removeforamomentthemoralissuesbehindit,andthereisonlyonedefinition:Leadershipistheabilitytoobtainfollowers.”1

Anyone—forgoodorill—whogetsotherstofollowisaleader.ThatmeansHitlerwasaleader.(DidyouknowthatTimenamedHitlertheirManoftheYearin1938becausehehadgreaterinfluenceontheworldthananyoneelse?)OsamabinLadenwas a leader. Jesus ofNazarethwas a leader. Sowas Joan ofArc.Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King Jr., and John F.Kennedywereleaders.Whilethevaluesystems,abilities,andgoalsofallthesepeople were vastly different, each of them attracted followers. They all had

influence.

Leadershipistheabilitytoobtainfollowers.

—JAMESC.GEORGES

Influence is the beginning of true leadership. If you mistakenly defineleadership as the ability to achieve a position instead of the ability to attractfollowers,thenyouwillgoafterposition,rank,ortitletotrytobecomealeader.Butthistypeofthinkingresultsintwocommonproblems.First,whatdoyoudoifyouattainthestatusofaleadershippositionbutexperiencethefrustrationofhavingnoonefollowyou?Second,whatifyouneverachievethe“proper”title?Willyoukeepwaitingtotrytomakeapositiveimpactontheworld?

Mygoalwiththisbookistohelpyouunderstandhowinfluenceworks,anduse it as the starting point for learning how to lead more effectively. Eachchapter isdesigned tohelpyouacquire skillsandabilities that furtherdevelopyou as a leader.With the addition of each skill set, youwill become a betterleader.

INSIGHTSABOUTINFLUENCEBeforewegetintotheparticularsofhowinfluencewithothersworksandhowtodevelopit,let’snaildownafewimportantinsightsaboutinfluence:

1.EVERYONEINFLUENCESSOMEONEMyfriendTimElmore, thefounderofGrowingLeaders,oncetoldmethat

sociologistsestimatethateventhemostintrovertedindividualwillinfluencetenthousandotherpeopleduringhisorherlifetime.Isn’tthatamazing?Everydayyou influenceothers.Andyouare influencedby others.Thatmeansnoone isexcludedfrombeingbothaleaderandafollower.

Inanygivensituationwithanygroupofpeople,thedynamicofinfluenceisalways inplay.Letme illustrate.Let’s saya child isgetting ready for school.During that process, his mother is usually the dominant influence. She may

choosewhathewill eat andwhathewillwear.Whenhearrivesat school,hemay become the influencer in his group of friends. When class begins, histeacherbecomes thedominant influencer.Afterschool,when theboygoesoutand plays, the neighborhood bully may have the most influence. And atdinnertime,MomorDadhasthemostinfluenceatthetableastheyeat.

If you are observant, you can discover the prominent leader of any group.Titlesandpositionsdon’tmatter.Justwatchthepeopleastheygather.Astheywork to resolve an issue or make a decision, whose opinion seems mostvaluable? Who is the person others watch the most when the issue is beingdiscussed?Who is theonewithwhompeoplequicklyagree?Whomdoothersdefertoandfollow?Answerstothesequestionspointyoutowhotherealleaderisinaparticulargroup.

Youhaveinfluenceinthisworld,butrealizingyourpotentialasaleaderisyour responsibility. If you put effort into developing yourself as a leader, youhave the potential to influence more people and to do so in more significantways.

2.WEDON’TALWAYSKNOWWHOORHOWMUCHWEINFLUENCE

Oneof themost effectiveways to understand the power of influence is tothinkaboutthetimesyouhavebeentouchedinyourlifebyapersonoranevent.Significanteventsleavemarksonallourlivesandmemories.Forexample,askpeoplebornbefore1930whattheyweredoingonDecember7,1941,whentheyheard that Pearl Harbor was bombed, and they will describe in detail theirfeelingsandsurroundingswhentheyheardtheterriblenews.Asksomeonebornbefore1955todescribewhatheorshewasdoingonNovember22,1963,whenthe news that JohnF.Kennedy had been shotwas broadcast.Again, youwillhearnolossforwords.Eachgenerationremembersevents thatmarkthem:thedaythespaceshuttleChallengerblewup.Thetragedyof9/11.Thelistgoeson.Whatmajoreventstandsouttoyou?Howisthateventcontinuingtoinfluenceyourthinkingandactions?

Now thinkabout thepeoplewho influencedyou inapowerfulway,or thelittle things thatmeant a lot to you. I can point to the influence of a camp Iattendedasayouthandhowithelpeddeterminemycareerchoice.Myseventh-gradeteacher,GlenLeatherwood,begantostirasenseofcallinginmylifethatIcontinue to live out today in my seventies. When my mother bought bubble

lightsforourfamilyChristmastree,therewasnowayforhertoknowthattheywould evoke the feeling ofChristmas inme every year. The affirming note Ireceived from a professor in college kept me going at a time when I wasdoubtingmyself.Mylistisendless.Soisyours.

We are influenced every day by somany people. Sometimes small thingsmakebig impressions.Wehave beenmolded into the peoplewe are by thoseinfluences. And we mold others, often when we least expect it. Author andeducatorJ.R.Millersaiditwell:“Therehavebeenmeetingsofonlyamomentwhichhave left impressions for life, foreternity.Nooneofuscanunderstandthatmysteriousthingwecallinfluence...yetoutofeveryoneofuscontinuallyvirtuegoes, either to heal, to bless, to leavemarksof beauty; or towound, tohurt,topoison,tostainotherlives.”2

3.THEBESTINVESTMENTINTOMORROWISTODEVELOPYOURINFLUENCETODAY

What’syourgreatestinvestmentpossibilityforthefuture?Thestockmarket?Real estate holdings? More education? All of these things have value. But Iwould argue that one of the best investments you canmake in yourself is todevelop your influence. Why? Because if you have the desire to accomplishsomething,youwillbeinabetterplacetodoitifothersarewillingtohelp.

In thebookLeaders,WarrenG.Bennis andBurtNanus say, “The truth isthat leadership opportunities are plentiful and within reach of most people.”3That’strueinbusinesses,volunteerorganizations,andsocialgroups.Ifyou’reanentrepreneur, thoseopportunities aremultipliedexponentially.Thequestion is,will yoube ready for themwhen they come?Tomake themost of them,youmustprepareforleadershiptodayandlearnhowtocultivateinfluenceanduseitpositivelytomakeadifference.

RobertDilenschneider, founder and principal of theDilenschneiderGroupandformerCEOofthePRfirmHillandKnowltonStrategies,hasbeenoneofthe nation’s major influence brokers for many years. In his bookPower andInfluence, he shares the idea of the “power triangle” to help leaders becomemore effective. The three components of this triangle are communication,recognition, and influence. Dilenschneider says, “If you are communicatingeffectively,youwillgetpositive recognition foryourcommunication from theaudiencesyouaretryingtoinfluence,whichmeanspeoplewillthinkwhatyouare doing is right and that you are doing it in the right way. When you get

positive recognition, your influence grows. You are perceived as competent,effective, worthy of respect—powerful. Power comes from remembering andusingthelinkageofcommunication,recognition,andinfluence.”4

As a young leader, I followed that pathway to better leadership becausecommunication is one ofmy gifts.As I became a better communicator, I didreceive recognition. Soon I was being asked to teach on the subject ofleadership. But I also sensed that leadership was more complex than justcommunication,recognition,andinfluence.IbeganthinkingabouthowIcoulddevelop amodel thatwould help others understand how influenceworks, andmoreimportantly,howtodevelopinfluenceintheirownlives.IknewthatifthepeopleIhelpedinvestedintheirinfluence,theywouldbeabletomakeapositiveimpactintheirworld,whereverthathappenedtobe.

THEFIVELEVELSOFLEADERSHIPI began studying influence more carefully, and I also drew upon my ownleadership experienceandwhat Iobserved in leaders I respectedandadmired.What I discovered is that influence can be developed in five stages. I turnedthosestagesintoatoolthatIcallthe5LevelsofLeadership.Itprovidesamodelofinfluencethatcanhelpyoubetterunderstandthedynamicsofleadership,anditalsocreatesaroadmapyoucanfollowtodevelopinfluencewithothers.I’vebeen teaching thismodel of leadership formore than thirty years, and I can’tcountthenumberofpeopleit’shelped.Ihopeithelpsyouinthesamewayithasothers.

The5LevelsofLeadership

Let’sexamineeachof the levels.You’llquicklyget ahandleonhow theywork.

LEVEL1:POSITIONThemostbasicentrylevelofleadershipisthePositionlevel.Whyisthisthe

lowest level? Because Position represents leadership before a leader hasdeveloped any real influence with the people being led. In generations past,peoplewouldfollowleaderssimplybecausetheypossessedatitleorpositionofauthority.But that isnotverycommon today inAmericanculture.Peoplewillfollowapositionalleaderonlyasfarastheyhaveto.

WhenItookmyfirstjobasaleaderin1969,peoplewererespectfulofme.Theywerekind.ButIhadnorealinfluence.Iwastwenty-two.TheycouldseehowlittleIknew,evenifIcouldn’t.IfoundouthowlittleinfluenceIhadwhenIledmyfirstboardmeeting. Istarted themeetingwithmyagenda inhand.ButthenClaudestartedtotalk.Hewasjustanoldfarmer,buteveryoneintheroomlooked to him for leadership.Whatever he said held themostweight. Claudewasn’tpushyordisrespectful.Hedidn’tdoapowerplay.Hedidn’thaveto.Healreadyhadallthepower.Hejustwantedtogetthingsdone.

It’sverycleartomenowthatinthatfirstjob,IwasaleaderlivingonLevel1.AllIhadgoingformeatfirstwasmyposition—alongwithagoodworkethicandadesire tomakeadifference.I learnedmoreonLevel1 thanatanyothertime inmy early years of leading. I figured out pretty quickly that a title andpositionwon’tgetapersonveryfarinleadership.

Peoplewhohavebeenappointed toapositionmayhaveauthority,but thatauthority doesn’t exceed their job description. Positional leaders have certainrights.Theyhavetherighttoenforcetherules.Theyhavetherighttotellpeopleto do their jobs. They have the right to use whatever power they have beengranted.

Butrealleadershipismorethanhavinggrantedauthority.Realleadershipisbeingapersonotherswillgladlyandconfidentlyfollow.Realleadersknowthedifferencebetweenpositionandinfluence.

It’sthedifferencebetweenbeingabossandbeingaleader:

Bossesdriveworkers;leaderscoachthem.Bossesdependonauthority;leadersdependongoodwill.Bossesinspirefear;leadersinspireenthusiasm.Bossessay,“I”;leaderssay,“We.”Bossesfixtheblameforanybreakdown;leadersfixthebreakdown.Bossesknowhowitisdone;leadersshowhow.Bossessay,“Go”;leaderssay,“Let’sgo!”

Positionisagoodplacetostartinleadership,butit’saterribleplacetostay.

AnyonewhoneverleadsbeyondPositiondependsonterritorialrights,protocol,tradition, andorganizational charts.These thingsarenot inherentlynegative—unless they become the basis for authority. They are poor substitutes forleadershipskills.

Positionisagoodplacetostartinleadership,butit’saterribleplaceto

stay.

Ifyou’vebeen ina leadershippositionforany lengthof time,howdoyouknowwhetheryouarerelyingtoomuchonyourpositiontolead?Herearethreecommoncharacteristicsofpositionalleaders:

PositionalLeadersLookforSecurityBasedonTitleMoreThanTalent

There’sastoryaboutaprivateduringWorldWarIwhosawalightinhistrenchon the battlefield and shouted, “Put out thatmatch!”Much to his chagrin, hediscoveredthattheoffenderwasGeneral“BlackJack”Pershing.Fearingseverepunishment, theprivate tried tostammeroutanapology,butGeneralPershingpattedhimon thebackand said, “That’s all right, son. Just beglad I’mnot asecondlieutenant.”

The higher people’s level of ability and the resulting influence, the moresecureandconfidenttheybecome.Anewsecondlieutenantmightbetemptedtorelyonhisrankanduseitasaweapon.Ageneraldoesn’tneedto.

PositionalLeadersRelyonTheirLeader’sInfluenceInsteadofTheirOwn

BaseballHall ofFamerLeoDurocher,whomanaged theGiants from1948 to1955,wasoncecoachingatfirstbaseinanexhibitiongameplayedattheUnitedStatesMilitary Academy atWest Point. During the game, a noisy cadet keptshoutingatDurocher,tryingtogetunderhisskin.

“Hey,Durocher,”hehollered.“Howdida littlesquirt likeyouget into themajorleagues?”

Durochershoutedback,“Mycongressmanappointedme!”5Just because people may be appointed to a position of authority doesn’t

automaticallymeantheycandevelopinfluence.Becausesomepositionalleaderscan’t and possess no influence or authority of their own, they rely on theauthorityoftheirbossorthepersonwhoappointedthem.Anytimetheyfearthattheirteammemberswon’tfollowthem,they’requicktosay,“Weneedtodothisbecausethebosssaysso.”Thatkindofborrowedauthoritycanwearthinafterawhile.

PositionalLeadersCan’tGetPeopletoFollowThemBeyondTheirDefinedAuthority

A common reaction of followers to positional leaders is to do only what’srequired and nothing more. If you’ve observed leaders asking people to dosomethingextra,staylate,orgooutoftheirway,onlytohavethepeoplerefuseorsay,“That’snotmy job,” thenyoumightbeseeing the resultsofpositionalleadership.Peoplewhodefine their leadershipbypositionwill findthemselvesinaplacewherepeoplewilldoonlywhat’srequiredbasedontherightsgrantedby that position. People do not become committed to vision or causes led bypositionalleaders.

If anyof these three characteristics describeyou, thenyoumaybe relyingtoomuchonyourposition,whichmeansyouneedtoworkharderatcultivatinginfluence.Until youdo, the teamyou leadwill have lowenergy andyouwillfeel as if every task is a major ordeal. To change that, you’ll need to startfocusingonthenextlevelofleadership.

LEVEL2:PERMISSIONMy friend and mentor Fred Smith says, “Leadership is getting people to

workforyouwhen theyarenotobligated.”6That is theessenceof thesecondlevelofleadership,Permission.

LeaderswhoremainonthePositionlevelandneverdeveloptheirinfluenceoften lead by intimidation. They are like the chickens that Norwegianpsychologist Thorleif Schjelderup-Ebbe studied in developing the “pecking

order” principle that is commonly used to describe all kinds of groups.Schjelderup-Ebbe found that in any flock, one hen usually dominates all theothers.This dominant hen canpeck anyotherwithout beingpecked in return.Thesecondintheordercanpeckalltheothersexceptthetophen.Therestarearrangedinadescendinghierarchy,finallyendingwithonehaplesshenwhocanbepeckedbyall,butwhocanpecknooneelse.

Incontrast,Permissionischaracterizedbygoodrelationships.Themottoonthislevelcouldbewrittenas“Peopledon’tcarehowmuchyouknowuntiltheyknowhowmuchyoucare.”Trueinfluencebeginswiththeheart,notthehead.Itflourishes throughpersonal connections,not rules and regulations.Theagendaonthislevelisnotpeckingorder;it’speopleconnection.Leaderswhosucceedon this level focus their time and energy on the needs and desires of theindividualsontheirteam.Andtheyconnectwiththem.

Theclassic illustrationofsomeonewhodidn’tdothis isHenryFordin theearly days of the FordMotor Company. Hewanted his laborers to work likemachines, and he attempted to control their interactions outside of workwithrules and regulations.And his focuswas totally on his product, theModel T,whichhe believedwas the perfect car, andwhichhe neverwanted to change.When people started asking for it in colors other than black, he famouslyresponded,“Youcanhaveanycoloryouwantaslongasit’sblack.”

Peoplewhoareunwillingorunabletobuildsolid,lastingrelationshipssoondiscover that they are also unable to sustain lasting, effective leadership.Needlesstosay,youcancareaboutpeoplewithoutleadingthem,butyoucannotleadpeoplewellwithoutcaringaboutthem.Peoplewon’tgoalongwithyouiftheycannotgetalongwithyou.That’sjustthewayitis.

OnLevel2,asyouconnectwithpeople,buildrelationshipswiththem,andearntheirtrust,youbegintodeveloprealinfluencewiththem.Thatmakesyouwanttoworktogethermore.Itmakesyoumorecooperativewithoneanother.Itmakestheenvironmentmorepositive.Itboostseveryone’senergy.Andinworksettings,peoplestaylongerandworkharder.

If you’ve been given a leadership position, then you’ve been given yourboss’spermissiontolead.Ifyou’veearnedinfluenceonLevel2,thenyouhaveacquiredyourpeople’spermissiontolead.That’spowerful.However,Idohavetocautionyou.StayingtoolongonthislevelwithoutaddingLevel3willcausehighlymotivatedpeopletobecomerestless.Solet’stalkaboutProduction.

Peoplewhoareunwillingorunableto

Peoplewhoareunwillingorunabletobuildsolid,lastingrelationshipssoondiscoverthattheyarealsounabletosustainlasting,effectiveleadership.

LEVEL3:PRODUCTIONNearlyanyonecansucceedonthefirsttwolevelsofleadership.Peoplecan

receive a position and develop permission with little or no innate leadershipability. It’safact that ifyoucareaboutpeopleandarewillingto learnhowtoworkwiththem,youcanstarttogaininfluence.Butthatinfluencewillonlygosofar.Toreallygetthingsgoing,youneedtowintheProductionlevel.

OnLevel3,peoplegetthingsdone.Andtheyhelpthemembersoftheirteamget thingsdone.Together theyproduceresults.That’swhengoodthingsreallybegintohappenfortheorganization.Productivitygoesup.Peoplereachgoals.Profit increases. Morale becomes high. Turnover becomes low. Team loyaltyincreases.

Organizations with leaders who are effective in leading on the first threelevels of leadership become highly successful. They start winning.Andwhentheydo,theystarttobenefitfromwhatIcall“theBigMo”—momentum.Theygrow. They solve problems more easily. Winning becomes normal. Leadingbecomeseasier.Followingbecomesmorefun.Theworkenvironmentbecomeshigh-energy.

BeawarethatmostpeoplenaturallygravitatetoeitherthePermissionortheProduction level of leadership, based onwhether they tend to be relationshippeopleorresultspeople.Ifpeoplenaturallybuildrelationships,theymayenjoygetting together, but they do it with the sole objective of being together andenjoyingoneanother.Ifyou’veeverworkedinanenvironmentwheremeetingsarepleasantandeveryonegetsalong—butnothinggetsaccomplished—thenyoumay have worked with someone who gets Level 2 but not Level 3. (And ifyou’ve workedwheremeetings are productive but relationallymiserable, youmayhaveworkedwithsomeonewhogetsLevel3butnotLevel2!)However,asa leader, if you can add results to relationships anddevelop a teamof peoplewho like each other and get things done, you have created a powerfulcombination.

Organizationsallover theworldaresearchingforpeoplewhocanproduceresults,becausetheyunderstandtheimpacttheycanmake.Oneofmyall-time

favoritestoriesisaboutanewlyhiredtravelingsalesmannamedGoochandthereactionhegotfromhiscompany’sleaderswhenhesenthisfirstsalesreporttothe homeoffice. It stunned the head of the sales department.Goochwrote, “Iseenthisoutfitwhichtheyain’tneverbotadim’sworthofnothinfromusandIsolethemsomegoods.I’mnowgointoChicawgo.”

Before theman could be given the heave-ho by the sales manager, alongcamethismessagefromChicago:“Icumehearandsolethemhaffamillion.”

Fearful if he did—and afraid if he didn’t—fire the ignorant salesman, thesalesmanagerdumpedtheprobleminthepresident’slap.

The followingmorning, the ivory-towered sales departmentmemberswereamazedtoseepostedonthebulletinboardabovethetwoletterswrittenbytheignorantsalesmanthismemofromthepresident:

We ben spendin twomuch time trying to spel instead of trying to sel.Let’swatchthosesails.IwanteverybodyshouldreadtheselettersfromGoochwhoisontherodedoinagratejobforusandyoushouldgooutanddolikehedone.

I love that storysomuch I’vehad it laminated,and Icarry italongwithafewother“essentials”whenIspeak.Okay,soifweleadsalespeople,wewouldobviouslypreferoneswhocanbothsellandspell.Butyougetthepoint.Resultsspeakloudly—tothoseweworkforandtothosewelead.

Whenyouleadaproductiveteamofpeoplewholikeworkingtogether,yougiveothersa reason towant toworkwithyou, to followyou.Forexample, ifyou and a friend were picking players for a basketball game, and you couldchoosebetweenmeandLeBronJames,it’sclearwhoyou’dpick:theguywhowins championships, not the guy who played basketball in high school morethan fifty years ago! You want the guy who can produce and inspire histeammatestoproducerightalongwithhim.

LEVEL4:PEOPLEDEVELOPMENTIf you gain influence with your team on Levels 1, 2, and 3, people will

consider you a fantastic leader. You will get a lot done, and you will beconsidered successful. But there are higher levels of leadership, because thegreatestleadersdomorethanjustgetthingsdone.

There are somany different kinds of leaders, bothmale and female. Theycome in all shapes and sizes, ages and degrees of experience, races and

nationalities,fromgeniustoaverageintelligence.Whatseparatesthegoodfromthegreat?

Leadersbecomegreatnotbecauseoftheirpower,butbecauseoftheirabilitytoempowerothers.Successwithoutasuccessor isultimatelyfailure.Tocreateanythinglasting,todevelopateamororganizationthatcangrowandimprove,tobuildanythingforthefuture,aleader’smainresponsibilityistodevelopotherpeople: to help them reach their personal potential, to help themdo their jobsmoreeffectively,andtohelpthemlearntobecomeleadersthemselves.Thiskindofpeopledevelopmentleadstoreproduction.

Leadersbecomegreatnotbecauseoftheirpower,butbecauseoftheirability

toempowerothers.

Peopledevelopmenthasamultiplyingeffect.Teamsandorganizationsgotoawhole new level when leaders begin developing others. One team developsenough leaders to create additional teams.Onedivision, operation, or locationdevelopsenoughleaderstocreateadditionalones.Becauseeverythingrisesandfalls on leadership, having more and better leaders always leads to having abetterorganization.

ThePeopleDevelopmentlevelhasanotherpositivesideeffect:loyaltytotheleader.People tend tobe loyal to thementorwhohelps improve their lives. Ifyouwatch a leaderdevelop influence through the levels, you can seehow therelationshipprogresses.OnLevel1, theteammemberhastofollow theleader.OnLevel2,theteammemberwantstofollowtheleader.OnLevel3,theteammemberappreciatesandadmirestheleaderbecauseofwhatheorshehasdonefortheteam.OnLevel4,theteammemberbecomesloyaltotheleaderbecauseofwhattheleaderhasdoneforhimorherpersonally.Youwinpeople’sheartsandmindsbyhelpingthemgrowpersonally.

Ifyoudon’tbelieveinthemessenger,youwon’tbelievethemessage.

—JAMESM.KOUZESANDBARRYZ.POSNER

NoteverygoodleaderworkstodevelopinfluenceonLevel4.Infact,mostleadersaren’tevenawarethatLevel4exists.Theyaresofocusedontheirownproductivity and that of their team that they don’t realize they should bedevelopingpeople.If thatdescribesyou,Iwanttohelpyou.I’vecreatedsomequestionsyoushouldaskyourselfaboutdevelopingpeoplethatcanhelppositionyouforsuccessonLevel4:

1.AmIPassionateAboutMyPersonalGrowth?

Onlygrowingpeopleareeffectiveatgrowingothers. Ifyoustillhave that firewithinyou,peoplewill feel itaroundyou. I’mseventyyearsold,andI’mstillfixatedongrowth.

2.DoesMyGrowthJourneyHaveCredibility?

The first thing people ask themselves when you offer to help them grow iswhetheryouhaveanythingtoofferthatcanhelpthem.Thekeytothatanswerisyourcredibility.IntheirbookTheLeadershipChallenge,JamesM.KouzesandBarry Z. Posner expound on what they call the Kouzes-Posner First Law ofLeadership: If you don’t believe in the messenger, you won’t believe themessage.Theygoon to sayofcredibility, “Loyalty, commitment, energy, andproductivitydependonit.”7

3.ArePeopleAttractedtoMeBecauseofMyGrowth?

Peoplewanttolearnfromleaderstheyseegrowingandlearning.OneyearattheLeadership Open, which my nonprofit organization EQUIP hosted at PebbleBeach,manypeopleremarkedabout the incrediblegrowth theywereseeing inMarkCole,myCEO.Thatkindofdramaticyethumblegrowthisveryattractivetopeople.

4.AmISuccessfulintheAreasWhereIWanttoDevelopOthers?

You cannot givewhat you do not have.When I develop people, I try to helpthemprimarilyinareaswhereI’msuccessful:speaking,writing,andleadership.DoyouknowtheareaswhereInevergiveadvice?Singing.Technology.Golf.Nobodywants tohearwhat I have to say about these subjects. I’dbewastingtheirtimeandmine.

5.HaveICrossedOvertheSpendTime/InvestTimeLine?

Most people spend timewith others. Few invest time in them. If youwant tosucceed at Level 4, you need to become an investor in people. This meansadding value but also expecting to see a return on your investment—not inpersonal gain, but in impact. The return you’re looking for is in people’spersonalgrowth,thebettermentoftheirleadership,theimpactoftheirwork,thevalue they add to the teamandorganization. I learned this lesson at age fortywhenIrealizedmytimewaslimitedandIcouldnotworkanyharderorlongerthanIalreadywas.(I’lltellyoumoreaboutthisinchapter2.)Theonlysolutionwastoreproducemyselfbyinvestinginothers.Astheygotbetter,theteamgotbetter.AndsodidI.

6.DoIHaveaTeachableWayofLife?

Teachable people are the best teachers. To develop people, I need to remainteachable.Thatmeanswantingtolearn,payingattentiontowhatIlearn,desiringtosharewhatIlearn,andknowingwithwhomtoshareit.

7.AmIWillingtoBeaVulnerableRoleModelandCoach?

Developingpeopleby investing in themdoesn’tmeanpretendingyouhavealltheanswers.Itmeansbeingauthentic,admittingwhatyoudon’tknowasmuchas what you do, and learning as much as you can from the people you’redeveloping. Learning is a two-way street. Continuing to develop myself as I

developothersbringsmegreatjoy.

8.DothePeopleIDevelopSucceed?

The ultimate goal in developing people is to help them transform their lives.Teaching may help someone’s life improve. True development helps anindividual’slifechange.Howcanyoutellifthat’shappened?Thepersonyou’veinvestedinsucceeds.Notonlyisthatthegreatestsignoftransformation,it’sthegreatestrewardtoaleaderwhodevelopspeople.

How did you do? The more yeses you can honestly answer to the eightquestions, the better you’re positioned to develop people. If your noesoutnumberedyouryeses,don’tloseheart.Makegrowthyourgoaltosetyouupfor future successonLevel4.Youwon’t regret it because this iswhere long-term success occurs. Your commitment to developing leaders will ensureongoing growth in the organization, in the people you lead, and in yourleadershipimpact.Dowhateveryoucantoachieveandstayonthislevel.

LEVEL5:PINNACLEThefinallevelofleadershipisthePinnacle.Ifyoureadtheoriginalversion

of this book, you may recall that I called this levelPersonhood. But I thinkPinnacle isamoredescriptivename.Thishighestlevelisbasedonreputation.This israrifiedair.Onlyafewpeoplereachthis level.Thosewhodohaveledwellandproven their leadershipovera lifetime,have invested inother leadersand raised themup toLevel4, andhavedeveloped influencenotonly in theirownorganizations,butbeyondthem.

People at the Pinnacle level are known not only outside of their ownorganizations,butoutsideoftheirfields,theircountries,andeventheirlifetimes.Forexample,JackWelchisaLevel5leaderinbusiness.NelsonMandelawasaLevel 5 leader in government. Martin Luther King Jr. was a Level 5 leaderamongsocialactivists.LeonardodaVinciwasaLevel5 leader in theartsandengineering.AristotlewasaLevel5leaderineducationandphilosophy.

Can everyone reach this level of leadership? No. Should we strive for it?Absolutely.Butweshouldn’tfocusonit.Why?Becausewecan’tmanufacturerespect inothers,norcanwedemandit.Respectmustbefreelygiventousbyothers,soit’snotwithinourcontrol.Forthatreason,weshouldfocusinsteadon

developinginfluenceonLevels2,3,and4andworkhardtosustainitdayafterday,yearafteryear,decadeafterdecade.Ifwedothat,we’vedoneallwecando.

NAVIGATINGTHELEVELSOFLEADERSHIPIhopeyoucanusethe5LevelsofLeadershipasaclearvisualreminderofhowinfluence works. It’s a paradigm for leadership and a pathway to leadership.Nowthatyoucanseethemodel,Iwanttogiveyouafewinsightsthatwillhelpyounotonlytoembraceitbuttonavigateusingitasaleader:

•The5LevelsofLeadershipcanbeappliedtoeveryareaofyourlife,bothpersonalandprofessional.

•Youareonadifferentlevelwitheachindividualpersoninyourlife.•Eachtimeyouaddalevelinyourrelationshipwithanotherperson,yourlevelofinfluencegoesup.

•Youneverleavebehindapreviouslevelonceyouachieveanewone.Thelevelsbuildandaddtooneanother.Theyarenotreplaced.

•Ifyouskipaleveltotrytospeeduptheprocess,youwillhavetocirclebackandearnthatlevelanywayforthelongevityoftherelationship.

•Thehigheryougoupthelevels,thelongerittakes.•Eachtimeyouchangejobsorjoinanewcircleofpeople,youstartonthelowestlevelandhavetoworkyourwayupagain.

•Oncealevelisearned,itmustbemaintained.Nooneever“arrives”asaleader.Nothingispermanentinleadership.

•Justasyoucanaddinfluenceatalevel,youcanalsoloseinfluenceatalevel.

•Ittakeslesstimetolosealevelthanitdoestoearnit.

Atthispointinmylifeandcareer,the5LevelsofLeadershiphavebecomesecond nature to me. As soon as I meet people, I begin working on therelationship.Assoonaswe’vedevelopedaconnection,I trytoaddProductionandachievesomething together.AndIbegin lookingforways toaddvalue topeopleandinvestinthem.IbelieveyoucandevelopyourinfluenceinthesamewayIhave.Allittakesiswillandintentionality.

Ioncereadapoemcalled“MyInfluence.”Idon’tknowwhotheauthoris,butitsmessageleftanimpactonme:

MylifeshalltouchadozenlivesBeforethisdayisdone,Leavecountlessmarksforgoodorill,Eresetstheeveningsun;ThisisthewishIalwayswish,TheprayerIalwayspray:Lord,maymylifehelpotherlivesIttouchesbytheway.8

Ifyou’relikeme,youhavegoals.Youwantnotonlytoachievesuccess,butalso experience significance. You want your leadership to make a difference.The level you achieve ismoredependent onyour influence thanon anyothersingle factor. That’swhy influence is so important.You just don’t knowhowmanylivesyou’lltouch.Allyoucandoisdevelopyourinfluencesothatwhenopportunitiescome,youcanmake thebestof them.Neverdoubt thepowerofonepersonof influence.ThinkofAristotle.HementoredAlexander theGreat,andAlexanderconqueredtheworld.

DEVELOPINGTHEINFLUENCERWITHINYOU

Oneof thegreatchallengesofapplying the5LevelsofLeadership is thatyoumustearneachlevelofinfluencewitheverypersoninyourlife.Whileit’struethatyourlevelof influencewithothers iseither increasingordecreasingeveryday,youwillfinditbeneficialtofocusyourattentiononintentionallyincreasingyourinfluencewithonlyalimitednumberofpeopleatfirst.

For that reason, I suggest youpick twopeople inyour life right nowwithwhomtointentionallybuildyourinfluence.Chooseoneimportantpersonfromyourprofessional life,maybeyourboss,akey teammember,acolleague,oraclient.Andchooseone importantpersonfromyourpersonal life,perhapsyourspouse,yourchild,aparent,oraneighbor.(Yes,itispossibletobeononlythePositionlevelwithyourspouseorchild,andyes,youhavetoearn—orre-earn—influence at the higher levels.) If you are a high-capacity person with lots of

ambitionandenergy,youmaychoosethreepeople.First, determine which level of leadership you are currently on with each

person.Thenusethefollowingguidelinestobeginearningthelevelaboveyourcurrentoneandtostrengthenyourinfluenceatthelowerlevels.

Level1:Position—InfluenceBasedonRights

•Knowyourroleorjobdescriptionthoroughly.•Doyourjobwithconsistentexcellence.•Domorethanexpected.•Acceptresponsibilityforyourselfandyourleadership.•Learnfromeveryleadershipopportunity.•Beawareofthehistorythatimpactspersonaldynamics.•Don’trelyonyourpositionortitletohelpyoulead.

Level2:Permission—InfluenceBasedonRelationship

•Valuetheotherperson.•Learntoseethroughtheotherperson’seyesbyaskingquestions.•Caremoreaboutthepersonthanabouttherules.•Includetheotherpersoninyourjourneybyshiftingyourfocusfrommetowe.

•Maketheotherperson’ssuccessyourgoal.•Practiceservantleadership.

Level3:Production—InfluenceBasedonResults

•Initiateandacceptresponsibilityforyourownpersonalgrowth.•Developaccountabilityforresults,beginningwithyourself.•Leadbyexampleandproduceresults.•Helptheotherpersonfindandgivehisorherbestcontribution.

Level4:PeopleDevelopment—InfluenceBasedonReproduction

•Embracetheideathatpeopleareyourmostvaluableasset.•Beopenandhonestaboutyourgrowthjourney.

•Beopenandhonestaboutyourgrowthjourney.•Exposetheotherpersontogrowthandleadershipopportunities.•Placethepersoninthebestplacetobesuccessful.

Level5:Pinnacle—InfluenceBasedonRespect

•Focusyourinfluenceonthemostpromising20percentofthepeopleyoulead.

•Teachandencouragethemtodevelopotherhigh-levelleaders.•Leverageyourinfluencetoadvancetheorganization.•Useyourinfluenceoutsidetheorganizationtomakeadifference.

If you would like additional help with the process of developing yourleadership,pleasevisitMaxwellLeader.comtoreceivefreebonusmaterialsI’vecreatedtohelpyou.Andbesuretotakethefreeleadershipself-assessment.

TWO

THEKEYTOLEADERSHIP:

PRIORITIES

Doyouhaveplentyoftimetodoallthatyouwantandneedtodoinaday?I’mguessing the answer is no. I have yet tomeet any busy leaderswho feel theyhavemorethanenoughtimetodoalltheywant.Inchapter1Imentionedthatatageforty,IrealizedIalonecouldn’tworkanyharderoranylonger,soIstartedinvesting in people. But I also realized that I needed to improve the way Imanagedmyselfandmytime.

Peopleusedtotalkalotabouttimemanagement,buttherealityisthatyoucan’tmanagetime.Managingsomethingmeanscontrollingit,changingit.Whenitcomestotime,thereisnothingtomanage.Everybodygetstwenty-fourhoursinaday.Wecan’taddanotherhourorsubtractone.Wecan’tslowitdownorspeeditup.Timeiswhatitis.

Coach and speaker Jamie Cornell wrote, “Time cannot and will not bemanaged,andyouwillnevergetmoreofit.Theproblemisrootedinthechoicesyou aremakingwith others and your own choices.You choose how to use iteverymomentofeveryday,whetheryoubelieveyoudoornot.”1

Foranyonewholeads, thequestion isnot,“Willmycalendarbefull?”but“Who andwhatwill fillmy calendar?”When I feel that I don’t have enoughtime,Ineedtoexaminemyself—mychoices,mycalendar,mypriorities.Thesearethethingswecancontrol,nottime.Weneedtodeterminehowwewillspendthetwenty-fourhourswehaveeveryday.Thatrequiresustoprioritizeourtimesowegetmoreproductionoutofthosehours.That’sespeciallytrueforleadersbecauseouractionsimpactsomanyotherpeople.

Ataconference,Ionceheardaspeakersay,“Therearetwothingsthatare

most difficult to get people to do: to think and to do things in order ofimportance.”Hewas talkingaboutpriorities.Good leadersalways thinkaheadandprioritizetheirresponsibilities.It’sbeensaidthat

•Practicalpeopleknowhowtogetwhattheywant.•Philosophersknowwhattheyoughttowant.•Leadersknowhowtogetwhattheyoughttowant.

That’swhyIwanttohelpyouidentifywhatyououghttowantasaleader—not according tomyprioritiesbut according toyours.And Iwant tohelpyoufollowthroughonthoseprioritieseffectively toenhanceyour lifeandimproveyourleadership.

PRIORITYPRESSURES

Nobody escapes the pressures of modern life, and because we all deal withdemands,deadlines,anddifficulties,wecangetconfusedwhenitcomestoourpriorities.HerearesomethingsI’vefoundtobetrue:

MOSTPEOPLEOVERESTIMATETHEIMPORTANCEOFMOSTTHINGS

Everydayyoucouldmakealonglistofthingsyouwanttodo,oughttodo,andhavetodo.Notallofthemareimportant.PsychologistWilliamJamessaid,“Theartofbeingwiseisknowingwhattooverlook.”2Pettyandmundanetasksthreatentostealmuchofourtime.Ifwe’renotcareful,wecanstartlivingforthewrongthings.

Theartofbeingwiseisknowingwhattooverlook.

—WILLIAMJAMES

HAVINGTOOMANYPRIORITIESPARALYZESPEOPLE

Oneofthemostpopularactsincircusesformanyyearswastheperformanceofa lion tamer.Themanorwomanwouldwalk intoa cage fullofdangerouslionsandgetthemtodowhatheorshewanted.Ioncereadtherewasareasonmanyofthemwouldcarryastoolorchairintothecagewiththem.Evidently,ifthe animal trainer held the chair by its back,with its legs facing the lion, theanimalwould try to focus on all four legs at once. This divided focus by theanimaloverwhelmed it,caused it tobecomeparalyzedby indecision,and tookawayitsaggression.

That same kind of thing can happen to us. Just about all of us haveexperienceddayswhenourto-dolistsarelong,ourdesksarepiledwithpapers,ourcellphonesareringing,andpeoplecomeintoourofficeswantingsomething.Ifyou’relikemostpeople,allthesedemandscanfreezeyouup.

Years ago,oneofourmostproductive staffmembers,Sheryl, came to seeme. She looked exhausted. After we chatted, I learned that she felt totallyoverloadedbyamassive listof responsibilities. Iaskedher to listallher tasksandprojects.ThenIwentthroughthemwithherandprioritizedthem.Theeffectwasimmediate:itwasasifagiantweighthadbeenremovedfromher.Icanstillpicturethelookofreliefonherfacewhensherealizedthatshecouldfocusonwhatmatteredmostandlettheotherthingswait.

WHENSMALLDEMANDSAREGIVENTOOMUCHATTENTION,BIGPROBLEMSARISE

Oftenthelittlethingsinlifetripusup.AtragicexampleistheaccidentthatoccurredonEasternAirlines flight401on theeveningofDecember29,1971.The plane, carrying 163 passengers and 13 crewmembers out of NewYork,experiencedaproblemasitapproacheditsdestinationinMiami.Thelightthatindicatesproperdeploymentofthelandinggearfailedtolight.Thepilotputtheplane intoaholdingpatternwhilemembersof the flightcrew tried to findoutwhetherthelandinggearwasdeployed.

Theplaneflewinalarge,loopingcircleovertheswampsoftheEvergladeswhilethecockpitcrewcheckedtoseeifthegearactuallyhadnotdeployed,orifinstead the bulb in the signal light was defective. After some work, theyremovedthelightbulb,buttheystillweren’tsurewhetherthelandinggearwasdown.Thepilot sent thesecondofficerdown into theavionicbaybeneath theflightdecktotrytoascertainwhetherthefrontwheelwasdown.

Whilethethreeexperiencedflightcrewmembersweretryingtochasedown

theproblem, they lost trackof somethingmuchmore important: their altitude.While circling on autopilot, the plane had gradually lost altitude.Ten secondsafter theynoticed theproblem, theplaneflewright into theEverglades.Sadly,morethanahundredpeopledied.Andintheend,investigatorsdiscoveredthattheonlyproblemwasactuallyafaultylightbulb.

RobertJ.McKainissaidtohaveobserved,“Thereasonmostmajorgoalsarenot achieved is that we spend our time doing second things first.”3 Or thirdthings. Or fourth. Anytime small demands or insignificant tasks displaceimportanttasks,wecangetintotrouble.

MAKINGEVERYTHINGAPRIORITYMEANSNOTHINGISAPRIORITY

Afamilythathadbecomefedupwiththenoiseandtrafficofthecitysavedtheirmoneyandfinallyrealizedtheirdream.Theysoldtheircrampedapartment,boughtaranch,andmovedoutwest.Theirdesirewastomovetothecountrytoenjoylifeinthewide-openspacesandraisecattle.

Somefriendsfromthecitycameout tovisit themamonth laterandaskedthemwhattheyhadnamedtheranch.

“Well,”thenewranchersaid,“IwantedtocallittheFlyingW.ButmywifesaidshewantedtocallittheSuzy-Q.OuroldestthoughtthenameshouldbetheBar-J, and our youngest hoped we would name it the Lazy Y. So wecompromised.We’recallingittheFlyingLazyY-W-Bar-JSuzy-QRanch.”

“Wow,”saidthefriend.“CanIseeyourcattle?”“We don’t have any,” the rancher replied. “None of them survived the

branding!”Okay, I’ll admit it: that’s a really corny joke, but I love it because it

illustratesthefactthatwhenyousayeverythingisahighpriority,thennothingisa high priority. It really indicates that you’re unwilling or unable to make adecision,whichmeansyouwon’tgetanythingdone.

Whenyousayeverythingisahighpriority,thennothingisahighpriority.

SOMETIMESITTAKESANEMERGENCYTOFORCEPEOPLETOPRIORITIZE

Forsomepeople,onlyacrisiscancausethemtorethinktheirpriorities.ThatwasthecaseonthenightofApril14,1912,whenthegreatoceanlinerTitaniccrashedintoanicebergintheAtlantic.Oneofthemostcuriousstoriestocomefromthedisasterwasofawomanwhohadaplaceinoneofthelifeboats.Atthelast second, she asked if she could return toher stateroom for something.Shewas toldshehadonly threeminutes.Asshehurried through thecorridors, shesteppedovermoneyandothervaluableswheretheyhadbeendroppedinhaste.Once inherstateroom,she ignoredherown jewelryand insteadgrabbed threeoranges.Thenshequicklyreturnedtoherplaceintheboat.

Justhoursearlier, shewouldn’thaveexchangedher leastvaluablepieceofjewelry for a boxcar full of oranges, but circumstances had changed herpriorities,astheycanformanyofus.

PRIORITYPRINCIPLES

Someoneoncesaid,“Aninfantisbornwithaclenchedfist;anadultdieswithanopenhand.Lifehasawayofpryingfreethethingswethinkaresoimportant.”Ifyouwanttodeveloptheleaderwithinyou,don’twaitfortragedytorealignyourpriorities. Become proactive about the process starting today. Begin byacknowledgingthefollowingprinciples:

1.WORKINGSMARTERHASAHIGHERRETURNTHANWORKINGHARDER

NovelistFranzKafkasaid,“Productivityisbeingabletodothingsthatyouwereneverabletodobefore.”Howdoyoumakethathappen?Doingtheexactsame things with greater intensity rarely works. As Albert Einstein allegedlypointedout,thedefinitionofinsanityisdoingthesamethingoverandoverandexpectingdifferentresults.

So how do you get better results? You have to rethink how you dosomething.Youhavetoworksmarter.Thatmeansfindingbetterwaystoworkandmakingthemostofthemomentsyouhave.MarketingexpertDanKennedysays, “Disciplined use of the time everybody else wastes can give you the

edge.”4Whatleaderdoesn’twantthat?

Disciplineduseofthetimeeverybodyelsewastescangiveyoutheedge.

—DANKENNEDY

2.YOUCAN’THAVEITALLWhen my son, Joel, was a young child, every time we entered a store, I

wouldhavetotellhim,“Youcan’thaveitall.”Likemanypeople,hehadahardtimenarrowinghiswantlist.ButIbelievethat95percentofachievinganythingis knowing what you want. That’s especially important for someone who isleadingothers.

YearsagoIreadastoryaboutagroupofpeoplewhowerepreparingforanascent to the top ofMont Blanc in the French Alps. The evening before theclimb, theirFrenchguideexplained themainprerequisite forsuccess.Hesaid,“Toreachthetop,youmustcarryonlywhat’snecessaryforclimbing.Youmustleavebehindallelse.It’saverydifficultclimb.”

AyoungEnglishmandisregardedtheexpert’sadvice,andthenextmorninghe showed upwith a bunch of items in addition to his equipment: a brightlycolored blanket, large pieces of cheese, a bottle ofwine, a couple of cameraswithseverallenses,andsomebarsofchocolate.

“You’llnevermakeitwithallthat,”saidtheguide.“Youcanonlytakethebarenecessitiestomaketheclimb.”

ButtheEnglishmanwasyoungandstrong-willed.Hesetoffonhisowninfrontofthegrouptoprovethathecoulddoit.

OnthewayuptothesummitofMontBlanc,therestofthegroup,carryingonlythenecessitiesundertheguide’sdirection,begantonoticeitemsalongtheirpath:first,therewasabrightlycoloredblanket.Thenabottleofwineandsomepiecesofcheese.Cameraequipment.Andfinally,chocolatebars.

When they reached the top, there was the Englishman. Wisely, he hadjettisonedeverythingunnecessaryalongthewayandhadmadethesummit.

ManyyearsagoI readapoembyWilliamH.Hinson thatcommunicatesagreatlessonaboutpriorities:

Hewhoseeksonething,andbutone,Mayhopetoachieveitbeforelifeisdone.ButhewhoseeksallthingswhereverhegoesMustreaparoundhiminwhateverhesowsAharvestofbarrenregret.

If youwant to be successful as a person and as a leader, youmustmakechoices.Youmustprioritize.Youcannothaveitall.Noonecan.

3.THEGOODISALWAYSTHEENEMYOFTHEBESTMost people canprioritize between the good and the bador between right

andwrong.Therealchallengeariseswhentheyarefacedwithtwogoodchoices.Whichshouldtheychoose?

An excellent illustration of this can be found in a parable of a lighthousekeeperwhoworkedonarockystretchofcoastlinebeforethedaysofelectricity.Onceamonthhereceivedasupplyofoiltokeepthelightburning.

Notbeingfarfromtown,heoftenhadvisitors.Onenightanoldwomanfromthevillagebeggedforsomeoiltokeepherfamilywarm.Hehadpityonherandgaveheroil.Another timea father asked for someoil forhis lamp so that hecould search for his missing son. Another person needed some oil to keepmachinerygoingsothatheandhisemployeescouldkeepworking.Eachrequestwasgood,andeach time, the lighthousekeepergave themoil for theirworthycause.

Towardtheendofthemonth,henoticedthesupplyofoilwasverylow.Bythelastnightofthemonth,itwasgone,andthebeaconwentout.Thatnightinastorm,ashipwreckedontherocksandliveswerelost.

Whentheauthoritiesinvestigated,themanwasveryrepentant.Buttherewasonly one reply: “You were given oil for one purpose—to keep that lightburning!”

Asyoubecomemoresuccessfulandbusier,youmust learn tonavigate thechoice between two good things. You can’t always have both. How do youchoose?Rememberthatthegoodmustsometimesbesacrificedforthebest.

4.PROACTIVEBEATSREACTIVEEverypersoniseitheraninitiatororareactorwhenitcomestoplanning.In

myopinionyoucanchooseoryoucanlose.Proactivemeanschoosing.Reactivemeans losing. The question isn’t “Will I have things to do?” but “Will I dothings that make a difference?” To be an effective leader, you need to beproactive.Takealookatthedifferencebetweeninitiatorsandreactors:

Initiators Reactors

Prepare RepairPlanahead Liveinthemoment

Pickupthephoneandmakecontact

Waitforthephonetoring

Anticipateproblems ReacttoproblemsSeizethemoment Waitfortherightmoment

Puttheirprioritiesintheircalendars

Putothers’requestsintheircalendars

Investtimeinpeople Spendtimewithpeople

Ifyouhaveanydoubtabouttheimpactofinitiatingversusreactingonyourproductivity,justthinkabouttheweekbeforeyougoonvacation.It’sprobablyyourmostproductiveandefficienttimeatwork.Why?Becauseyouhaveclearprioritiesandaharddeadline.Beforeleavingtheofficeforvacation,weneedtomake decisions, finish projects, clean off the desk, return calls, and close theloopwithcolleagues.

Youcanchooseoryoucanlose.Proactivemeanschoosing.Reactive

meanslosing.

Why can’t we always run our lives that way? Actually, we can, but itrequires a change in mind-set. Instead of focusing on efficiency, which is asurvivalmind-set,weneedtothinkabouteffectiveness,whichisasuccessmind-

set.Insteadoffocusingondoingthingsright,weneedtofocusondoingonlytherightthings.Weneedtobecomeferventlyandcontinuouslyproactive.

5.THEIMPORTANTNEEDSTOTAKEPRECEDENCEOVERTHEURGENT

Themore responsibility you carry as a leader, themore youhave on yourplate. The ability to juggle multiple high-priority projects successfully issomething every successful leader must learn how to do. As the list of tasksgrows,youcanagonizeororganize.I’dratherorganize.

Hereisasimplebuteffectivewaytoclassifytasksthatcanhelpyouquicklyprioritizetheminanygivenmoment.Thegoalistodeterminehowimportantthetaskisandhowurgentitis.Ineffectiveleadersjumpontheurgenttaskswithoutthinking.Effectiveleadersweighbothfactorsforeachtaskandactaccordingly.Here’show:

•HighImportance/HighUrgency:Tacklethesetasksfirst.•HighImportance/LowUrgency:Setdeadlinesforcompletionandfitthesetasksintoyourdailyroutine.

•LowImportance/HighUrgency:Findquick,efficientwaystogetthesetasksdonewithminimalpersonalinvolvementandtime.Ifpossible,delegatethem.

•LowImportance/LowUrgency:Ifthesetaskscanbeeliminated,thengetridofthem.Iftheycanbedelegated,thenfindsomeonetodothem.Ifyoumustdothem,thenscheduleaone-hourblockeveryweektochipawayatthem,butneverschedulethemduringyourprimetime.

Itdoesn’t takemuchtimeoreffort toreviewyour to-dolisteverymorningand evaluate each task using the importance/urgency criteria. And it’s aneffectivewaytohelpyouprioritize,putthingsintoorderquickly,andplanyourday.

Having a strategy for evaluating your daily to-do list by priority isinvaluable.After all, a life inwhichanythinggoeswill ultimately be a life inwhichnothinggoeswell.Butifyouhavenosolutionsfordeterminingprioritiesotherthanthat,youwillstillbetooreactiveinsteadofproactiveasaleader.SoIwant to give you some tools that will help you with priorities in the biggerpicture.

PROACTIVEPRIORITYSOLUTION#1:THEPARETOPRINCIPLE

A veteran of many years of decision making gave me this simple and directadvice:decidewhattodoanddoit;decidewhatnottodoanddon’tdoit.Ilovethat,buttheevaluationofprioritiesoftenisn’tthatsimple.Manytimes,knowingwhattodoisnotblackorwhite,butmanyshadesofgray.

Manyyearsago,whileIwastakingbusinesscourses,IwasintroducedtothePareto principle, named for Italian economistVilfredo Pareto. It is commonlycalled the 80/20 principle. I quickly saw the value of the concept and beganapplyingittomylife.Forty-fiveyearslater,Istillfinditamostusefultoolfordeterminingprioritiesformyself,foranyoneIcoach,andforanyorganization.TheParetoprinciple,whenappliedtobusiness,says:

20percentofyourprioritieswillgiveyou80percentofyourproduction,IF you spend your time, energy, money, and personnel on the top 20percentofyourpriorities.

HerearesomeexamplesofhowtheParetoprincipleplaysoutinlife.Someofthesearehumorous,butallofthemaretrue:

Time:20percentofourtimeproduces80percentofourresultsCounseling:20percentofthepeopletakeup80percentofourtimeProducts:20percentoftheproductsbringin80percentoftheprofitsBooks:20percentofthebookcontains80percentofthecontentJobs:20percentofourworkgivesus80percentofthesatisfactionSpeeches:20percentofthepresentationcreates80percentoftheimpactDonors:20percentofthedonorsgive80percentofthemoneyTaxes:20percentofthepeoplepay80percentofthetaxesLeadership:20percentofthepeoplemake80percentofthedecisionsPicnics:20percentofthepeoplewilleat80percentofthefood

Lookatjustaboutanysituation,andyou’llfindthatthe80/20ruleapplies.Why?Idon’tknow.Itjustdoes.

Asaleader,youneedtounderstandthisprinciple,becauseitcomesintoplayineverythingyoudoasaleader.Visually,here’showthe80/20rulelooksifyouhavetenpriorities:

TheParetoPrinciple

Thesolidlinesintheillustrationrepresentyourtoptwopriorities.Spendingtime, energy,money, staff, and so forth on those two itemswould result in afourfoldreturninproductivity.However,theremainingeightitemswouldgiveaminimalreturn.

Theimplicationsareclear:sincethetop20percentoftheitemsonyourto-do list give you an 80 percent return, you should focus on them. The top 20percentofyourstaffgiveyouan80percentreturn:focusyourtimeandenergyonthem.Thetop20percentofyourclientsgiveyou80percentofyourreturn:focusonthem.Thetop20percentofyourofferingsproduce80percentofyourreturn:focusonsellingthem.

The place this principle impacts leaders most is in the people they lead.Employeesdonotimpactanorganizationequally.Thetop20percentcarrythegreatest load andmake the greatest difference.Unfortunately, the peoplewhorequirethemosttimeandattentionareoftenthoseinthebottom20percent.Incontrast,thepeopleatthetopoftendemandtheleastfromtheirleadersbecause

they are motivated and self-directed. But who should you be taking time toinvestin?Thetop20percent.

Here’showtoapplytheParetoprincipletothepeopleonyourteam:

•Determinewhichpeoplearethetop20percentwhenitcomestoproduction.

•Spend80percentofyourpeopletimewiththistop20percent.•Spend80percentofyourpersonaldevelopmentdollarsonthistop20percent.

•Helpthetop20percenttodeterminewhattheirtop20percentreturnis,andallowthemtogive80percentoftheirtimetoit.

•Allowthemtodelegatetheother80percentoftheirtaskstootherstofreethemupforwhattheydobest.

•Askthetop20percenttodoon-the-jobtrainingforthenext20percent.

Howdoyouidentifythetop20percentonyourteam,inyourdepartment,orinyourorganization? Ihaveprovidedaworksheetat theendof thechapter tohelpyoudothat.Istronglysuggestthatyoutakethetimetouseitbecauseit’scritical thatyou invest inyour top20percent. If thereare fivepeopleonyourteam,yournumberoneperson isyour top20percent. If ten, then thefirstandsecondon the list. If twenty, then the top four.Youget the idea.Your top20percent are the people you should be investing in, giving resources to, andprovidingwithleadershipopportunities.Theywillmakeorbreaktheteam.

PROACTIVEPRIORITYSOLUTION#2:THETHREERS

Ifyouare frommygeneration,you remember teachers talkingabout the threeRs:reading,’riting,and’rithmetic.(Iknow—twoofthethreeRsdon’tevenstartwithR!) I want to offer you a different three Rs to help you become highlyproactiveinidentifyingandlivingyourpriorities.Todothat,youhavetolookatyourlifefromabigger-pictureperspective.Thinkofitasathirty-thousand-footperspective. The three Rs are requirement, return, and reward. (See, theyactuallystartwithR.)YoucandiscoveryourmajorprioritiesbyaskingyourselfthreequestionsbasedonthesethreeRs:

WHATISREQUIREDOFME?Every rolehas responsibilities thatarenonnegotiable.Thereare thingsyou

mustdo thatyoucannotdelegate toanyoneelse.Doyouknowwhat theyare?When Ibecame the leaderofSkylineChurch inSanDiego, I asked theboardwhowashiringme,“WhatmustIdothatonlyIcandoandcannotdelegatetoanyone else?”We talked it through for a couple of hours.Theydecided therewereonlyafewthingsonlyIcoulddo,suchasbeingtheprimarycommunicatormostSundays, carrying thevisionof thechurch, andmaintainingmypersonalintegrity. Theseweremy nonnegotiables and could be fulfilled by no one butme.

In theenda leadercangiveupanythingexcept final responsibility. Ifyouworkforabossoraboard,theycanhelpyouanswertherequirementquestion.If youwork for yourself or you ownyour ownbusiness, the questionmaybemoredifficulttoanswer.Butit’scritical.Otherwise,you’llendupfocusingonthewrongthings,whichcouldwasteyourtime,talent,andenergy.

WHATGIVESMETHEGREATESTRETURN?What are you good at? Imean, really good at? This is at the heart of the

returnquestion.Whatbringsthegreatestreturnonyourinvestmentoftimeandenergy for your organization? That’s a question I continually ask myself. Iunderstandthatactivityisnotaccomplishment,productivityis.I’matmymostproductive using my best talents, gifts, and experience doing three things:communicating,writing,andleading.Thosegivethegreatestreturntomeandtomyorganizations.Theyaremysweetspot.AnythingelseIdoissecond-rate—orworse.

Activityisnotaccomplishment,productivityis.

Knowingwhatactivitiesgiveyouthegreatestreturnisvital.Whatdopeoplecontinually compliment you for doing? What tasks or responsibilities docolleagues continually ask you to take on? What do you do that makes thebiggestpositive impactorbrings in themost revenue?Theseareclues tohelpyouanswerthereturnquestion.

WHATISMOSTREWARDING?Lifeistooshortnottobefun.Ourbestworkisaccomplishedwhenweenjoy

it.Itgivesusgreatinternalrewards,whichcanbemental,emotional,orspiritual.Andhere’sthestandardIoftenteachtohelppeopleanswertherewardquestion.Findsomethingyouliketodosomuchthatyouwouldgladlydoitfornothing.Thenlearntodoitsowellthatpeoplearehappytopayyouforit.Here’saclueforknowingwhat’smostrewarding.Whenyoudosomethingandyouthinktoyourself,Iwasbornforthis,you’reontherighttrack.

Your long-term career goal should be to align the tasks that answer yourrequirement, return, and reward questions. Ifwhat youmust do,what you dowell, and what you enjoy doing are all the same things, then your careerpriorities are in syncandyouwill liveaproductiveand fulfilling life. It takestimeandhardworktobringthosethingstogether.Attheendofthischapter,Ihaveprovidedaroadmaptohelpyouevaluatehowyou’recurrentlydoingwithyourthreeRssothatyoucanstartworkingtogetthemintoalignment.

PROACTIVEPRIORITYSOLUTION#3:MAKEROOMFORMARGIN

Foryears I’vepracticed thedisciplineof spendinga fewhoursduring the lastweekof themonth planning outmy time schedule for the upcomingmonth. Iwouldliterallyschedulemyprioritiesandrequirementsintohourlytimeblocks,daybyday.AndIusedtopridemyselfonhowIvaluedandprioritizedmytime.IhadmistakenlyconvincedmyselfthatifIcouldkeeptothescheduleandworkfast and long enough, I would get to a place where I was caught up oneverything.Andthatwouldcreatemargininmylife.

After years of this fruitless exercise, I discovered that I was deceivingmyself. I realizedthatParkinson’s lawis true:workexpandsso that it fills thetime available for its completion.Unless I did something intentional to createmargin,Iwouldneverhaveitinmylife.

PhysicianandauthorRichardSwensonhaswrittenextensivelyontheideaofmargin. In his bookMargin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, andTimeReserves toOverloadedLives, hewrote, “Margin is the space that existsbetweenourloadandourlimits.Itistheamountallowedbeyondthatwhichisneeded. It is something held in reserve for contingencies or unanticipatedsituations.Margin is the gap between rest and exhaustion, the space between

breathingfreelyandsuffocating.Marginistheoppositeofoverload.”5

Marginisthespacethatexistsbetweenourloadandourlimits.

—RICHARDSWENSON

Insteadoffillingeveryspaceinmycalendar,whatIneededtodowascreatesome white space. If I didn’t, nobody else was going to. People who keepburningthecandleatbothendsaren’tasbrightastheythinktheyare.Ineededtochangebycreatingmargininmylife.

In The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, I wrote about the Law ofPriorities, which says, “Leaders understand that activity is not necessarilyaccomplishment.”6 Even though I wrote about that law, I must confess thatliving it has been a continual challenge for me for more than twenty years.Creatingmarginisnoteasyforapersonwholovestowork,thrivesondeadlines,andcontinuallyfeelsthepresstomakethingshappen.ButIalsorecognizethatthegreatertheresponsibilitiesyouhaveasaleader,themoreresponsibleyouaretocreatemargininyourlife.

By no means do I follow through with this perfectly, but I do workpersistently to createmargin inmy life. Ifyoudesire tobea leaderwho livesaccordingtoyourprioritiesandreachyourpotential,thenyouneedtolearnhowtocreatemargintoo.Here’swhy:

1.MARGINIMPROVESSELF-AWARENESSEmotional intelligence (EQ) is the ability to recognize and understand

emotionsinyourselfandothers,andtoapplythisawarenesssothatyoumanageyourbehavior andyour relationshipswithothers.There are fewabilitiesmoreimportant than EQ when it comes to leadership. The training and consultingorganization TalentSmart has tested more than a million people for EQ andfoundthat90percentoftopperformersratehighinEQ.7

One of the fantastic things about EQ is that, like leadership, it can bedeveloped. A foundational characteristic of EQ is self-awareness. A strongrecognition andunderstandingof your ownemotions canbedevelopedduring

timesofreflection,oftenwhenyou’realone.Thosewindowsoftimedon’tcomeifyou’reoverloadedandneverhavetimeforself-reflection.Margincreatessuchtimes,whichprovidesyouwiththeopportunitytogrowinyourEQ.

2.MARGINGIVESYOUNEEDEDTHINKTIMEMostleadersI’vemethaveastrongbiasforaction.Iknowthat’strueofme.

But if I spend allmy time acting and never thinking aboutwhat I’m doing, Iwon’tbeaveryeffectiveleader.WhenIleadothers,it’smyresponsibilitytotryto seemoreandbeforeothers see. Ihave to thinkmoreandbefore thepeopleI’mleading.TruettCathy,thefounderofChick-fil-A,toldme,“Weneedtobethoughtleadersbeforewecanbemarketdoers.”Creatingmarginletsusdothat.

Itistruethatwearetodaywhereourthoughtshavebroughtus,andwewillgotomorrowwhereourthoughtstakeus.That’swhyI’mdedicatedtoreflectivethinking and have written about it in so many of my books. If you want tobecomeagood thinker,youneed tocreatewhitespace inyourcalendar for it,notjustsettleforaminutehereandafewsecondsthere.Youneedtoschedulesignificantblocksoftimeforit.Ifyou’reconstantlyrunningfromoneto-doorappointment to thenext fromsunup to sundown,you’llneverbecomeabetterthinker.

Ifyou’reconstantlyrunningfromoneto-doorappointmenttothenextfromsunuptosundown,you’llneverbecome

abetterthinker.

3.MARGINPROVIDESYOUWITHENERGYRENEWALWeliveinacultureofbusyness,andleadersareoftenthebusiestpeopleof

all. Founder andCEO of the Energy Project, Tony Schwartz, has studied andwrittenextensivelyonenergyandperformance.HewroteinaNewYorkTimesarticle, “More and more of us find ourselves unable to juggle overwhelmingdemands and maintain a seemingly unsustainable pace.” His solution?“Paradoxically,”hesaid,“thebestwaytogetmoredonemaybetospendmoretimedoing less.Anewandgrowingbodyofmultidisciplinary research showsthatstrategicrenewal—includingdaytimeworkouts,shortafternoonnaps,longer

sleep hours, more time away from the office, and longer, more frequentvacations—boostsproductivity,jobperformanceand,ofcourse,health.”8

All of the things Schwartz described as beneficial requiremargin.And hesaidthathumanbeingsaredesignednottoexpendhighenergycontinuously,buttoalternatebetweenspendingenergyandrecoveringenergy.Soifyouwanttobeatyourbest,youneedtofindwaystorecharge.Youcandothatbycreatingspaceforrelationships,exercise,recreation,travel,music,andsoon.Whateverrechargesyourpersonalbatteriesisgood.Butyouneedtofindmarginforit.

HOWTOCREATEMARGIN

As I’ve said, creatingmargin is a challenge forme.But I keep fighting for itbecauseIknowithelpsmeliveoutmyprioritiesandbeabetterleader.HerearetwothingsIdothatIbelievecanhelpyoutoo.

EVALUATEANDELIMINATECONTINUALLYI’mconstantlyonthelookoutforwaystosimplifymylife.Itrynottospend

timeon things thatareoutofmysweetspot. Idelegateordumpanything thatdoesn’tfitintothethreeRs.AndIusethe80/20principlewheneverpossibletodownsize. You can too. Start by asking yourself some of the followingquestions:

•Whatarethe20percentofmypossessionsIgetthemostvalueoutof?•Whatarethe20percentoftheclothesIwear80percentofthetime?•WhatdoIspend20percentofmyleisuretimedoingthatgivesme80percentofmyhappiness?

•Whoarethe20percentofthepeopleI’mclosetowhomakemethehappiest?

Chances are you answered all of these questions fairly easily.You’ve justneverconsidered lookingat theseareas in thiswaybefore.Focuson theareaswhereyougainthemost.Intheremainder,createmargin.Giveawayclothesorpossessions.Reducethecomplexityofyourlife.

FIGHTTOKEEP20PERCENTOFYOURCALENDARASWHITESPACE

Mydaysofautomaticallyfillingupmycalendarwithtasksaredone.Instead,I schedule white space into my calendar.With a nod to Pareto, my target isalways to leave20percentofmy timefree. Iwouldsuggest thatyou fight forthatsamepercentage.

Whatmightthatlooklike?Youcouldchoosetocreatemargineveryday.Ifyouspendonaveragesixteenhoursadayawake,creatingmarginmeansleavingthreehoursandtwelveminutesunscheduledeveryday.Ifyouwantedtothinkintermsofyourweek,youwouldneedtoleaveabouttwenty-twoandahalfhoursunscheduledeveryweek.Marginbythemonth:leavesixdaystotallyopen.Bytheyear:seventy-twounscheduleddays.

Youmaybesayingtoyourself,“Ican’tdothat.Ican’tsparethreehoursadayorsixdaysamonth.AndI’mdefinitelynottakingmorethanseventydaysoff!”Ithinkthesameway.That’swhymarginissodifficulttomaintain.TonySchwartzagrees:“Takingmoretimeoffiscounter-intuitiveformostofus.Theidea is also at oddswith the prevailingwork ethic inmost companies, wheredowntimeistypicallyviewedastimewasted.Morethanone-thirdofemployees,for example, eat lunchat their deskson a regularbasis.More than50percentassumethey’llworkduringtheirvacations.”9

Yet to createmargin, taking essential time off is exactlywhatwe need tolearn how to do. You can’t maintain your priorities if you fill your life withbusyness.

Ifyou’reahigh-energydoer,youmayfinditdifficulttostop,takestockofyour activities, think through your priorities, and reevaluate what you do andhowyoudoit.Butyouneedtodoit—notjustoncebutdayafterday,yearafteryear.Prioritiesnever stayput.Yet ifyoucan learn tomaster theprinciplesofprioritiesandyoudevelopthedisciplineofapplyingthemcontinually,youwillfind your personal and professional effectiveness will be off the charts. Fewthingsgivealeaderasgreatareturnasgoodpriorities.That’swhyIsaytheyarethekeytoleadership.

Prioritiesneverstayput.

DEVELOPINGTHEPRIORITIZERWITHINYOU

Theneedtogetahandleonprioritiescanfeeloverwhelming,especiallyinourculture,wherebusynessisexpectedandbeingoverloadedisapplauded.Forthatreasonyoumaywanttodothischapter’sapplicationinstages.

EMBRACEPRIORITYPRINCIPLESBegin by determining the areaswhere you’ve not lived according to good

priorities.Thinkabouthowyoucanchangeyoureverydayworkhabits.Answerthefollowingfivequestionsbasedonthepriorityprinciplesinthechapter:

1.WheredoIneedtoworksmarterinsteadofharder?2.WhatmustIchangetostoptryingtohaveitall?3.WhatgoodthingscanIstopdoinginordertodothebest?4.WhatmustIdotobecomemoreproactiveinsteadofreactive?5.WhatcanIdotostopdoingurgentbutunimportantthings?

PARETOPRINCIPLEWORKSHEETTheParetoprinciplecanbeapplied toalmostanyareaofyourpersonalor

professional life. For leaders, the most critical application comes in yourinvestmentinpeople.Youneedtoidentifythetop20percentofthepeopleyoulead.

1.Writethenamesofeveryoneonyourteaminthespacesbelow.

ABC # Name

2.Inthefarleftcolumnbesideeachname,writeoneofthefollowingletterstocompletethissentence:Thispersonleavingtheteamorworkingagainstme...a.Couldmakeorbreaktheteam,anditwouldgreatlyimpactoureffectiveness.(MyfriendBillHybelssaysthatwhenyoueventhinkaboutlosingoneofthesepeople,youfeellikeyou’regoingtothrowup.)

b.Wouldnegativelyimpactoureffectiveness,butitwouldnotbreaktheteam.

c.Wouldnotnegativelyaffecttheteam,anditmightevenimproveit.Everynameshouldnowhavealetterbesideit.

3.NowranktheimportanceofyourA’sbywritinga1bythenameofthemostimpactingperson,a2nexttothenextmostimpacting,andsoon.ThenrankyourBs.ThenyourCs.

4.Placeanasterisk(*)nexttothenamesofyourtop20percent(onenameifyouhaveatotaloffiveonyourlist,twonamesifyouhaveten,etc.)

5.Onanotherpieceofpaper,listtwotofivewaysyoucanaddvaluetothosetoppeopleanddevelopthem.

6.LookatanyoneyoumarkedwithaC.Ifyouhavetheauthority,trytohelptheseindividualsfindaplaceonanotherteamwheretheymightbemoreeffective.

THREERSWORKSHEETListyourresponsibilitiesonthenextpage.Thenuseeachcolumntoevaluate

them. Beginning with the “Requirement” column, score them with either a 3(highimportance),2(moderateimportance),or1(lowimportance).Thendothesameforthe“Return”and“Reward”columns.Onceyou’vecreatedratingsforeveryiteminallthreecolumns,addthescores.Basedonthescores,rankyour

responsibilitiesinorderusingthefarleftcolumn.

Whenyou’redone,youmayhavesomethingthatlookslikethis:

Look at the responsibilitieswith your highest scores. Then assesswhetheryourdailyactivitiesarealignedbasedonthem.Don’tjustdismissthisquestion.Give it some thinking time. And if you’re not sure about the answer, ask afriend,familymember,orcolleaguewhoiswillingtobehonestwithyou.Onceyou’vemadetheassessment,writeagameplanforaligningyourlifewithyourpriorities.

MARGINCALLExamineyourcalendar.Howmuchwhitespacedoesitcontain?Ifitcontains

lessthan20percent,youneedtobegindoingsomecutting.(Ifyoudon’tuseacalendarof anykind, then start usingone today.Youhave adifferentkindofproblemwith priorities.)Use thework you’ve already done in this chapter asyourguideconcerningwhattocutandwhattokeep.

THREE

THEFOUNDATIONOFLEADERSHIP:

CHARACTER

OnOctober12,2016,IhadtheprivilegeofmeetingPopeFrancisandspendingafewminuteswithhim.Ihaveadmiredhimformanyyears.Hishumilityandcharacterhavemadeastrongimpressiononme.Traditionally,whenacardinalisnewlyelectedaspope,whenasked ifhewill accepthis election,he responds,“Accepto,”meaning“Iaccept.”Francis’sfirstwordswereinstead,“Iamagreatsinner,butItrustintheinfinitemercyandpatienceofourLordJesusChrist,andIacceptinaspiritofpenance.”1

Thisman has led theway toward championing character formationwithintheleadershipofthechurch.Andhisheartfortransformationstirredmetoaskhim to pray for the John Maxwell Foundation, the nonprofit organization Ifounded to become a catalyst for positive transformation in countries such asGuatemalaandParaguay.Iwashumbledwhenhesaidyes.

CHARACTERINLEADERSHIP

Inthelead-uptomymeetingwiththepontiff,Ireadalotabouthim.Oneofthearticles I came across was by Gary Hamel, a management consultant andfounder of Strategos, in theHarvard Business Review. Hamel wrote about ameetingPopeFrancishadwithagroupofchurch leaders inwhichheoutlinedthe problems inherent in leadership. He called them “diseases.” There werefifteenofthem,andmostofthemdealtwithcharacter:

1.Thinkingweareimmortal,immune,ordownrightindispensable—whichistheenemyofhumilityandservice.

2.Excessivebusyness—whichleadstostressandagitation.3.Mentaland[emotional]“petrification”—whichcreatesheartlessness.4.Excessiveplanningandfunctionalism—whichleadstoinflexibility.5.Poorcoordination—whichfostersindependenceandlackofcooperation.

6.“LeadershipAlzheimer’sdisease”—whereleadersforgetwhonurturedandmentoredthem.

7.Rivalryandvainglory—wheretitlesandperksbecomeleaders’primaryfocus.

8.Existentialschizophrenia—whereleaderslivehypocriticaldoublelives.

9.Gossiping,grumbling,andbackbiting—wherecowardlyleadersspeakillofothersbehindtheirbacks.

10.Idolizingsuperiors—whereleadershonorsuperiorstogainfavorandgetahead.

11.Indifferencetoothers—whereleadersthinkonlyofthemselves.12.Downcastfaces—whereleaderstreattheir“inferiors”withsourseverity.

13.Hoarding—whichinvolvesaccumulatingmaterialgoodstoseeksecurity.

14.Closedcircles—whereleadersplacetheircliqueaheadofsharedidentityandcooperation.

15.Extravaganceandself-exhibition—whereleadersseekgreaterpowerandrecognition.2

Ifoundthislistquiteinsightful.It’sclearthatPopeFrancishasdealtwithallkinds of leaders during a long career of service.And the list promptedme toexaminemyowncharacter.AmIahealthyleader?Iwondered.Ireadalistofquestions included in the article that were designed to help with the self-examinationprocess,whichasked,towhatextentdoI...

Feelsuperiortothosewhoworkforme?Demonstrateanimbalancebetweenworkandotherareasoflife?Substituteformalityfortruehumanintimacy?Relytoomuchonplansandnotenoughonintuitionandimprovisation?

Spendtoolittletimebreakingsilosandbuildingbridges?Fail to regularly acknowledge the debt I owe to my mentors and to

others?Taketoomuchsatisfactioninmyperksandprivileges?Isolatemyselffromcustomersandfirst-levelemployees?Denigratethemotivesandaccomplishmentsofothers?Exhibitorencourageunduedeferenceandservility?Putmyownsuccessaheadofthesuccessofothers?Failtocultivateafunandjoy-filledworkenvironment?Exhibitselfishnesswhenitcomestosharingrewardsandpraise?Encourageparochialismratherthancommunity?Behaveinwaysthatseemegocentrictothosearoundme?3

Questions like theseheightenmyawarenessof theneed tokeep improvingmy character, especially in the context of leadership, because the heightenedinfluence of leaders magnifies their impact on others—both positively andnegatively.The reality is that leadingourselves isoften themostdifficult taskwe face every day. It’s much easier to tell others what to do than to do itourselves.Iknowthat’strueofme.

Therealityisthatleadingourselvesisoftenthemostdifficulttaskweface

everyday.

Tokeepmyselfontrack,Imustcontinuallyremindmyselfwhycharacterisso important. Since I am a person of faith, I have discovered wisdom fromScripture related to character. I found the following list in David Kadalie’sLeader’sResourceKit.Ifyoudon’tconnectwiththesethoughtsorareoffendedbythem,pleasefeelfreetoskippastthem.

•Ourheartscanbedeceptive(Jeremiah17:9;Psalm139:23,24).•Wecansoeasilyseekleadershipofficeforthewrongreasons(Matthew20:17–28).

•Characteristheareathatwillfacethegreatestattack(Romans7;Galatians5:16–24).

•CharacterisfoundationaltoChristianleadership(1Timothy3:1–13;Titus

•CharacterisfoundationaltoChristianleadership(1Timothy3:1–13;Titus1:6–9).

•Withoutitwestrugglewiththetemptationsthatcomewithskill,talentsandgifting(Romans12:3–8).

•Itissoeasytoslipintoalifeofhypocrisyandforgetthatwewillhavetogiveanaccountoneday(Hebrews4:13).

•Wenaturallyneglectthispartandfocusonotherdevelopments(1Timothy4:7–8).

•Wesoondiscoverthatstrengthofcharacteriswhatwillcountinhardtimes(2Corinthians4:16–17).4

Working on my character is a never-ending yet totally worthwhile effort.MahatmaGandhi said, “Aman of characterwillmake himselfworthy of anypositionheisgiven.”Iwanttobeaworthyleader,yetIknowIsometimesfallshort.Iwanttoimprovemycharacter—andencourageyoutoimproveyours—notbecauseitgetsmewhatIwant,butbecauseithelpsmetobewhatIwant.And I find that themore I focus onvaluingpeople, practicing self-leadership,andembracinggoodvalues,thestrongermycharacterbecomes.

CHARACTERVALUESTATEMENTS

Having good character does not ensure that you will be successful in life orleadership.Butyoucanbesurethathavingpoorcharacterwilleventuallyderailyoupersonallyandprofessionally.Buthere’sthegoodnews:ifyourcharacterisnot what you want it to be, you can change it. It doesn’t matter what hashappened inyourpast.Youcanchooseabetterpathmoving forward, startingtoday.As one ofmy favorite sayings goes, “Though you cannot go back andmake a brand-new start, my friend, anyone can start from now and make abrand-newend.”

Herearethreegreatreasonswhygoodcharacterisworthpursuing:

1.GOODCHARACTERBUILDSSTRONGTRUSTRecently I asked a small group of executives to list the names of the top

three people they trusted. Family and friends were on everyone’s list.Amazingly, no one named a leader or a coworker as one of their top trustedpeople.

I then asked them to list three people on whom their well-being andhappinessdepended.Everyonenamedeithertheirbossoracoworker.

Then I asked onemore question: “If Iwere doing this exercisewith yoursubordinates, and I asked them to create their ‘most trusted’ list, would theynameyouasoneoftheirthreemosttrustedpeople?”Therewasamurmur.Thatgottheirattention.“Whatdifferencemightitmakeifyouweresomeonetheyputontheirlist?”

The consensus was that if people trusted their coworkers and leaders, theworkingenvironmentwouldbemorepositive,peoplewouldbemoreproductive,andturnoverwouldbereduced.That’sconsistentwithmyownobservationthatpeople quit people, not companies. The greatest cause of turnover inorganizationsislackoftrust.

StephenM.R.Covey inhisbookTheSpeedofTrustpointedouthowlowtrustcoststimeandmoney,andheusedafantasticexampletoillustrateit.Afterthe9/11terroristattacks,thenation’strustinflightsecuritywentdown.Coveysaid that before the attacks, he could arrive at his home airport thirtyminutesbefore his flight and have no problem making it quickly through security.However,aftertheTSAtightenedsecurity,hehadtoarrivetwohoursaheadofdomestic flight departures and three hours ahead for international flights. “Astrustwentdown,”hesaid,“speedalsowentdownandcostwentup.”5

Toooftenwetalkabouttrustasif it isasingularthing.It isnot.Trustisarelationshipbetweenatrustorandatrustee.Justasittakestwototango,ittakestwototrust.Theroleofthetrustoristotaketheriskoftrusting;theroleofthetrusteeistobetrustworthy.Whenbothpeopledotheirpartswell,theresultisatrustingrelationship.

And trust doesn’t just go in one direction. The people exchange roles, thetrusteebecomingthetrustor,andviceversa.It’satwo-waystreet.Butifeitherpartyfailsinhisorherresponsibility,trustdisappears.

AuthorsJamesM.KouzesandBarryZ.Posnerexplaintheimportanceofthedevelopmentoftrustinleaders:

In the final analysis only you can decide whether to take the risk oftrusting others and whether the risks are worth taking. This means tohave others trust you, youmust actively take some initiative and can’twaitforotherstomakethefirstmove.Asmanyleadersexplained,“Trustisariskgame.Leadersmustbethefirstonestoante-up.”Leadersalwaysfindtheanteworthrisking.Sowingseedsoftrustwithpeoplecreatesthe

fields of collaboration necessary to get extraordinary things done inorganizations.6

Trustisariskgame.Leadersmustbethefirstonestoante-up.

—JAMESM.KOUZESANDBARRYZ.POSNER

For years I have taught leaders that in their interactions with others theycreate “accounts” of trustworthiness. Every interaction with another personeithermakesdepositsinthatperson’saccountormakeswithdrawalsfromit.Thebest way to make regular ongoing deposits is by modeling good characterconsistently.Why?Becausepeople are convincedmorebywhat a leaderdoesthanbywhat a leader says. I findmyself agreeingwith the idea expressedbyindustrialistandphilanthropistAndrewCarnegie,whosaid,“AsIgrowolderIpay less attention towhatmen say. I justwatchwhat theydo.”Words canbecheap.JournalistArthurGordonwasrightwhenhesaid,“Nothingiseasierthansaying words. Nothing is harder than living them, day after day. What youpromise today must be renewed and re-decided tomorrow and each day thatstretchesoutbeforeyou.”That’swhy in leadershipapintofexampleequalsagallonofadvice.

In the beginning of a relationship, words hold more weight than actions.Becausepeopledonotknowyou, theymayassume thatyourwords representwhoyouareandthatyourwalkmatchesyourtalk.However,astherelationshipcontinues,youractionsbegintoweighmorethanyourwords.Peopleseewhatyou do. Leadership confusion occurswhen yourwords and yourwalk do notmatch. If that incongruity continues, not onlywill you confuse your people—youwillloseyourpeople.MarkTwainwasright-onwhenhesaid,“Todorightiswonderful. To teach others to do right is evenmorewonderful—andmucheasier.”Easier?Yes.Moreeffective?No.

Inleadershipapintofexampleequalsagallonofadvice.

At theoppositeendof thespectrumfrominconsistencyandbroken trust ismoral authority. This is the highest level of leadership. It is earned bydemonstratingconsistentlygoodcharacterandcontinuallymakingdepositsintotrustworthiness accounts with others. Charisma may get leaders a followingearly on, but only credibility prompts people to keep following them. Whenleaderspossesstruemoralauthority,theonlywordstheyneedtosayare“Followme,”andpeoplejointhem.Theyknowthattheirwalkmatchestheirtalkandisheadedintherightdirection.Canweallgainmoralauthorityasleaders?Maybenot.Butweshouldstrivetodoourbesttodevelopanddisplaygoodcharactersothatweareatleastcandidatestodevelopit.

I have to confess,my view on character andmoral authority has changedover the years. I used to see trust as blackorwhite.Now that I’molder, I’vegrown.AndIthinkIhavegreaterinsightintohowtrustworksandhowcharactercomesintoplaywithit.I’dliketosharewithyousomeofthechangesI’vehadinmythinking.Seeifyouagreewiththem.Maybeyouwill,maybeyouwon’t.That’sokay.AnothergoodthingaboutgettingolderisthatI’mverycomfortablewithpeoplenotalwaysagreeingwithme.

IThoughtTrustWas“NicetoHave”

Early in my leadership journey, I didn’t recognize the importance of trust. Ithoughtitwasnicetohave.Whodoesn’twanttobetrusted,giventhechoice?ButnowIunderstandthatinleadership,trustisessential.It’snotsomethingyoucantakeorleave.Ifyouleavetrust,you’regoingtoleaveleadership.

Trust dramatically impacts real leadership issues, such as followerengagement, connection, buy-in, and effectiveness. Trust is the foundation ofleadership.Astrong foundation isn’ta luxury. It’snot just“nice tohave.” It’scritical.

IThoughtTrustWasUptoOthers

Someleaders,especiallythosewhorelyontheirpositionortitletoleadinsteadofon their influence, take theposture that theyshouldbe implicitly trustedbytheirpeople,butthattheirpeoplemustprovethemselvestobetrustworthy.They

putalltheburdenfordevelopingtrustonothers,notthemselves.Butdevelopingtrustisaleadershipresponsibility.IfIwanttobeagoodleader,it’snotuptomyfollowers; it’sup tome. Imust take thefirststep in trusting thepeopleI lead.And I must take steps to earn their trust. Good leaders take the risk in bothdirections.Ifmypeoplelearntotrustme,I’llgettheirattention.ButifIinitiatetrustinmypeople,I’llgettheiraction.Andtheessenceofsuccessfulleadershipisgettingthingsdone.

Ifmypeoplelearntotrustme,I’llgettheirattention.ButifIinitiatetrustin

mypeople,I’llgettheiraction.

IThoughtTrustCouldOnlyGrowSlowly

Whileit’struethattrustoftendoesgrowslowly,itdoesn’talwayshavetoworkthatway.Forexample,whenindividualsyoutrustvouchforsomeonetheytrust,you’re likely togive thisnewperson thebenefitof thedoubtand trusthimorher.Why?Becauseof therelationshipyouhavewithyourtrustingfriend.Youtransferyourtrust—atleastuntilyoudiscoverreasonsofyourowntowithdrawthattrust.

Another instancewhere trust can be earned quickly comeswhen someoneperformsanunselfishactofsignificanceforanotherperson. Iexperienced thisas a young leaderwhen another leader stuck up forme at a crucial time.Hisendorsement ofme in ameeting gainedme favorwith others. Iwas grateful,becauseIhaddonenothingtoearnit,andhecouldgainnothingforhimselfbygivingit.Heimmediatelygainedmytrust.

Here’sanencouraging thought.Wecanbe thepersonwhodoessomethingselflessforothersandhelpsthemalongtheirway.Doingthismakestheworldabetterplace.Andifwedoitforthepeopleweleadandhelpthembecomemoresuccessful with no ulterior motives, we can develop a relationship of trustrapidly.

IThoughtaSingleMistakeAutomaticallyDestroyedTrust

Whileit’struethatasinglemistakecandestroytrust,thatisnotalwaysthecase.Whenthetrustlevelisalreadylow,thenthat’softenallittakes.However,ifthetrust level is high, onemistake seldomdestroyswhat people have built in therelationship.

If you’re as old as I am, you remember the days of President Nixon andWatergate. Immediately after the scandal broke, the trust level was very lowtoward leaders in the United States. At that time, I remember hearing BillyGraham,whomIgreatlyrespect,say,“EverybodyhasalittlebitofWatergateinhim.”Thatwaslevel-setting.Itbroughtadoseofrealitytoeveryone’sidealismregardingleaders.IfsomeonelikeBillyGrahamhasalittlebitofWatergateinhim,thensodoI.Andsodoyou.

Alwaysdoing right regardlessof the situationgoes againstournature.Butwecanfighttodowhat’srightmostofthetime.Andwecanknowthataslongaswekeepaddingdepositstoourtrustworthinessaccountswithothers,wehavea chance to withstand the mistakes we do make. Knowing this allows me toforgive my humanness as a leader. And it helps me be more committed toextendinggracetootherleaderswhentheymakemistakesintheirhumanness.

IhaveamuchlongerviewofcharacternowthanIdidyearsago.Irecognizethat character development is a lifelong process. In his book Build YourReputation,networkingexpertRobBrowndescribedthisongoingprocess.

In the world of work and business, your “go-to” status won’t happenovernight. Itwon’t evenhappenbychance.You’rebuildingaplatformhere. A house if you like. Brick by brick. Comment by comment.Conversationbyconversation.Evenifyoucouldbuilditfast,howsturdywoulditbe?...

You don’twant to be a one-hitwonder.Any fool can get hired orbooked once. The best, most sought-after thought leaders and primepromotional candidates didn’t start out yesterday. It’s a slog. It meanssomeheavylifting.It’sgoingtotakealittletime.Andit’sgoingtobesoworthit!...

But be under no illusions, building a great reputation requires aconsistent, focused effort.Tortoise and the hare.Slowand steadywinstherace.Marathon,notasprint,andallthat.Withafewspurtshereandthere.7

Somuchof leadershipreliesongoodcharacter.Trust iscreated throughit.

Talent is protected by it. Internal peace is fostered by it. People cannot climbbeyond the limitations of their character. Leaders cannot succeed beyond thedepthoftheircharacter.Goodleadershavethepotentialtobedifferencemakers,andcharactermakesadifferenceforthemandprotects them.Goodleadersareoftenagifttotheworld.Characterprotectsthatgift.

2.SUCCESSFULLEADERSEMBRACETHEFOURDIMENSIONSOFCHARACTER

In his bookDerailed, Tim Irwin wrote that there are four dimensions tocharacter: authenticity, self-management, humility, and courage.8 I agreewithhis perspective and Iwant to use those four dimensions asmy framework fordescribingtheprocessofcharacterbuilding.Let’slookateachofthem:

Therearefourdimensionstocharacter:authenticity,self-management,

humility,andcourage.

Authenticity

I’veobservedthatalotofleadershaveadifficulttimewithauthenticity.Manydon’t want to let down their guard. They may feel that they are in a no-winsituation. Theyworry that if they reveal their failures, they’ll lose credibility.Yetiftheytrytohidetheirfailures,theycomeacrossasphony.Iftheyhidetheirsuccesses, they fear theywon’thaveasmuchcredibility.But if theyhighlightonlytheirsuccesses,theycomeacrossasarrogantandunrelatable.Howdoesaleadernavigatethissituation?

Myadvicetoleadersistotrytolivebetweenthelines.Letmeexplain.AsItraveltheroadofleadership,tomyrightisthelineofsuccess.WhenI’movernearthatline,everythingisgoingwell,I’machievingsuccess,andI’mwinning.Tomyleftisthelineoffailure.WhenI’mclosetothatline,nothingseemstogoright,andI’mlivingMurphy’sLaw:anythingthatcangowrongwillgowrong,andattheworstpossibletime.Idescribethesetwoextremesthisway:

TheLineofFailure TheLineofSuccess

Weakness StrengthDepressesme Impressesme

Iwantnoonetosee IwanteveryonetoseeIwantthisnever IwantthisforeverMeatmyworst Meatmybest

Mostofthetimewelivebetweenthosetwolines.Whenpeopleseeusonthesuccessline,wehavetobecarefulnottothinkthatiswhowereallyare.WecanbeliketheathletewhowinsagoldmedaloraSuperBowlandstartstobelievehe’sspectacularall the timeateverythinghedoes.It’snotreality.Peoplemaytrytoputsuchindividualsonapedestal,buttheywillsurelyfalloff.

There are also times when we travel along the failure line. We all makemistakes.Weallmakebadchoices.Weall fallshort. Ifwebelieve that’swhoweare,wewon’twanttogetoutofbed.Weshouldn’tbuyintothateither.Bothlines—ofsuccessandoffailure—areextremes.We’reneitherasgoodnorasbadastheymightindicate.

Authenticity is about living an open life between those lines. Inmy earlyyears, Ionlywanted to tell others aboutmyexperienceson the success line. Iwantedto impresspeople.AsIgrowolder,Ifeelanoppositepull tosharemyfailuressothatIcanencouragepeople.BecauseI’mapublicfigure,peopleoftenonly seeme atmy best, notmyworst. For that reason, some people givememorecredit thanIdeserve.Thatbothersme.Insteadofwantingtopoint tomybreakthroughs, I want to direct people to the brokenness that has led to mybreakthroughs.

I like to thinkofmyselfasamosaic,madeofmanybrokenpieces.Authorand blogger Rosalina Chai wrote a beautiful piece about mosaics that I findinsightful.

Mosaicisatonceintricateyetmajestic.Anditispreciselyitsbrokennessthatlendsmosaicitsperceptionoffragilebeauty....Andisn’tthistruetoo of our humanity? . . .What is it about brokenness thatwe find sooffensive?

Whatwouldhappenwhenweacceptandembracethatbeingbroken

isanessentialpartofhumanity’sbe-ing?Whatwouldhappenwhenwecease to label brokenness as bad?What would it take for us to ceaselabelingbrokennessasbad?Icanimagineonecertainty...morepeace.

Accepting and embracing brokenness is not the same as usinganother’s brokenness to feel better about ourselves. Rather, it is anacknowledgment of our common humanity. When I accept my ownbrokenness,anddonotjudgemyselfharshlybecauseofit,Ifindmyselfcapableofmorecompassion towardsothers regardlessofwhether Iamawareoftheformofbrokennessthey’veexperienced.9

Wholenessdoesnotmeanperfection.Itmeansembracingbrokennessasanintegral part of our lives.My friendMaxLucado says, “Godwould rather uswalkwithanoccasional limpthanacontinualstrut.”IamlearningtoembracemylimpbecauseI’mlearningsomuch.

Godwouldratheruswalkwithanoccasionallimpthanacontinualstrut.

—MAXLUCADO

Noneofus is flawless.Goodpeopledobad things.Smartpeopledodumbthings.Weallfindourselvesinmomentswherewefeeltemptedtodosomethingweknowinourheartsisn’ttherightthing,andwe’veallveeredoffcourse.It’shumbling.Sharingthatwithothersisauthentic.

Self-Management

AuthorandspeakerRuthHaleyBartonsays,“Wesetyoungleadersupforafallifweencouragethemtoenvisionwhattheycandobeforetheyconsiderthekindof person they should be.”What she’s speaking about is the strengthening ofcharacterthatcomesfromgoodself-management.

Wesetyoungleadersupforafallifweencouragethemtoenvisionwhatthey

encouragethemtoenvisionwhattheycandobeforetheyconsiderthekindof

persontheyshouldbe.

—RUTHHALEYBARTON

Character is not about intelligence. It’s aboutmaking right choices.DavidGergen, the political commentator who worked in several White Houseadministrations, points out that if intelligence and character were the samethings,presidentsNixonandClintonwouldhavebeen twoof thebest.Gergensaid, “Capacity counts, but once a candidate passes that test, character countsevenmore.”10

Many leaders score high on IQ but low on CQ—character quotient. ToincreaseourCQweneedtopracticeself-management.Oneofthebestwaystohelpourselvesdothatistoestablishcharacterguardrailsforourselvestokeepusfromgoing off course.On a highway, guardrails keep cars fromgoing over acliff.Withtheminplace,youmaycrash,butyoulikelywon’tdie.

When it comes to character, I believe the best guardrails are the decisionsyoumakebeforeyoufacehigh-pressuresituations.It’seasiertomanageyourselfif you’ve already made the tough decisions related to your values. It’simpossibletomaintaingoodcharacterwhenyoudon’tknowwhatyouvalue.Doyouvaluehonestyandintegrity?Thenwhatisyourguardrail?Whatwon’tyoudo?Decide thatbeforeyouface temptation.Doyouvalue relationships? If so,what is your guardrail?Whatmust you do tomaintain relationships? Identifyyourvaluesanddecidewhatboundariesyouwon’tcrosslongbeforeyoumaybetemptedtocrossthem.

Iwrote about this concept inmy bookTodayMatters.Many of the valuedecisionsI’vemadeweresettledwhenIwasinmyteensandtwenties.ButIstillhave tomanagemyself inareaswhere I’mvulnerable tocharacterpitfalls.Forexample, when you get to be my age and you’ve experienced some level ofsuccess,peoplestarttogiveyouhonorsandawards.Ican’tallowanyofthattogotomyhead.MymentorFredSmithtaughtmethatthegiftisgreaterthantheperson,meaningthatapersonmayaccomplishmuch,eventhoughheorsheishighlyflawed.IknowwhoIam.I’mnotasgoodassomepeoplegivemecreditforbeing.IbelievethatwhatevergiftsIpossessweregiventomebyGod,andIdeservenocreditforthem.Myfocusneedstoremainonbuildingmyintegrity,notmyimage.

Tokeepmyselfgrounded,Iaskmyselfsomequestions:

Consistency:AmIthesamepersonnomatterwhoIamwith?Choices: Do I make decisions that are best for others even when

anotherchoicewouldbenefitme?Credit: Am I quick to recognize others for their efforts and

contributionstomysuccess?

If I can answeryes to thesequestions, then there’s a goodchance I’mnotgettingofftrackinthisarea.

Where are you susceptible to character pitfalls?What values do you holddear?What decisions doyouneed tomakebefore you face temptation?Whatquestionsdoyouneedtocontinuallyaskyourselftomanageyourself?Thesearesomeof themost important thingsyoucan thinkabout as a leader, because ifyoucankeepyourselfontheroadandfromgoingoffthecliff,youcancontinuetoleadothersandmakeadifference.

Humility

Nobodylikesworkingwithaleaderwhoisfullofhimselfandworksonlyforhisown benefit. Peoplewant toworkwith a leaderwho displays humility.Whatdoesitmeantobehumble?IlikewhatRobertF.MorneauwroteinHumility:31ReflectionsonChristianVirtues.Hesaidofhumility,“Itisthathabitualqualitywherebyweliveinthetruthofthings:thetruththatwearecreaturesandnottheCreator; the truth that our life is a composite of good and evil, light anddarkness; the truth that in our littleness we have been given extravagantdignity....Humilityissayingaradical‘yes’tothehumancondition.”11

Humilityissayingaradical“yes”tothehumancondition.

—ROBERTF.MORNEAU

Ilovethat.Yes,weareflawed.Yes,wemakemistakes.Yes,wearehuman.

That’sokay.DaleCarnegiesaid,“Ifyoutellmehowyougetyourfeelingofimportance,

I’lltellyouwhatyouare.”Whereandhowweseekvalidationimpactscharacter.Asayoungman,Iwantedtomakeabigsplash.That’swhatwasimportant tome. In thebeginning itwasall aboutme,mygoals, andmysuccess.Slowly IrealizedthatIwasnotonearthtoseehowimportantIcouldbecomebuttoseehowmuchofadifferenceIcouldmakeinthelivesofothers.

ArtistJohnRuskinasserted,“Ibelievethatthefirsttestofatrulygreatmanishishumility. Idon’tmeanbyhumility,doubtofhispower.But reallygreatmenhaveacuriousfeelingthatthegreatnessisnotofthem,butthroughthem.”Formost people, humility has to be earned. It is developed over time as youacceptyourweaknessesandgivegracetoothersfortheirs.

Incollege I read thesewordswrittenbyThomasàKempis: “Benot angrythat you cannotmake others as youwish them to be, since you cannotmakeyourselfasyouwishtobe.”ThatmadeastrongimpressiononmebecauseatthetimeIdidwant tochangeothers. Ihad to learnhowtofocusonchangingandimprovingmyself.Thathappensonlywhenyouacknowledgethatyourflawsaregreat enough that they need to be addressed. That requires—and creates—humility.Andwhenyoubegintodevelophumility,youareinabetterpositiontoservethepeopleyoulead.

Benotangrythatyoucannotmakeothersasyouwishthemtobe,sinceyoucannotmakeyourselfasyouwish

tobe.

—THOMASÀKEMPIS

Courage

Couragemakescharacterpossible.Itempowersustodowhat’srightinthefaceof fear, fatigue, or uncertainty. Character is not developed in ease and quiet.Onlythroughexperienceandtrialandsufferingcanthesoulbestrengthened.

Therearetimesineveryleader’slifewhenhefeelsobligatedtotakepeople

wherehehimselfhasnotyetgone, to talk farther thanhehaswalked. Iknowthat has been true for me. At such times I do not feel competent enough,experiencedenough, strongenough, faithfulenough,wiseenough,orqualifiedenough.At those times Imust acknowledgemyweaknesses, ask forGod andotherstohelpme,andsummonthecouragetotakeaction.

Continuing to live a life of character requires ongoing reflection, brutalhonesty,andcouragetodotherightthing.Andsometimeswehavetoworktorestore good character after making bad decisions. That takes time,intentionality,andeffort.

Recently one of my John Maxwell Team coaches sent me a poem aboutleadership and character after attending one of our training events. I think itcapturesthecouragerequiredtodevelopandmaintaincharacter.

TheMirrorandMeWhenIlookinthemirror,whatdoIsee?Reflectionsofadouble-sidedme.OnesideiseverythingIeverhopetobe.Yetmygreatestproblemisstaringbackatme.TherearetimeswhenIrushouttogetahead,AndIfindmyselfleadingwhenIneedtobeled.Courageisneeded—howcanIovercomeme?HowcanIleadotherswithauthenticity?Iwillrememberthebestandworstinme.Doingthiswillkeepmegrowinghumbly.Iwillseekothersoutmorefaithfulthanme,Andaskforhelpwithmyvulnerabilities.Toleadanddoright,thatismypossibility.Todothis,Iwillvisitmymirrorregularly.

Ifyouwanttodevelopthekindofcharacterthatwillsustainyouasaleader,then embrace the four dimensions to character: authenticity, self-management,humility,andcourage.Andneverbeafraidtoadmityouarewrong.Doingsoislikesayingyouarewisertodaythanyouwereyesterday.

3.CHARACTERMAKESYOUBIGGERONTHEINSIDETHAN

ONTHEOUTSIDEPlutarch, an ancient Greek philosopher, said, “What we achieve inwardly

willchangeouter reality.”Thathasalwaysbeen true.Character isbuilton theinsidebeforeitshowsupontheoutside.

ThedifferencebetweenourinnerandouterselvesisdescribedbyNewYorkTimes columnist David Brooks. Based on a book that influenced him,LonelyManofFaithbyRabbiJosephSoloveitchik,Brookssaidthatpeoplefeelthepulloftheirinternalandexternalselves,whichareareflectionofAdamfromtheOldTestament. InGenesis, thecreationofAdamisdescribed twice,and these twodescriptionscharacterizethedividednaturewithinallofus.BrookscalledthemAdamIandAdamII.

AdamIwantstobuild,create,produce,anddiscoverthings.Hewantstohavehighstatusandwinvictories.AdamIIistheinternalAdam.AdamII wants to embody certain moral qualities. Adam II wants to have aserene inner character, a quiet but solid sense of right andwrong—notonly to do good, but to be good.Adam IIwants to love intimately, tosacrifice self in the service of others, to live in obedience to sometranscendenttruth,tohaveacohesiveinnersoulthathonorscreationandone’sownpossibilities.12

TheworldcheersfortheAdamIinallofus.ButIbelievewhenwefocusondevelopingAdamII,wechoosethekindofcharacter that isabletosustainus,andthatisabletofuelandgivewisdomtothefirstAdaminallofus.AsBrookssaidofthatinnercharacter,

[It]livesbyaninverselogic.It’smorallogic,notaneconomicone.Youhave to give to receive. You have to surrender to something outsideyourself to gain strength within yourself. You have to conquer yourdesiretogetwhatyoucrave.Successleadstothegreatestfailure,whichis pride. Failure leads to the greatest success, which is humility andlearning.Inordertofulfillyourself,youhavetoforgetyourself.Inordertofindyourself,youhavetoloseyourself.13

Successleadstothegreatestfailure,whichispride.Failureleadstothe

greatestsuccess,whichishumilityand

greatestsuccess,whichishumilityandlearning.

—DAVIDBROOKS

The inner voicewants tomake you bigger on the inside. The outer voicewantstomakeyoubiggerontheoutside.Thevoiceyoulistentowinsthebattle.Whenyourinnervoicesays,Ihavedonewrong,youhaveachancetodealwiththe feelings of character incongruence or hypocrisy bymaking changes. Thatallowsyoutoregainyourcharacterequilibrium.

Theoutervoiceencouragesyoutoappearbiggerontheoutside,oftenattheexpense of who you are on the inside. It creates a cognitive dissonance, anunhealthyhypocrisy.Thatoutervoicemightsaysomethinglike,“WhatIsayandwhatIdoarenotthesameandneverwillbe.That’sthewayitis.Justkeepupappearances.”That’snotagoodroadforanyonetogodown.It’sespeciallybadforleaders,becausetheycanbecomeinauthentic,rationalizing,andunteachable.

Idealwiththistensionallthetime.IknowthatwhatIsayandwhatIdoarenotalwaysinalignment,butIamworkingonbecomingmoreconsistent.I’mnotthere yet, but I am getting there. I don’t give heed to the outer voice, whichencouragesimage.Itrytolistentotheinnervoice,whichencouragesintegrity.

To develop character and become bigger on the inside than the outside, Imustdealwithmyweaknesses.Imustembracefailureandlearnfromit.Imustchoose the better path forward. For years I had an accountability partnerwhoeachmonthwouldaskmefivequestionsthatdealtwithmycharacter.Thelastquestion he always asked was, “Have you lied to any of the four previousquestions?”Often Iwould have to say yes,wewould have to go back, and Iwould have to confessmy fault. That last question was designed to keepmefromdevelopingadividedlife.

Activist and founder of the Center for Courage and Renewal Parker J.Palmerdescribedwhathappenswhenweallowourselvestobecomedivided:

IpayasteeppricewhenIliveadividedlife—feelingfraudulent,anxiousaboutbeingfoundout,anddepressedby thefact that Iamdenyingmyownselfhood.Thepeoplearoundmepayapriceaswell, fornowtheywalk on ground made unstable by my dividedness. How can I affirmanother’s identity when I deny my own? How can I trust another’sintegritywhenIdefymyown?Afaultlinerunsdownthemiddleofmy

life,andwheneveritcracksopen—divorcingmywordsandactionsfromthe truth I hold within—things around me get shaky and start to fallapart.14

Theresultofdevelopingstrongcharacterontheinsideisself-respect,whichcomes,not fromaccomplishmentsor achievements, but frommaking the rightchoices. Brooks wrote, “It is earned by being better than you used to be, bybeingdependableintimesoftesting,straightintimesoftemptation.Itemergesinonewho ismorallydependable.Self-respect isproducedby inner triumphs,notexternalones.”15

Self-respectisproducedbyinnertriumphs,notexternalones.

—DAVIDBROOKS

Byfocusingon internalcharacter,wealsocareforoursouls.JohnOrtbergofferedsomekeeninsightintothisinhisbookSoulKeeping:

Yoursouliswhatintegratesyourwill(yourintentions),yourmind(yourthoughtsandfeelings,yourvaluesandconscience),andyourbody(yourface,bodylanguage,andactions) intoasingle life.Asoul ishealthy—well-ordered—when there is harmony between these three entities andGod’sintentforallcreation.Whenyou’reconnectedwithGodandotherpeopleinlife,youhaveahealthysoul.16

Ortbergwentontoexplain,“Ourworldhasreplacedthewordsoulwiththewordself,andtheyarenotthesamething.Themorewefocusonourselves,themoreweneglectoursouls.”17

Ahealthysouliswhole.It’snotfractured.Ithasinternalintegrity.Integritymeansmorethanfollowingamoralcode.Integrityisdefinedas“thequalityorthe state of being complete; unbroken condition; wholeness; entirety.”18 ItsLatinrootisthesameasthewordinteger,awholenumber.It’stheoppositeofbeing divided. A divided life separates us from our soul. A life that’s whole

strengthensourcharacter,makingusbiggerontheinside.Whenoursoulslosethatwholenessontheinside,westruggleontheoutside.

AsOrtbergsaid,referringtoanexperiencetryingtorideamechanicalbull,“Ifyoursoullacksacenterwhenlifecomesatyoufast,youwillbethrownoffthebull.Nomatterhowhardyoutrytoholdon,eventuallyyou’llgetthrown.Thesoulwithoutacenterfindsitsidentityinexternals.”19

Where do you look to establish your identity? At your image, youraccomplishments, your recognition? Or do you get it from your internalcharacter? Do you focus on making right choices, on improving yourself, onfollowingthroughwithyourcommitments,onnurturingthehealthofyoursoul?Ifyoufocusontheoutside,youwillneglecttheinside.However,ifyoufocusontheinside,theoutsidewillalwaysbenefit.

Recently I read an article about Theo Epstein, the president of baseballoperationsfortheChicagoCubs.Peoplehavebegunrecognizinghimbecausein2016 theCubs finallywon theWorld Series, something that hadn’t happenedsince 1908!He hadworked for several teams, including theBostonRed Sox,before going to Chicago. But by the time he got there, he’d learned theimportanceofcharacter.

“I used to scoff at it, when I first took the job in Boston,” Epstein said,referringtoafocusoncharacter.“Ijustfeltlike,Youknowhowwe’regoingtowin?Bygettingguyswhogetonbasemorethantheotherteam,andbygettingpitcherswhomissbatsandgetgroundballs.Talentwins.But...it’slikeeveryyear I did the job, I just developed a greater appreciation for how much thehuman elementmatters andhowmuchmore you can achieve as a teamwhenyouhaveplayerswhocareaboutwinning,careabouteachother,developthoserelationships,havethoseconversations.Itcreatesanenvironmentwherethesumisgreaterthantheparts.”20

Epsteinwashiredas theCubs’president inOctober2011.InJanuary2012hemetwithalloftheorganization’smanagers,coaches,trainers,andoperationspersonnel. They spent one day talking about hitting, one on pitching, one ondefenseandbaserunning,andoneoncharacter.Thosebecamethefoundationtoachieve the one goal Epstein had for the organization: win a worldchampionship.

Inhisfifthseasonwithayoungteam,Epsteinwasonthecuspofachievingthat goal. Sports Illustrated writer Tom Verducci said the defining momentoccurredduringaraindelayafter theninth inningofgame7,after theIndians

came back to tie the game. The young Cubs team didn’t crack. They didn’tshrink.Theydidn’t stumble.What did they do?The players called ameeting.Verducci wrote, “The Cubs packed shoulder-to-shoulder for a players-onlymeetinginasmallweightroombehindthevisitingdugoutatProgressiveField.”Hecalledit“astrongvisualofEpstein’sidealsofcollaborationandcharacter.”Inthetopofthetenth,theCubsscoredtworuns.Itwasenoughtowinthegame,withascoreof8-7.

The Cubs’ character had carried them through when they needed it. Andthat’swhatweshouldallworkfor,whetherwe’re teammembersor leadersoftheteam.Characteralwayscounts.

DEVELOPINGTHEPERSONOFCHARACTERWITHINYOU

Sohowdoyoufocusondevelopingcharacterfromtheinsideout?Ibelievethecore of character boils down to three main things: embracing good values,practicingself-leadership,andvaluingpeople.

EMBRACEGOODVALUESIf you’ve never thought through your personal values and written them

down, thenyouneed todoso.Whatareyournonnegotiables?What lineswillyourefusetocross?Whatwillyoustandfor?

Ifyouhavealreadygonethroughthisprocess,thenlookatwhatyouwroteoutpreviouslyandverifyyourlist.Hasanythingchanged?Isthereanythingyouwouldadd?Anythingyouwouldremove?

PRACTICESELF-LEADERSHIPTheessenceofself-leadershipisdoingtherightthingevenwhenyoudon’t

wanttodoit,andnotdoingthewrongthingevenwhenyoudowanttodoit.IcallthismanagingthedecisionafterI’vealreadymadeit.Letmeexplain.Whenyoudetermineyourvalues,you’vealreadydecidedwhatyouwillandwon’tdo.Thenwhen you face a difficultmoment, your job is to follow through on thedecisionyou’vemade.

What must you do to put yourself in better positions to manage your

decisionsandfollowthroughwiththem?

VALUEPEOPLEByplacingothersfirst,youtakethefocusoffyourselfandthereforehavea

more difficult time being selfish. That builds your character. Think aboutsomethingyoucandoeverydaytoexpressvaluetoanotherperson,especiallytopeopleyoudon’thaveanaffinityforordon’tespeciallylike.

And don’t forget: you can receive free bonus materials from me atMaxwellLeader.com.

FOUR

THEULTIMATETESTOFLEADERSHIP:

CREATINGPOSITIVECHANGE

SeveralyearsagoIhadtheopportunitytoplayatAugustaNationalGolfClubastheguestofLouHoltz.Ifyou’reacollegefootballfan,youknowaboutLou.He’s an American icon. In 1988 he coached the Notre Dame Fighting Irishfootballteamtoanundefeatedseasonandanationalchampionship.OneofmyfavoritequotesfromLou,whichhesaidthefirst timeImethimoverlunch, is“I’ve coached good players and I’ve coached bad players. I’m a better coachwithgoodplayers.”

Louisalsoknownforhisdrywit.IspentthreeunforgettabledayswithLouatAugusta.Duringthedayweenjoyedplayinggolfononeoftheworld’sbestcourses,andLoukeptusinstitches.Louwasthefirstofftheteethatfirstday.He teed up his ball, hit it, and immediately started walking toward the hole.What’shedoing? I thoughttomyself.I turnedtoHarveyMackay,Lou’sgoodfriend,whowasplayingwithus,andsaid,“Loudidn’twaitfortherestofustohit.”

“Heneverdoes,”repliedHarvey.“Hecan’tstandstill.”It was true. All three days, Lou would hit off the tee and start walking.

Needlesstosay,manytimeswewouldyell,“Fore,”asourgolfballsflewtowardLou.Hewouldjustcoverthebackofhisheadwithhisarmandkeeponwalking.I’veneverseenanythinglikeit.

IfwewereplayingtooslowlyforLou,hewouldsay,“Hey, trytokeepupwiththegroupbehindyou.”Ifoneofuswastakingtoomuchtimeliningupaputt,Louwouldsay,“PuttbeforeIdie,willyou?”

COACHINGCHANGE

I’ll never forget those rounds on the golf course, but my favorite times atAugustawerewhenweweresittinginthecabinlateatnightandtalkingtoLouabout his college coaching career. From 1969 to 2004 Lou coached at sixdifferent universities. None of the teams were winners when he took over.Arkansashadthebestrecordofthesix:5-1.Alltheothershadlostmostoftheirgames.Twoteamshadrecordsof1-10.What’sremarkableisthatbyhissecondyearofcoachingeveryteam,notonlydidtheyhaveawinningrecord,buteveryteam was invited to play in a college bowl game. That’s an amazingaccomplishment.Leadingateamtothatkindofsuccessonceortwiceisamajorfeat—butsixtimes?

Ilistenedwithinterestasour“cabinconversation”centeredaroundmakingthechangesnecessarytoturnalosingfootballteamintoawinningoneinsuchashorttime.

LouHoltz isa leaderwhounderstandshowtocreatepositivechange.He’swhatIliketocallaU-turnleader,apersonwhoisabletotakeanorganizationthat is heading downward, stop the negativemomentum, change the directionit’sheading,and turn itupward,creatingpositivemomentum.GeorgeKelly,acareercoachwhoworkedwithHoltzatNotreDame,saidLouhadthreequalitiesall great coaches possess: he didn’t take anything for granted, he was anexcellent teacher, and he was superbly organized.1 On top of that, Lou is apositivevisionary.Hechangedtheculturesoftheteamsheled.Thatcreatedhisteams’success.

Beingabletoturnanorganizationaroundbybeingapositivechangeagentisthetruetestofagreatleader.Nearlyanyonecangetoutinfrontofpeoplewhoarealreadygoingintherightdirectionandencouragethemtokeepgoing.Veryfewcanmakethechangesnecessarytoturnaroundagroupofpeoplewhoareheadedthewrongdirection.

LEADINGCHANGECANBEDIFFICULT

Anypersonwhohasledchangeknowsit’schallenging.ButIbelievethatpeopledonotnaturallyresistchange;theyresistbeingchanged.RecentlyIsawatwo-framecartooninwhichtheleaderasks,“Whowantschange?”andeveryhandis

raised.Butinthesecondframe,whenheasks,“Whowantstochange?”notonehand is raised. That pretty much characterizes human nature. We want thebenefitsofpositivechangewithout thepainofmakinganychangesourselves.Whyisthat?Ibelievethereareseveralreasons:

Peopledonotnaturallyresistchange;theyresistbeingchanged.

1. PEOPLE FEEL AWKWARD AND SELF-CONSCIOUS DOINGSOMETHINGNEW

Changeisawkward—justaskyourhands.Don’tbelieveme?Trythis:claspyourhandstogetherpalmtopalmwithyourfingersinterlaced.Whichthumbison top? Everybody naturally favors putting one thumb over the other andalternating their other fingers accordingly. Is your right thumb on top or yourleft?Whicheverwayyouclaspedyourhandsfeelsnatural.You’llnaturallydoitthatsamewayeverytime.

Nowswitchthem.Unclaspyourhandsandinterlaceyourfingersagain,butthis time,put theother thumbon top.Howdoes that feel?Awkward, Ibet. Ifyou’relikemostpeople,you’llfeelastrongimpulsetoswitchthembacktoyourregularway.

I had a similar problemwithmy golf game.When I graduated from highschool,Ireceivedasetofgolfclubsasagift.Iwelcomedtheopportunitytotryoutanewsport,soIjuststartedplayinggolfwithoutanykindofcoaching.Iwasareasonablygoodathlete,soIwasabletogetoutonthecourseandplay.ButInevercouldimprovemygame,nomatterwhatItried.WhenIfinallytookgolflessons from a pro, he toldmemy self-taught grip and swingwere the thingsholdingmeback.Hissolutionwastoaskmetochangeeverything.

Boy,didthatfeelawkward.IknewIneededtomakethechanges,butnoneof themfelt right.Over thenext fewmonths, anytime Iwasunderpressure tomake a good shot, I found myself returning to the security of my old grip,because I feltmore comfortablewithmyoldwayofplaying, even though thenew way afforded me the opportunity for great improvement. Over time Ibecamecomfortablewiththechange,butittookawhile.

Most people are more comfortable with old problems than new solutions,

becausethenewrepresentstheunknown.AuthorandspeakerMarilynFergusonputitthisway:“It’snotsomuchthatweareafraidofchangeorsoinlovewiththe old ways, but it’s that place in between that we fear. . . . It’s like beingbetweentrapezes.It’sLinuswhenhisblanketisinthedryer.There’snothingtoholdonto.”

2.PEOPLEINITIALLYFOCUSONWHATTHEYWILLHAVETOGIVEUP

Whenpeoplehearthatchangeiscoming,thefirstthingtheydoisask,“Howisthisgoingtoaffectme?”Why?Becausetheyareworriedthattheywillhaveto give up something. Sometimes that questionmakes a lot of sense, such aswhenyou’re indangerof losingyour joboryourhome.Butmostof the time,life is a series of trades anyway. Poet Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Foreverything you gain, you lose something.” So it’s unrealistic to expect not togiveupanything.However,manypeopleareholdingonsotightlytowhattheyhavethattheyarewillingtoforgogaininganything—evenprogress.Asleaders,weneedtohelppeopleovercomethisattitude.

Foreverythingyougain,youlosesomething.

—RALPHWALDOEMERSON

Ithinkpersonalitytypeandlifeexperienceimpactpeople’sattitudesinthisarea. For example, some people are savers while others are throwers. I’m athrower.AssoonasIthinkIdon’tneedsomething,Itossitinthetrash.Idon’tthinkthere’sbeenadayinmyadultlifethatIhaven’thadtodigaroundinthetrashcanforapieceofpaperI threwawaybeforeIwasactuallydonewith it.Throwingthingsawaygivesmegreatjoy.It’sjustoneofmyquirks.

Mostpeoplearemorelikemywife,Margaret.She’sasaver.Ifshethinkswemightusesomethinginthefuture,sheseesnoreasontogetridofit.I’llsaythis:she’snotahoarder.Andshe’sveryorganized,soourhomeisn’tcluttered.ButifI had my way, our motto would be “If we buy something new today, givesomethingelseaway.”

Notonlydowewanttoholdontothings,wealsotendtoholdontoideasandwaysofdoingthings.AuthorsEricHarveyandSteveVenturahavewrittenaboutthishumantendency:

Thefact is,weallcarryacertainamountofcounterproductivecerebralbaggagethatweighsusdown...andholdsusback.

Our loads include everything from once valid beliefs and practicesthathaveoutlived theirusefulnessandapplicability—tomisinformationand misconceptions that we’ve accepted (and even embraced) withoutmuchexaminationorthought.

Why care about “baggage”? Because it negatively impacts us, thepeopleweworkwith, the environmentwework in, and the resultsweget.Simplystated,whateverweacceptandbelievedetermineshowwebehave . . . and howwebehave determineswhatwe achieve (or don’tachieve).2

Theirsolution?“Ourbrainsare likeclosets,” theysay.“Over timetheyarefilledwiththingswenolongeruse—thingsthatdon’tfit.Everyonceinawhiletheyneedtobecleanedout.”3

PeterDrucker,whohasbeencalledthefounderofmodernmanagement,saidthathebelievedbusinessesneeded toputeveryproductandprocess theyhaveontrialfortheirliveseverythreeyears.Otherwise,hebelieved,thecompetitionwouldpassthebusinessby.BillGateshadasimilarperspective.Herecognizedthat the productsMicrosoftmadewould becomeobsolete in three years. “Theonlyquestion,”saidGates,“iswhetherwewillmakeitobsoleteorsomeoneelsewill.” I’d say he understands the price of change and iswilling to pay it as aleader.

3.PEOPLEAREAFRAIDOFBEINGRIDICULEDPeoplewhodosomethingdifferentalwaysruntheriskofbeingmockedor

ridiculed,andthatcanbeagreatdeterrenttochange.AuthorMalcolmGladwellrecently did a podcast on this subject that looked at Hall of Fame basketballplayerWiltChamberlain.Itwascalled“TheBigManCan’tShoot.”4

Chamberlain, who played professionally from 1959 to 1973, was adominating centerwho setmultipleNBA records.But hewas also known for

beinganotoriouslybadfreethrowshooter.Hiscareeraveragewas51percent.5Butinthe1961–62season,Chamberlaintriedchangingsomethinginhisgameto improve his free throws. Instead of doing the traditional overhead shot thatnearly all basketball players currently use, Chamberlain tried using the styleemployed by Rick Barry, who at that time was the game’s best free throwshooter.Chamberlainusedthe“grannyshot,”whereheheldtheballbetweenhislegsandshotitunderhand.

Rick Barry’s career free throw percentage was over 89 percent.6 In thepodcastwithGladwell,Barry explainedwhy he decided to use thatmotion toshootfreethrowshisentirecareer:

Fromthephysicsstandpoint,it’samuchbetterwaytoshoot.Lessthingsthat can gowrong, less things that you have toworry about repeatingproperly inorderfor it tobesuccessful.But theother thingis . . .whowalksaroundlikethis[raisinghishandupinfrontofhim]?Thisisnotanaturalposition.WhenI shootunderhand in free throws,wherearemyarms?Hanging straight down, theway they are normally. And so I’mtotallyandcompletely relaxed. It’snot in the situationwhere Ihave toworryaboutmymusclesgettingtenseor tight.Andthentheshot itself,it’samuchsoftershot.Somanyofmyshots,evenifthey’realittleoff,theyhitsoniceandsoft,andthey’llstillfallinthebasket.7

While experimenting with Barry’s underhand shooting method for freethrows, onMarch 2, 1962, Chamberlain did something no one had ever donebeforeandnoonehaseverdonesince:hescored100pointsinanNBAgame.Thatnight,28ofthosepointscamefromfreethrows.Hemade28of30fromtheline.

Despitehissuccess,Chamberlaingaveupthe“grannyshot”andwentbackto his old way of shooting—and his old habit of missing. Why? He wasembarrassed by it. Gladwell quotes what Chamberlain wrote in hisautobiography: “I felt silly, like a sissy, shooting underhanded. I know I waswrong.Iknowsomeofthebestfoulshootersinhistoryshotthatway.Evennow,thebestoneintheNBA,RickBarry,shootsunderhanded.Ijustcouldn’tdoit.”8

Some people are more easily embarrassed than others. While Rick Barrydidn’t carewhat people thought of him and shot free throws in a style othersmocked, Wilt Chamberlain cared what others thought and didn’t want to be

ridiculed.Asaleader,whenyouintroducechanges,youhavetotakethiskindoffearintoaccount,andyouhavetobeawarethatpeoplehavedifferentlevelsoftolerancetoridicule.

4.PEOPLEPERSONALIZECHANGEANDMAYFEELALONEINTHEPROCESS

Mostofthetimewhenpeopleexperiencechange,particularlyinbusinessesandorganizations, theyarenotaloneintheprocess,but theydooftenfeel thatway.And theiremotionscanoverwhelmthem.Whenanxietyrises,motivationfalls.Asleaders,wecanbecomeimpatientandwantthemtogetagripandgetover it. Instead,weneed to showpatience, acknowledge theirhumanness, andworkwiththem.Notonlywillthishelpthemprocessthechange,butitwillhelpustoinfluencethemmorequicklyandmovethemforward.

IconfessthatIdidn’tdothiswellasayoungleader.Iwouldoftenencouragepeopletoignoretheirfeelingsduringtimesofchange.Iwouldtellthem,“It’snobig deal. We’re all in this together. Don’t worry about it.” But that’s like adentistsaying,“Thiswon’thurtabit.”Whenyouhearthat,youknowhe’sright.Itwon’thurtabit.Itwillhurtalot!

Asayoungleader,Ialsomadethemistakeoftreatingchangeasifitwereaneventinsteadofaprocess.Ittookmeawhiletorealizethatpeoplearealwaysatdifferentlevelsintheirreadinesstochange.Youcan’tjustannounceachange,implementit,andmoveon.Thatonlycausesresistance.Youhavetogivepeopletimeandallowthemtoprocesschanges.Whilenoteveryonewillgetonboardor“catchup,”manywillifyouarewillingtohelpthem.Remember:thepeoplearewhyyoudowhatyoudoasaleader.Howfaryoucantravelisn’tthepoint;it’showfaryouareabletotakeyourpeople.That’sthepurposeofleadership.

Howfaryoucantravelisn’tthepoint;it’showfaryouareabletotakeyour

people.

Leading people through change can be a lot like the old jokes about howmany people it takes to a change a light bulb. It can be challenging andhumorous.HerearesomefavoritesofthosejokesIrecentlycameacross:

Q:Howmanyactorsdoesittaketochangealightbulb?A:Onlyone.Theydon’tliketosharethespotlight.

Q:Howmanyacademicsdoesittaketochangealightbulb?A:None.That’swhatresearchstudentsarefor.

Q:Howmanyaerobicsinstructorsdoesittaketochangealightbulb?A:Five.Fourtodoitinperfectsynchronyandonetostandtheregoing,“To

theleft,andtotheleft,andtotheleft,andtotheleft,andtakeitout,andputitdown,andpickitup,andputitin,andtotheright,andtotheright,andtotheright,andtotheright...”

Q:Howmanyaerospaceengineersdoesittaketochangealightbulb?A:None.Itdoesn’ttakearocketscientist,youknow.

Q:HowmanypeopleatanAmericanfootballgamedoesittaketochangealightbulb?

A: Three. One to change it and two to tip the entire contents of the icebucketoverthecoachtocongratulatehim.

Q:HowmanyAmericanfootballplayersdoesittaketochangealightbulb?A:Two.Onetoscrewitinandtheothertorecoverthefumble.

Q:Howmanyanglersdoesittaketochangealightbulb?A:Five,andyoushould’veseenthelightbulb!Itmusthavebeenthisbig!

Fiveofuswerebarelyenough!

Q:Howmanyarchaeologistsdoesittaketochangealightbulb?A:Three.Onetochangeitandtwotoargueabouthowoldtheoldoneis.

Q:Howmanyarmiesdoesittaketochangealightbulb?A:Atleastfive.TheGermanstostartit;theFrenchtogiveupreallyeasily

after only trying for a little while; the Italians to make a start, getnowhere,andthentryagainfromtheotherside;theAmericanstoturnuplate and finish it off and take all the credit; and the Swiss to pretendnothingoutoftheordinaryishappening.

Q:Howmanyautomechanicsdoesittaketochangealightbulb?

A:Six.Onetoforceitwithahammerandfivetogooutformorebulbs.9

Ithinktherealquestionis,howmanypeopledoesittaketocreatepositivechange?Theanswerisonepersonwhoiswillingtoleadthepeopleinvolvedinmakingthechangethroughaprocessanddohisbesttotakeeveryonewithhim.

WEOVERESTIMATETHEEVENTANDUNDERESTIMATETHEPROCESS

After about five years of leadership experience, I finally figured out that Icouldn’t just change something and expect everyone to happily fall in behindme.Atagetwenty-seven,Iwasfacingtheneedtointroduceabigorganizationalchange—theconstructionofanewbuildingandtherepurposingoftheexistingone—andIrealizedthat ifIwasgoingtosucceedasa leader,Iwouldneedtodevelop a process to plan what needed to be changed, communicate it to thepeople, help them process the changesmentally and emotionally, and put theplanintoaction.

To do that, I developed something I called PLAN AHEAD. Yes, it’s anacrostic.Thatmay seemhokey, but itmakes it easy to remember and easy toteachtootherleaders.I’veuseditforalmostfiftyyears,andithasworked!AndIbelieveitwillworkforyou.Here’swhattheacrosticrepresents:

Predeterminethechangethatisneeded.Layoutyoursteps.Adjustyourpriorities.Notifykeypeople.Allowtimeforacceptance.Headintoaction.Expectproblems.Alwayspointtothesuccesses.Dailyreviewyourprogress.

Andherearetheindividualsteps.Iencourageyoutousethemasyoufacetheultimatetestofleadership:creatingpositivechange.

PREDETERMINETHECHANGETHATISNEEDEDMy friend Rick Warren, the founder of Saddleback Church, said, “The

greatestenemyof tomorrow’ssuccess isyesterday’ssuccess.”10Tobeagoodleader, you cannot become complacent. You cannot become satisfied withtoday’s success. That means you need to not only welcome change, butchampion it. If you don’t, your team, department, or organization will be introuble. You only need to read the first edition of the book The 100 BestCompanies to Work For in America to know that’s true. It was published in1984.Whenthesecondeditionwaspublishednineyearslater,nearlyhalfoftheoriginalcompaniesnolongerexisted.

Thegreatestenemyoftomorrow’ssuccessisyesterday’ssuccess.

—RICKWARREN

Identifying what needs changing in our organizations can be difficult,becausewe canbecome so accustomed to theproblems thatweno longer seethem. That’s what happened at British Rail in the 1970s. In 1977, the railcompany’schairman,SirPeterParker,wastryingtodecidewhethertogivetheorganization’s advertising business to a huge, established agency or to thesmaller, newer Allen Brady andMarsh (ABM). Parker arrived at ABM withotherBritishRailexecutives,wheretheyfoundtheagency’slobbytobeagrimymess.Theashtrayswereoverflowing,half-emptycoffeecupswerelefthereandthere,andmagazineslayonthefloor.

Thereceptionistdidn’tmakethesituationanybetter.Oneaccountsayssheignored the group while making a personal phone call.11 Another says shesmokedacigarettewhile filinghernailsandanswered,“Dunno” toaquestionabouthowlongtheywouldhavetowait.12

Afterwaitingtwentyminutes,Parkertoldthereceptionisttheywereleaving.Atthatmoment,PeterMarsh,thechairmanofABM,steppedintothereceptionareaandsaid,“You’vejustseenwhatthepublicthinkofBritishRail.Nowlet’sseewhatwecandotoputitright.”

Asaleader,youcarrytheresponsibilityforreviewingwhatyourteamdoes

andlookingforwhatneedstobechanged.Ilikethisstandardforreview:

•Ifyou’vedonesomethingforoneyear—lookatitcarefully.•Ifyou’vedoneitfortwoyears—lookatitwithsuspicion.•Ifyou’vedoneitforfiveyears—stoplookingatitanddosomethingtochangeit.

The first step is always predetermining what needs to be changed. Onceyou’verecognizedthat,youcanstarttolookatthesecondstep.

LAYOUTYOURSTEPSAsImentioned,IdevelopedthePLANAHEADprocessinresponsetoabig

leadershipchallengeatmysecondchurch,inLancaster,Ohio.Wewererunningoutofspaceinourcurrentfacility,soIcouldseeweneededtomakechanges.Weneededtoconstructanewbuildingandrepurposetheoldone.Theproblemwasthatthefifteenhundredpeoplelovedthatfacilityanddidn’twanttochangeit.Furthermore, I needed to raise themoney tobuild from that samegroupofpeople. If I didn’t layoutmy steps carefully, I riskedalienatingeveryoneandfailingtotakethemwhereIknewtheyneededtogo.

Ispentagoodamountoftimethinkingthroughtheprocessandcarefullylaidout my blueprint for successful change. I decided I needed to ask questions,listen topeople’sanswers,discuss thechallenges,andempowerkey leaders tosearchforanswerstoourspaceproblem.Iletthatrunitscourseforayear.Andas Ihopedandexpected, theother leaderscame to thesameconclusion Ihad,andrecommendedthecourseofactionIalsobelievedwasbest.Butbythentheycametothetablewithevidencetosupporttheirconclusion,theyhadboughtintoitpersonally,andtheyhadconvincedotherstojointhem.

WasIhappytomovesoslowly?No,butIknewthetaskwashuge.Andasthesayinggoes,howdoyoueatanelephant?Onebiteatatime.That’swhatweweredoing.Andeach step forward increasedour confidenceand strengthenedmyleadership.

ADJUSTYOURPRIORITIESInthemovieTheCuriousCaseofBenjaminButton,themaincharactertells

hisdaughter,“Ihopeyoulivethelifeyouareproudof.Ifyoufindthatyouarenot, I hope you find the strength to start over again.” In otherwords, hewas

sayingthatifwewanttochangeforthebetter,weneedtoreviseourprioritiestobesuccessful.

Ihopeyoulivethelifeyouareproudof.Ifyoufindthatyouarenot,Ihopeyoufindthestrengthtostartoveragain.

—THECURIOUSCASEOFBENJAMINBUTTON

The biggest danger for leaders at this stage of the process is to confusecosmeticchangesforcriticalones.Cosmeticchangesareeasiertomakebutarenot effective because they don’t address things that reallymatter. They occuroutsidein.Criticalchangesaremadefromtheinsideout,andarealwaysmoredifficulttofacilitate.

Leaders who focus on the wrong things are like Charlie Brown from thePeanuts comic strip byCharles Schulz.Charlie tells his friendLinus, “For aslongasI’velived,wheneverIputonmyshoes,I’vealwaysputtheleftoneonfirst.Thensuddenly,lastweekIputtherightoneonfirst.EverydaythisweekI’vebeenputtingmyrightshoeonfirst,andyouknowwhat?Ithasn’tchangedmylifeabit.”

Critical changes make an impact. They also cost you something in time,energy,resources,creativity,goodwill,orinfluence.Iftheydon’tcostyou,youneedtoquestionifrealchangeisoccurring.Ofcourse,notchangingalsocostsyou. If Ihadchosen to throw in the towelaswewere runningoutof space inLancaster,theentireorganizationwouldhaveplateaued,anditwouldhavebeenthebeginningoftheend.Instead,asthecoreleadershipteamcametogether,wechangedourprioritiesandpreparedforthenextstepsintheprocess.

NOTIFYKEYPEOPLEGood leaders don’t share information about changes with everyone in the

organization at one time. They don’t try tomake communication “fair.” Theymakeitstrategic.Asaleader,beforeyouletthemassesknowwhat’sgoingon,youneedtomeetwithkeypeopleandcommunicatewiththem.

Whichkeypeople? I identify thembyaskingmyself twoquestions: “Who

needs to get behind this tomake it fly?Andwho actually has to fly it?”Theanswers to those questions point me to the people who need to know aboutchangesbeforeeveryoneelsedoes.

Imeetfirstwiththepeoplewhoseinfluenceisneededtomakethechangesfly, because if theydon’t buy in, theplan is nevergoing towork. I’ll need toworkwiththemtoearntheirbuy-in.Usuallythesemeetingsoccurone-on-oneorinverysmallgroups.IoftentakeanapproachthatIwroteaboutinthechapter“Share a Secretwith Someone” inmy book25Ways toWinwithPeople.Bytelling them about the change before it’s public knowledge, I’m giving themvaluable information, making them feel special, and including them on thejourney. It’s an act of inclusion that most people appreciate. This personalapproach also allows for open discussion, honest reactions, questions, andobjections.

Ithinkoftheseconnectiontimesasthemeetingsbeforethemeeting.Ifthesegowell,Isharetheinformationwiththepeoplewhocarethemost:theoneswhowill carryout the implementationof theplan.After that, Ibegin toholdothermeetingswithlargergroupsthroughouttheorganization.

Andifameetingbeforethemeetingdoesn’tgowell,thenImeetwiththosekey individualsagain,andkeepmeetingwith themuntilwecanwork throughtheirobjectionsandtheybuyintothechange.Thekeyplayersontheteamorintheorganizationmustbewillingparticipantsandinvolvedintheprocessforittowork.

ThattakescareofthePLANpartoftheprocess.Nowlet’slookatthenextpartbasedonthewordAHEAD.

ALLOWTIMEFORACCEPTANCEPeople usually take a long time to accept change. And usually that

acceptancegoesthroughthreephases:

1.Itwillnotwork.2.Itwillcosttoomuch.3.Ithoughtitwasagoodideaallalong.

Seriously though, allowing time for acceptance is a challenge leaders facebecausetheyoftenseemoreandbeforetheirpeopledo.Andtheannouncementof change can be confusing, misunderstood, or even chaos-producing on theteamorwithintheorganization.

RecentlyIwasreading8StepstoAchieveYourDestiny:LeadYourLifewithPurposebymyfriendSamChand. Inachaptercalled“NewPerspectives,”hewroteabouttheneedforleaderstokeepchanging,buthisobservationsequallyapplytochangesaleaderimplementsinanorganization.Samwrote:

Change is always necessary. We cannot assume that just becausesomething works today, it will continue to work tomorrow. Youmusteitherevolveorstagnate.

Most leaders [and nearly all followers] only recognize the need forchangeafterdeclinehassetin;theydon’ttakeactionuntilsomethingisbroken.ThisisillustratedbypointBonCharlesHandy’sSigmoidCurve.Atthatpoint,thebesttheycandoisputthebrakesontoslowitdown,beginsomecrisismanagement,andputaspinonit.

Whenyou’re aheadof the curveandmakingchanges (pointA),noone may understand what you’re doing or why you’re doing it. Thatperiodbetween implementing change andothersbeginning to seewhatyousawisaptlyknownaschaos.13

Good leaders always allow time for acceptance. But when they find thatacceptance is slow in coming or the people are experiencing the chaos SamChanddescribed,theytakeadditionalmeasurestohelppeopleadapttochange.Herearethreethingsyoucandoinsituationssuchasthese.

1.SlowDown

Ifyouplowaheadanddon’t take intoconsideration theslowresponseofyourpeople, theywill begin tomake negative assumptions about you. Theymightthink:

•Youlackedpreparation.•You’rehidingtherealagenda.•You’rerailroadingthroughyouragenda.•Youlackconcernforwhatpeoplethinkandfeel.

Any one of these beliefswill diminish your influence.And they all creategreaterbarriers to change.The solution is to slowdownandgiveyourpeople

time. Keep encouraging them. Keep answering questions. But don’t force theissue.

2.MakeYourCommunicationClearandSimple

Asecondthingyoucandoisworkhardtocommunicateclearlyandsimplyaspeopleprocessthechangesandcomearound.Academiatakessomethingsimpleand makes it complicated; a communicator takes something complicated andmakesitsimple.Asaleaderwhostrivestosimplifymymessage,Iaskmyselfsomequestionstohelpmecommunicatemoreeffectively.

•DoIunderstandwhatIamgoingtosay?•WilltheyunderstandwhatIamgoingtosay?•WilltheybeabletotellotherswhatIsay?•Willothersunderstandwhattheysay?

Why do I do that? Because people will not accept what they cannotunderstand. In addition, you want the people who do process and accept thechange to help others do the same. They can do that only if they cancommunicatetheideasclearly.Bysimplifyingthemessagebeforeyoudeliverit,yougivepeoplewhobuyinsomethingclearandmemorabletosaytoothersastheyadvocateforchange.

Academiatakessomethingsimpleandmakesitcomplicated;acommunicatortakessomethingcomplicatedand

makesitsimple.

AfantasticexampleofthiscanbeseeninaninitiativebyRobertoGoizueta,Coca-Cola’schairman,director,andCEOfrom1980to1997.Duringhistenure,hemadeCoca-Cola themost recognized brand in theworld. In his book 212Leadership,authorMacAndersonwroteoftheCuban-bornGoizueta:

Though English was his third language, his success is primarilyattributedtohisabilitytoencapsulatecomplexideasandpresentthemin

concise,compellingfashion.Robertowasbestknownforhisoft-repeateddescriptionofCoke’sinfinitegrowthpotential:

Eachofthesixbillionpeopleonthisplanetdrinks,onaverage,sixty-fourouncesoffluidsdaily,ofwhichonlytwoouncesareCoca-Cola.

Coke’semployeeswereblownawayby theoriginalityandaudacityof the ideawhenGoizueta firstspoke it.Eventually,closing the“sixty-twogap”becameacenterpieceof inspirationandmotivationwithinthecompany.14

The idea of closing the sixty-two gap was a clear, simple, and easilyrepeatablemessagethatcouldbeusedtocommunicatechange.Andthemessagedidn’tweakeninpowerasitwasrepeatedtoothers.

3.BuildInTimeforPeopletoProcessIdeas

If you areworkingwith people in amore formal environment, such as boardmeetings,andyouneedtogivethemtimetoacceptchange,oneofthebestwaystodothatistodevelopameetingagendathatcreatesprocessingtimeforthem.FormanyyearsIusedthefollowingformatwithmyboardofdirectors:

•InformationItems:Ibeganwithitemsofinteresttothepeopleattendingthemeeting.Typically,thesewerepositiveitemsthatboostedmoraleandstartedthemeetingoffonahighenergylevel.

•StudyItems:Thesewereissueswewouldneedtodiscuss,butnotvoteon.Introducingsuchitemsoneormoremeetingsaheadofthetimeofdecisionmakingallowedeveryonetoshareideasoraskquestionswithoutthepressureofadvocatingaparticularpointofview.Ifastudyiteminvolvedamajorchange,Ioftenkeptitinthiscategoryforseveralmeetingsuntileveryonehadtimetoprocessthroughtheissuesandcometoagreement.

•ActionItems:Iputitemsinthissectiononlyiftheyhadbeenpreviouslylistedasstudyitems,wehaddiscussedandprocessedthemthoroughly,andIwascertainthateveryonewasreadytomakeapositivedecisiononthem.

Bythetimemostleadershaverecognizedtheneedforchange,analyzedtheproblemsandpossiblesolutions,andstrategized theplan to implement it, theyarereadyforaction.But trying to takeactionbefore thekeypeopleaccept the

changeleadstodisaster.MyfriendNorwoodDavis,CFOoftheJohnMaxwellCompany,summeditupwithaformulathatherecentlysharedwithme:

E=Q×A

That stands for Effectiveness = Quality × Acceptance. And as Norwoodremindedme, if youmultiply an ideawith a qualityvalueof ten times a zeroacceptance rate, its effectiveness will still equal zero. Acceptance is key togettingresultsasaleader.

HEADINTOACTIONOnce you have the buy-in of the key players, the change train can finally

leavethestationandstartmoving.Ofcourse,thatdoesn’tmeaneveryonewillbeonboard.ToparaphraseanobservationbyformersenatorRobertKennedy:20percentofthepeopleareagainsteverything100percentofthetime.15Butyoucan’t wait for everyone. If you have the influence and the people who willexecutethechange,youhaveenoughtogetstarted,andmanyotherswillgetonboardintime.

Often I hear people say, “Visionunitespeople.” I disagree.Visiondividespeople.Itseparatesthepeoplewhowillfromtheoneswhowon’t—andthat’sagoodthing.Whenyoustartheadingintoaction,peopleget“offthefence,”andyoufindoutwho’swho.Youneverknowthelevelofyourpeople’scommitmentuntilyoucall them toaction.Youwant toenlist thecommittedpeople tohelpyou.

Youneverknowthelevelofyourpeople’scommitmentuntilyoucall

themtoaction.

Howdoyouknowthelikelihoodthatpeoplewilljoinwithyou?Youneedtotake stock of your personal influence. Every leader has a certain amount of“change”inhisorherpocket.BythatImeanemotionalsupportintheformofbargainingchips.Everytimetheleaderdoessomethingpositive,itincreasestheamount of change he possesses. Anytime a leader does something that’sperceivedasnegative, itweakens therelationshipandcosts the leadersomeof

the “change” in his pocket. If a leader keeps doing things that weaken therelationship,it’spossibleforhimtobecomebankruptwithhispeople.

Always remember: It takes “change” tomake change. Themore “change”you have in your pocket, themore changes you canmake in the lives of thepeople.Theless“change,”theharderitistomoveintoaction.

EXPECTPROBLEMSAnytimeanyoneinitiatesanykindofmovement,problemsarise.It’sasthe

old adage says: motion causes friction. Some of those problems come fromunforeseen difficulties. Others come from people and their objections. Peopleinevitably exaggerate about the joys of the past, saying itwas somuch betterbackthen—evenifitwasn’t.Theycomplainaboutthepainofthepresent,asiflifeweresupposedtobeconflict-free—it’snot.Andtheyfixateontheirfearsforthefuture—eventhefutureisn’tpromisedtous.Butthesereactionsareperfectlynatural.

I used to make the mistake of taking personally people’s resistance tochangingorpushingtowardprogress.Peoplewouldpushback,andI’dwonder,Whycan’ttheyseeit?Whydon’ttheytrustme?Can’twejustgetonwithit?Ihad to coach myself to remember that it wasn’t personal. Besides, leadingchange is already difficult enough without complicating it with unwantedemotions.

Thebestsolutiontosolvingproblemsistobeproactiveonthefrontendbyanticipatingtheworst-casescenarios:

•ThinktheWorstFirst:Whatpossiblycangowrong?Spendtimerunningthrougheverypossibilityyoucanthinkof,andenlistotherleaderstohelpyoubeprepared.

•SpeaktotheWorstFirst:Letpeopleknowthatyouknowhowtheyfeelandwhattheythink.Andifyoudiscoverproblems,acknowledgethem.Manytimespeople’sgreatestworryisthattheyknowmorethantheirleadersdoandtheirleadersaren’tpreparedtoworkonproblems.Whenyouassurepeoplethatyouknowwhat’shappeningandyou’reworkingonit,yougivethemasenseofsecurity.

•AnswertheWorstFirst:Whenpeoplestarttoaskquestionsandexpresstheirworriesandconcerns,don’tavoidthediscussionorpaintarosypicture.Giveanswers.

•EncourageThemThroughtheWorstFirst:Peopledesiretheencouragementoftheirleaders.Ifyouletpeopleknowyou’reinittogetherandthatyouneedthem,theyarelikelytowanttoworkwithyou.

Even the most highly proactive leaders who work to be out ahead ofproblemsstillencounterunanticipateddifficulties.Butifyoupossessamind-setinwhichyouexpectproblemsandyou’reproactive,you’vedoneallyoucantogivetheneededchangesachancetosucceed.

ALWAYSPOINTTOTHESUCCESSESIn their bookChange IsGood . . .YouGoFirst,MacAnderson andTom

Feltenstein wrote about the importance of communicating positivereinforcement:

I’m sure you’ve heard the three keys to purchasing real estate . . .location, location, location. Well, you’ll now hear the three keys toinspiring change . . . reinforce, reinforce, reinforce. Many leaders intimes of change grossly underestimate the need for continuousreinforcement. Inaperfectworldwehear somethingonce, record it inourbrain,andneverneedtohearitagain.Butinreality,ourwordsarefar from perfect. During a time of change we have doubts, fears, andoccasionaldisappointments.Sometimestherearefriends,family,andco-workersreinforcingthosedoubtssaying,“Itwon’twork.”16

With all the challenges, obstacles, conflict, and naysayersworking againstpeople’s efforts to implement change, we as leaders need to encourage ourpeopletokeepgoingandkeepdoingtherightthings.Oneofthebestwayswecandothatistocelebratetheirsuccesses,bothlargeandsmall.

Oneofmy idols, JohnWooden, the highly successful coachof theUCLAbasketball team, always emphasized the team aspect of the game. Anytime aplayerreceivedagoodpassallowinghimtoscore,Woodenused toencouragetheplayerwho received thepass topoint to theplayerwho threw it tohim toshare the credit. It’s been said that when one of Wooden’s players asked,“Coach,whathappensifIpointtotheplayerwhogavemetheassistandheisn’twatching?”CoachWoodenreplied,“Hewillalwaysbewatching.”Peopledesirevalidationandencouragement.It’shumannature.

Positivereinforcementofthesuccessespeopleexperienceastheychampionchangecontinuallyvalidatesthechangestheymake,sopointtothegoodthingsaboutthechangeandpointtothepeoplewhomadethemhappen.

DAILYREVIEWYOURPROGRESSThislaststepinthePLANAHEADprocessisvitalfortworeasons.First,it

prompts you to make sure you are on track and moving forward. Second, itreminds you to keep communicating the message of change to your people.That’s always a challenge because until the change becomes part of theorganization’sorteam’sculture,peoplelosesightofitandgobacktotheiroldwayofdoingthings.

WinstonChurchillquipped,“Toimproveistochange,sotobeperfectistohavechangedoften.”17Certainlywecan’tachieveperfection,butwecantrytogetascloseaswecan,andthatmeanschangingdaily.Asyouworktokeepthechangemessageofprogressalivewithyourpeople:

•Talkaboutthechangeclearly.•Talkaboutthechangecreatively.•Talkaboutthechangecontinually.

Ifyoudothatalongwithyourdailyreviewofprogress, thechangewillbelived,experienced,valued,andshared.

Toimproveistochange,sotobeperfectistohavechangedoften.

—WINSTONCHURCHILL

THEFINALWORDISCREDIBILITY

In the end, your ability to create positive changewill depend onwhether thepeople you lead buy into you as a leader. The Law of Buy-In from The 21Irrefutable Laws of Leadership states, “People buy into the leader, then the

vision.”18 The foundation of that belief is built through integrity, which wetalkedaboutinthepreviouschapter.Oftenleaderstalktomeaboutavisiontheyhave for their organization that involves change. They summarize their visionandask,“Doyouthinkmypeoplewillbuyintomyvision?”

Myresponseis,“Havetheyboughtintoyouasaleader?”That’sthequestionthat must be answered before a leader tries to implement change. Credibilitycreatesauthority,andthatcomesfromeverythingwe’vetalkedaboutuptothispoint:influence,priorities,andintegrity.Ifyourpeoplebuyintoyou,thentheywillwantwhatyouwantbecausetheytrustyou.Andtheywillalignwithyourvision,even if it requireschange.That iswhatenablesyou todobig things—eventurnanorganizationaroundlikeLouHoltzhas.

DEVELOPINGTHECHANGEAGENTWITHINYOU

If you are currently leading a team, department, or organization, there areundoubtedly things youwould like to change and improve.Use this chapter’sapplicationguidetohelpyouplantheprocess.

HOWMUCH“CHANGE”DOYOUHAVEASALEADER?Beforeyoustart theprocessofplanningchanges, take some time to figure

outwhereyoustandwithyourpeople.Whatisyourcurrentlevelofleadershipcredibility?Howmuch“change”doyouhaveinyourpocket?Haveyouearnedthe credibility to make the change you desire? If you have a difficult timemaking that judgment, ask the advice of a colleague whose leadershipdiscernmentyourespect.

STARTTOPLANAHEADTODAYUsetheplandescribedinthischaptertoprepareforthechangeyoudesireto

make.Describewhatyouwillneedtodoateachstage.Thenfollowtheplanasyourolloutthechange.

Predeterminethechangethatisneeded.Describeindetailthechangeneededandwhyitisnecessary.

Layoutyoursteps.

Write all the steps that will be needed to complete the change. Start bystating where you are now, and outline the logical process, step-by-step,neededtogettoyourendingpoint.Thismaytakeyouasignificantamountoftime.

Adjustyourpriorities.

Whatprioritiesmustbechangedtoaligntheorganizationandpeopletothecomingchange?

Notifykeypeople.Who are the key people you must talk to first? Write two lists: theinfluencersandtheimplementers.

Allowtimeforacceptance.

Thiswillbehard togauge inadvance.Plan time forpeople toprocess theissues,andthenuseyoureyes,ears,andintuitiontojudgewhenpeoplehavehadenoughtimetogetonboard.

Headintoaction.

Describewhatthefirststepswilllooklikeandhowtheywillimpacttheteamororganization.

Expectproblems.Describe the most likely problems you will face as the change isimplemented.

Alwayspointtothesuccesses.

Begin planning ways to give recognition and celebrate milestones as thechangeoccurs.

Dailyreviewyourprogress.

Describethemethodyouwillusetoreviewtheprogressofthechange.Whatmetrics will you use? Which people will you talk to regularly to assessmorale? What specific information will signal that the change has beensuccessfullycompleted?

FIVE

THEQUICKESTWAYTOGAINLEADERSHIP:

PROBLEMSOLVING

Manyyearsago,whenIreadM.ScottPeck’sbookTheRoadLessTraveled,itchangedmylife.Thefirstpagesofthebookshookmeoutofmyinnatedesireforlifetobeeasy,forthingstoalwayscomemyway.Peckwrote:

Thisisagreattruth,oneofthegreatesttruths.Itisagreattruthbecauseoncewetrulyseethistruth,wetranscendit.Oncewetrulyknowthatlifeis difficult—once we truly understand and accept it—then life is nolonger difficult.Becauseonce it has been accepted, the fact that life isdifficultnolongermatters.

Mostdonotfullyseethistruththatlifeisdifficult.Insteadtheymoanmore or less incessantly, noisily or subtly, about the enormity of theirproblems, their burdens, and their difficulties as if life were generallyeasy,asiflifeshouldbeeasy.1

It’struethatlifeishardforeveryone.Andiflifeistoughforindividuals,itsdifficulty ismultiplied for leaders. Individuals can thinkme, but leadersmustthinkwe.Aleader’slifeisnothisorherown.Thinkingwemeansotherpeopleareincluded,andthatmeanstheirproblemsarealsoyourstodealwith.

Ontopofthat,inawell-ledorganization,problemsaresolvedatthelowestlevelpossible.Thatmeansthattheproblemsthatdoriseuptoleadersareoftenthemost difficult. They are “too hot to handle,” so they land on the leader’sdesk. There are seldom two consecutive problem-free days in a leader’s life.Most leaders are either entering a crisis, in the middle of a crisis, or just

resolving one. Maybe that’s why when asked, “What is life?” a group ofpsychiatristsataconventionanswered,“Lifeisstress,andyou’dbetterlikeit.”

This chapter is my positive take on solving the problems that makeleadershipsochallenging.Myhopeisthatthissimple,practicaladvicehelpsyoustepupandgaincredibilityinthequickestwayasaleader.Whatdoesitmeantobe pragmatic? As my CEO, Mark Cole, recently reminded me, pragmatismallows a person to take things that others would consider problems ordistractionsandseethemasopportunities.

Pragmatismallowsapersontotakethingsthatotherswouldconsider

problemsordistractionsandseethemasopportunities.

Problemsdon’thavetobeproblemsunlessyouallowthemtobe.WhydoIsaythat?Becausetheydoholdpotentialbenefits,whichiswhyproblemsolvingis the quickest way to gain leadership. Problems introduce us to ourselves;problems introduceus to others; andproblems introduceus to opportunities. Iwanttospendthetimeinthischaptertohelpyouunderstandandembracetheseprinciplessothatyoucanbecomeabetterproblemsolver.

PROBLEMSINTRODUCEUSTOOURSELVESI’ve shared some of my early leadership journey, including the three years IspentinmyfirstleadershiprolewhereIlearnedaboutPosition,thelowestlevelof influence in the5LevelsofLeadership.Likeanyother leader,as soonas Isteppedintoaleadershiprole,Iwasconfrontedwithproblems.Andfacingthoseproblemscausedme to“meetmyself”asayoung,developing leader.HerearethesixbiggestlessonsIlearned.

1.OURDECISIONSAREOFTENIMPACTEDBYOURPROXIMITYTOTHEPROBLEM

YearsagoIheardthatwhenspacecraftwerebeingdevelopedfortheApollomissions, a rift developed between the scientists and the engineers at NASA.Knowing thatweight and spacewere limited, the scientists insisted that everyavailableounceofweightshouldbereservedforscientificequipmentthatcouldbeusedtoexploreandreportontheastronauts’experiencesinspace.Thegoal,thescientistsproclaimed,shouldbetodesignaspacevesselthatwouldbefreefrom all defects. Thatwould leave a large proportion of space andweight forscientificequipment.

The engineers argued that perfection was an impossible goal. Theycontended the only safe assumptionwas that somethingwould gowrong, buttheyarguedthattheycouldnotpredictwithcertaintywhereamalfunctionwouldoccur.Theirsolutionwastobuildinaseriesofbackupsystemstocompensatefor every possiblemalfunction.Unfortunately, thatwould reduce the availablespaceforscientificequipment.

Supposedly the conflict was resolved when the astronauts were asked toweighinwiththeiropinions.Theyallvotedinfavorofthebackupsystems.Notsurprising, since they were the ones who would be stranded in space ifsomethingwentwrong!

As a leader, the more disconnected you are from your people, the moredisconnectedyoumaybecomefromtheproblems.Ifthathappens,youmaylosethehuman touch inyour leadership.Asayoung leader, Ibegan tounderstandthisanddeterminedtostayclosetothepeopleIwasleading.Insteadofstayinginmyoffice, Iwent towhere thepeoplewere andwalked slowly through thecrowd. I wanted what affected them to affect me so I would make gooddecisions.

2. OUR PLATES AS LEADERS WILL ALWAYS BE FILLED WITHPROBLEMS

Early in my leadership career, a dairy farmer told me, “John, the hardestthingaboutmilkingcowsisthattheyneverstaymilked.”Asaleader,Ifeelthatproblems are like cows. You’re never really done with them. There are dayswhenIfeelliketheguywhohadfourout-of-stateclientcallsscheduledathomebefore breakfast. Every call revealed a problem, and every client he talked towantedhimtogetonaplanerightawaytohelpthem.

He skipped breakfast and rushed out of the house as fast as he could, butwhen he stepped into the garage, he discovered his car wouldn’t start. So he

called a taxi.While hewaswaiting for the taxi, he got another call about yetanother problem.When the taxi finally arrived, he dove into the backseat andsaid,“Let’sgo!”

Thehardestthingaboutmilkingcowsisthattheyneverstaymilked.

“Wheredoyouwantmetotakeyou?”askedthedriver.“Itdoesn’tmatter,”heshouted.“I’vegotproblemseverywhere.”Someone said, “If you can smile whenever anything goes wrong, you are

eitheranitwitorarepairman.”I’dsayyou’realeaderinthemaking.Thatisthelifeofaleader.Problemsarewhatyoudealwitheveryday.Expectinganythingotherthanthatisbeingunrealistic.Soifyou’realeader,don’tbesurprisedwhenproblemsariseandit’syourresponsibilitytosolvethem.

3.PRAGMATISMSERVESUSWELLASLEADERSAsayoungleaderinmyfirstposition,Iwasbombardedwithproblemsand

calledtomakedecisions.BecausethereweresomanythingstotackleandIhadnostaff,Istartedseekingsolutionsthroughtrialanderror.WitheveryproblemIsoughttodiscoverwhatworkedandwhatdidn’t.

Myexperimentationwithproblemsolvingtrainedmetobeverypragmatic,and my approach enabled me to lead with a patience-persistence mind-set.BecauseIdidn’talwaysknowthebestanswers,Ihadtobepatienttofigurethemout.Thebenefitof thatpatiencewas that Iwasbeginning todevelopwisdom.When I was successful it fueled my persistence, and I kept getting better atproblemsolvinganddecisionmaking.2

Overtheyearsmyapproachtoproblemsolvinghasevolved.Ihavebecomeaware of my strengths (strategy), limitations (impatience), and emotions(confidence).Theresult?Ihavehadtoletgoofmyneedtoberightandfocusonthe greater need todo right.And I try to keep inmind something author JimCollins said: “There is a senseofexhilaration that comes fromfacinghead-onthe hard truths and saying, ‘Wewill not give up.Wewill never capitulate. Itmighttakealongtime,butwewillfindawaytoprevail.’”3

4.BELIEVINGTHEREISALWAYSANANSWERISANASSETPerhaps the most important problem-solving skill that I have learned and

practiced over the years ismental agility. I am always looking for answers, IalwaysbelieveIcanfindthem,andI’malwaysconvincedthatthereismorethanonesolutiontoanyproblem.

Perhapsthemostimportantproblem-solvingskillthatIhavelearnedandpracticedovertheyearsismental

agility.

I’ve found thatwhen good leaders are in problem-solvingmode, it’s as iftheyarelookingatandsolvingtwopuzzlesatthesametime.Thefirstpuzzleisthe immediate problem, the situation that needs to be resolved.Theywork onthat,butatthesametime,theyalsolookatthepuzzleofthebigpicture—oftheirorganization, of the industry, of trends. They look at how the small problemrelates to thebiggerpicture andall its complexpieces.Thebig-picturepuzzlemay never be completed because it’s constantly changing and has too manypieces tocount,butgood leaderssolve thesmallpuzzle,whilebeing informedbythecontextofthebigpuzzle.Thatrequiresmentalagility.

Here’showIliketothinkmentalagilityworksforaleader.Whenyouhaveit,youareableto

•Movefromonepuzzletotheotherwithoutbeingdistracted.•Holdapieceofthepuzzleinyourmindforweeksorlongerwiththebeliefthatitwillfitsomewhereattheappropriatetime.

•Allowthebigpicturetoinfluencethesmallone,andatthesametimegivepriorityandrespecttothesmallone.

•Livewiththetensionoftwoopposingforces:theprecisionneededtosolvetheproblemandthefluiditytodeterminewhentotakethosesteps.

Totapintomentalagility,youneedtobelieveyoucansolveproblems.Inthe1970s,psychologistMartinFishbeindeveloped theexpectancy-value theoryofmotivation,whichsaysthatpeople’sbehaviorisdeterminedbyhowhighlythegoal they have is valued and how strongly they believe they can succeed in

achievingit.4Thatmeansifyoubelieveyoucanfindanswerstoproblemsyouthinkareworthsolving,youaremoremotivatedtokeepworkingatthem.Andthemoreyouworkatthemandsucceed,thegreaterthenumberoftoolsyouwilldevelopinproblemsolving.Thusyoucreateapositivecycleofsuccess.

5. OUR ACTIONS CAN MAKE OUR PROBLEMS INCREASE INNUMBERANDSIZE

So far most of what I’ve shared about the lessons I learned and self-discoveriesImadewhilesolvingproblemshasbeenpositive.Butbelieveme:Imademanyerrorsduringmytrial-and-errorprocess.Sometimesthoseerrorsnotonly failed to solve theproblems,butmade themworse!MyproblemsalwaystendedtomultiplywheneverI

•Lostmyperspective.•Gaveuponanimportantpersonalvalue.•Lostmysenseofhumor.•Feltsorryformyself.•Blamedothersformysituation.•Wishedforthemtogoawayinsteadofworkingforthemtogoaway.

Through these errors I learned that I needed to take responsibility foraddressing the problem, take responsibility formy attitude and emotions, andgive my best effort to landing a solution that was good for my team andorganization.

6.PROBLEMSHANDLEDWELLOFTENMAKEUSBETTERAnd that leadsme to the final thing I learnedaboutmyself.When Ididn’t

give up and I did the right thing in the face of a problem—even if I had notinitiallyhandled itwell—the experiencemademeabetter person and abetterleader.Thebang-upsandhang-upsof lifehaveawayofhumblingus.WhenIwas a new leader, I used to think, Iwish lifewere easier.But over time, as Icontinually faced problems—because they weren’t going away—I started toexperienceashiftinmymind-set,andIbegantothinktomyself,IwishIwerebetter. I call that theproblempromise.Whenyouhandle themwell,problemspromisetomakeyoubetter.

Theproblempromise:whenyouhandlethemwell,problemspromisetomake

youbetter.

Years ago I read that many of the significant accomplishments in humanhistoryoccurredinthefaceofproblems:

Florence Nightingale, too ill to move from her bed, reorganized thehospitals of England. Semi-paralyzed and under constant menace ofapoplexy,Pasteurwastirelessinhisattackondisease.Duringthegreaterpartofhis life,AmericanhistorianFrancisParkmansufferedsoacutelythathecouldnotworkformorethanfiveminutesatatime.Hiseyesightwas sowretched that he could scrawl only a few gigantic words on amanuscript, but he contrived to write twenty magnificent volumes ofhistory.5

AndIknowfrommystudiesoftheBiblethatthePsalmswerewrittenintheface of adversity, andmost of the letters in the New Testament were writtenfromjail.

Whenleadersofgoodcharacterfaceproblems,theyrisetotheoccasionandareoftendefinedbytheirresponse.BuryapersoninthesnowsofValleyForge,andyouhaveaGeorgeWashington.Raisehiminabjectpoverty,andyouhaveanAbrahamLincoln.Strikehimdownwithparalysis,andhebecomesaFranklinD. Roosevelt. Burn him so severely that the doctors say he will never walkagain,andyouhaveaGlennCunningham,whosettheworldrecordforrunningamilein1934.Oppresstheminasocietyfilledwithracialdiscrimination,andthey become a Booker T. Washington, a Marian Anderson, a GeorgeWashingtonCarver, and aMartinLutherKing Jr.Call him retarded andwritehimoffasuneducable,andyouhaveanAlbertEinstein.Problemsdon’thavetobreakus.Theycaninsteadmakeus.

Whenwe are tempted to avoid problems and responsibilities because theyseemtooweighty,justremembertheyouthwhoaskedhismentor,“What’slife’sheaviestburden?”Theresponse:“Havingnothingtocarry.”Whatyoufacehelpsyoutofaceyourself,andwhatyouareabletocarrydefinesyou.

PROBLEMSINTRODUCEUSTOOTHERS

PROBLEMSINTRODUCEUSTOOTHERSI recentlyaskeda friendabout thecharacterofanacquaintanceofourswhomneither of us knew very well. His reply: “I’m not able to comment on hischaracter.I’veneverseenhimhandleadversity.”AndIthought,Howtrue.Youcanlearna lotaboutyourselfbythewayyoudealwithproblems,butyoucanalsofindoutalotaboutotherpeoplebasedonhowtheyreact.Ifyou’realeader,thatinformationiscritical.People’sresponsestoproblemsandadversityimpactthechemistryofyourteamandtheoutcomeoftheirefforts.

PEOPLEWHOMAKEPROBLEMSWORSEWhensomepeoplefaceaproblem,theycanmakeitworse.Iusedtotellmy

staff that all people in an organization carrywith them two “buckets.”One isfilledwithgasoline,theotherwithwater.Whentheycomeacrossthe“spark”ofaproblem, theychoosewhichbucket touseon it.Will theydumpgasolineonthesparkandcreatearealfire,orwilltheythrowwateronitandputitout?

How do the people around you react to the sparks of life? Are they firelighterswhoblowthingsup,orfirefighterswhocalmthingsdown?Anyonewhoenjoysthrowinggasolineonthefireisaliabilitytoyouandtheorganization.

Howdothepeoplearoundyoureacttothesparksoflife?Aretheyfirelighterswhoblowthingsup,orfirefighterswho

calmthingsdown?

PEOPLEWHOBECOMEPROBLEMMAGNETSWhen you have people who focus on problems, collect them, or multiply

them,theyalsotendtoattractotherproblemseekers.It’sanexampleoftheLawofMagnetism fromThe 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: “Who you are iswhoyouattract.”6Suchpeopleofteneventuallybecometheproblem.

If you’re someonewho sees nothing but problems, guesswhat you get inlife:moreproblems.Ifyouseenothingbutpossibilities,guesswhat:youreceivemorepossibilities.

Thefirstlawofholessays,“Whenyouareinone,stopdigging.”Asaleader,canyouhelpsomeonetostopbeingaproblemmagnet?Canyoutaketheshovelaway fromhimand stophim fromdigginghis owngraveprofessionally?Theanswer is yes, but the person has to want to change and may need a lot ofsupporttochangethewayhethinks.

Thefirstlawofholessays,“Whenyouareinone,stopdigging.”

PEOPLEWHOGIVEUPINTHEFACEOFPROBLEMSManyyears ago, I hired a newexecutive assistant.Her namewasBarbara

Brumagin.ShehadbeenmyassistantonlyafewweekswhenIaskedhertofindaphonenumberforsomeoneIwantedtocontact.Withinafewminutes,Barbarareturnedtomyofficeandtoldmeshecouldn’tfindthenumber.Shehadgivenupinthefaceofaproblem.

I sensed that thishad thepotential to set the tone forour relationship, so Isaid,“Barbara,bringmeyourRolodex.”ThiswasinthedaysbeforeGoogleandtheInternet.“Thencomesitdownnexttome.”

Ithoughtforamoment,thenstartedflippingthroughthephonenumbersintheRolodex until I found a starting point.Then I beganmaking calls. I don’trememberhowmanypeopleIhadtocall,chasingdownthetrainuntilItalkedtosomeonewhocouldgivemethenumber,butIthinkittookmeaboutforty-fiveminutes.

IwrotethenumberdownandhandedittoBarbarasoshecouldputitintheRolodex.

“There’salwaysawaytosolveaproblemifyoudon’tgiveup,”Itoldher.ThenImademycall.

Barbara later shared withme that she learned three things that day: First,there isalwaysananswer.Second, theanswer isnotalwayseasy to find.Andthird,shewasdeterminedtoneverdumpaproblembackonmydesk;rather,shewoulddelivertheanswer.Barbarawaswillingtochange,andthatdayshewentfrom being a problem spotter to a problem solver. She took responsibility forfindingsolutions.

PEOPLEWHOUSEPROBLEMSASSTEPPING-STONESFORSUCCESS

IntheirbooktitledCradlesofEminence,VictorandMildredGoertzelwroteabout their study of the backgrounds of more than four hundred highlysuccessfulmenandwomenwhowouldberecognizedasbrilliantintheirfields.ThelistincludedFranklinD.Roosevelt,HelenKeller,WinstonChurchill,AlbertSchweitzer, Clara Barton, Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Einstein, and SigmundFreud. The intensive investigation into their early home lives yielded somestartlingfindings:

•Three-fourthsofthemaschildrenweretroubledbypoverty,brokenhomes,ordifficultparentswhowererejecting,overlypossessive,ordomineering.

•Seventy-fouroftheeighty-fivewritersoffictionordramasurveyedandsixteenofthetwentypoetscamefromhomeswheretheysawtensepsychologicaldramaplayedoutbetweentheirparents.

•Morethanone-fourthofthesamplesufferedphysicalhandicaps,suchasblindness,deafness,orothercripplingdisabilities.7

Why did these achievers overcome problems while many others areoverwhelmed by theirs? They didn’t see their problems as stumbling blocks.They were spurred on by problems and used them as stepping-stones. Theyunderstoodthatproblemsolvingwasachoice,notafunctionofcircumstance.

As a leader, you need to pay attention to how your people respond toproblems,andyouneed tohelp themrespondcorrectly ifpossible.Whatdoesthat take? Time, to begin with. You need to observe people up close as theyencounter problems to see how they respond. And you need to spend timehelping themlearn todealwithproblemspositively.Youcan’tsolveproblemsfor them. If you do, you’ll be forever solving their problems.Youmust solveproblemswiththem—atleastuntiltheygetthehangofit.

Once they start to see how you approach problems and begin to take asimilarapproach,ask them toconsultwithyoubefore theydealwithanythingmajor. And ask that they bring three possible solutions with themwhen theypresenttheproblemtoyou.Ifallthesolutionsarebad,askthemtocomeupwithmoreoptions.Ifallthesolutionsaregreat,askthemwhichtheywouldpickandwhy.Ifonlyoneofthesolutionsisgood,askwhichofthethreetheywouldpickandwhy.Iftheypicktherightone,affirmthem.Iftheypickawrongone,useitasateachingmoment.

ThedaybeforeJohnF.KennedywasinauguratedaspresidentoftheUnitedStates, outgoing president Dwight D. Eisenhower shared some wisdom withhim. “You’ll find no easy problems ever come to the president of theUnitedStates,”saidEisenhower.“If theyareeasy tosolve, somebodyelsehassolvedthem.”

That may be true at the presidential level, but it’s only true in otherorganizationsifemployeesareencouragedtosolveproblemsatthelowestlevelpossible,andiftheyhavebeenequippedandempoweredtodealwithproblemsandmakedecisions.Ifsmallproblemskeepgettingsentuptoyou,thenyouarecreatingaproblemforyourselfbynothelpingyourpeopletobebetterproblemsolvers.

PROBLEMSINTRODUCEUSTOOPPORTUNITIESAlbertEinsteinsaid,“Inthemiddleofdifficultyliesopportunity.”Noteveryonesees things thisway.But any leaderwhocan shift hisorher thinking from Isthereananswer?toThereisalwaysananswertoTheremustbeagoodanswerhas the potential to become not only a fantastic problem solver, but also achangeagentforopportunity.

Inthemiddleofdifficultyliesopportunity.

—ALBERTEINSTEIN

LeadershipauthorandspeakerGlennLlopishaswrittenaboutthepowerofthis problem-solving perspective.He quotedKarl Popper: “All life is problemsolving.”Thenhewentontosay,“Thebestleadersarethebestproblemsolvers.They have the patience to step back and see the problem at-hand throughbroadened observation. . . . The most effective leaders approach problemsthroughalensofopportunity.”8

So how do you look at problems through the lens of opportunity? Irecommendthatyoubeginbydoingtheseeightthings:

1. RECOGNIZE A POTENTIAL PROBLEM BEFORE IT BECOMES AREALPROBLEM

Great leaders are seldom blindsided. Like boxers, they recognize that thepunchthatknocksthemoutisusuallytheonetheydidn’tseecoming.Forthatreason they are always looking for signs and indicators that will give theminsightintoanypotentialproblemsahead.Everyproblemisliketheonefacedbythe trespasseratan Indiana farmwhosawasignona fencepost that said,“Ifyoucross this field,you’dbetterdo it in9.8seconds.Thebullcando it in10seconds.”

Goodleadersanticipateproblemssotheycanpositionthemselvesandtheirteamforsuccess.Whatpotentialproblemsdoyouseeinyourworld,andwhatisyourgameplantofixthemwhentheyhappen?Downsidesrarelyhaveanupsideunlessyouarereadyforthemonthefrontend.

2.GETACLEARPICTUREOFTHEPROBLEMHaveyou ever heard the saying “Assumption is themother ofmess ups”?

(There are also less polite versions of this.) If assumptions createmess ups ineveryday life, they create train wrecks in leadership. The place to start is bygettingaclearpictureoftheproblemyouface.FinancierandbusinesstitanJ.P.Morganasserted,“Noproblemcanbesolveduntilitisreducedtosomesimpleform.Thechangingofavaguedifficultyintoaspecific,concreteformisaveryessentialelementinthinking.”

Downsidesrarelyhaveanupsideunlessyouarereadyforthemonthefrontend.

That process begins by identifying what constitutes a problem.My friendBobbBiehl,whohasgivenmewonderfuladviceover theyears,oncetoldme,“Adecisionisachoiceyoumakebetweentwoormorealternatives.Aproblemis a situation that’s counter to your intentions or expectations.” Sowhatmustyoudowhenyou find yourself facing one of these counter-situations?FollowtheadviceofauthorMaxDePree,whosaid,“Thefirstresponsibilityofaleaderistodefinereality.”9

Asanaturaloptimist,Ioftenhaveahardtimewiththis.I’mliketheguywho

wenttoseethedoctorbecausehewashavingsometrouble.ThedoctororderedX-rays,whichrevealedaseriousproblem.

“You’regoingtoneedsurgery,”thedoctoradvised.“Isitserious?”themanasked.“It’sgoingtobehighlypainfulandveryexpensive.”“Inthatcase,”themanreplied,“couldn’tyoujusttouchuptheX-rays?”10Failingtoseeaclearpictureoftheproblemorrefusingtofacerealitydoesn’t

helpyousolveaproblem.MybrotherLarry,whohasbeenaconsistentmentorto me for many years, especially in business and financial decisions, oftenremindsme of this.After a bad year for one ofmy companies, Iwas sharingwithLarry how I hoped the next yearwould be better.With a clearer picturethanIpossessedatthetime,Larrysaid,“John,hopeisn’tenough.Facereality,andletyourfirstlossbecomeyourlastloss.”

Larrywas exhortingme not to rationalizemy situation or justify any badchoicesI’dmade.Youcan’tsolveproblemsandmakeprogresswithouthavingaclear picture of the situation and then taking appropriate steps forward.Otherwise,youriskdoingwhatmyfriendauthorHarveyMackaycallswateringtheweeds.

3.ASKQUESTIONSTOHELPYOUSOLVEPROBLEMSOkay,IhavetoadmitthatIlovequestions.Notonlydotheyhelpmegather

information and seek solutions, but they also enable me to understand whatpeople thinkand feelbefore I lead them. I thinkmost leadersare tooquick totalkandlead,andtooslowtoaskquestionsandlisten.

Here is a series of questions I hope will help you to problem-solve andsolution-implement.

TheInformationQuestion:“Whoknowsthemostaboutthisproblem?”

One of the mistakes confident leaders sometimes make is starting to solveproblems before they have enough information. They jump to conclusions.Instead,oneofthebestthingsyoucandoasaleaderistalktothepeopleclosestto the problem to hear their observations and suggestions. They may alreadyknowwhatneedstobedoneandonlylacktheresourcesandpermissiontosolve

theproblem.

TheExperienceQuestion:“WhoknowswhatIneedtoknow?”

PlaywrightBenJonsonsaid,“Hethatistaughtonlybyhimselfhasafoolforamentor.”Ifyouareyouronlysourceofinformationandideas,you’reintrouble.Who do you know who can help you, advise you, mentor you? Author JimCollinscallsthis“wholuck.”Ifyouknowgreatpeoplewhocanhelpyou,youhaveit.Themorewholuckyouhave,thefasteryoucansolvemanyproblems.

TheChallengeQuestion:“Whowantstotacklethisproblem?”

Thetendencywhensolvingproblemsistolookfirstatthecapacityofpeopleonour team. “Who can do this?” we ask. That’s a good question, but a betterquestion is, “Whowants to do this?” Dealingwith problems requires energy.Thepersonwithdesireislesslikelytogetworndownbytheproblem.Capacityaloneisnotenough.

Hethatistaughtonlybyhimselfhasafoolforamentor.

—BENJONSON

TheMagnitudeQuestion:“Whoneedstobuyin,andhowlongwillthattake?”

Somuch of problem solving in leadership is gaugingwhere your people are,what theyfeel,andwhether theyarereadytogosomewherewithyou.Asyouthinkaboutsolutionstoproblems,youneedtoaskyourselfquestions:Howbigan issue is this?Howwillpeople’sworkbe impacted?Howwill itaffect theirlives?

The larger the impact, the greater the repercussions, and the bigger thedecisions, themore buy-in you need people to have. Peoplewill buy inmorereadily when they have hadmore input into the decisionmaking, even if the

solutionisn’ttheonetheywouldhavesuggestedthemselves.

TheTrustQuestion:“Haveweearnedenoughtrusttomakeneededchanges?”

Thisisoneofthemostcrucialquestionsyoucanaskwhenpreparingtoinitiatechanges.Whentrustwithintheteamororganizationishigh,wecanmakemorechangeswithoutnegativefallout.Iftrustislow,ourleadershipislimitedandwecanmake relatively fewchangesbefore people resist.Thatmeans that even ifyou have great solutions, you can fail to solve a problem if people haven’tboughtin.Peoplewon’tacceptchangeiftheydon’ttrustyou.

ThePersonalQuestion:“WhatquestionsdoIneedtoaskmyself?”

This final question is a check to make sure you’re on track. As a leader, Icontinually takemyown“temperature” as I dealwithproblems. I askmyself,“WhatdoIfeel?”Thisrevealsmyemotions.“WhatdoIthink?”Thisstimulatesmy best thinking. “What do I know?”This draws outmy experience. I neverwant to blindly move forward in problem solving without including personalreflection.

Doyouhaveaprocessforself-examinationandreflectionrelatedtoproblemsolving?Youdon’twanttorelyonknee-jerksolutions.Goodleadersdon’tjustresolve the issue to get it off their plates quickly for the sake of their owncomfort.Theyhelpcreatesolutionsthattaketheirpeopleandtheirorganizationforward and put them in a better position than they were in before theyexperiencedtheproblem.That’swhatyou’reshootingfor.

4. CREATE A FRAMEWORK TO EXAMINE PROBLEMS ANDSOLUTIONS

Onceyouknowyouhaveaproblemandyouworktogetaclearpictureofit,youcanstarttogatherinformation.Butwhateverdatayoucollectwillhelpyouonly if you have a framework for judgingwhat you find out.Otherwise, howwillyouinterpretwhatyoudiscover?

Myframeworkhassixcriticalkeys:

•Leadership:Howdoesthisproblemaffectourpeople?•Personnel:Dowehavetherightpeopletohelpuswiththisproblem?•Timing:Isthistherighttimeforasolution,anddowehaveenoughtimeforit?

•Vision:Howdoesthisproblemaffectwherewe’retryingtogo?•Priorities:Aremyproblemstakingmeortheteamawayfromourpriorities?

•Values:Aremyvaluesormyteam’sbeingcompromisedbythisproblem?

Problemscanveryeasilycauseus to loseourwayor takeour“eyeoff theball.”Often thebigpicturegetsobscuredwhilewedealwith the emotionanddisruption problems cause. My framework helps me maintain properperspective.Iencourageyoutodevelopaframeworkofyourowntokeepfrombeingputofftrack.

5.VALUESHAREDPROBLEMSOLVINGThe best problem solvers don’t work alone. They enlist the aid of other

thinkerstohelpthem.AndtheyusetheSocraticmethodofaskingquestionstogain from other people’s thinking. This method helps them become betterproblem-solvingleaders.

Thebestproblemsolversdon’tworkalone.

IwishIhadlearnedthisearlierinmyleadershipcareer.Ididmyproblem-solvingsolo.IonlywantedtosharetheproblemwithothersafterIhadanswers.Iwastooinsecuretoaskforhelp.Ispent90percentofmytimeworkingonthesolutionalone, thenaskedfor inputon the last10percent.Thereality is that Iwantedapplausefromothersmorethanassistance.

Todaymyproblem-solvingmethodfollowsa10/80/10pattern,whereItrytodothefirstandlast10percentoftheproblemsolvingandhaveotherscontribute80percentofit.Thefirst10percentisoftenfocusedondefiningtheproblemforallofus.Thenext80percentofmytimeandeffortisspentonlisteningtomyteam’sideasandfacilitatingtheirthinking.Thelast10percentismyattempttoaddvaluefrommyleadershipexperience.Icallthis“puttingthecherryontop.”

Ican’talwaysimprovethesolutionsmyteamcomesupwith,butItry.Obviously, the key to this approach is having an environment in which

peoplearewillingtosharetheirideasandoffertheiropinions.Ifyoudon’thavethat,thensharedproblemsolvingdoesn’tworkverywell.Butthegoodnewsisthatyoucanfosterthiskindofenvironmentbydoingthefollowingthings.

RemoveSilos

GlennLlopisasserts,“Organizationalsilosaretherootcauseofmostworkplaceproblems and arewhymanyof themnever get resolved.Breaking down silosallows a leader tomore easily engage their employees toget their handsdirtyand solve problems together. It becomes less about corporate politicking andmoreaboutfindingresolutionsandmakingtheorganizationstronger.”11

Organizationalsilosaretherootcauseofmostworkplaceproblemsandarewhymanyofthemnevergetresolved.

—GLENNLLOPIS

OneofmyfavoriteexamplesofanorganizationthathasfoughtagainstsilosistheRichardsGroup,anadvertisingagencyinDallas,Texas.StanRichardshasbuiltwhathecallsthePeaceableKingdom,anorganizationwithouttribalismorsilos. He even wrote a book with that title. In his organization he preventstribalismandfactionalismbyeliminatingdepartments,oversharinginformation,havingpeopleofevery jobdescriptionworksidebyside incubes,and tearingdownwalls—literally.Peopleworkinopenspace.EvenStan’sofficehasneitherdoors nor walls. And when he wants to update people on company business,withinfiveminuteshecanhaveallsixhundredpeoplegatheredforwhathecallsastairwellmeeting,wherepeopleonthreefloorscanseeoneanotherfromtheopenstairwayandadjoiningbalconies.It’sastounding.

Ifyouwantpeopletoopenlyassistinproblemsolving,youhavetogetridofsilos.Peoplewhowanttoincreasetheirterritoryandprotecttheirturfarerarelywilling tofreelyoffer ideas thatwillbenefitanyoneother than themselvesandtheirteamordepartment.

CreateaSpeak-UpEnvironment

When people are asked to share their problems or to offer ideas for theorganization,whathappens?Dopeoplebecomesilent?Do theywithdraw?Dotheyavoideyecontactandtrytokeepalowprofile?Ifso,you’renotworkinginaspeak-upenvironment.Asaleader,youneedtoworktochangethat.

In a speak-up environment, comments are welcomed, participation isencouraged,andgoodideasarerewarded.Peopledon’tfeelasthoughtheirjobsareinjeopardyeverytimetheyshareaproblem.Andtheydon’tfeelasiftheywillbediscountedordisrespectedanytimetheyshareabadidea.

To foster this kind of environment, you need to promote an atmospherewherethebestideawins.Ifpeopleareencouragedtoshareanyidea,theylearnthatmany ideas lead to good ideas, andmany good ideas lead to great ideas.Herearesomethingstokeepinmindasyouencouragepeopletospeakup:

•Neverpromotethebeliefthatyoualwayshavethebestanswers.Thiswillmakeothersdependentonyouandlesslikelytospeakup.

•Askquestions.IknowI’vementionedthisbefore,butit’soneofthemostimportantthingsyoucando.Byaskingaseriesofquestions,youcanhelppeopleanalyzeaproblemandthinkthroughanentiresolution.

•Trytobeacoach,notaking.Acoachbringsoutthebestinothers,helpingthemreachdeepdowninsideanddiscovertheirpotential.Akinggivescommands.

Remember, the best leaders help others see and solve problems withoutthem.

SocializeIdeas

I like what Lennox International’s Paul Larkin calls socializing ideas. It’s astrategy in which leaders share their ideas informally throughout the normalcourse of the day to gain acceptance for them before formally implementingthem.12Inthiswayyourpeoplearenotblindsided,theyhavetheopportunitytomulloverideas,andtheyhaveenoughtimetoimprovetheideas.Whentheydothat,buy-inincreasesdramatically.

6.ALWAYSCOMEUPWITHMORETHANONESOLUTIONForyearsIwasaverylimitedproblemsolver.Iwouldfindoneanswerfora

problem,andthenIwouldchampionthatsolutiontomypeople.TodayItrytobemorecreative.Ilookformanysolutionsandletthebestonechampionitself.

Yesterday’sApproach Today’sApproach

Settleforthefirstsolution PursuemultiplesolutionsFocusononlytheproblem Exploreallopportunities

Fearuncertainty EmbraceambiguityConformtotherules CelebratethecreativePossessanarrowview Connecttheunconnected

Feartakingrisks Don’tfearfailingHavelimitedchoices Enjoymanyoptions

As you seek to solve problems, list as many solutions to a problem aspossible.Themore,thebetter.Keepinmindthatseldomistherejustonewaytosolveaproblem.Themoreoptionsthebetter,becauseproblemscontinuallyshiftandchange.Leaderswhodon’thavebackupsolutionssoonfind themselves introuble.

Asyougrowasaproblem-solvingleader,youwillbegintoseeaprogressioninyourthinkingthatmightlooksomethinglikethis:

Thereisnoanswer.Therecouldbeananswer.Ihaveanidea.Thereisananswer.Therecouldbemoreanswers.Ihavemoreideas.Therearemoreanswers.Therearebetterideas.

Thetruthisthatbigideasdon’tappear—theyevolve.Butthatonlyhappenswhenyouaredeterminedtoexploreideasandlookformoreandbettersolutions.

7.CULTIVATEABIASFORACTIONOneofthegreatestdangersforathoughtfulpersonistospendtoomuchtime

onproblemsolvingand too little timeon solution implementing.Leaderswhodon’torcan’tfollowthroughareindangerofthinking,Ready,aim,aim,aim...butneverfire!

The solution is to develop a bias for action. Don’t think,Can I? Insteadthink,HowcanI?Thenstartmovingforward.Themomentyouconfrontandactonaproblem,youbegintosolveit.Ifgreatinventorsandexplorershadn’ttakentangible, deliberate steps forward, would they have made the contributionsthey’re known for?No! Their belief prompted action and their action createdresults. Ideasevolveasyoumove, andbetter solutionscome intoviewasyoumoveforward.Ultimately,youcan’twishorwaityourwaythroughdifficulties.Youmustworkyourwaythroughthem.

8.ACTIVELYLOOKFOROPPORTUNITIESANDLESSONSINEVERYPROBLEM

PresidentJohnF.Kennedywasonceaskedhowhebecameawarhero.Withhiscustomarydrywit,Kennedyreplied,“Itwasquiteeasy.Somebodysunkmyboat!”13Thatistheessenceofseeingopportunityinthemidstofaproblem.Nomatterhowdifficultyourcircumstancesmayseem,thereislikelyasolutionthatnot only resolves the problem, but has the potential to improve your life andyourleadership.

Developabiasforaction.Don’tthink,CanI?Insteadthink,HowcanI?

This has been true repeatedly in my life. As a young pastor of my firstchurch in Indiana, I looked for some resources that would helpme teachmycongregationhowtobestmanagetheirlives.Afterdaysofsearchingbookstoresand libraries, I found nothing. That problem forced me to find a differentsolution.That’swhenIdecidedtodevelopmyownideasandusethemtoteachmy people. I did, andmy solutionwas successful. That planted the seed thateventuallygrewinme,promptingmetowritemyfirstbook.Thenanother,andanother.TodayI lookbackandseemorethanonehundredbookssellingmore

than 28 million copies in more than fifty languages. That’s a legacy I neveranticipatedor thoughtpossiblewhenIwassimplytryingtosolveaproblematagetwenty-three.

Another problem that shapedmy life came as the result ofmy leadershipafter I left that first leadership position. Under my direction, the church hadgrown to three hundred people. But within six months of my departure,attendancehadfallenbelowahundred.

FormonthsIrackedmybraintofigureoutwhathadhappened.Andthenitfinallyoccurredtome:Ihadtrainedandequippednoone.AssoonasIwasn’tpresenttobethecatalyst,everythingfellapart.

From the moment of that realization, I decided to make equipping anddevelopingpeopleapriority.I’vespenttheforty-fiveyearssincethendedicatedtothattask.AndthatjourneycametofruitiononJune26,2015,whenItaughtleadershiptoleadersfromKiribatiinFijiforEQUIP,mynonprofitorganization.Thatwasthedaywecompletedourtrainingofleadersfromeverycountryoftheworld.Intotal,sixmillionleaders.AnditallstartedbecauseofmyfailureinmyfirstleadershippositionandthelessonsIlearnedfromit.

My speaking style also came to be because of a problem I experienced.When Iwas inmy thirties, I threwoutmybackplaying racquetball.For threedays I couldn’t get outofbed, and the followingday I could stand foronly acoupleofminutesatatime.

The next week I was scheduled to speak at an event in Allentown,Pennsylvania.WhenthesponsorsheardIhadbeen injured, theywereworried.But Iwas determined to keepmy commitment.My solutionwas to ask for astool to sit on while I spoke. But when I did the event, I was struck by theconnectionIwasabletomakewithmyaudience.IrealizeditwasbecauseIwassitting. Itwasanamazing lesson. Ineverwentback to standing, thanks tomybadback,andmyabilitytoconnectwithanaudienceatahighlevelchangedmylife.

Asaleader,youneedtoseeopportunitiesdifferentlythanmostpeople.Theyareachanceforyoutolearnaboutyourself,yourteam,andyouropportunities.Theyprovideyouawaytoimproveyourownlife,improvethelivesofothers,andgaininfluence.That’swhyIsaythatproblemsolvingis thefastestwaytogain leadership. I hope thisgivesyouanewperspective andyoubegin tousechallengesandproblemsolvingasassetstoyourleadership.

DEVELOPINGTHEPROBLEMSOLVERWITHINYOU

Whether you want to receive an opportunity to lead or you already haveleadershipresponsibilitiesanddesiretomakeanimpact,problemsolvingaffordsyouuniqueopportunitiesasaleader.Growinthisareabyansweringthesethreequestions:

WHATDOESTHEWAYIHANDLEPROBLEMSSAYABOUTME?

Howyouseeproblemsshapesyourattitudeandyourleadership.Doyouseeproblems as an opportunity to use your leadership for the betterment of yourteamandorganization?Oraretheyinconveniencesthatsimplyruinyourplansanddiscourageyou?

Youcanchangeyourmind-setwhenitcomestoproblemsandsolvingthem.Makealistofpastproblemsthathaveledtolessonsoropportunities,similartotheway I describedmy experiences at the end of the chapter. Thenmake thedecision to look for the potential positives in your problems from this dayforward.

HOWCANIENLISTOTHERSASPROBLEMSOLVERS?Starting thisweek,whenyoufaceproblems,beginusingquestions to learn

moreaboutthemembersofyourteam,gatherinformation,brainstormideas,andfindmultiple solutions to problems.Here are a few questions to help you getstarted:

•Whendidtheproblembegin?•Wherediditbegin?•Whowasfirsttonoticeit?•Whatareseveralpossiblecausesforit?•Whatistheimpactoftheproblem?Whoisaffected?•Whatotherpossiblenegativeconsequencescouldithave?•Isthisproblempartofabiggerproblem?Ifso,how?•Whohasdealtwiththiskindofproblemsuccessfully?•Whatareseveralpossibleapproachestosolvingit?•Whatkindoftime,expertise,andresourceswillbeneededforthesesolutions?

solutions?•Willpeoplebuyintothesesolutions?•Howlongwilleachofthesesolutionstaketoimplement?•Howmightthesesolutionsgiveusfutureadvantages?•Whatlessonscanbelearnedfromallofthis?

WHATFUTUREOPPORTUNITIESAREPRESENTINGTHEMSELVESINCURRENTPROBLEMS?

Pickonebigproblemyouarecurrentlyworkingon.Asyouseeksolutions,brainstorm asmany creative opportunities as possible that could be associatedwith the problem and solution. Allow these thoughts to shape the problem-solvingprocess,becauseifyouareabletouseaproblemtoactuallymoveyourteamororganizationfartherahead,youwillhavedoneoneofthemostdifficultofallleadershiptasks:becomeachangeagent.

SIX

THEEXTRAPLUSINLEADERSHIP:

ATTITUDE

Think of a friend, colleague, family member, or mentor whom you greatlyadmire.Stop.Don’tkeepreading.Reallythinkofaname,andwriteitdown.

Nowwritefivethingsyouadmiremostaboutthisperson.Ithinkyou’llgainaninterestingandimportantinsightbydoingit.Sopleasestopandwritedownwhatyouadmire.

Why did I ask you to do this? Because I’ve found thatmost of the time,many of the characteristicswe admire in others have to dowith attitude.Weadmireandliketobearoundpeoplewhoarepositive,tenacious,andexpectant.Peoplewithagoodattitudeliftusupandinspireus.

When it comes to leadership, attitude becomes evenmore important. Youneed to see possibilities when others don’t, encourage people when they arefeelingdefeated,anddemonstratecommitmentwhenotherswanttoquit.

Author and pastor Charles Swindoll pointed out how the right attitude iscentraltosuccess.Hesaid:

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.Attitude, tome, ismore important than facts. It ismore important thanthepast, thaneducation, thanmoney, thancircumstances, than failures,than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is moreimportant than appearance, giftedness, or skill. Itwillmake or break acompany,achurch,orahome.The remarkable thing is thatwehaveachoiceeverydayregardingtheattitudewewillembraceforthatday.Wecannotchangeourpast.Norcanwechangethefactthatpeoplewillact

inacertainway.Wealsocannotchange the inevitable.Theonly thingthatwecandoisplayontheonestringwehave,andthatisourattitude.Iam convinced that life is 10 percent of what happens to me, and 90percenthowIreacttoit.Andsoitiswithyou...weareinchargeofourattitudes.1

Agoodattitudeisanextraplusinlife.Itmakesourlivesbetter.Anditalsomakesourleadershipbetter,becauseleadershiphaslesstodowithpositionthanitdoesdisposition.Theattitudeordispositionofleadersisimportantbecauseitinfluences the thoughts and feelings of the people they lead. Good leadersunderstand that a positive attitude creates a positive atmosphere, whichencouragespositiveandproductiveresponsesfromothers.

WHATEVERITTAKES—ALEADER’SATTITUDE

If you asked me to identify the single most important aspect of a successfulleader’s attitude, it would be possessing a whatever-it-takes mindset. Theinvisible line that separates thosewhoget thingsdone from thosewhomerelydreamaboutthemisanattitudeoftotalcommitment.Greatleadersaresoldouttoachievingsuccess—inthefaceofanyproblem—andarewillingtopulloutallthestopstohelptheteamwin.Thiswhatever-it-takesattitudeiscommoninallgreatleaders,andservesboththeleaderandthepeoplewell.

Ifyouaskedmetoidentifythesinglemostimportantaspectofasuccessfulleader’sattitude,itwouldbepossessing

awhatever-it-takesmindset.

Thischapterisgoingtoputsomemuscleinyourattitude.Tobeaneffectiveleader,youdon’thavetobehappyallthetimeorbeacheerleader.Butyoudoneed to model an attitude of positive vision during tough times. A leader’sattitude must exemplify resolve, tenacity, focus, determination, andcommitment. It must demonstrate consistency, see possibilities, and fight forvictoriesduringtoughtimes.

Thiskindofattitudeisn’thardtounderstand,butitcanbehardtolive,soIwant to give you some steps you can take to develop it and embody it as aleader.

1.DISOWNYOURHELPLESSNESSWhatever-it-takes leaders aggressively pursue solutions. You never hear

themsay,“There’snothingwecandoaboutit.”Thosearethewordsofsomeonewithavictim’smindset.ProfessorandexpertonorganizationalbehaviorRobertE.Quinnwrote:

Avictimisapersonwhosuffersalossbecauseoftheactionsofothers.Avictim tends to believe that salvation comes only from the action ofothers. They have little choice but to whine and wait until somethinggoodhappens.Livingwithsomeonewhochoosestoplaythevictimroleisdraining;workinginanorganizationwheremanypeoplehavechosenthe victim role is absolutely depressing. Like a disease, the conditiontendstospread.2

Unfortunately,thevictimdiseasehasspreadthroughoutAmerica.Moreandmorepeoplehaveslippedfromacan-doattitudetooneofhelplessness.InJohnF.Kennedy’s inaugurationspeech,hechargedtheyoungpeopleofAmerica toasknotwhat theircountrycoulddofor them,butwhat theycoulddofor theircountry. Hundreds of thousands rose up and responded to that challenge,becoming part of the Peace Corps, which served people around the world.PresidentKennedyhadawhatever-it-takesmindset,andhisattitudeasaleaderspreadtoothers.

Today,more than fiftyyears later, themindset inourcountryhaschangedfrom “We can make a difference” to “We can make no difference.” Quietdetermination has evolved into noisy demands. How did this happen? Theleadershipofournationslowlybegantoempowergovernmenttomeettheneedsof the people. Responsibility shifted from each individual person to thegovernment. Leaders stopped challenging the people tobe the answer to theirproblemsandbeganpositioningthemselvesas theanswer.Nowpeople tendtowait and depend on others for solutions instead of being proactive and self-reliant.

To be successful, leaders need to disown their helplessness and help the

people on their teams do the same. They can do that by empowering others.Here’show:

•Nevermakeexcuses.•Createacan-doenvironmentwherepeopleareexpectedtosolvetheirproblems.

•Modelawhatever-it-takesattitudetoyourteam.•Providetrainingthatenablesteammemberstosucceed.•Challengepeopletotakeresponsibilityfortheirperformance.•Makeeveryonefeelvaluedandimportantaspartoftheteam.•Givesolidfeedbackafterteammemberstrytotackleachallenge.•Celebratewithteammemberswhoaresucceeding.•Givepeopleincreasingchallengestotesttheirgrowthandgivethemwins.

In our current culture, itmay seem like a tremendous challenge to inspirepeopletogiveuptheirhelplessnessandbecomemoreproactive.Butallittakesis belief in our ability to make a difference. Years ago, I read a story fromcolumnistNellMohneyaboutadouble-blindexperimentconducted in theSanFranciscoBayarea.Theprincipalofaschoolcalledsometeacherstogetherandsaid,“Becauseyouthreeteachersarethefinestinthesystemandyouhavethegreatestexpertise,we’regoingtogiveyouninetyhigh-IQstudents.We’regoingtoletyoumovethesestudentsthroughthisnextyearattheirownpaceandseehowmuchtheycanlearn.”

The teachers and studentswere delighted.Over the next year the teachersandthestudentsthoroughlyenjoyedthemselves.Theteacherslovedteachingthebrightest students. The students benefited from the close attention andinstructionof highly skilled teachers.By the endof theyear, the students hadachieved20to30percentmorethantheotherstudentsinthearea.

Attheendoftheexperiment,theprincipalcalledtheteachersbacktogetherand said, “I have a confession tomake.You did not have ninety of themostintelligently prominent students. They were run-of-the-mill students.We tookninetystudentsatrandomfromthesystemandgavethemtoyou.”

Theteacherssaid,“Thismeansthatweareexceptionalteachers.”“Ihaveanotherconfession,”theprincipaladmitted.“You’renotthebrightest

oftheteachers.Yournameswerethefirstthreenamesdrawnoutofahat.”3Howcouldthreeaverageteachersaccomplishsomuchwithninetyaverage

students? The teachers and students possessed an exceptionally positive and

proactiveattitude.Theydidn’tfeelhelpless.Theydidn’tthinkofthemselvesasvictims.Theybelievedtheycouldsucceed,andtheydid.

2.TAKETHEBULLBYTHEHORNSPresident Theodore Roosevelt said, “There is nothing brilliant nor

outstanding aboutmy record, except perhaps one thing: I do the things that Ibelieveoughttobedone...andwhenImakeupmymindtodoathing,Iact.”That’s a great description of whatever-it-takes leaders. They are fearless anddon’thesitatetotakeabullbythehornsandwrestleittotheground.Theytakeaction.Effective leaderswhowantmilkdon’t sitonastool in themiddleofafieldandhopethatacowwillcomefindthem.

Thereisnothingbrilliantnoroutstandingaboutmyrecord,except

perhapsonething:IdothethingsthatIbelieveoughttobedone...andwhenImakeupmymindtodoathing,Iact.

—THEODOREROOSEVELT

AuthorDannyCox said he interviewed a reform school graduatewhohadbecomea successful entrepreneurnotoncebut twice.Whenheasked themanthekeytohissuccess,hesaidthatheaskedhimselfthefollowingquestionsandreallylistenedtohisownanswers:

•WhatdoIreallywant?•Whatwillitcost?•AmIwillingtopaytheprice?•WhenshouldIstartpayingtheprice?4

Noticethatthelastquestionisdesignedtopromptaction.Ifaleaderdoesn’tanswer the lastquestionandmakeacommitment toastartdate, thefirst threequestionsdon’treallymatter.Andofcourse,thebestanswertothatlastquestionisnow.

One of the best stories I’ve ever heard illustrating the difference between

peoplewhoseizeinitiativeandthosewhodon’toccurredonFebruary14,1876.ThatwasthedayinventorElishaGrayfinallywenttothepatentofficewithhisideaaboutadevicethathadthepotentialtotransmitvoiceoverwires.Grayhadbeenexperimentingwithideasforthedeviceforquitesometime.ButevenonthatdayinFebruary,hewasn’tapplyingforapatent—onlyforacaveat,whichwas a document declaring that he intended to create the invention and try topatentit.

Butatthepatentoffice,helearnedthatjustafewshorthoursbefore,anotherinventor had been there and filed for a patent on a very similar device. Thatperson?AlexanderGrahamBell.5GraytriedtochallengeBell’sclaimincourt,saying he, notBell, had come upwith the idea first.But the court sidedwithBell.

You don’t want to find yourself in a position similar to Gray’s. To besuccessfulasa leader,youneedtopossess initiative.W.ClementStonetaughtmethis.In1976IheardhimspeakinDayton,Ohio,onprocrastination.Hetoldeveryoneintheaudiencethatforthirtydayseachmorningbeforegettingoutofbed,theyshouldrepeatoutloud,“Doitnow,”fiftytimes.Andattheendofeachdaybeforegoingtosleep,theyshouldsayitfiftytimesagain.

“Dothiseverymorningandeveryeveningforthirtydays,”hesaid,“andatthe end of a month you will automatically respond positively to anyopportunity!” I actually followed his advice. It changed my attitude andeliminatedmytendencytoprocrastinate.Isuggestthatyoutrythatexerciseforthirtydays.Thengolookforsomebulls!

3.ENTERTHE“NOWHININGZONE”Whatever-it-takespeopleknowhowtohandletheirfeelings.Theyputtheir

attitudeinchargeoftheiremotions.Weallexperiencetimeswhenwefeelbad.Ourattitudecannotstopourfeelings,butitcankeepourfeelingsfromstoppingus.Afterall,what’stheuseofcomplaining?Itdoesn’tgetusanywhere.

Weallexperiencetimeswhenwefeelbad.Ourattitudecannotstopour

feelings,butitcankeepourfeelingsfromstoppingus.

Nobodylikesawhiner.Whinerswearpeopleout.Thereisnothingattractiveaboutsomeonewhocomplains.That’strueforleadersandtheirteams.WhenImeeta leaderwhoallowshis teammembers towhineandcomplain, Iwonderwhytheywouldhavesomeonelikethatontheirpayroll.Theycangetpeopletodothatforfree!

What’sthebestsolutiontoguardagainstbecomingacomplainer?Cultivategratitude. It is by far the most effective antidote to a negative attitude and acomplainingspirit.Herearethreesuggestionsforhowtodothat.

ExpressGratitudeIndependentofYourFeelings

Sometimesmyheart is soheavy itweighsmedownand inhibitsmydesire toexpressgratitudeverbally.Butunexpressedgratitude is likenogratitudeatall.So, in such times, I forcemy tongue to guidemy heart and express gratitudeanyway,notbecauseIfeellikeit,butbecauseit’sright.Oftenmywordsbegintoliftmyheart,andIfeelgratitudethatmatcheswhatIsay.

ExpressGratitudefortheSmallandOrdinaryThings

There’sastoryabouttheimmigrantshopkeeperwhosesoncametoseehimonedayandcomplained,“Dad,Idon’tunderstandhowyourunthisstore.Youkeepyouraccountspayableinacigarbox.Youraccountsreceivableareonaspindle.Allyourcashisintheregister.Youneverknowwhatyourprofitsare.”

“Son,” respondedhis father,“letme tellyousomething.WhenIarrived inthiscountry,allIownedwerethepantsIwaswearing.Nowyoursisterisanartteacher.Yourbrotherisadoctor.You’reaCPA.YourmotherandIownahouseandacarandthislittlestore.Addthatallupandsubtractthepants,andthere’syourprofit.”

Themorewecomplain,thelesswe’llobtain.OrasMichaelAngier,founderand chief inspirational officer of SuccessNet, said, “If we learn to appreciatemore of what we already have, we’ll find ourselves having even more toappreciate.”6 And if you can appreciate the small things, the big things willmeanthatmuchmore.

ExpressGratitudeEspeciallyintheMidstofAdversity

Fewthingstestourattitudethewayadversitydoes.Igreatlyadmirepeoplewhoareabletokeeptheirspiritsupwhentheyfacedifficulties,andItrytoemulatethem. I read that in 2002, immediately afterCharltonHeston revealed that hehadAlzheimer’sdisease,hewasinhighspirits,flyingfromLosAngelestoUtahwithhisclosefriendTonyMakris,thepoliticalconsultant.

Ifwelearntoappreciatemoreofwhatwealreadyhave,we’llfindourselveshavingevenmoretoappreciate.

—MICHAELANGIER

Makris described their conversation: “He looked atme and said, ‘Why soglum,pal—youfeelbadforme?’”

“Isaid,‘Yes.’”“Don’t,” repliedhis friend. “I got to beCharltonHeston for almost eighty

years.That’smorethanfair.”7Whenwearegrateful, feardisappearsand faithappears.And thatgivesus

strength and motivation to act. Good leaders are never complainers. They’redoers.When things go wrong, they start working and rallying people to helpthem.

4.PUTONANEWPAIROFSHOESTheartof leadership isgetting thingsdonewithand throughotherpeople.

As a person develops the leader within, he spends less time on personallyproducing and more on working with others to help him produce. To besuccessfulatthat,youneedtobeabletoseethingsfromtheirpointofview,oras the old saying goes, spend a day in their shoes. I think President HarryTruman was wise when he said, “When we understand the other fellow’sviewpoint—understand what he is trying to do—nine out of ten times he istryingtodoright.”

As a leader, I always try to see things from two perspectives: that of theperson I’mworkingwith andmyown. I use the other person’s perspective tomakeaconnection;thenIuseminetogivedirection.ButIamabletoseethings

from another person’s point of view only if I am willing to be open to thatperson.TimHansel, teacher and founder ofSummitExpedition, described theimportanceofthisinhisbookThroughtheWildernessofLoneliness.Hewrote:

Itisdifficulttoreceivewhenyourfistsareclenched.Itisimpossibletoembracewhenyourarmsarecrossed.Itisdifficulttoseewhenyoureyesareclosed.Itishardtodiscoverwhenyourmindismadeup.And a heart that has sealed itself off from giving has

unknowingly sealed itself off from the ability to receivelove.8

I lovepeople,but I stillhave tomakean intentionaleffort toconnectwithpeople. I’ve always made it a practice to meet and greet people before aspeakingengagement,movingfromtabletotabletosayhelloorsimplybeingonthefloorinfrontofthestagesoIcanchatwithpeople.Icallthiswalkingslowlythroughthecrowd.

Leaders need to connect with people, not just for the sake of buildingrelationships, which is important, but also for the sake of building theirorganizations.WhenImeetnewpeople,Itrytoseetheirpotentialforaroleinoneofmyorganizations. I’mnotonly assessing their talent by askingmyself,Canthey?I’malsoaskingmyself,Willthey?whichrelatestotheirperspectiveandtheirattitude.That’swhyIneedtotrytoseethingsfromtheirpointofview.Iftheycanandwill,thenthere’sagoodchancewecanworktogether.

5.NURTUREYOURPASSIONLeaders with great attitudes and whatever-it-takes mindsets usually exude

energy and enthusiasm, and those things fuel them to strive for excellence.That’swhyIbelievethebestcareeradviceanypersoncanreceiveis“Findyourpassion and follow it.” That’s what I’ve done for fifty years. Because I’mpassionateaboutwhatIdo,IfeellikeI’veneverhadtoworkadayinmylife.I’vesimplydonewhatIlovetodo.

Theysayretirementisdoingwhatyoulovetodoanytimeyouwanttodoit.Ifthat’strue,thenI’mretired!Addingvaluetopeoplethroughwriting,speaking,andinvestingtimeinmycompaniesisexactlywhatIwanttodo.AndsinceIget

todothosethingseveryday,I’mgettingtodoitwhenIwantto.

Theysayretirementisdoingwhatyoulovetodoanytimeyouwanttodoit.If

that’strue,thenI’mretired!

Author and pastor Ken Hemphill says, “Vision does not ignite growth,passion does. Passion fuels vision and vision is the focus of passion. Leaderswhoarepassionateabouttheircallcreatevision.”Icouldn’tagreemore.

6.ExceedExpectationsOneofmycompanies,theJohnMaxwellTeam,trainsanddevelopspeople

tobecomecoachesandspeakers.Sofarwe’vetrainedsixteenthousandcoachesinwell over onehundred countries.Twice a year the companyhostswhatwecalltheInternationalMaxwellCertificationeventinOrlando,fourintensedaysoftraining.OneofthethingsIemphasizetothenewcoacheseachtimeIspeaktothemisthatIwantthemtoexceedtheirclients’expectations,toalwaysunder-promiseandover-deliver. Ibelieve that75percentofpeoplefallshortwhenitcomes to delivering on expectations, and only about 5 percent of all peopleexceed them in the service they provide, but the people who comprise that 5percentmaketheworldgoaround.Theyalsoreceivethebenefitsthatcomefrompossessingthatattitudeanddeliveringontheirpromises.

Few things will develop you more as a leader than choosing to exceedexpectations. This was a key step in my personal development. I was onlytwenty-twowhen I accepted the responsibilityof leadingmy first church.Thepeopleweredelightful,andas longas Ivisited thesick,preachedonSundays,andcounseledthosewhoaskedforit,Iwasmeetingtheirexpectations.

But after a few months of doing these things, I began to feel restless. Iwanted to do more. My vision for making a difference was larger than theirexpectationsofme. Ipossessedagreatpassion to reachnewpeople. Ihadbigideas.Whatwas I going todo?After a coupleofweeksofwrestlingwith theissue,Icametothisdecision:whereverIam,whoeverIamwith,whateverIamdoing,andwheneverIhaveanopportunity,Iwillsetthebarofexpectationsformyselfhigherthanothersdoforme.

Thatcommitmenthasshapedmydevelopmentasaleaderforfiftyyears.Itmade me responsible for my own leadership growth. By setting my own barhigh, Ihad to grow to reach it. If you’rewondering how to do that, considerthesethings:

•Giftedness:IsetthebarformyselfthehighestinmyareasofstrengthbecausethatiswhereIhavethegreatestpotentialtogrowandbecomeexcellent.Inareasofweakness,Iaskforhelpfromothers.

•Growth:AsIgrowintheareasofmystrengthsandachievesomelevelofsuccess,Idon’trestonthatachievement.Itrytobuilduponit.Thatmeansraisingthebarformyselfagain.IfIdon’tdothat,Iwillplateau.

•Opportunities:IseeanyopportunitythatusesmystrengthsasanopportunitytoimprovebypracticingandapplyingwhatI’velearned.Thatattitudehelpsmecontinuegrowingandimproving.

•Others’Expectations:Ialwaysasktofindouttheexpectationsofpeoplewhodesiremyservices.Ican’tmeetorexceedanexpectationIamunawareof.Ihavebuiltmycareerbymakingthemeetingoftheirexpectationsmyminimum.

•MyOwnExpectations:SinceIusetheexpectationsofothersasthegroundfloorformyownexpectations,Iamabletobuilduponthem.IputeffortintodiscerningwhatmoreIcangivethatwillpleasethemandaddthemostvalue.Mydesireisalwaystoblowthemaway.

Thisattitudeofexceedingexpectationswilldeliverahighreturntoyouasaleader. As I tell my people, if you deliver on what you promise and meetexpectations, youwill get paid. If you exceed expectations, you’ll get anothercontract.Everythingyougiveabovetheirexpectationsiseverything!

7.NEVERBESATISFIEDThe final attitude characteristic of whatever-it-takes leaders is positive

discontent.Good leadersareneversatisfiedwithwhat is.Theyseewhatcouldbe,andtheycontinuallyseektoachieveit.Thisiswhatdrivesthemtogetbetter,toachievemore,andtoleadtheirpeopletonewterritory.Thefuturebelongstopeople who are dedicated tomaking their world, their teams, and themselvesbetter.

PUTTINGAWHATEVER-IT-TAKESATTITUDEINTOACTION

Someone I know who is never satisfied with past accomplishments is PaulMartinelli, thepresidentof theJohnMaxwellTeam. Ihaveknownfewpeoplededicated toarelentlesspursuitof improvement likehis.Underhis leadership,thecompanyhasexperiencedexplosivegrowth.Yetheisstillworkinghardtodomore.RecentlywhenIcongratulatedhimforanotherverysuccessfulyear,hesmiledandsaid,“John,wearen’tevenclose to reachingourpotential.Wearestilllearningourwaythroughfailure.”Asaleader,Paulhasawhatever-it-takesattitude,andthat’swhyheissosuccessful.

IwanttoacquaintyouwiththewayPaulputshiswhatever-it-takesattitudeintoaction.Ibelieveitwillhelpyoudeveloptheleaderwithinyouinthisareaofyourlife.

1.TESTWhileothersarecrippledbyworry,fear,oranxiety,Paulistakingaction.He

neverwaitsforthe“perfectmoment”toact.It’sthejobthatisneverstartedthattakesthelongesttofinish.Paultestshisideasbyimplementingthemandseeinghowfarawayheisfromhisidealoutcome.

It’sthejobthatisneverstartedthattakesthelongesttofinish.

T.BoonePickens reminded leaders of how important it is to take positivestepsforward,toputthingsintomotion.Hesaid:

Sometimes thewindow of opportunity is open only briefly.Waiting isnot a decision, although many people think it is. Be willing to makedecisions.That’sthemostimportantqualityinagoodleader.Don’tfallvictimtowhatIcalltheready-aim-aim-aim-aimsyndrome.Youmustbewillingtofire.9

To help you be willing to test your ideas with action, I have threesuggestionsIencourageyoutotaketoheartandputintopractice.

ChallengeEveryAssumption

Good leaders always challenge assumptions. They don’t take assumptions forgranted because they understand that their first responsibility as a leader is todefinereality.Theyneedtobeabletoseebelowthesurface,knowwhat’sreallygoingon,andbeabletocommunicatethatrealitytotheirpeople.

The most important time to challenge assumptions is when you’resuccessful.Ifyourorganization’sgrowthrateishigh,youmayassumethatyoursystemsandprocessesaregood.Maybethey’renot.Maybeyou’releavingalotofmoneyoropportunityon the tablebydoing things thewayyouhavebeen.Theonlygood assumption in your business is that there is a betterway to doyourbusiness.

AlwaysAskQuestions

Howwill you knowwhether your test is successful? Howwill you go aboutfindingbetterwaysofdoing things?Theanswer is toaskhardquestions.Youcan’t allow any fear of hearing negative answers to keep you from askingquestions. Hard truths—responded to correctly—help you become better. Askthefollowing:

•Isthereabetterwaytodowhatwedo?•Whatcanwelearnfromotherswhodowhatwedo?•Whocanhelpusdobetterinwhatwedo?•Arethecurrentnumbersthebestthatwecando?•AmIgrowingeachyeardoingwhatIdo?•HowcanIbecomebettertohelpmyteambecomebetter?

Paul calls questions like these the door towillingness—to try new things,takemorerisks,changewhatisn’tworking,andstretchtobebetterthanwewereinthepast.Ilovethat.

BenchmarkAgainstYourPotential—NotYourPast

Too often leaders determine a good year based on the last year. But greataccomplishmentsnevercomefromusingyesterdayasthebenchmark.That’sanattitude of protecting against losses more than making gains. To make great

progress, leadersmust benchmark against the future potential of their team ororganization, and the opportunities before them.Testing is away to challengethestatusquoandreachforthatpotential.

2.FAILTesting can be a challenging and frightening experience.Why?Because it

canleadtofailure.However,failureisanessentialstepinthecycleofsuccess.Paul said, “Thewillingness to fail is essential for the leader tomodel and theteam to embrace.” If we allow the fear of failure to control our attitude andactions,we’llneverbecomethe leaderswehavethepotential tobe.Andwe’llnever take our teams or organizations where they have the potential to go,accomplishingalltheycouldaccomplish.

Paul worked at coaching people to reach their potential for more than adecade.Asayoungentrepreneur,hewantedtoteachotherbusinessleaderswhathehadlearnedthroughtrialanderror.He’sawarethatsomepeoplehaveahardtimetakingrisks.Paulsaid:

Most people—leaders included—try everything in their power to avoidfailure.Andtheyshould.Buttheyshouldnotavoidmakingthebigbets,takingthebigrisks,orinitiatingthenewefforts thatputthemandtheirteaminthepositiontofailsothattheycanseektherewardsofgrowth.Ithinkwhathasledustosomeofourgreatestachievementshasnotbeenmyormyteam’swillingnesstodoourbest.Weshouldalwaysbedoingourbest.Rather,it’sourwillingnesstodoourall.Totesteverypossibleopportunity, to test everynew innovation, to test everyperson’s abilityandpotential.

To be successful, you need to be willing to fail. You need to maintain apositive attitude and a strong belief in yourself evenwhen you fall flat.Whatdoesthatmean?Howcanyoumaintaintherightattitude?

SeeFailureasaConstantCompanionofSuccess

Progress alwaysmeans entering uncharted territory. It means putting yourselfout there to be scrutinized and criticized. It means exposing yourself to newpressuresanddemands.It’sonlyhumantowonderifyou’reuptothechallenge.

Asmall,anxiouspartofyouwouldprobablyrathernottaketherisk.Thatpartiswhatkeepsmanywould-beleadersfromtakingactionandbecomingproductiveandeffective.

Thepriceofsuccessisfailure.Assomeonesaid,rocketsblowinguponthelaunchpadiswhywehavefootprintson themoon,andblowncircuitsarewhytheworldisilluminatedwithelectricity.Ifwewantsuccess,weneedtoembracefailure.

Thepriceofsuccessisfailure.

Highly creative choreographer Twyla Tharp has pushed the boundaries ofhercraftfordecades.InaninterviewreportedintheHarvardBusinessReview,shesaid,“Soonerorlater,allrealchangeinvolvesfailure—butnotinthesensethatmanypeople understand failure. If youdoonlywhat youknowanddo itvery,verywell,chancesare thatyouwon’t fail.You’ll juststagnate,andyourworkwillgetlessandlessinteresting,andthat’sfailurebyerosion.Truefailureisamarkofaccomplishmentinthesensethatsomethingnewanddifferentwastried.”10

Theonlypeoplewhohavenotfailedarethosewhohavenottried.Weneedtorememberthattrialanderrorbydefinitionincludeserror.Wehavetogetusedtoit.

SeeSuccessasColorfullyVaried,Not“Monochromatic”

Whatwouldlifebelikeifeverythingyoutriedwassuccessful?Ithinkitwouldbe boring, predictable, and bland. The struggles we experience make thesuccessesweachieveworthwhile.Without thepain,howwouldwebeable toappreciateourprogress?Weneedtowelcometheunexpectedandbeopentoapictureofsuccessdifferentfromtheexpected.

Thestrugglesweexperiencemakethesuccessesweachieveworthwhile.Withoutthepain,howwouldwebeabletoappreciateourprogress?

Recently IwasreadinganarticleaboutmusicwrittenbyAllisonEck,whoworks for the PBS documentary series NOVA. In it she wrote about somedifferencesbetweenclassicalandjazzmusiciansandhowtheyapproachmusic.Ifounditespeciallyinterestingasshediscussedmusicalnotescalledaccidentals.Eckwrote:

Inmusic, “accidentals” aremusical pitches—rather,musical glitches—thatdon’tbelongtothescaleormodecurrentlyinuse.Amoresensiblenamefortheseroguenoteswouldbe“purposefuls,”sincethey’realwayswrittenintoapieceforaprecisereason.Inclassical,jazz,andanyothergenre,accidentalssubvertthelistener’sexpectations...onpurpose.

The coolest thing about accidentals is that theybust out ofmusicalboundaries in the most unapologetic way. Musicians emphasize thesenotes; they dramatize their presence, as if to say, “yes, you heard mecorrectly.” Accidentals show us just how trite it is to bicker overcategoriesor labels—nomatterwhatkindofworkingyou’redoing, the“accident-on-purpose”isanear-universalphenomenon.11

A productive life is colorful, not monochromatic gray, and a person’sprogresscantakeonmanydifferentforms.Failuretoachievewhatyouintendedcanoften lead toanentirelydifferentkindofsuccess—maybeeven toabetterversionofsuccessthanyoueverimagined.

Failure is fun when it’s overcome! Failure adds color when it gives you“notes” you would not necessarily hear. Success is a story filled with goodthings,“accidentalthings,”hardthings,newthings,andlearnedthings.SotakeEck’sadvice:“Beanaccidental.Deviatefromwhat’sexpected,butunderstandthecontextinwhichyou’redoingso.What’sthereasonforyouraccident?Howdoesitrelatetoeverythingelseinyourstory,art,ordesign?Makeyourmistakesoutloud,andonpurpose.”12Inotherwords,bewillingtofail.

HaveaGamePlantoGetOverFailure

Why do so many people get bogged down by failure? Sarah Rapp, a socialimpactstartupconsultant,said,“Whenitcomestofailing,ouregosareourown

worst enemies.As soon as things start goingwrong, our defensemechanismskickin, temptingus todowhatwecantosaveface.”InanarticleRappwroteafterinterviewingeconomistTimHarford,authorofAdapt:WhySuccessAlwaysStartswithFailure,shesaidthatfailurecausesavarietyofreactions.Thefirstisdenial: “It seems to be the hardest thing in theworld to admitwe’vemade amistakeandtrytoputitright.Itrequiresyoutochallengeastatusquoofyourownmaking,”shesaid.Anotherischasingourlosses:“We’resoanxiousnotto‘draw a line under a decision we regret’ that we end up causing still moredamage while trying to erase it. For example, poker players who’ve just lostsomemoney are primed to make riskier bets than they’d normally take, in ahastyattempttowinthelostmoneybackand‘erase’themistake.”

Rappsuggeststryingtobecomedispassionateaboutourfailuresandworkingnot toget tooattached toourplans.“Thedanger isaplan thatseducesus intothinking failure is impossible and adaptation is unnecessary,” Rapp wrote, “akindof‘Titanic’plan,unsinkable(untilithitstheiceberg).”13

Ihavemyowngameplanfordealingwithfailure.It’sthesameastheoneIhaveforsuccess:thetwenty-four-hourrule.Igivemyselfjusttwenty-fourhourstocelebrateasuccessorcryoverafailure.AfterthatImoveon.Asaleader,Ican’t let yesterday control today. Yesterday ended last night. I need to lookforwardandpreparefortoday.

3.LEARNAfriendoncegaveme theformula forbecominganovernightsuccess.He

said:

Youshowupeveryday.Youworkhard.Youtrynewthings.Youfail.Youimprove.Yougrow.Youfacecountlesschallengesandrejections.Youdoubtyourself.Youwanttoquit.Butyoudon’t.

Andyoudoitalloveragainandagain.Do this for months, years, or even decades, and you canbecomean“overnight”success.

Oneof themost important benefits of having the right attitude as a leadercomesaftertestingandfailing.That’swhenwehavethegreatestopportunitytolearn.AsleadershiptrainerRolandNiednagelcommented,“Amistakeisonlyafailure if you don’t learn from it.” Not all leaders embrace this truth. In myexperience,peopledooneofthreethingswhentheyfail:

•Theyresolvenottomakeamistakeagain—that’sfoolish.•Theyallowtheirmistakestomakecowardsofthem—that’sfatal.•Theydevelopthesecuritytolearnfromtheirmistakes—that’sfruitful.

Amistakeisonlyafailureifyoudon’tlearnfromit.

—ROLANDNIEDNAGEL

IlovePaul’sinsightonlearningatthisstageoftheprocess.Heseeslearningas being informed. But he describes it as being formed. Failing and learningfromitformusintowhoweare.Paulsays:

The exciting thing is that the learning, if the leader is open to it, trulydoes“form”themandtheirteamineverymeaningfulway.Weformnewthinking patterns. We form new communication styles. We form newrelationships.Weformnewhabits.Weformnewbeliefs.Weformnewmentalmodels.Wedo, in fact, become inwardly formed in newways,and thosenewformsbecome thenewandstronger foundationswecanbuildonandlivefrom.Thetest-fail-learnprocesscreatesthenewcontentfor our lives and team, and the content of our lives is always thecurriculum of our evolution.We learn both what does work andwhatdoesnotwork;botharenecessaryandequallyvaluable toa leader.Welearnhow tomotivateandpushour teamandhownot tomotivateandpushourteams.

Ihaveyettomeetahighlysuccessfulleaderwhowasn’talearner.Andthebestpartisthatitdoesn’ttaketalenttolearn.Itdoesn’ttakeexperience.Ittakestherightattitude.Ifweseefailureasnormalandexperiencelearningfromitaspositive,wecan take risks.Wecanstrikeout intouncharted territory.Wecanfaceloss.Wehavethepotentialtoachievealmostanythingasleaders.Andwecanhelpourpeopletoachievebeyondtheirwildestexpectationsforthemselves.

4.IMPROVEWhat’sthegreatestvalueoflearning?Ibelieveitcomeswhenweimprove.

That’s where the rubber meets the road. Otherwise, what we learn is onlyacademic.

Successoftenasksthequestion,“WhatamIgetting?”Improvementalwaysasks, “What am I becoming?” Improvement through growth is the onlyguarantee that tomorrowwill bebetter.Theprofile of someonewho improveslooksdifferentfromthatofotherpeople.

Everybody NotEverybody

Makesmistakes CorrectsthemHears Listens

Hasproblems SolvesthemFalls Getsbackup

Receiveslessonsfromlife ImprovesfromthemNeedstomakechanges Does

Social psychologist Heidi Grant Halvorson characterizes the differencebetween thosewhodesire to improve and thosewhodesire to prove to othersthatthey’vegotitalltogether.Shewrote:

Peopleapproachanytaskwithoneoftwomindsets:whatIcallthe“Be-Good”mindset,where your focus is on proving that you have a lot ofability and already know what you’re doing, and the “Get-Better”

mindset,whereyourfocusisondevelopingability.Youcanthinkofitasthedifferencebetweenwantingtoprovethatyouaresmart,andwantingtogetsmarter.

The problem with the Be-Good mindset is that it tends to causeproblemswhenwearefacedwithsomethingunfamiliarordifficult.Westart worrying aboutmakingmistakes, becausemistakesmean that welackability,andthiscreatesalotofanxietyandfrustration....

Successoftenasksthequestion,“WhatamIgetting?”Improvementalways

asks,“WhatamIbecoming?”

TheGet-Bettermindset,ontheotherhand,ispracticallybullet-proof.When we think about what we are doing in terms of learning andmastering,acceptingthatwemaymakesomemistakesalongtheway,westaymotivateddespitethesetbacksthatmightoccur.14Kouzes and Posner in The Leadership Challenge wrote, “Leaders must

challengetheprocesspreciselybecauseanysystemwillunconsciouslyconspiretomaintainthestatusquoandpreventchange.”15Ifyou’releadingagroupofpeople, then it’syour responsibility tobringanattitudeof improvement to theteamand tohelpothersembrace it.When individualsexperience improvementanditaddsvaluetotheminwaystheyvaluemost,itchangestheirperspectiveonwhat’spossibleandexpandstheirpotential.

Leadersmustchallengetheprocesspreciselybecauseanysystemwill

unconsciouslyconspiretomaintainthestatusquoandpreventchange.

—JAMESM.KOUZESANDBARRYZ.POSNER

Iwant to sayonemore thingabout improvementhere. I believe achieving

anymeasureof successcan impairourability to imagineachievingsomethingbetter. I used to get so excited after being part of any successful event that Iwouldsay,“Itdoesn’tgetanybetterthanthis!”Butthetruthisthatevenwhenwe’rehighlysuccessful,weneedtokeeplookingforwaystoimprove.

Ithinkofthisasthe“horizonofsuccess”effect.Here’swhatImeanbythat.When we succeed, it becomes hard to see the potential that lies beyond thathorizon of success. But we can’t let that stop us from continuing to striveforward to improve.We need to keep ourselves frombecoming satisfied.Theold adage “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” can cripple us when it comes toimprovingourselvesandthosearoundus.

Anexampleof theneedtoovercomethehorizonofsuccesscanbeseeninmyworkonrevisingthisbook.WhywouldIreviseabookthathassoldmorethan2millioncopies? In thenonfictionpublishingworld, that’sagrandslam.BecauseIknewIcouldmakeitbetter.Thatattitudeofstrivingtogettothenextlevelisinvaluableforaleader.

5.REENTEROnce you’ve tested a new way of doing something, failed, learned, and

applied what you’ve learned, you’re ready to reenter the race with yourwhatever-it-takes attitude strengthened and with new ways to approachchallengesandleadothers.I’vefoundthatwhenI’vegonethroughthisprocess,mycommitmenthasincreased,andthathasmademeabetterleader.

Inthemid-1970s,whileIwasleadingmysecondcongregationinLancaster,Ohio,I facedsomechallenges that temptedmetoquit.ButIknewthatwasn’tthe right thing for me to do. I wanted to persevere. So every time I triedsomethingnew and failed, I tried to learn from it and apply it tomy life so Icould improve.But that didn’t keepme from becoming discouraged. To fightthat, I wrote something to keep myself going. It was inspired by ScottishmountaineerW.H.Murray. I kept thosewordswithme on a laminated card.Here’swhatthecardsaid:

COMMITMENTISTHEKEY

UntilIamcommittedthereisahesitancy,thechancetodrawback. But themoment I definitely commitmyself thenGod

movesalsoandawholestreamofeventsbegin toerupt.Allmanner of unforeseen incidents, meetings, persons andmaterial assistance that I could have never dreamed wouldcome my way begin to flow toward me . . . the moment Imakeacommitment.

Later,whenIwasleadingmythirdchurchinSanDiego,Ihadcardswiththesame message printed and laminated so I could give them out to my staff. Iwanted them to be inspired to renew their resolve and keep leading at timeswhentheyfeltdiscouraged.

I hope this chapter on attitude has inspired you to dedicate yourself todevelopingawhatever-it-takesattitudeso thatyouexperience theextraplus inleadership.Thatpluswillgiveyouanedge,notonlyinyourownthinking,butalsoinyourabilitytoattract,lead,andinspireothers.

If you’re like me, you benefit from reading positive words to maintain apositiveattitude.I’malwaysonthelookoutforbooksandquotesthatinspiremeto keep my head up and encourage the members of my team. Recently IdiscoveredsomethingfromMarkBatterson,authorofabookcalledChase theLion.InitheofferswhathecallstheLionChaser’sManifesto.Mark,likeme,isapersonoffaith,soIhopeyouwon’tbeoffendedbyhisperspective.Butevenifyouskipoverhis remarks related toGodand faith, Ibelieveyouwill findhiswordsinspiring.

LionChaser’sManifestoQuitlivingasifthepurposeoflifeistoarrivesafelyatdeath.

Runtotheroar.SetGod-sizedgoals.PursueGod-givenpassions.Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine

intervention.Stoppointingoutproblems.Becomepartofthesolution.Stoprepeatingthepast.Startcreatingthefuture.Faceyourfears.Fightforyourdreams.Grabopportunitybythemaneanddon’tletgo!Liveliketodayisthefirstdayandthelastdayofyourlife.Burnsinfulbridges.Blazenewtrails.

Livefortheapplauseofnail-scarredhands.Don’t letwhat’swrongwithyoukeepyou fromworshiping

what’srightwithGod.Daretofail.Daretobedifferent.Quitholdingout.Quitholdingback.Quitrunningaway.Chasethelion.16

Whatever the lion is in your life, I encourage you to adopt awhatever-it-takesattitudeandtochasethelionforallyou’reworth.Evenifyounevercatchit,you’llneverregretit.

DEVELOPINGTHEPOSITIVEBELIEVERWITHINYOU

I’veobservedthatpeoplearebornwithanaturalbentwhenitcomestoattitude.MyfathersaidverypositivethingstomysiblingsandIwhenweweregrowingup,andhewasaconstantencourager,butheadmittedtomethathewasnotbornthatway.Hehad towork tobecomeapositivebeliever inhisownabilityandthatofothers.

BORNWINNERORLOSER?What is your natural bent?Were you born thinking youwere awinner or

loser?Victororvictim?Ifyou’realreadypositive,great.Keepitup.Ifyouwerebornseeingtheglasshalfempty,youneedtoimproveyourattitudeifyouwantto develop the leader within you. Start the process by keeping a gratitudejournal.Everymorning,writealistofthethingsyou’regratefulfor.Don’tstartyour day until you’vewritten down at least one thing. And before you go tosleepatnight,addtothemorninglistallofthethingsyou’regratefulforfromthedayyou’vejustspent.Dayafterday,keepaddingtoyourgratitudelist.

Afteryou’vedonethiseverydayforasolidmonth,asksomeonewhoknowsyouwellwhetherthey’veseenanychangeinyourattitude.

FAILONPURPOSETakeaprofessionalriskthismonththatyouthinkislikelytofailsothatyou

can use the process outlined in the chapter to improve your attitude. Start bydecidingwhatthe“test”willbe.Writeoutthatfirststephere.

1.Test2.Fail3.Learn4.Improve5.Reenter

Onceyou’vewrittenwhat the testwill be, go do it. If you fail, thenwriteaboutitundernumber2.Andthenmoveontowhatyoulearned,howyoucanimprove,andwhatyoumustdotoreengageasaleader.

If you don’t fail, then still complete steps three through five, but then tryanothertest.Youwon’treallybenefitfromthisprocessuntilyou’vefailedandhadtoworkthroughit.

SEVEN

THEHEARTOFLEADERSHIP:

SERVINGPEOPLE

Ispentatotaloftwenty-sixyearsleadingchurchesasaseniorpastor.ButwhenIwasayoungleaderjustgettingstartedinmycareer,myfocuswasn’tinitiallyonservingpeople.Itwasondoingbigthingsandgettingahead.Allmytrainingand education assumed a hierarchical approach to leadership. Pastors wereeducated, ordained, and positioned to sit apart from and “above” theircongregations.Wewere expected to preachmessages, givewise counsel, andconduct the ordinances of the church. Themodels of leadershipwere all top-down.

ButthenIwenttohearZigZiglarspeak,andIheardhimsay,“Ifyouhelppeoplegetwhattheywant,theywillhelpyougetwhatyouwant.”Whathewasreallytalkingaboutwasservantleadership,andthatidearockedmyworld.

CHANGEOFHEART

Zig’s commentmademe realize something: Iwas trying to get others to helpme,not trying tohelp them. I realizedmyattitude towardpeoplewasn’t right.Andthatknowledgestartedmeonajourneythateventuallymademerealizethattheheartofleadershipisbasedonservingothers,notmyself.Itchallengedmetoinvertthe“powerpyramid,”puttingothersatthetopandmyselfatthebottom.

Theheartofleadershipisbasedonservingothers,notourselves.

servingothers,notourselves.

Istarted tochangemy leadership focus toempoweringothers todowhat Iwasdoing.AndtherealclinchercamewhenIreadapassageintheBibleasifforthefirsttime.Itsaid,“SoChristhimselfgavetheapostles,theprophets,theevangelists,thepastorsandteachers,toequiphispeopleforworksofservice,sothat the body of Christ may be built up.”1 This made it clear that myresponsibilityasapastorwastoequipGod’speopletodoHisworkandbuildupthechurch.FromthatmomentIrealizedIwasn’tsupposedtogetthepeopletohelpmebuildmycongregation.IwastoservepeopleandhelpthembuildGod’schurch.Fromthatdayon,myleadershiphasalwaysbeenaboutservingothers,andnotaboutbeingservedbyothers.

That was forty-five years ago. My thinking about leadership and myapproach to it has continued tobe shapedbyotherpeople in this area.RobertGreenleafhasbeenaninfluence.In1970hewroteanessaycalled“TheServantas Leader,” which he later expanded into the book Servant Leadership.Greenleafwrote:

Theservant-leaderisservantfirst. . . .Itbeginswiththenaturalfeelingthatonewantstoserve,toservefirst.Thenconsciouschoicebringsoneto aspire to lead. . . . The care taken by the servant-first [leader is] tomake sure that other people’s highest priority needs are being served.The best test, and difficult to administer, is: Do those served grow aspersons? Do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer,more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And,whatistheeffectontheleastprivilegedinsociety?Willtheybenefitoratleastnotbefurtherdeprived?2

Others books, such as Leadership Is an Art byMax De Pree, the formerchairmanofHermanMiller, andTheSoul of theFirm byC.WilliamPollard,chairman emeritus of ServiceMaster, also assisted me on my journey tobecomingaservantleader.Butthebookthatmadethegreatestimpressiononmewas Eugene Habecker’s The Other Side of Leadership. It convinced me thataddingvalue toothersneeded tobeat thecoreofmy leadership. I’vehad theprivilegeofknowingEugeneformorethanthirtyyears.Thewordsinhisbookare a description of his life. He said, “The true leader serves. Serves people.Servestheirbestinterests,andinsodoingwillnotalwaysbepopular,maynot

impress.Butbecausetrueleadersaremotivatedbylovingconcernratherthanadesireforpersonalglory,theyarewillingtopaytheprice.”3

InspiredbyEugene’slifeandhisbook,Imadetwodecisions:first,Iwouldplace the concerns of others abovemy own, and second, Iwould love peopleunconditionally.Thefirstwasamatterofthewill.Thesecondwasachangeinattitude.AndbecauseI’mapersonoffaith,IadoptedthefollowingwordsfromtheBibleandtookthemtoheartasthedesireofmylife:

Tellthoserichinthisworld’swealthtoquitbeingsofullofthemselvesand so obsessedwithmoney,which is here today and gone tomorrow.Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could evermanage—to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantlygenerous. If theydo that, they’ll build a treasury thatwill last, gaininglifethatistrulylife.4

AsIstrivetolivethisway,I’veadoptedsomeguidelinesthatItrytopracticedailytobecomeabetterservantleader:

•IDon’tRelyonMyPositionorTitle:I’mgratefulfortheaccomplishmentsI’vemade,butIdon’trelyonthemtohelpmelead.IworktoearnrespecteverydaybydeliveringonwhatIpromiseandbyservingothers.

•IChoosetoBelieveinPeopleandTheirPotential:Icareaboutpeoplebecauseit’stherightthingtodo.Buttherearealsopracticalreasonsforbelievinginpeople.I’vefoundthatthemoreIbelieveinpeople’spotentialandthemoreIservethem,themoretheirpotentialincreases.Thatcreatesawinforeveryone.

•ITrytoSeeThingsfromthePerspectiveofOthers:It’spossibletoleadandserveotherswellonlywhenyouknowtheirmindsandhearts.Iintentionallyconnectwithpeopleandtrytoseefromtheirpointofviewtoservethembetter.

•IWorktoCreateanEnvironmentofEncouragement:Fewthingsarebetterthanbeingonateamofpeoplewhodesiretoserveoneanother.Whenleadersarewillingtoservepeopleandencourageotherstoserve,aspiritofcooperationemergeswhereit’s“oneforallandallforone.”Thatmakestheenvironmentpositiveanddevelopsasenseofloyaltyamongteammembers.

•IMeasureMySuccessbyHowMuchValueIAddtoOthers:Whenyou

decidetoserveothersasaleader,theteam’ssuccessbecomesyoursuccess.IrememberwhenIexperiencedthatchangeinthinking.Itfeltasthoughmyworldimmediatelyexpanded.Itistrue:oneistoosmallanumbertoachievegreatness.Fewthingssurpasshelpingyourteamtowintogether.

I’mstillnotwhereIwouldliketobewhenitcomestoservingpeople,butI’mcontinuallystrivingtogetbetteratit.

THEPOWEROFSERVINGOTHERSMydesire to serve people comes out ofmy faith, but you don’t need faith towanttoserveothers.Theattitude,priority,andpracticeofservingothersmakegoodbusinesssenseandareaccessible toanyone.OrganizationalconsultantS.ChrisEdmondsdefines servant leadershipas“aperson’sdedication tohelpingothersbetheirbestselvesathome,work,andintheircommunity.Anyonecanserve—and lead—from any position or role in a family, workplace, orcommunity.”5

Whenyoudecidetoserveothersasaleader,theteam’ssuccessbecomes

yoursuccess.

If you look at thewords ofmanyhighly admired leaders, you can see thetheme of serving others in their attitudes toward leadership. Here are a fewexamples:

•GeorgeWashington:“Everypostishonorableinwhichamancanservehiscountry.”

•BenjaminFranklin:“Nooneisuselessinthisworldwholightenstheburdenofitforsomeoneelse.”

•MahatmaGandhi:“Thebestwaytofindyourselfistoloseyourselfintheserviceofothers.”

•AlbertSchweitzer:“Idon’tknowwhatyourdestinywillbe,butonethingIdoknow:theonlyonesamongyouwhowillbereallyhappyarethosewho

havesoughtandfoundhowtoserve.”•MartinLutherKingJr.:“Everybodycanbegreat,becauseeverybodycanserve.”

•NelsonMandela:“Istandherebeforeyounotasaprophet,butasahumbleservantofyou,thepeople.”

All thesepeoplehaveone thing incommon; theywere transformational intheir own lives, and the lives they touched were beautifully changed. Theirvalues transferred toothers.Theirworksofservicenotonlyhelpedothers,butbecamemodelsforotherstoemulate.Asthesayinggoes,theywereconcernedwith teachingpeoplehow to fish, not just giving thema fish.Theywanted toencourage autonomy among the people and create prosperity for futuregenerationsthroughlastingchange,notcultivatepeople’sdependencebasedontheirservicetotheirleader.

Nooneisuselessinthisworldwholightenstheburdenofitforsomeone

else.

—BENJAMINFRANKLIN

AnnMcGee-CooperandDuaneTrammellhaveaninterestingperspectiveonthis subject. They believe that leaders have been positioned as heroes inorganizationsandinourculture.Instead,theybelieve,leadersneedtoshiftfromheroes to servants. In an article titled “From Hero-as-Leader to Servant-as-Leader,” theywrote, “The true heroes of the newmillenniumwill be servant-leaders, quietly working out of the spotlight to transform our world.” Howshouldtheydothat?Theylistfivethings.Servantleadersshouldlistenwithoutjudgment,beauthentic,buildcommunity,sharepower,anddeveloppeople.6

QUESTIONSTOHELPYOUSERVEPEOPLEBETTER

It ismygreat desire for you to develop into a leaderwho serves others everyday. To help you do that, I want to offer you some questions you can ask

yourselfthatwillhelpyou.

1.THEADDING-VALUEQUESTION:“WHATCANIDOFORPEOPLETOHELPTHEMSUCCEED?”

HelenKellerobserved, “Alonewecando so little.Togetherwecando somuch.” Because servant leaders define others’ success as their success, theyfocusonhelpingothers succeed.Oneof thebestways todo that isbyaddingvaluetopeople.

AsIwritethesewords,therearefourcallsonmyschedulethatIwillmakelatertoday.TwoarecallstopeopleIammentoring.Ianticipatethattheywillbeaskingmetogivethemguidanceonleadershipissues.Iwilldomyverybesttohelpthemnavigatetheirchallengeseffectively.

TheothertwocallsarewithleadersoftwocompaniesforwhomIwillsoonbespeaking.Thesepre-callshavebeenplannedsothatIcandiscoverhowIcanbest servemy hostswhen I speak to their people. I do calls like these beforeeveryspeakingengagementandaskalotofquestions,suchas:

•Doyouhaveathemefortheconference?•Whatareyourexpectationsofme?•Whatthingsdoyouwantmetosaythatwillhelpyouthemost?•Beyondspeaking,isthereanythingelseIcandoforyou?

Myassistant,LindaEggers,alwaysjoinsmeonthesecallsandtakesdetailednotessowedon’tmissanything.OnlyafteraskingtheseandotherquestionsandlisteningtotheiranswersdoIsharewaysIthinkIwillbeabletohelpthem.AndIalwaysverifywiththemthatI’montherighttrack.

WhydoIgotoallthistrouble?Myroleissimple:tospeakandserve.I’veobservedtoomanyspeakerswhohaveonlyafewcannedspeechesthattheyusewitheveryaudience,nomatterwhatthataudiencemayneedorwant.Mydesireis toservemyhostandmyaudience. I’lldevelopaspeech to fit their specificagendabecauseIknowit’snotaboutme.ThequestionI’maskingattheendofmy timewith them is, “Did I helpyou?” I agreewith theperspectiveofTomPeters, who said, “Organizations exist to serve. Period. Leaders live to serve.Period.”

Organizationsexisttoserve.Period.

Organizationsexisttoserve.Period.Leaderslivetoserve.Period.

—TOMPETERS

One of the best servant leaders I know is Mark Cole, the CEO of mycompanies.Heis thebest“secondperson”Ihaveeverworkedwith.Whenwebegan our journey together, he asked me how he could best serve me. Myanswerwassimple:“Stayclosetomeandrepresentmewelltomycompanies.”This request alignswith theProximityPrinciple that I teachand follow: thoseclosesttotheleaderfindthemostopportunitiestoservethatleader.

Mark usually travels with me so we can continually talk about thecompanies.Butwhenwearenottogetherphysically,wearestillclosetogether.Markmakeshimselfavailabletome24/7.Sodoesmyassistant,LindaEggers,whohasbeenwithmeformorethanthirtyyears.Andtheybothdoitwithjoy.Theiragendaistofulfillmyagenda.

AsMarkservesme,Ialsoservehim.Myanswertothequestion“WhatcanIdoforhimtohelphimsucceed?”istogivehimmytime.ImentorMark.Imakesure he has the resources he needs to do his work. And I actively seekopportunities for him to grow.Currently, I’m helping himwork on his publicspeaking.

2.THEEVERYDAYQUESTION:“WHATDOPEOPLENEEDFROMMEDAILYTHATTHEYMAYNOTWANTTOASKFOR?”

Thebestservantleadersanticipatewhattheirpeopleneedfromthem.Theyare proactive in helping the people they lead. Too many leaders have theattitude,“Iftheyneedsomething,letthemask.Mydoorisalwaysopen.”Here’sa thought: insteadof leaving the door open, goout of the door towhere yourpeopleareand look forwhat theyneed.Thengive it to thembefore theyevenask.Youcan’t assume thatothershave the samedesires andexpectationsyoudo.

IgreatlyadmirePopeFrancis.Itwasmyprivilegetomeethimandobservehis servant leadership in action for a fewhours.Recently I readamessagehegavetothedeaconsofthechurch,inwhichhesaid:

Howdowe become “good and faithful servants” (cf.Mt 25:21)?As a

firststep,weareaskedtobeavailable.Aservantdailylearnsdetachmentfromdoingeverythinghisownwayandlivinghislifeashewould.Eachmorninghetrainshimselftobegenerouswithhislifeandtorealizethattherestofthedaywillnotbehisown,butgivenovertoothers.Onewhoservescannothoardhisfreetime;hehastogiveuptheideaofbeingthemasterofhisday.Heknowsthathistimeisnothisown,butagiftfromGodwhichisthenofferedbacktohim.Onlyinthiswaywillitbearfruit.Onewhoservesisnotaslavetohisownagenda,buteverreadytodealwith theunexpected, ever available tohisbrothers and sisters andeveropentoGod’sconstantsurprises.Aservantknowshowtoopenthedoorsof his time and inner space for those aroundhim, including thosewhoknock on those doors at odd hours, even if that entails setting asidesomething he likes to do or giving up some well-deserved rest. Deardeacons,ifyoushowthatyouareavailabletoothers,yourministrywillnotbeself-serving,butevangelicallyfruitful.7

That’sgreatadviceforall leaders,not just faith-basedones.Servingothersbeginswith attitude and then becomes action. If you ask yourselfwhat othersneed and act on your findings every day, serving others will soon become ahabit.

IloveasongthatwaswrittenbymyfriendstheGoads.Theyareafamilyofsingers who have servants’ hearts. When my son Joel was a teenager goingthrough a rough patch, they took him on tourwith them as part of their techcrew.Itgavehimachancetospreadhiswingsanddevelophistalentsandskills.Theyalsolovedhimandinvestedinhim.

ThesongtheGoadswroteiscalled“FollowMe.”Here’swhatitsays:

Iwanttobesomeonewhomakesthingsbetter.Someonewhohelpsyoureachtheverytop.Neverholdingback,doingmorethanwhatisasked,IamgoingtogiveiteverythingIhavegot.

Followme,Iamrightbehindyou.Letmehelpyoulifttheload.Letmemake your burdens lighterAswe are heading downthisroad.

Ibelieveinwhatyouaredoing.Letmehelpyouseeitthrough.I’lldoeverythingIcantomakeyourdreamscometrue.Followme,Iamrightbehindyou.

Iwillseektoanswerproblemswithsolutions.Iwillgivemystrongestefforteveryday.Introubleandintrial,Iwillgotheextramile.Wewillreachthegoalnomatterwhatittakes.

Nevermakingexcuses.Puttingitallontheline.Willingtodowhatotherswon’t.DoingmorethanwhatisexpectedEvenwhenitisn’tmyjob.Thegoalismoreimportantthantherole.8

Thoselyricscapturethemind-setofpeoplewhogivewhatothersneed,evenwhentheymaynotbewillingtoask.Asleaders,that’showweshouldthink.

3.THE IMPROVEMENTQUESTION:“WHATCAN IWORKONTHATWILLHELPMESERVEPEOPLEBETTER?”

Servantleadershipisallaboutthepersonyouserve.Togrowineffectivenessyoumust value what is valuable to that person. It is not enough to just “getbetter.”Wemustgetbetterintheareasthatareimportanttotheonesweserve.Asa leader,doyoupossesswhatyour teammembersneed, specifically in theareasthatcanbenefityourpeople?

Morethantwentyyearsago,CharlieWetzelcamealongsidemetohelpmewithmywriting load.Charlie couldwrite, but hedidn’t reallyknowmewell.ThefirstthingIdidwasgivehimasetofonehundredofmylessonsoncassetteso thathecouldstart tounderstandmyspeakingstyle.But Iknew thatwasn’tenough.Ineededtobeproactiveinservinghimsothathecouldservemeandmyorganizations.

Oneof the things I didwasgiveCharlie a bookof quotes and askhim to

markwhatheconsidered thebestones.Afterhedid that, I looked throughthesamebookandmarked thequotes I thoughtwere thebest.Thenwecomparedour choices. In the beginning, 90 percent of our choices didn’t match. So Iexplainedwhy I liked the quotes I picked so that he understoodmy thinking.Thenwe did this exercise again, and again.After doing this a few times, ourchoicesmatched90percentofthetime.IfIhadn’ttakenresponsibilityfortryingtohelpCharlie,itwouldhavemadehisjobmuchmoredifficult.

To bring out the best in others, I first have to bring out the best inme. Icannot givewhat I do not have.Neither can you.And here’s the good news:your self-respect will be strengthened as you become better. The wins youexperienceontheoutsidewithyourteamwillbetheresultofthevictoriesyoufirstexperienceontheinside.Eachstepofimprovementwillallowyoutofeelgoodaboutyourselfandyourjourney.AsmyfriendMarkColesays,“Aservantleader’svaluerestsinwhyhedoeswhathedoesandhowwellhedoesit,notinwhathedoesorhowoftenhedoesit.Thisallowshimtofindvalueinwhoheis.”

Tobringoutthebestinothers,Ihavetofirstbringoutthebestinme.IcannotgivewhatIdonothave.Neithercan

you.

Asaservantleader,whenyouimproveyourselfinareasthatareimportanttothepeopleyou lead, not onlydoyouget better, but youmake thepersonyouserve better. That compounds your and their effectiveness. And it has a highreturnbothpersonallyandorganizationally.

4.THEEVALUATIONQUESTION:“HOWWILL IKNOWTHAT IAMSERVINGPEOPLEWELL?”

Oneof the lessonsI teach inTheLeadershipHandbook is this: toseehowtheleaderisdoing,lookatthepeople.Oftentheanswertohowwelltheleaderisdoingiscleartooutsideobservers.Buthowdotheleadersthemselvesdiscovertheanswer?Howdotheyknowwhethertheyareservingtheirpeoplewell?

Yesterday I invested an hour in mentoring a young leader who has great

potential.Oneofthethingsheaskedmewas“WhataretheessentialsthatIneedto know and do as I begin to establish my leadership?”My answer was twowords:questions andexpectations.My advice to him also helps leaders knowhowtheyareservingtheirpeople.

It’s essential to ask questions as a leader.How elsewill you knowwhereyourpeoplearementallyandemotionally?Howelsewillyouknowwhat theywantandneed?Howelsewillyouknowhowtoleadthem?Asayoungleader,Iused to give direction and then ask questions. (The questions weremostly toverifythatpeopleunderstoodmydirection.)TodayIaskquestionsfirstbeforeIeventrytogivedirection.

Setting expectations is also essential. In my younger years I would try to“sneak” expectations into the dialoguewithmy teammembers, giving them alittlebitatatime,hopingovertimetheywouldgetitsothatIwouldn’thavetobe toodirect.Toomany times theynever did understandwhat Iwanted.Thatfrustrated both of us. Today I set up expectations at the beginning of anyendeavor. This gives clarity to the entire team. I also ask to know theexpectationsofthepeopleI’mleading.Ineedtoknowwhatawinlooksliketothem.

I’vetalkedalotaboutMarkCole,myCEO,becauseheissuchawonderfulservantleader.Heservesmewellandservesthepeopleintheorganizationsheleads.Infact,hegoesaboveandbeyondandalwaysworkshardtoexceedmyexpectations.Hedelivers—andthensome.

While Iwaspreparing towrite this chapter, I askedMark, “How is it thatyou consistently exceed expectations for the team?” His answer was veryrevealing.Hesaidtherearefivethingshecontinuallydoes:

•StayclosetomesohecanknowwhatI’mthinking;thisallowshimtocommunicatemyvisiontotheteam.

•Checkwithmetomakecertainthatheisontrackservingthecompanies.•Askhimself,“HowcanIexceedexpectationsforourclientsandtheteam?”•Continuallyasktheteamhowtheybelievetheycanexceedclientexpectations.

•Takepersonalresponsibilityfordeliveringwhatothersneedandthensome.

Mark tellsme that I have a higher belief in him than he does in himself,whichhelps to fuelhim. I feel that’s the least Icando toservehim.Andasaleader,Iwanthimtotransferthatbelieftothepeopleheleads.

Ifyouhadtogiveyourselfareportcardonhowyou’reservingyourpeople,howwouldyouscoreyourself?Doyouknowwhatyourpeople’sexpectationsareforyou,andareyousharingyourexpectationsclearly?Areyouaskingyourpeople questions so they can tell youwhat you’re doingwell andwhere youcould improve? If you’re not evaluating your performance in serving them,you’reprobablynotdoingitaswellasyoucouldbe.

5.THEBLINDSPOTQUESTION:“WHATISITLIKEFORTHEPEOPLEWHOWORKWITHME?”

Thisquestionismyfavoritebecauseithashelpedmethemost.Weallhaveblind spots, thingswedon’t see about ourselves. I don’t always seemyself asothers see me, and I don’t always see things as others do. I’m certain thosethingsarealsotrueforyou.

If you have leadership responsibilities, your blind spots are compounded.Because leaders have power and authority, the people around them are oftenintimidatedandthinktheycannotbeopenandhonestwiththem.Andthehigheryou are in leadership, the more difficult it is to get a true read on what’shappeningaroundyou.Peopleoftentellleaderswhattheywanttohear,notwhattheyneedtohear.Sothatmeansasaleader,youhavepersonalblindspotsplusyou don’t always receive honest feedback from the people who know yourfaults.

Howcanthischallengebeovercome?Asaleader,Imaketwoassumptions.First, IassumeIhaveblindspots thathurtme.Second, I recognize thatotherscould be intimidated and may not always be willing to help me with them.Therefore,Iaskthisquestion,“Whatisitliketobeontheothersideofthetablefromme?”

TheanswersIdiscoverarenotalwayscomfortable,butifImaintainagoodattitude,theycanhelpmetobeself-correcting.HerearesomeexamplesofwhatIknowaboutmyself:

•Ialwaysthinkthingscanbedonemorequicklythantheyactuallycan.•Idon’tappreciatethestrugglesmostpeopledealwith.•Itoooftenassumepeopleinstantlyunderstandmyvisionandwilllineupwithit.

•I’mimpatient.(That’sshortandtothepoint.)•IbelieveeveryoneiscapableofdoingwhatIdoiftheyarewillingtoputintheeffort.

theeffort.•Imoveonfromdifficultiesquicklyandexpectotherstodothesameatmyspeed.

Icouldgoonandon,butIdon’twanttoboreyou.Yougettheidea.Totry toovercomemymanyblindspots, Iamalwaysasking,“WhatamI

missing?” and “Can you help me?” I have given the people around mepermissiontospeaktruthintomylife.ItistheonlywayIcanbeprotectedfrommyblindspots.

Another question I continually ask myself is “Am I working to serve thepeoplearoundmeorformyownpersonalgain?”Thehonestanswershouldbeboth.However, ifmyownpersonalgaincontinuallyoutweighs servingothers,thereisaproblemwithmyleadership.I’velosttheheartofleadingothers,andIhave to remindmyself that if Iputservingothers first, thenpersonalgainwillusuallycomeontheheelsofitautomatically.

RecentlyIreadsomegreatadvicethathelpsmestaygroundedasaservantleader. It came fromDanPrice, the founder andCEOofGravityPayments, acreditcard–processingcompanythatsupportsindependentbusiness.Pricewrotethattobecomeservantleaders,peopleshoulddothefollowing:

1.Insteadofspendingyourtimedefiningexpectationsforyourteam,spenditidentifyinghowyoucansupportthem.

2.Haveyourteamkeepaneyeonyouractionsratherthantheotherwayaround.

3.Askforfeedbackratherthantellingyourteamwhattodo.4.Resisttheurgetoaccumulatepower.Focusongivingitaway.9

Whatisitlikeforpeoplewhositontheothersideofthetableordeskfromyou?Haveyouthoughtaboutthat?Toooftenweassumeit’seasy.Oftenit’snot.The stronger your leadership and your personality, themore difficult it is forotherstoworkwithyou.Cultivateaservant’sheartandyouhelptodiminishthatdifficultyforthepeopleyoulead.

6. THE RESPECT QUESTION: “HOW CAN I GAIN VALUE WHILEADDINGVALUETOOTHERSBYSERVING?”

Many years ago, I read Bringing Out the Best in People by Alan LoyMcGinnis. It was a book that I would read and reread because I found the

messageso impacting.Thestatement thatmade thegreatest lasting impressionon me was “There is no more noble occupation in the world than to assistanotherhumanbeing,tohelpsomeoneelsesucceed.”10

Thereisnomorenobleoccupationintheworldthantoassistanotherhumanbeing,tohelpsomeoneelsesucceed.

—ALANLOYMCGINNIS

In 1995 when I resigned my prestigious position as the senior pastor ofSkylineChurch, Idid sobecause Iwasmakingan intentional transition. Ihaddeveloped leaders in my congregations for twenty years, but I had started towonderwhatwouldhappenifIspentallofmytimeservingleadersalloverthecountry.What if I spent my time helping others reach new levels of successinsteadofjustbeingsuccessfulmyself?

Imadethechangeanddidn’tlookback.Now,morethantwentyyearslater,Icantellyouwithoutadoubtthatit’smorefunhelpingotherswinthanwinningmyself.MarianneWilliamsonwasrightwhenshesaid,“Successmeanswegotosleep at night knowing that our talents and abilities were used in a way thatservedothers.”Inowfindgreatvalueinaddingvaluetoothers.

Servingotherspurifies ourmotives.Doing thingswell for the right reasongives great value to us. So every time I add value, I gain value.AsDieter F.Uchtdorf said,“Aswe loseourselves in the serviceofothers,wediscoverourownlivesandourownhappiness.”

7. THE GIFTEDNESS QUESTION: “WHAT DO I DO BEST THATALLOWSMETOSERVEPEOPLEBEST?”

Asleaders,weserveothersbestintheareaswherewearemostgifted.AsIlookbackonmylife,IcanseethatthebestleadersIhadusedtheirgiftstobringout thebest inme.Thatstartedwithmyfather.Notonlydidheusehisgiftofencouragementtoinspiremeandgivemeconfidence,healsousedhisrelationalconnectionstointroducemetoinfluentialleadersandequipmeforleadership.

AnotherpersonwhohelpedmewasmymentorTomPhillippe.WhenIwas

inmy early thirties, and had an opportunity tomake a career transition,Tom,whowasafantasticbusinessman,tookovermylittlefledglingbusinesstokeepit fromdyinguntil Ionceagainhadenough time to take itback.Tomandmyfatherarejusttwoofmanyleaderswhohaveusedtheirbestgiftstoserveme.

I’ve tried to do the same for others. My greatest gifts are in speaking,writing,andmentoring.NotonlydoesmyspeakingservethepeopleIteach,butitalsohelpsmycompaniesbyconnectingmetootherleadersandorganizations.AndI’vemadeitaregularpracticetomentorup-and-comingleaders.Anhourortwowithahigh-potentialleaderacoupleoftimesayearcanhelpthemanswercritical leadership questions and assist them in navigating issueswhere I havesomeexperience.

Thinkaboutwhatyoudobest thatwillallowyoutoserveothersbest.Usethesequestionstohelpyou:

•Whataremystrengths?HowcanIusethemtoserveothers?•Whatismybackground?HowcanIuseittoserveothers?•Whataremyexperiences?HowcanIusethemtoserveothers?•Whataremyopportunities?HowcanIusethemtoserveothers?•WhatdoIlove?HowcanIuseittoserveothers?•WhereamIgrowing?HowcanIusethattoserveothers?

The leaderswhoworkwithme are striving to serve otherswith their bestgifts.MarkColeisgoodwithpeople,sohespendsmostofhistimethere.PaulMartinelli,thepresidentoftheJohnMaxwellTeam,myorganizationthattrainsspeakers and coaches, is best at strategic production, so he serves others byfiguring out how to continually grow and improve the organization.MeridithSimes has a fantasticmind formarketing, so she is helpingmy organizationsconnectwithpeoplesotheyhaveaccess toresources theyneed.Whateveryoudobestiswhatyoushouldusetoserveothersmost.

8. THE EXAMPLE QUESTION: “HOW CAN I SERVE PEOPLE IN AWAYTHATWILLINSPIRETHEMTOSERVEOTHERS?”

Recently I hosted a meeting at the Breakers resort in Palm Beach. It’s abeautiful facility, and the service isexcellent.While Iwas there, I struckupaconversationwithexecutivevicepresidentandchiefsalesandmarketingofficerDavidBurke,andhetoldmeabouttheorganization’sfocusonservice.“Servant

leadership is at the core of everything we do here at the Breakers,” he said.“Everynewteammembergoesthroughatwo-dayorientationpriortobeginningtheirnormalduties.Duringhalfof the finaldayof theorientationprocess, thenewhiresaccompanyaseniorexecutivetogooutandperformfourtofivehoursof community service at one of the many organizations around the county:UrbanYouth Impact,HomelessCoalition,FoodBank, theLord’sPlace,ARC,andsoon.Weservenotonlyourguests,buteachotherandthecommunity.Wepayouremployeestogooutontheirdaysofftoperformcommunityservice.”

Davidsaidhebelieves thatwhat theydofor thecommunity is their legacyandmoreimportantthanfinancialresults.Ilovethat.AndIlovethattheirseniorexecutivesleadthechargeastheyservepeople.

Asaleader,IamalwaysveryconsciousoftheexampleIsetforeveryoneIleadandserve.AndthatoftenpromptsmetobemoreopenandvulnerablethanIotherwisemightbe.WhenIwasgettingready to turnsixty, Ispentsome timethinkingaboutwhoIwantedtobeasIenteredwhatfeltlikeanewstageoflife.So after spending some timewithGod, Iwrote a prayer toHim aboutwho IhopedHewouldhelpmetobecome.I’mveryawareofmyshortcomings,andIwantedGod’shelptopleaseHimandtobecomemorelikeJesus,whowasnotaboveservingothers,evendoingthemenialworkofwashingHisdisciples’feet.

Iwrote the prayer formyself, but I quickly felt prompted to share itwithothers,eventhoughitrevealssomeofmypersonalstruggles.AndIshareitwithyounowinthehopethatithelpsyou.Myprayeratsixtywasthis:

Lord,asIgrowolder,Iwouldliketobeknownas...Available—ratherthanahardworker.Compassionate—morethancompetent.Content—notdriven.Generous—insteadofrich.Gentle—overbeingpowerful.Listener—morethanagreatcommunicator.Loving—versusquickorbright.Reliable—notfamous.Sacrificial—insteadofsuccessful.Self-controlled—ratherthanexciting.Thoughtful—morethangifted.Iwanttobeafootwasher!

More than tenyearshavepassedsince Iwrote thatprayer. I’mnow inmyseventies, and I’mstillworking tobecome the servant I desire tobe. I havealongwaytogo,butI’mgivingitmyall.

Whyyou lead and thewayyou lead are important.Theydefine you, yourleadership, and ultimately your contribution. By humbling yourself and“steppingdown”fromyourposition,andbymakingservicetoothersacorepartofyourleadershipvalues,you,ironically,raiseyourgame,becauseyouhelpandempowerothers.Perhapsthat’swhyChinesephilosopherLao-Tzuwrote,“Thehighesttypeofrulerisoneofwhoseexistencethepeoplearebarelyaware....TheSage is self-effacingand scantyofwords.Whenhis task is accomplishedandthingshavebeencompleted,allthepeoplesay,‘Weourselveshaveachievedit.’”11

DEVELOPINGTHESERVANTWITHINYOU

Tobecomealeaderwhoservesothers,youneedtofocusonmakingchangesintwoareas.

DEVELOPTHEHEARTOFASERVANTServant leadership develops from the inside out. People can sense your

attitude toward them.Theycan tell ifyou lookdownon themorwant toraisethemup.Theyknowifyouwant tohelp themorhinder theminorder tohelpyourself.Theysensewhetheryouarealadderclimberoraladderbuilder.That’swhyservingothershastobegininyourheart.

Doyougenuinelycareaboutpeopleandwanttohelpthembetheirbest?Doyouwantothers to succeedat least asmuchasyouwant to succeedyourself?Most of us are selfish (me included).We each have to work at developing aservant’sheart.Ifyouneedhelpwiththeprocess,youmaywanttotrydoingthethingsImentioninthechapter:

1.Don’tRelyonYourPositionorTitle:Howmustyouchangehowyouleadtomeetpeopleoncommongroundinsteadofrelyingonposition?

2.BelieveinPeopleandTheirPotential:Howcanyouencouragethesuccessofpeoplearoundyou,eventhoseyoudon’tlike?

3.SeeThingsfromthePerspectiveofOthers:Howcanyouconnectwithsomeonewhorubsyouthewrongwayorleavesyoucoldtolearnhisorherperspective?

4.CreateanEnvironmentofEncouragement:Whatpositivethingscanyousayeverydaytothepeopleonyourteamtomotivateandinspirethem?

5.MeasureYourSuccessbyHowMuchValueYouAddtoOthers:Whatmustyouchangesothatyoumeasurethesuccessofyourdaybyhowotherssucceed?

Startwiththesechanges,andseehowmuchyourattitudeimproves.

DEVELOPTHEHANDSOFASERVANTAchangeofheartislikegratitude.Ifitisunexpressed,ithaslittlevalue.As

you seek todevelop theheart of a servant, be sure to follow throughwith theactionsofaservant.Wakeupeverymorningthinkingabouthowyoucanhelpthe members of your team succeed—personally, professionally,developmentally, relationally, and so forth. If you make them better or moresuccessfulinanyway,you’reontherighttrack.

EIGHT

THEINDISPENSABLEQUALITYOFLEADERSHIP:

VISION

Vision is the indispensable quality of leadership.Without it, a team’s energyebbs,peoplebegintomissdeadlines,teammembers’personalagendasbegintodominate, production falls, and eventually teammembers scatter.With it, theteam’s energy surges, peoplemeet their deadlines, personal agendas fade intothebackground,productionincreases,andthepeopleworkingtogetherbecomeathrivingteam.

AsmyfriendAndyStanleysaid,“Visiongivessignificancetotheotherwisemeaninglessdetailsofourlives....Toomanytimestheroutinesoflifebegintofeellikeshovelingdirt.Buttakethosesameroutines,thosesameresponsibilities,andviewthemthroughthelensofvisionandeverythinglooksdifferent.Visionbrings your world into focus. Vision brings order to chaos. A clear visionenablesyoutoseeeverythingdifferently.”1

Clearvisiondoeswondersforateam,butitalsodoeswondersforaleader.Among its greatest benefits are direction and passion. For leaders, vision setsdirectionfortheirlives.It’slikehavingaroadmap.Itprioritizesbothactionandvalues, helping leaders remain focused.And it creates passion. It lights a firewithin leaders that can spread to others. As my friend Bill Hybels has said,“Visionisapictureofthefuturethatproducespassion.Thereisnosuchthingasan ‘emotionless vision.’” Perhaps that’s why Helen Keller, when asked whatwould be worse than being born blind, answered, “To have sight withoutvision.”

VISIONSTATEMENTS

Allleadershaveonethingincommon.Theyseemoreandbeforeothers.Whatmakesthatindispensableisthatitallowstheirfollowerstobeginexpandingtheirvision and acting on itmore quickly. If the leader doesn’t see the vision, thepeopleneverwill.

Whyisvisionsoimportantforaleader?Whymustyoubeabletoseewhatotherscan’t?Therearemanyreasons:

1.WHATYOUCANSEEDETERMINESWHATYOUCANBEIhaveoftenwonderedaboutwhether thevisionmakes the leaderor if the

leadermakesthevision.Afteryearsofthinkingaboutthisandobservingleaders,Ibelievethevisioncomesfirst.Ihaveknownmanyleaderswholostthevisionand,accordingly,losttheirpowertolead.

Peopledowhatpeoplesee.Thatisthegreatestmotivationalprincipleintheworld. In otherwords, people depend on the leader for visual stimulation anddirection.Andwhenitcomestovision,Ibelievetherearefourkindsofpeoplethatleadersencounter:

•Peoplewhoneverseeit—theyarewanderers.•Peoplewhoseeitbutneverpursueitontheirown—theyarefollowers.•Peoplewhoseeitandpursueit—theyareachievers.•Peoplewhoseeit,pursueit,andhelpothersseeandpursueit—theyareleaders.

The vastmajority of people fall into the first two categories. They do notpursueadreamontheirown.Andthosewhoarewillingtofollowdon’tgoafterthedreamdirectly;theyfollowleaderswhopossessadreamandwhohavetheabilitytocommunicateiteffectively.That’swhyit’ssoimportantforaleadertonurtureadreamorvisionandtakeresponsibilityforit.Onlywhenthathappenscan thevisiongrowand the leader attract a following.Couple avisionwith aleaderwillingtoimplementthatdream,andamovementbegins.

WhenIwasateenager,IreadAsaManThinkethbyJamesAllen.Ithadamajorimpactonmeandhelpedtobeginawakeningtheleaderwithinme.Allensaid,“Thedreamersarethesaviorsoftheworld.”Thatreallystirredmydesiretodreambig,andIbegantowonderhowIcouldhelpothersinabigway.

I came away from reading Allen’s book with two great lessons. First, Ineededtocherishmyideals.Allenwrote:

Cherishyourvisions.Cherishyourideals.Cherishthemusicthatstirsinyourheart,thebeautythatformsinyourmind,thelovelinessthatdrapesyourpurestthoughts,foroutofthemwillgrowalldelightfulconditions,allheavenlyenvironment;ofthese,ifyoubutremaintruetothem,yourworldwillatlastbebuilt.2

Second, I needed to mine for the gold. Allen wrote, “Only by muchsearchingandminingaregoldanddiamondsobtained,andmancanfindeverytruthconnectedwithhisbeing ifhewilldigdeep into themineofhis soul.”3Thevisionweembraceasleaderscomesfromwithinus,fromourbestthoughtsand noblest ideals, butwe have towork to bring them to the surface.Havingvisionasaleaderismyresponsibility.

2.YOUSEEONLYWHATYOUAREPREPAREDTOSEEGermanstatesmanKonradAdenauersaid,“Weall liveunder thesamesky

butwedon’tallhavethesamehorizon.”Everyonehasthepotential topossessvision,butnoteveryonedoes.Andthat’safunctionoftheirperspective.

Weallliveunderthesameskybutwedon’tallhavethesamehorizon.

—KONRADADENAUER

InA Savior for All Seasons,WilliamBarker relates the story of a bishopfrom theEastCoastwhopaid a visit to a small,Midwestern religious collegearound the beginning of the twentieth century. He stayed at the home of thecollege president, who also served as the college’s professor of physics andchemistry. After dinner, the bishop mentioned that he thought just abouteverythinginnaturehadbeendiscoveredandallinventionshadbeenconceived.

Thecollegepresidentpolitelydisagreedandsaidhefelttherewouldbemanymore discoveries.When the bishop challenged the president to name just one

such invention, thepresident repliedhewascertain thatwithinfiftyyearsmenwouldbeabletofly.

“Nonsense!”repliedthebishop.“Onlyangelsareintendedtofly.”The bishop’s name was Milton Wright, and he had two boys at home—

OrvilleandWilbur—whowouldprovetohavegreatervisionthantheirfather.4Thefatherandhissonsbothlivedunderthesamesky,buttheydidn’tallhavethesamehorizon.

Ifwewanttopossessavisionforourleadership,weneedtoprepareforit.Weneedtoanticipateit.Whenwepossesspositiveanticipationandareexcitedaboutwhat’sahead,we’rehighlymotivatedandwepreparediligently.Whenwedo this consistently, our sense of anticipation becomes the catalyst forinspiration.

3.WHATYOUSEEISWHATYOUGETThethirdthingyouneedtoknowaboutvision,inadditiontoknowingthat

what you see determineswhat you can be andwhat you see is what you arepreparedtosee,isthatwhatyoureceiveislargelybasedonwhatyouperceive.Leadersunderstand that theyhave tobelieve it tosee it,whilemostpeoplegothroughlifesaying,“Ihavetoseeittobelieveit.”

AgreatillustrationofthisconceptiscontainedinLuisPalau’sbookDreamGreatDreams.Palauwrote:

ThinkabouthowniceandrefreshingitistotasteacoldCoke.Hundredsof millions of people around the world have enjoyed this experience,thankstothevisionofRobertWoodruff.DuringhistenureaspresidentofCoca-Cola(1923–1955),Woodruffboldlydeclared,“WewillseethateverymaninuniformgetabottleofCoca-Colaforfivecentswhereverheisandwhateverthecosts.”WhenWorldWarIIhadended,Woodruffstated thatbeforehediedhewantedeveryperson in theworld tohavetastedCoca-Cola.RobertWoodruffwasamanofvision!

With careful planning and a lot of persistence, Woodruff and hiscolleaguesreachedtheirgenerationandaroundtheglobeforCoke.

When DisneyWorld first opened,Mrs.Walt Disney was asked tospeakattheGrandOpening,sinceWalthaddied.Shewasintroducedbyamanwhosaid, “Mrs.Disney, I justwishWalt couldhave seen this.”She stood up and said, “He did,” and sat down.WaltDisney knew it.

RobertWoodruff knew it. EvenFlipWilson knew it!What you see iswhatyouget.5

Asaleader,youmuststrivetoseemoreandbeforeothersdo.Youneedtohaveaspirations.YoumustbetheoppositeofwhatauthorKennethHildebrandcalledthe“mundaneman,”whomhedescribedasbelieving“onlywhathesees,onlywhatisimmediate,onlywhathecanputhishandson.”Hewentontosay:

Themundanemanlacksdepth.Helacksvision.Thepoorestofallmenisnot the one without a nickel to his name. He is the fellow without adream. Themundaneman resembles a great shipmade for themightyoceanbuttryingtonavigateinamillpond.Hehasnofarporttoreach,nolifting horizon, no precious cargo to carry. His hours are absorbed inroutine and petty tyrannies. Small wonder if he gets dissatisfied,quarrelsome and “fed up.” One of life’s greatest tragedies is a personwith10-by-12capacityandatwo-by-foursoul.6

Good leaders don’t allow themselves to be dragged down into mundaneterritory.Theysettheireyestothehorizonandtheirheartsonthepeople.Theyknow that a lot depends on their vision. That’s why my friend, Pastor RickWarren,echoingtheadviceofoneofhisprofessors,advisesthatifyouwanttoknowthetemperatureofyourorganization,youshouldputathermometerintheleader’smouth.7Leaderscan’ttaketheirpeoplefartherthantheycansee.That’swhytheirvisionneedstobeclear.

Ifyouwanttoknowthetemperatureofyourorganization,youshouldputathermometerintheleader’smouth.

—RICKWARREN

HOWTOINCREASEYOUR“MOREANDBEFORE”

AuthorNapoleonHill said, “Cherish your visions and dreams as they are the

children of your soul: the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.”8 Goodleadersseemoreandbeforeothers,andtheyworktoincreasethatcapacityonanongoingbasis.Thatmayseemlikeachallenge.Manypeoplebelievethateitheryouhaveitoryoudon’t.Idisagreewiththat.Ibelieveeveryonehasthecapacitytoimproveinthisarea.Here’show:

1.KNOWTHEREISMORE“MOREANDBEFORE”OUTTHEREMylifehasbeenoneofcontinualvisionexpansion.Addingvaluetopeople

was the birth ofmy vision. Today that vision has takenmany forms and hasexpanded far beyondmy initial hopes anddreams.As I reflect, I can thinkoftwodistinct timeswhen Iwas tempted to think therewasnomore “more andbefore”inmyvision.

Thefirstwasat thebeginningofmycareerduring thebirthofmyoriginaldreamof growing a church that could help people.Mydreamwas at itsmostvulnerableatthattime.Why?Becausethevisionwasnewtome.Ihadnotrackrecord of success in realizing a vision, and I lacked the experience needed toovercomethevisionchallengesbeforeme.Inaddition,Iwassusceptibletotheopinionsofmyfriends.Iftheywerenegative,andmanywere,Iwasindangerofdismissing the “more and before” I envisioned within me, and I might justdismissitasunattainable.IwishbackthenIwouldhaveknownaquotebyJonasSalk,thedeveloperofthepoliovaccine.Hesaid,“Firstpeoplewilltellyouthatyouarewrong.Thentheywilltellyouthatyouareright,butwhatyou’redoingreally isn’t important.Finally, theywill admit thatyouare rightand thatwhatyouaredoingisveryimportant;butafterall,theyknewitallthetime.”9

The second time Iwas tempted to give upon increasingmy ability to seemoreandbeforeoccurredwhenIwasinmymidforties.Ihadestablishedmyselfprofessionallyinmythirdchurch,Ihadaninfluentialposition,andIcouldhavebeensetforlife.IfeltasifIwerelivingonthemountaintop.WhatwouldIdo?Settlein?Orkeepstriving?

PsychologistJudithMeyerowitzsaidthatsomethinghappenstomanypeopleataroundageforty-five.Theylosethevisionofagreaterfutureforthemselves.Somepeoplestopworkingandbeginfantasizinginstead.10Ididn’twanttodothat. I didn’t want to be satisfied with the mountain I had climbed. I lookedaroundforahighermountaintopandstruckoutforit.

Todaytwoqualitieshelpkeepmefocusedonwaystoincreasemy“moreand

before:”creativityandflexibility.Harnessingcreativityhelpsmetobelievethereis always an answer.Thatmind-set enablesme to see things before others dobecause Iexpect to.Flexibility remindsme that there isalwaysmore thanoneanswer. That mind-set enables me to see more than others see. These twoconcepts greatly influence how I see the future. They allowme to thinkwithabundance and not scarcity. They convince me that there are no hopelesssituations,onlypeoplewhothinkhopelessly.

Iencourageyou toembrace those twoqualities.Andneverallowsomeoneelsetodetermineyourvision.Iftheydo,chancesaretheywillmakeittoosmall.

2.DEVELOPAPROCESSFORFINDINGMORE“MOREANDBEFORE”The Law of Design in The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth says, “To

maximizegrowth,developstrategies.”11Thatconceptworksaswellforvisionasitdoesforpersonalgrowth.Becausestrategiesarenothingmorethansystemsforobtainingspecificresults,theyarelikefreeways.Theycanhelpyouquicklygettowhereyouwanttogo.

Inchapter6IwroteabouttheprocessPaulMartinelliusestoputattitudeintoaction:Test→Fail→Learn→Improve→Reenter.Thatisalsoagreatprocesstoincreasethe“moreandbefore”inyourvision.

•Test:Getoutofyourcomfortzonebysharingyourvision.Onwhomcanyoutestittoseeifthereisapositiveresponse?Wherecanyoushareitthatyouhaven’tbefore?Youneverknowwhomightbenefitfromyourvisionuntilyoutestit.

•Fail:Failureallowsyoutofindoutwhatdoesn’twork.That’ssoimportant.Youwon’teliminatewhatdoesn’tworkuntilyouknowitdoesn’t.Whydon’twedothatmore?

•Learn:Ateachablespiritplushumilityfostersthelearningexperiencethatisessentialforexpandingyourvision.

•Improve:Asaleader,youneedtocontinuallyaskyourself,“AmIgettingbetter?”Thatisthequestiononeverysuccessfulperson’smindeachday.Thatistheroadtoimprovement.

•Reenter:Noneofthismattersunlessyougetbackintothegame.Thepersonwhofallsandgetsrightbackupmaybeadmiredforhistenacity,butthatdoeslittlegoodunlesshelearns,improves,andapplieswhathelearns.

Warren Bennis said, “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision intoreality.”12TheprocessIjustoutlinedwillhelpyoudoexactlythat.

3.SPENDTIMEWITHPEOPLEWHO INSPIREYOUTOSEE “MOREANDBEFORE”

Inchapter5ImentionedthatauthorJimCollinstaughtmeaboutaconceptthat he called “who luck,” the idea that the people you know make a hugedifferenceinyourlife.Ibelievewholuckisthedifferenceinyourlife.Ibelievewholuckisthemostimportantluckofall.Icanlookbackonmylifeandverifywhatadifferenceitmakes.Backin1971,asayoungpastor,IcalledthepastorsofthetenlargestchurchesinAmericaandaskedforathirty-minuteappointmentto ask themquestions about their leadership and success. Two of the ten saidyes,andmywho-luckjourneybegan.Myconversationswiththemhelpedmetoseemoreandbefore.Andthosetwoleadershelpedmemeettheothereightwhohadoriginallysaidno.

Leadershipisthecapacitytotranslatevisionintoreality.

—WARRENBENNIS

I can point to time after time in my life when I was around people whoexpanded my vision and made me want to be more than I was. And sincemeeting those two leaders, I have intentionally sought out people andexperiences thatwouldstretchmy leadershipgiftsandenlargemyvision.Andhere’swhatI’vediscovered:

•WhenI’mwiththerightpeopleandintherightplaces,Idon’tspendtime;Iinvestit.ThisiswhereIgetmygreatestROI.

•Wholuckis90percentintentionaland10percentaccidental.Youcan’tjusthopetomeetpeoplewhowillstretchyou.Hopeisnotastrategy.

•Itisimpossibletobearoundbiggerpeopleandnotbecomebiggeryourself.Thesekindsofexperiencescanchangeyourlife.

•Thebestwaytomeettherightpeopleisbyaskingtherightquestion:“WhodoyouknowthatIshouldknow?”

doyouknowthatIshouldknow?”•Preparationbeforehandandreflectionafterwardmaximizetheseexperiences.

•Includingmembersofmyteamisthebestwayforustogrowtogether.Wheneverpossible,takepeoplewithyou.

•Thesecondmeetingwiththerightpersonisthemostimportantmeeting.Itindicatesthatbothofyouseethevalueofmeetingagain,andthatperhapsitisthebeginningofanongoingrelationship.

Areyouactivelysearchingforpeoplewhocanenlargeyouandyourvision?Isitoneofyourtoppriorities?Ifit’snot,itshouldbe.

4. ASK QUESTIONS THAT WILL HELP YOU INCREASE YOUR“MOREANDBEFORE”

InmybookGoodLeadersAskGreatQuestions, Iwrote thatquestionsarethe keys that unlock the doors of opportunity.13 While in New York Cityrecently,Iwasaskedbyaninterviewer,“Whatisthegreatestdifferencebetweenyour leadership in your thirties and today?” After a moment of reflection, Ireplied,“InmythirtiesIgavealotofdirection.TodayIaskalotofquestions.”

When we find our vision, we find our way. However, there is anotherdiscoverythatisequallyimportant—thepeoplewhowilljoinusonthejourneyto fulfill that vision.Questions allowus toget toknowpeoplewhenwemeetthemandwhetherweshouldtakethattriptogether.Questionsalsoopenthedoorfortheexchangeofgreatideas,whichwillhelptoshapeandinformyourvision.

Leading by assumption usually ends up to be a leadership nightmare. Theright questions kill wrong assumptions. The more successful the person youmeet,thebetteryourquestionsneedtobe.Andthebettertheanswersyouwillreceive.

5. INTENTIONALLY GROW EVERY DAY TO INCREASE YOURCAPACITYFOR“MOREANDBEFORE”

Personal growth is my passion because it has continually enlarged mycapacityandmyvision.Manyyearsago,whenIheardEarlNightingalesay,“Ifapersonwillspendonehouradayeverydayforfiveyearsonacertainsubject,that personwill becomean expert on that subject,” I determined to followhisadvice in the area of leadership. So for one hour a day, every day, I studied

leadership.For the first two years I kept asking myself, “How long will it take?” I

wanted to “arrive” as an expert. But then something wonderful happened. Ibegantoexperiencethejoyofpersonalgrowth.Icouldseemyprogress.Betteryet,otherscouldtoo.That’swhenIfellinlovewiththejourneyofgrowing.Andmyquestionchangedfrom“Howlongwillittake?”to“HowfarcanIgo?”I’vebeen asking myself that same question for the last forty-five years. I haven’tfound the answeryet, and I don’t think Iwill.Don’t think Iwant to. I’m stillgrowing,andIloveit.

Ifyouareworkingonsomethingexcitingthatyoureallycareabout,youdon’thavetobepushed.Thevision

pullsyou.

—STEVEJOBS

SteveJobs said,“Ifyouareworkingonsomethingexciting thatyou reallycareabout,youdon’thavetobepushed.Thevisionpullsyou.”He’sright.Istillfeelthepullofpersonalgrowth,anditistakingmeforwardasaleader.

PERSONALOWNERSHIPOFTHEVISION

InmybookPutYourDreams to theTest,oneof thequestionsIaskhas todowith ownership: Is my dream really my dream? Why? Because you cannotachieveadreamthatyoudonotown.14Takealookatthedifferencesyouwillexperiencebasedonwhetherornotyouownyourdream:

WhenSomeoneElseOwnsYourDream WhenYouOwnYour

Dream

Itwillnothavetherightfit. Itwillfeelgoodonyou.

Itwillbeaweightonyourshoulders.

Itwillprovidewingstoyourspirit.

Itwilldrainyourenergy. Itwillfireyouup.Itwillputyoutosleep. Itwillkeepyouupatnight.

Itwilltakeyououtofyourstrengthzone.

Itwilltakeyououtofyourcomfortzone.

Itwillbefulfillingtoothers. Itwillbefulfillingtoyou.Itwillrequireotherstomakeyou

doit.Itwillfeellikeyouweremadefor

it.

Youwillneverachieveadreamorvisionunlessyouownit.Furthermore,asaleader,youwillnotbeabletogetotherstobuyintoavisionthatyoudonotown.

Through the years, one of themost common questions I’ve been asked atleadershipconferencesis“HowdoIgetavisionformyorganization?”WhenIhearthisquestion,Ifeelfortheleaderwhoasksit,becauseIknowitmeanstheperson has been placed in a leadership position yet lacks this indispensablequalityofleadership.Untilthevisionquestionisanswered,thepersonwillbealeader innameonly. Ihope thatyoualreadypossessavisionofyourown foryour team,department, or organization.However, if youdon’t, Iwant to helpyou.AlthoughIcannotgiveyouavision,Icansharetheprocessofseekingoneforyourselfandthosearoundyou.AndIcanhelpyouthinkthroughtheprocessofimplementingit.

LOOKWITHINYOU:“WHATDOYOUFEEL?”Youcannotborrowsomebodyelse’svision. Itmustcomefrominsideyou.

Whatbrings itout ispassion.What firesyouup?What is so important toyouthat it keeps you up at night,makes your blood boil, or gives you great joy?Thosearevisionclues.

One of the leaders I admire most isWinston Churchill.Whenever I visitLondon, I go to theChurchillWarRooms, the undergroundofficeswhere theprimeministerandotherBritishleadersmadetheirplansforfightingagainsttheNazis during World War II. Against great odds, Churchill led Great Britainthroughsomeofitsdarkesthours,inspiringmillionsofpeopleto“never,never,

never give up!”He said, “Before you can inspire with emotion, youmust beswampedwithityourself.Beforeyoucanmovetheirtears,yourownmustflow.Toconvincethem,youmustyourselfbelieve.”

When seeking vision,why is it important to start on the inside?There arethreemainreasons.First, therewillbepressurefromoutsideofyouthatcoulddilutethevisionordistractyoufromit.Youmayreceiveavisionforfree,butthejourneytofulfillthatvisionneveris.Everydaysomeoneorsomethingwillstand in the way of where your vision wants to take you. The obstacles andopposition are constant. They can wear you down. The result? Often, vision“leaks.”When itdoes, thestrengthwithinyou iswhatyoumustdrawupon tosustainyou.

Second,avisionbirthedwithinyouringstrueandhasauthenticitywhenitisshared with others. Former president of Notre Dame University TheodoreHesburgh said, “A vision must be articulated clearly and forcefully on everyoccasion. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet.” An “uncertain trumpet” isusually theresultofa leader trying tocastsomeoneelse’svisionwithoutdeepconviction.

And finally, only a vision that comes fromwithin possesses the “weight”neededtodosomethingsignificant.Visionswithoutweightareeasilydismissedanddiscarded.Easycome,easygo.Avisionwithweightdoesnotfeeloptional;it is essential. It carries opportunities but also consequences if ignored by theleader.Weightyvisionsareeverpresentforleaderswhopossessthem.Andtheweightof thatvisioncanbecomelike theirNorthStar. Itguides them.Itgivesthemcredibility.Itgivesthemgravitas.Anditgivesthemjoyinthejourney.Avisionwithoutweightisoftenadelusion.Aweightwithoutavisionoftenleadstodepression.

Yourvisionwillbecomeclearonlywhenyoulookintoyourheart.Wholooksoutside,dreams.Wholooks

inside,awakens.

—CARLJUNG

PsychiatristCarlJungsaid,“Yourvisionwillbecomeclearonlywhenyou

look intoyourheart.Wholooksoutside,dreams.Wholooks inside,awakens.”Lookinsideyourself,payattentiontohowyoufeel,andbegintoawakentoyourdream,yourvisionasaleader.

LOOKBEHINDYOU:“WHATHAVEYOULEARNED?”Every significant vision possessed by leaders is built upon their past—the

lessons they’ve learned, the pain they’ve experienced, the significantobservationsthey’vemade.Forexample,whenIstartedmycareerasapastor,Ibelieved I was supposed to focus much of my time and attention onadministrative duties. The models of leadership I had observed growing upfocusedtheirattentiononthisarea.ButIquicklydiscoveredthatIhadnotalentandevenlesspatienceforadministration.Itdidn’tmatterhowhardorhowlongIworked at it. I became very frustrated. Finally, I had to admit that Iwasn’tgoing to get any better, and I needed to find other ways for the essentialadministrative duties of the church to be accomplished other than doing themmyself. I soon began enlisting the help of volunteers who were skilled atadministrationandwhowerefulfilledbyit.Andinmysecondchurch,Iwasabletohireanadministrativeassistant.Ohhappyday!

Ilearnedmylessoninthatfirstleadershipposition.Ifyouweretolookbackat theway I’ve ledeveryorganization since then,you’d see that Ididn’t evenattempttotakeonanadministrativerole.Ileftthattopeoplewhowereskilledinthatarea.Ithasfreedmeuptobeabetterleader.Ifocusonmystrengths.

What experiences from your past inform your vision? What have yoursuccesses—andespeciallyyour failures—taughtyouabout lifeand leadership?Thesethingsneedtobepartofyourvisionasaleader.

LOOKAROUNDYOU:“WHATISHAPPENINGTOOTHERS?”Oncethevisionisbirthedwithinyou,youmustpayattentiontothepeople

you want to help you implement it. Why? The Law of Buy-In in The 21Irrefutable Laws of Leadership states, “People buy into the leader, then thevision.”Ifyoudon’tgetpeople’sbuy-in,thevisionwillnotgoanywhere.

Goodleaderswatchthepeopletoknowhowandwhentopresentthevision.Theylistentothepeople,learnfromthepeople,andthendiscernhowtoleadthepeople.Theypayattentiontotimingbecause,astheLawofTimingsays,“Whentoleadisasimportantaswhattodoandwheretogo.”15

Whenitcomestotiming,Ilovethestoryofthelittleboywhoattendedhisfirstsymphonicconcert.Hewasexcitedbythesplendidhall,thepeopleintheirfinery, and themusic of the professional orchestra.Of all the instruments, hisfavoritewerethecymbals.Theirfirstdramaticcrashcaptivatedhim.Butthenhenoticed that the cymbal playermostly stoodmotionless and only occasionallymadehismusicalcontribution.Andeventhenitwasquitebrief.

Aftertheconcert,thelittleboy’sparentstookhimbackstagetomeetsomeofthemusicians.Theboyimmediatelysoughtoutthepercussionistwhoplayedthecymbals.

“Howmuchdoyouneedtoknowtoplaythecymbals?”heasked.Themusician laughed and answered, “For the cymbals, you don’t have to

knowmuch.Youonlyhavetoknowwhen.”Agoodideacanbecomegreatwhenthepeopleareready.Leaderswhoare

impatient with people and try to force an idea before it’s accepted will befrustrated in their efforts to see their vision become reality. The evidence ofleadership strength lies not in forcefully streaking ahead, but in adapting yourstride to the slower pace of others while not forfeiting your leadership. Asleaders,ifweruntoofarahead,weloseourpowertoinfluencepeople.

LOOKABOVEYOU:“WHATDOESGODEXPECTOFYOU?”Before Imove on to the next and final place to look to define and create

personalownershipofyourdream,IwanttotellyouhowGodcomesintoplayinmylife.IdothisbecauseIamapersonoffaith,andtobetruetomyselfandhowvisionworksinmylife,ImustincludeGod.Ifthisoffendsyou,pleasejustskipthissectionandgotothenextpoint.

IbelieveGod’sgifttomeismypotential.MygiftbacktoGodiswhatIdowith thatpotential. I believegreat leaders sense ahigher calling,one that liftsthemabovethecrowd.Itcompelsthemtotrytoachievesomethingmeaningful,somethingsignificantforothers.Topeopleoffaith,thatcallingisGodordained.

Whataterriblewasteoflifeitwouldbetoclimbtheladderofsuccessonlytofindwhenyoureachedthetopthatitwasleaningagainstthewrongbuilding.That’swhyIaskGodtodirectme.It’swhymydefinitionofsuccessis

•KnowingGodandHisdesiresforme.•Growingtomymaximumpotential.•Sowingseedsthatbenefitothers.

If you desireGod’s helpwith your vision and calling, simply askHim tohelpyou.I’veevenencouragedmyatheistfriendstodothis.Tryit,andseewhathappens.

LOOKAHEADOFYOU:“WHATISTHEBIGPICTURE?”If you’ve paid attention to what you feel, what you’ve learned, what’s

happeningtoothers,whatresourcesareavailabletoyou,andwhatGodexpectsofyou,thenyou’rereadytolookatthebigpicture.Thisisthelastthoughtforthemakingofavision.

RecentlyIwasdoingapodcastforGrowingLeaders,anorganizationledbymyfriendTimElmore.The themewas“Fast-Forward.”The intervieweraskedme for my thoughts on that theme, and it got me thinking about the ever-increasing speedof life.Aswe look forward,wesee the futurecoming faster,notslower.TheolderIget,themoreIthinklifeislikearolloftoiletpaper.Theclosertotheendyouget,thefasteritgoes!

ThebigpicturewaseasiertoseefiftyyearsagowhenIstartedasaleader.Back then we were encouraged to have long-range plans (ten years), middle-range plans (five years), and short-range plans (one to two years). Today inmanycompanies,along-rangeplanmaybeonlytwoyearsbecausetheneedtochangeandadapt is sostrong.With thatkindofpace,a leader’sability toseemorethanothersandbeforeothersallowshimorhernottobefixatedonwhatisnow,buttofocusonwhatwillbeinthefuture.WhenIstartedasaleader,seeingmorewasmore important than seeing before. Today I think that is changing.Seeingbeforeothersseeisessentialtosuccessasaleader.Todaythereareoftenno first-, second-,and third-place finishers.There’s justwhoever finishes first.Everyoneelseisoutofthegame.

PAINTAPICTUREOFTHEVISIONFORTHEM

Ifyouunderstand thevalueofvision,arededicated toseeingmoreandbeforeothers,andhavedonethesometimeshardworkofdiscoveringanddevelopingavision,thenwhat?Nothingwillhappenunlessyouarewillingandabletopaintaclear picture of your vision for people andmobilize them to join you.AsmyfriendAndyStanleysays,ifthevisionisn’tclear,thenthemistinyourmindwilleventuallybecomeafoginyourorganization.16

Ifthevisionisn’tclear,thenthemistinyourmindwilleventuallybecomeafog

inyourorganization.

—ANDYSTANLEY

Apictureofyourvisioniswortha thousandwords,sincepeoplethinkandrememberinpictures.Oftenleadersdothisverbally.AuthorDonaldT.Phillips,who has extensively studied leaders and orators, said, “Of all human senses,soundistheprimaryintellectualstimulant—whilevisionissecondary.Aspeechcombines both sound and vision and, therefore, can be an unusually effectivemethodofcommunicationtoamassaudience.”17

Everygreat visionhas certain components, and thebest leadersmake suretheyincludetheseinthepicturesotheirpeopleexperiencethem.

THEHORIZONAleader’svisionof thedistanthorizonallowspeople tosee theheightsof

their possibilities. While it’s true that the individuals you connect with willdeterminehowfarorhightheywanttogo,it’syourresponsibilityastheleadertoputplentyofskyintothepicture.PaulHarveysaidthatablindman’sworldisboundedbythelimitsofhistouch;anignorantman’sworldbythelimitsofhisknowledge;agreatman’sworldbythelimitsofhisvision.Asavisionaryleaderpaintingapictureofthefutureforpeople,youcanexpandtheirhorizons.

THESUNEveryone desires warmth and hope. When you paint a bright future for

people, they feel thewarmth.And they feel theoptimism thatcomes from the“light”youprovide.Aprimefunctionofeveryleaderistokeephopealive.

MOUNTAINSEveryvisionhasitschallenges.EdwinLand,founderofPolaroid,said,“The

firstthingyoudoisteachthepersontofeelthatthevisionisveryimportantand

nearlyimpossible.Thatdrawsoutthedriveinthewinner.”Asaleader,don’tpretendthechallengesdon’texist.Peoplewillseethrough

yourdeception.Instead,acknowledgethosechallengesandobstacles,andassurethepeopleyouareallinittogetherandwillconquerthemasateam.

BIRDSWatchingan eagle rise causespeople to feel their own spirits soar.People

need this kind of inspiration. They need to be reminded of the power of thehumanspirittoriseup.AsGeneralGeorgeS.Pattonsaid,“Warsmaybefoughtwithweapons,but theyarewonbymen.It is thespiritof themenwhofollowandofthemanwholeadsthatgainsthevictory.”18

FLOWERSAchievingagreatvisiontakestime.Ittakesgreatenergyandeffort.Itcan’t

beaccomplishedinonegreatpush.Forthatreason,youneedtoallowpeopletostopandsmelltheflowersalongtheway.Theyneedreststops,wheretheycanbe refreshed mentally, emotionally, and physically. Trust me—my naturalinclination is to just keep pressing forward. I had to learn to allow people tobreathewhentheyneedit.

THEPATHPeopleneeddirection.Theywantapathtofollow.Andtheywanttoknow

thatyouknowthewayforward,thatyoucantakethemfromwheretheyaretothe place theywant to go.Youmust be like theNativeAmerican guidewho,whenaskedhowhewasabletoleadthewayoverjaggedpeaks,throughforests,andalongtreacheroustrails,answered,“Ihavethenearlookandthefarvision.WiththeoneIseewhatisdirectlyaheadofme;withtheotherIguidemycoursebythestars.”

YOURSELFNeverpaintthevisionwithoutplacingyourselfinthepicture.Thiswillshow

your commitment to thevision andyourdesire towalk alongsideyourpeoplethroughtheentireprocess.Youarenotonlytheguidebutthemodeltofollow,

andthepersontolendahandwhentheyneedtobehelpedtoclimb.AsonetimeUnitedNationsambassadorWarrenR.Austinsaid,“Ifyouwould liftme,youmustbeonhigherground.”

THETHINGSTHEPEOPLELOVENeverforgetthatpeoplearemotivatedmostbywhoandwhattheylove.And

that’swhyweneedtoremembertoincludethesethingsinthepicturewepaint.That’swhatwasdoneintheparachutefactoriesduringWorldWarII.Parachutesneededtobeconstructedbythethousands,butitwasatediousjob.Itinvolvedcrouchingoverasewingmachineeighttotenhoursadayandstitchingendlesslengthsofmonochromaticfabric.Evenassewersmadeprogressonaparachute,whattheyworkedonlookedlikeaformlessheapofcloth.

Ifyouwouldliftme,youmustbeonhigherground.

—WARRENR.AUSTIN

Howdidtheleaderscombattheboredomandpreventthepotentialmistakes?Everymorningworkerswereremindedthateachstitchtheymadewaspartofalifesavingoperation.Theywereaskedtothinkastheysewedthateachparachutemightbetheonewornbytheirhusband,brother,orson.Althoughtheworkwashardandthehourslong,thewomenandthemenonthehomefrontunderstoodtheircontributiontothelargerpicture.Theywerefulfillingavisionthathelpedtheonestheylovedmost.

I love the way Columbus challenged prevailing wisdom through his boldactions.When he set sailwestward into theAtlanticOcean, the flag of Spainunder which he traveled bore the motto Ne Plus Ultra, meaning “NothingFarther.”Traditionally thosewords describedSpain’s Straits ofGibraltar, alsoknown as the Pillars of Hercules. But after Columbus’s journeys and hisdiscoveryoftheNewWorld,CharlesVofSpainchangedthenation’smottotoPlusUltra,meaning“FartherBeyond”or“SomethingMore.”Theentirenation—and in fact the entireWesternworld—changed andmobilized its resources,becausepeople’svisionoftheworldchanged.

ApplecofounderSteveJobssaid,“Theonlywaytodogreatworkistolove

whatyoudo.Ifyouhaven’tfoundityet,keeplooking.Don’tsettle.Aswithallmatters of theheart, you’ll knowwhenyou find it.”19As a leader,whenyoudiscoveryourvision, itbecomesyour fire,your inspiration,andyourguide. Ifyouhaven’tfoundityet,don’tgiveup.Keeplooking.You’llknowitwhenyoufindit.Andwhenyoudo,nurtureit,embraceit,ownit,andpaintacompellingpictureofittoothers.Becausevisionistheindispensablequalityofleadership.Withoutit,youwillneverdeveloptheleaderwithinyoutothefullest.

DEVELOPINGTHEVISIONARYWITHINYOU

Since vision is the indispensable quality of leadership, you don’twant to findyourselfinaleadershippositionorwithleadershipresponsibilitieswithoutit.

IDENTIFYYOURVISIONIfyoudon’thaveaclearvision foryour leadership, then spendsome time

askingandansweringthefivequestionscontainedinthechapter:

LookWithinYou:WhatDoYouFeel?LookBehindYou:WhatHaveYouLearned?LookAroundYou:WhatIsHappeningtoOthers?LookAboveYou:WhatDoesGodExpectofYou?LookAheadofYou:WhatIstheBigPicture?

INCREASEYOURVISIONDoyouseemoreandbeforethepeopleyoulead?Doyouhaveahandleon

thebigpictureandseeproblemsbeforeothersdo?Orareyouoftenblindsided?Doyouhavetobetoldbyyourpeopleabouttheproblemsandchallengesahead?

Ifyou’renotaheadofyourpeople,youwilleventuallyloseyourvalueasaleadertothem.Youneedtoimproveyourabilitytoseemoreandbefore.Todothat,focusonthesethreeareas:

•SpendTimewithPeopleWhoInspireYoutoDreamBigger:Whodoyouknowwhothinksanddreamsbig?Askforameetingwiththepersonorto

justtagalongwhenyoucan.•AskQuestionstoHelpYouSeeFartherandWider:Don’ttakethingsatfacevalue.Cultivateaninquiringmind.Getoutofyourcomfortzone.

•DevelopaVisionGrowthPlan:Whatcanyoudotogrowintheareaofvision?Canyoureadbiographiesofgreatleadersandinnovators?Doyouneedtoexpandyourtechnicalcapabilities?Shouldyouexposeyourselftoothercultures?Stretchyourthinkingandyourexpectations.Learntothinkbigger.

NINE

THEPRICETAGOFLEADERSHIP:

SELF-DISCIPLINE

President Harry S. Truman said, “In reading the lives of great men, I havefound that the first victory theywonwas over themselves. . . . Self-disciplinewithallofthemcamefirst.”Thatistruenotjustofgreatachievers,butalsoofeffective leaders. Good leaders practice self-control before they try to engageothers. Self-discipline comes before leadership success. It is the price tag ofleadership.

WhenIwas incollege, I studiedGreekandHebrew.Oneof thewords forself-controlinGreekisegkráteia.Ithinkthiswordgivesgreatinsightintowhatsomeoneneedstoleadeffectively.Thewordmeanstogetagripononeself.1Itdescribespeoplewhoarewillingtogetagripontheirlivesandtakecontrolofareasthatwillbringthemsuccessorfailure.That’scriticalbecauseIneedtogetagriponmefirstbeforeItrytogetahandleonleadingothers.

Asleaders,ourgreatestchallengeinleadershipisleadingourselvesfirst.Wecan’texpecttotakeothersfartherthanwehavegoneourselves.Wemusttravelwithinbeforewecantravelwithout.Manyhighlygiftedleadershavestoppedfarshortoftheirpotentialbecausetheywerenotwillingtopaythisprice.Theytriedtotakethefasttracktoleadershiponlytofindthatshortcutsneverpayoffinthelongrun.

SELF-DISCIPLINEMAKESLEADERSHIP’SUPHILLCLIMBPOSSIBLE

Thereisatruthyouneedtorecognize,notjustforleadership,butforeverythingin life. For the last year or so I have been teaching it extensively to peoplewhereverIgo.Ready?Hereitis.Everythingworthwhileisuphill.

Youmaybesaying,“Nowthatyou’vepointeditout, Icanseethat.Good.Okay.Let’smoveon.What’snext?”But Iwantyou to stop for aminute andthink about this. Everything worthwhile is uphill. The word everything isinclusive. It’s all-encompassing.Pair thatwithworthwhile—the things that aredesirable, appropriate, good for you, attractive, beneficial. Sowhen you thinkabout that, it’s very significant. Anything and everything you desire in life,everything youwould like to strive for, isuphill,meaning the pursuit of it ischallenging,grueling,exhausting,strenuous,anddifficult.

Asleaders,ourgreatestchallengeinleadershipisleadingourselvesfirst.

The implications are simple: there are no such things as accidentalachievements.Nopersonwhohasclimbedthemountainofsuccesseversaid,“IhavenoideahowIgottothetopofthismountain.Ijustwokeuponeday,andhere Iwas.”No leaderwhoever ledpeople todo something significant did itwithoutgreateffort.Anyclimbuphillmustbedeliberate,consistent,andwillful.Itisveryintentional.

Thestatement“Everythingworthwhileisuphill”notonlydescribeslife,butexplainsthereasonself-disciplineissoessentialforasuccessfullife.Andthat’swhy Iwant to spend this chapter explaining some truths about self-discipline,becauseifyouembracethemandactonthem,youwillbeempoweredtoliveanexcitinguphill journey,andyouwillbeabletopaythepricetagofleadership.Solet’sgetstarted.

1.SELF-DISCIPLINEENABLESYOUTOGOUPHILLIf Iwere to ask you, “Doyouwant to improveyour life?” of course your

answerwouldbeyes.Thequestionisn’tifyouwantittohappen.Thequestionishow do you make it happen? The answer is by living each day withintentionality.Thatrequiresbecomingself-disciplined.

Self-disciplinemovesyou fromgood intentions togood actions. It iswhat

separateswordsandideasfromactualresults.Oneofthegreatestgapsinlifeisbetween soundinggood anddoinggood.Weareultimatelymeasuredbywhatwedoandhowouractionsshape theworldaroundus.Without results,all thebest intentions in theworld are just awayof atbest entertainingourselves, atworstdeludingourselves.Self-disciplinepavestheroadtoresults.

Everythingworthwhileisuphill.

Do you know peoplewho are always getting ready to get ready?Do youknowpeoplewhostartbutneverfinish?Idotoo.TheyneedtoheedtheadviceofpoetEdgarA.Guest,whowroteapoemcalled“KeepGoing.”Itsays:Whenthingsgowrong,astheysometimeswill,Andtheroadyou’retrudgingseemsalluphill,Whenthefundsarelowandthedebtsarehigh,Andyouwanttosmile,butyouhavetosigh,Whencareispressingyoudownabit,Rest,ifyoumust—butdon’tyouquit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns, As every one of ussometimeslearns,AndmanyafailureturnsaboutWhenhemighthavewonhadhestuckitout.Don’t give up though the pace seems slow— You maysucceedwithanotherblow.Success is failure turned inside out— The silver tint of thecloudsofdoubt,Andyounevercantellhowcloseyouare,Itmaybenearwhenitseemsfar;So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit— It’s whenthingsseemworstthatyoumustn’tquit.2

Asayoungleader,whenIwashighlyfocusedondevelopingself-discipline,IwouldoftenthinkandtalkaboutwhatIwasgoingthrough.IfeltthedifficultyoftheleadershiptasksIwastakingon,Ifeltthedifficultyofmakingtheuphillclimb,andIwantedthepeoplearoundmetoknowIwaswillingtopaythepriceto improve.Maybeback then Ihoped Iwouldcome toaplacewhere Ididn’thave to keep climbing. But that’s not the way it works. Today I am stillclimbing. But the self-discipline needed no longer has the arduous feel of“NobodyknowsthetroubleI’veseen;nobodyknowsmysorrow.”I’vematuredunder the weight of the journey. I imagine it to be like the conditioning

developed by an experienced mountain climber. And my perspective haschanged so thatmy focus isn’t on what I’m going through. It’s on what I’mgoingto!Thetopofthemountaincallstomeanddrawsmeupward.

Self-disciplinemovesyoufromgoodintentionstogoodactions.

MyfriendJimWhittakerhasclimbedthegreatmountainsoftheworld.Onedayatlunchhesharedwithmethathisgreatestaccomplishmentasamountainclimberwasthenumberofpeoplehehadtakentothetopwithhim.Andhethengaveme some climbing advice that I want to pass on to you. He said, “Younever conquer the mountain. You only conquer yourself.” That is the mostimportantleadershipjourneyeachofusmustmake.

2. SELF-DISCIPLINE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE BETWEENTEMPORARYSUCCESSANDSUSTAINEDSUCCESS

I want to add something important to my statement that everythingworthwhileisuphill.Threewords:alltheway.Whyisthatsignificant?Anyonecan climb for a short time.Nearly everyone does—at least once.But can yousustainit?Canyouclimbeveryday,dayafterday,yearafteryear?Idon’taskthattodiscourageyou.IaskitbecauseIwantyoutounderstandwhatitwilltakeforyoutoreachyourpotentialasapersonandasaleader.That’swhyIsaythatthepricetagofleadershipisself-discipline.

BrianTracywroteaboutachanceencounterhehadwithlegendarysuccessauthor Kop Kopmeyer. When Tracy asked the author which was the mostimportant of the thousands of success principles he’d discovered, Kopmeyeranswered, “Themost important success principle of allwas stated byThomasHuxleymanyyearsago.Hesaid,‘Dowhatyoushoulddo,whenyoushoulddoit,whetheryoufeel like itornot.’”Kopmeyerwenton tosay,“Thereare999other success principles that I have found in my reading and experience, butwithoutself-discipline,noneofthemwork.”3

Dowhatyoushoulddo,whenyoushoulddoit,whetheryoufeellikeitor

shoulddoit,whetheryoufeellikeitornot.

—THOMASHUXLEY

My friend Kevin Myers, pastor of 12Stone Church, says it this way:“Everyoneislookingforaquickfix,butwhattheyreallyneedisfitness.Peoplewho seek fixes stop doing what’s right as soon as the pressure they feel isrelieved. People who pursue fitness do what they should no matter what thecircumstancesare.”

Everydaywefacethedecisionofwhetherwearegoingtopaythepricetagof leadership. I like thewayRoryVaden lookedat this issue inhisbookTaketheStairs.Hecalled it thePainParadox.Arewegoing todowhat’s easyandfeelsgoodintheshortterm?Orarewegoingtodowhat’sdifficultandactuallyisgoodinthelongterm?Vadansaidweaskourselves:“ShouldIgoaheadandbuythatitemorjustsavemymoneyforarainyday?”

“ShouldIhavethatextravagantdessertorcallitquitsforthenight?”“ShouldIputintheextraefforthereorjustgetbywiththeminimum

amountrequired?”4

Thesequestions,Vadensaid,revealthePainParadoxofdecisionmaking,whichsays:

The short-term easy leads to the long-term difficult, while the short-termdifficult leads to the long-term easy. The great paradox is that what wethoughtwastheeasyway,whatlooksliketheeasyway,whatseemsliketheeasywayveryoftenleadsustocreatingalifethatcouldn’tbemoreoppositeof easy.And inversely the things thatwe thoughtweremost difficult, thechallenges that appear to be the toughest, and the requirements that seemmostrigorousaretheveryactivitiesthatleadustothelifeofeasythatweallwant.5

Theshort-termeasyleadstothelong-termdifficult,whiletheshort-termdifficultleadstothelong-termeasy.

difficultleadstothelong-termeasy.

—RORYVADEN

Vadensaidthebattlewefightisbetweenouremotions,whichtypicallyhavemorepower in themoment, and logic,which takesa longerviewof life.ThatspeakstomebecauseIhaveasanguinepersonality,andit’sveryeasyformetoliveinthemomentandtowanttohavefun.Idiscoveredthisearlyaboutmyself,so I needed a strategy to helpme focus on the long term and fight for futuresuccess. Iwrote aboutmyanswer to that inmybookTodayMatters. I’ll giveyouthegistoftheideahere.Iidentifiedtwelvemajordecisionareasformylifebasedonmyvalues,andImadeawell-thought-out,logicaldecisionforeachofthem. I call these decisionsmyDailyDozen becausemy goal is tomakemydailyin-the-momentdecisionsbasedonthesetwelvevalues:

Just fortoday...

Iwillchooseanddisplaytherightattitudes.

Just fortoday...

Iwillembraceandpracticegoodvalues.

Just fortoday...

Iwillcommunicatewithandcareformyfamily.

Just fortoday...

Iwillknowandfollowhealthyguidelines.

Just fortoday...

Iwilldetermineandactuponimportantpriorities.

Just fortoday...

Iwillacceptandshowresponsibility.

Just fortoday...

Iwillmakeandkeeppropercommitments.

Just fortoday...

Iwillinitiateandinvestinsolidrelationships.

Just fortoday...

Iwillearnandproperlymanagefinances.

Just fortoday...

Iwilldeepenandliveoutmyfaith.

Just fortoday...

Iwilldesireandexperienceself-improvement.

Just fortoday...

Iwillplanforandmodelgenerosity.

Just fortoday...

I will act on these decisions and practice thesedisciplines.

Then oneday...

Iwillseethecompoundingresultsofadaylivedwell.

When I feel the emotional pull to dowhat’s not best forme, I choose topracticeself-disciplinebydoingthesetwelvethingsthatarerightforme.IfIdothemwithconsistency,thensomedaysuccessinthoseareaswillshowupforme.Theemphasishereisonconsistency,becauseconsistencycompounds.

3. SELF-DISCIPLINEMAKES HABIT YOUR SERVANT INSTEAD OFYOURMASTER

Every person has uphill hopes and aspirations.We all have uphill dreams.Butwealsohaveaproblem.Everyoneofusalsohasdownhillhabits.Andthoseareoftenwhatkeepusfrommakingtheself-disciplinedclimbtohigherground.Why?Becausehabitshavepoweroverus.Takea lookat this insightfulpiecewritten byDennis P.Kimbro that I came across several years ago: I am yourconstantcompanion.

Iamyourgreatesthelperoryourheaviestburden.Iwillpushyouonwardordragyoudowntofailure.Iamcompletelyatyourcommand.Halfthethingsyoudo,Youmightjustaswellturnovertome,AndIwillbeabletodothemquicklyandcorrectly.Iameasilymanaged—Youmustmerelybefirmwithme.Showmeexactlyhowyouwantsomethingdone,AndafterafewlessonsIwilldoitautomatically.Iamtheservantofallgreatpeople.Andalas,ofallfailuresaswell.Thosewhoaregreat,Ihavemadegreat.Thosewhoarefailures,

Ihavemadefailures.Iamnotamachine,ThoughIworkwithall theprecisionofamachine,Plus, theintelligenceofahuman.Youmayrunmeforprofit,orrunmeforruin.Itmakesnodifferencetome.Takeme,trainme,befirmwithme,AndIwillplacetheworldatyourfeet.Beeasywithme,andIwilldestroyyou.WhoamI?Iamahabit.6

Thehabitswehavemakeusorbreakus.Wechoosewhich.Everyleaderfacestwochallenges:First,howcanIturnmydownhillhabits

into uphill habits? Second, how can I help the people I lead to change theirdownhillhabitsintouphillones?Sothequestionis,howcanweturndownhillhabitsintouphillhabitsthatserveusinsteadofenslaveus?

Thefirststepinchangingyourhabitsistochangeyourthinking.Ifyoucanhelp others change their thinking, then you can help them change their habitstoo.Whatwethinkdetermineswhoweare.Whowearedetermineswhatwedo.Bad thinking results in bad habits. Good thinking results in good habits. If Icoulddoonethingforpeople,Iwouldhelpthemthinkinsuchawaythattheirchoiceswouldresultinuphillhabits.

Uphill thinking is deliberate, consistent, and willful. Downhill thinking isunintentional, inconsistent, and wishy-washy. Uphill thinking leads to uphillclimbing. Downhill thinking leads to downhill sliding. Take a look at thedifference:

UphillClimbing DownhillSliding

Everythingworthwhile NothingworthwhileWins Losses

Preparing RepairingHighmorale Lowmorale

Highself-respect Lowself-respect

Highself-respect Lowself-respectSelf-improvement Noimprovement

Purposeful AimlessFulfilling Empty

Makingadifference NotmakingadifferenceIntentionalactions(doing) Goodintentions(knowing)

Uphillhabits Downhillhabits

Letmeexplainhowthisoftenplaysout.IfIhaveaproblemorachallenge,and I think there is no positive solution, how will I respond? I’ll probablyprocrastinate.OrImightstartmakingexcusesforwhyIwon’ttakeaction.Butexcusesareexitsignsthattakeusofftheroadofprogress.Sometimestheresultsare tragic. Other times they’re comical. For example, here are some excusessubmittedinclaimstoautoinsurancecompanies:“AsIreachedtheintersection,ahedgesprangup,obscuringmyvision.”(Don’tyouhatethoseinstanthedges?)“An invisible car cameoutofnowhere, struckmycar, andvanished.” (Likeasuperhero.)“Thetelephonepolewasapproachingfast.Iattemptedtoswerveoutofitspathwhenitstruckmyfrontend.”(Thosetelephonepoleshaveamindoftheirown.They’resounpredictable.)“Theindirectcauseofthisaccidentwasalittleguyinasmallcarwithabigmouth.”(Icanpicturethatone.)“Ihadbeendriving my car for four years when I fell asleep at the wheel and had anaccident.” (Thatmustbea record.) “Toavoidhitting thebumperof thecar infrontofme,Istruckthepedestrian!”(That’saninterestingchoice.)“Iwasonmyway to the doctor’s with rear-end troublewhenmy universal joint gaveway,causing me to have an accident.” (I’m not touching that one with a ten-footpole!) If my thinking is negative, I develop the habits of procrastination andexcusemaking.But ifmy thinking is positive, I take responsibility and I takeaction.Mythinkingdeterminesmyhabits.

Atthecoreofhowwethinkisouroverallattitudetowardlife.Manypeoplethink life should be easy. That thinking causes them to expect everything tocome to themwithout effort. Theywatch andwait, hoping successwill comeandfindthem.Itwon’t.Wecansettleandassumethateverythingwillcometo

us.Orwecantakecontrolofourlivesandmakethingshappen.Ifwedon’ttakecontrolofourlives,someoneelsewill.Andtheymaynotwantwhatwewantforourlives.

DanCathy,chairmanandCEOofChick-fil-A,recentlysharedwithmethattherateofinternalchangemustbefasterthantherateofexternalchange.That’stherightwayto thinkof it.Keepgrowingandchangingon the inside,startingwithyourthinking,becauseself-disciplineintheareaofthinkingwillhelpyouchangefromdownhillhabitstouphillhopes.Theoldwisdomistrue:Forashethinkswithinhimself,soheis.7

4.SELF-DISCIPLINEISDEVELOPED—NOTGIVENOne of my favorite golf courses is at the Highlands Country Club in

Highlands,NorthCarolina.ItisthegolfcoursethatBobbyJonesplayedonformanyyears. In fact,heopened the fairwaysbyhitting the firstballoff the teetherein1928.

Self-disciplineintheareaofthinkingwillhelpyouchangefromdownhill

habitstouphillhopes.

BobbyJoneswasagolfprodigywhowentontobecomealegend.Hebeganplaying in 1907 at age five. By age twelve, he was scoring below par, anaccomplishmentmostgolfersdon’tachieveinalifetimeofplayingthegame.Atfourteenhequalified for theUSAmateurChampionship.ButJonesdidn’twinthat event. His problem can be best described by the nickname he acquired:“clubthrower.”Jonesoftenlosthistemper—andhisabilitytoplaywell.Andhistemper was the thing that kept him from his true golf potential, not anythingrelatedtohisskill.Poorself-disciplinehadthepotentialtobehisdownfall.

An old golfer whom Jones called Grandpa Bart had given up the gamebecauseof arthritis, but he stillworkedpart-time in thepro shop.Onedayhetold Jones, “Bobby, you are good enough to win that tournament, but you’llneverwinuntilyoucancontrolthattemperofyours.Youmissashot—yougetupset—andthenyoulose.”

Joneslistenedtotheolderman’sadviceandbeganworkingtodisciplinehis

emotions. At age twenty-one, Jones blossomed andwent on to be one of thegreatestgolfers inhistory.He retiredafterwinning thegrandslamofgolf.Hewasonlytwenty-eight.GrandpaBart’scommentsaiditall:“Bobbywasfourteenwhenhemastered thegameofgolf,buthewas twenty-onewhenhemasteredhimself.”

Lackofdisciplineisthelidonmanypeople’spotential.That’sthebadnews.However,there’salsogoodnews:self-disciplineisnotsomethingyouhavetobeborn with. It is something you can develop. It’s earned, not given. In otherwords, if thelackofself-disciplinehasbeenalidforyou,asitwasforBobbyJones,youcanremovethatlid.Itiswithinyourpower.

The first step to developing self-discipline is awareness. You need to seewhere you’re falling short. Jones was fortunate that someone was willing tospeakintohislifeandpointouthisproblem.Notallofusaresolucky.Wemayneedtoseekoutpeoplewhoknowusandarewillingtotellusthetruth.

Iwant togiveyou three tips tohelpyoudevelop self-discipline if thishasbeenadifficultareaforyou.

Self-DisciplinedPeopleAvoidTemptation

Recently, during a time I was working hard to lose weight, my friend TraciMorrow, who was coaching me, said, “John, the success of your diet isdeterminedatthegrocerystore.Don’tbringhomefoodthatisnotgoodforyou.Leaveitontheshelvesofthestore,notontheshelvesinyourkitchen.”

Peoplewhodevelopself-disciplineandpositivehabitsdon’tputthemselvesinthelineoffire.Iftheywanttoloseweight,theydon’tkeepjunkfoodintheirdeskdrawers.Ifthey’retryingtostopspendingmoney,theydon’tgohangoutatthemall.Theyintentionallyavoidtemptation.

Self-DisciplinedPeopleKnowWhentoExpendTheirEnergy

Itisimpossibletobeat100percentallday,everyday.Andit’snotnecessary.Knowingwhentobeat100percentisessentialtoself-discipline.Why?Becauseyouonlyhaveacertainamountofenergy.Youneedtochoosewhentouseit.

EverydayI lookatmycalendarandaskmyself,“WhendoIneedtobeatmybest?”Afteridentifyingthosetimes,Ithenmonitormyenergyandefforttoget the most out of myself during those crucial moments. I apply the energyrequiredformetopracticeself-disciplineatthosetimeswhenIneeditthemost.

GaryKeller,founderofKellerWilliamsRealty,said,“Makesureeverydayyou...knowwhatmattersmost.”8That’sgreatadvice.Thinkaheadandmatchupyourenergytothethingsthatmattermost.

Self-DisciplinedPeopleUnderstandandPracticethePrincipleofPayNow, Play Later There are two types of people in the area ofdiscipline.One typeputs offwhat needs to bedone andplaysnow,preferring to avoid doingwhat he or shemust.The other type paysnowbydoingthenecessary,evenifit’sunpleasant,andiswillingtodeferfunandplaylater.Thethingyouneedtoknowisthateverybodypays.Whateveryouputoffuntillateralwayscompounds.Ifyouputoffplaying,yougettoplaymorelater.Ifyouputoffpaying,youhavetopaymorelater.Thereisnocheatinginlife.

Makesureeverydayyou...knowwhatmattersmost.

—GARYKELLER

Intuitively,youknowthisistrue.Ifyoupayintoyourretirementfundsandinvestearlyinlife,youhavemoremoneyavailabletoyouinyourolderyears.Ifyouspenditallwhileyou’reyoung,youwon’tbeabletoplayinyouroldage.Ifyou pay by eating right and exercising throughout your early life, your healthwillbebetterasyougrowold. Ifyouneglect those things,you’llpayfor itasyouage.It’syourchoice.

RecentlyIsharedwithagroupofstudents,“Ifyouonlydowhatyouwanttodo, you will never get to do what you really want to do.” Self-discipline isdevelopedbysayingyeswhenwewanttosaynoandsayingnowhenwewanttosayyes.Therearetwotypesofpaininlife:thepainofself-discipline,whichis easedbydoing the right thing, and thepainof regret,whichachesuntilwedie.

5. SELF-DISCIPLINE IS MOST EASILY DEVELOPED IN AREAS OF

STRENGTHANDPASSIONGermanplaywrightCarlZuckmayersaid,“Onehalfoflifeisluck;theother

half is discipline, and that’s the important half. For without discipline youwouldn’t knowwhat to do with luck.”Where do you find the discipline thatleads to success?By doing the right thing every day.That right thing usuallyinvolvesyourstrengthsandyourpassion.Whatyouloveandwhatyou’regoodatusuallypointyoutoyourrightthing.

Self-disciplinealwaysneedsfuel.Thestrongestfuelcomesfrominspirationandmotivation,whichareusuallyconnectedwithyourstrengths.Whatyoudowell usually inspires you and others. Andmotivation is a by-product of yourpassion.Ifyoulovetodosomething,you’realmostalwaysmotivatedtodoit.

If you are focusingondevelopingyour self-discipline in the areas of yourstrengthsandpassion,theraceoflifefeelseasiertorun,andyourunitfaster.Ifyou are trying to develop discipline in areas where you are not gifted orpassionate,theracefeelslongandarduous.Disciplinefueledbyyourstrengthsandpassion is easier to convert intopositivehabits too.Andeven thoughyoumaynotbegreatatanythingyoudoforthefirsttime,ifthetaskisconnectedtoyourgiftednessorpassion,youwilllearntodoitwellquicklyandwithahigherdegreeofskill.

For years I have spent most of my time developing self-discipline in theareasofmystrengthsbecausetheycomplementmypurpose.WhenI’mworkingwithin my why, my reason for being on this planet, I am able to remainmotivatedlongafterthefirstrushofenthusiasmandexcitedenergywearsoff.Iguessyoucouldcallitwhypower.Itcancarryyouforwardwhenwillpowerisnotenough.

Ifthetime,energy,andresourcesofyourlifearefocusedonareasnotrelatedto your strengths or passion, I want to encourage you to rethink what you’redoing.Maybeit’s timeto•Quitsomethingyoudon’tdowell todosomethingyoudowell.

•Quitsomethingyou’renotpassionateabouttodosomethingthatfillsyouwithpassion.

•Quitsomethingthatdoesn’tmakeadifferencetodosomethingthatdoes.•Quitsomethingthat’snotyourdreamtodosomethingthatis.

If you change what you do, will it always be pleasant or easy? No. Buteveryoneshouldsaynotothegoodsotheycansayyestothebest.

6.SELF-DISCIPLINEANDRESPECTARECONNECTEDFew things build self-respect the way self-discipline does. Author and

speakerBrianTracy said, “Discipliningyourself todowhatyouknow is rightand important, although difficult, is the high road to pride, self-esteem, andpersonalsatisfaction.”

Respectisthefruitofthedisciplinedlife,bothself-respectandtherespectofothers.Whentalkingaboutdevelopingrelationshipswithothers,I’veoftensaidthat respect is earned on difficult ground. But we also earn self-respect ondifficultground.Self-disciplineisitsownreward.

Discipline-DrivenPeople Emotion-DrivenPeopleDoright,thenfeelgood Feelgood,thendorightArecommitment-driven Areconvenience-driven

Makeprinciple-baseddecisions Makepopular-baseddecisionsActioncontrolsattitude AttitudecontrolsactionBelieveit,thenseeit Seeit,thenbelieveitCreatemomentum Waitformomentum

Ask,“Whataremyresponsibilities?” Ask,“Whataremyrights?”Continuewhenproblemsarise Quitwhenproblemsarise

Aresteady AremoodyCanbeleaders Willbefollowers

The lateLouisL’Amour isoneof thebestsellingauthorsofall time.Morethan900millioncopiesofhisbookshavebeensoldworldwide,andeventhoughhediedin1988,everyoneofhisbooksisstillinprint.9Whenaskedthekeytohiswritingstyle,heresponded,“Startwriting,nomatterwhat.Thewaterdoesnot flowuntil the faucet is turnedon.”Turning the fauceton is thebeginning.Respectisaresultofkeepingiton.Self-disciplineallowsyoutodothat.

Weearnself-respectondifficultground.

7. SELF-DISCIPLINE MAKES CONSISTENCY POSSIBLE, ANDCONSISTENCYCOMPOUNDS

Consistency is not a sexy word. Why? Consistency doesn’t prove itselfquickly,andit isn’trewardedimmediately.In today’sculture,peoplearemorecaptivatedbycharisma,genius,excitement,creativity,andinnovation.ButIcantell you after fifty years of striving for consistency, the dividends can beextraordinary. Here are just a few of the things consistency can do for you:ConsistencyEstablishesYourReputationAnybodycanbegoodonceinawhile.Onlytheself-disciplinedareconsistentlygood.Andthatconsistencymakespeoplenoticeyou—andexpectyoutodeliver.OnAugust 6, 1999, I traveledwithmy son-in-law, SteveMiller, toMontreal,Canada, becauseof the reputationof someonewho consistentlydelivered.Hisname was Tony Gwynn, an outfielder for the San Diego Padres. One of thegreatesthittersever toplaymajor leaguebaseball,Gwynnwasonthevergeofgetting his 3,000th hit against theExpos.Only thirty players in the history ofprofessionalbaseballhaveeveraccomplishedthatfeat.10Nearlyallofthemarein theHall ofFame.HowdidTony accomplish this?Onehit at a time, gameaftergame,yearafteryear.

ConsistencyIsaPrerequisitetoExcellence

Anytimeyoutrysomethingforthefirsttime,youwon’tbeanygoodatit.That’sjust the way it is. So why try anything new? Because we all have to startsomewhere.Thefirststepistomasterthebasics.Butthenwhat?Youdon’tjustjump to excellence. The road to get there is consistency. Improvement ispossibleonlythroughconsistentpractice.

ConsistencyProvidesSecuritytoOthers

Asleaders,oneofthethingswecanprovidetothepeopleweleadisasenseofstability.Perhapsthehighestcomplimentwecaneverreceiveasleadersarethewords,“Icandependonyou.”Whenpeopleseeyourconsistencyandknowtheycanrelyonyou,itgivesthemasenseofsecurity.

ConsistencyReinforcesYourVisionandValues

Effectiveleadershipishighlyvisual.Why?Peopledowhatpeoplesee.Leadersaremodelsofbehaviorforthosetheylead.Whenteammembersseetheirleaderdoingsomething,theyoftenfollowintheirfootsteps—forgoodorill.Theleadercutscorners,theycutcorners.Theleadershowsuplate,theyshowuplate.Theleaderperformsonlywhenheorshefeelslikeit,theyperformonlywhentheyfeel like it. However, when the leader pays the price, shows up early, keepspromises, and delivers the goods consistently, thenmost of the people on theteamstrivetodolikewise.

ConsistencyCompoundsIstartedspeakingpubliclyin1968.Imadeacommitmenttotrainleadersin1976.Istartedwritingbooksin1979.AndIbegandevelopingandcreatingresources in1984.Each timeIaddedanotherleadershipobjective,Ididn’tneglectthepreviousone.Ikeptworking at it. I now look back and am surprised bywhat I’veaccomplished. I’ve spoken more than twelve thousand times. Myorganizations have trained more than 5 million leaders from everycountry of the world. I’ve producedmore than one hundred books.My success has come because I started young, I’ve workedconsistently,andI’mnowseventy.That’sthecompoundingpotentialofconsistency.

I can remember timeswhen Iwas tempted to take shortcuts.When Iwastwenty-three, I realized that I couldwing it speaking instead of putting in thehardwork of preparation before I addressed an audience. I could have gottenaway with taking this easy road. Iwanted to take this easy road, because itwouldhavegivenmemoretimetodootherthingsIwantedtodo.ButIknewdeepdown that itwouldbeamistake. If I reliedon the talent Ihad togetmethrough, Iwouldnot be able tobuildon that talent and improve.So I did thework.Thatdecisionhaspaidofftimeaftertimeovertheyears.

Successfulpeopledodailywhatunsuccessfulpeopledoonlyoccasionally.Thebookendsofsuccessarebeginningwellandendingwell.Whatisbetweenthose bookends?Consistency. If youwant to become the leader you have thepotentialtobe,youneedtopaythepriceofself-discipline.

Successfulpeopledodailywhatunsuccessfulpeopledoonly

occasionally.

One lastword about self-disciplinebeforewemoveon to the last chapter:mostofthegoodleadersIknowhaveastrongdesiretohelpothers.Theywanttoinvestintheirteammembers,theywanttogrowtheirorganizations,andtheywanttoleadotherstodosomethingsignificant.Youprobablyfeelthosedesirestoo.Youmayhaveastrongpulltomakeadifferenceinthisworld.Ifso,there’ssomething you need to know. Leaders are responsible to help themselves andmakethemselvesbetterbeforetheytrytohelpothers.

If you’ve ever flown on an airplane, you’ve heard the safety instructionsfromtheflightattendants.Whatdotheysay?Puttheoxygenmaskonyourselfbeforeyouputitonyourchildorsomeonewhomayneedyourassistance.Why?Because it is impossible to help others effectively until you have first helpedyourself.Self-discipline iswhat enablesyou todo that. If there’s one thing tofight for as a leader, this is it, because it unlocks the door to so many otherabilities: character, priorities, influence, and serving people. If you win thebattleswithin,alltheothervictoriesbecomewithinreach.

DEVELOPINGTHESELF-DISCIPLINEDPERSONWITHINYOU

Self-discipline is not something you fight for once and say, “Whew, I’m gladthat’s over.” It’s something you need to keepworking for day after day. Buthere’s the good news: the more self-discipline battles you’ve won, the lessdifficultthesubsequentbattlesusuallyare.Onevictorybuildsuponanother,andeachdisciplineyoudopracticehelpsyouwiththeothersyoudesiretodo.

STARTSOMEWHERE—GETWINSUNDERYOURBELTAs I mentioned in the chapter, self-discipline isn’t given. It must be

developedbyevery individualwhopossesses it. Ifdiscipline issomethingyouhave neglected or struggled with in the past, you need to set yourself up for

successwithsmallvictories.Trybeginningintheseareas:•AvoidTemptation:Inwhatareaofyourlifecanyoudrawthelineofsafetyfarawayfromthepointoftemptation?TracicoachedmenottobuyjunkfoodwhenIwasatthestoresoIwouldn’tbetemptedtoeatthewrongfoodsathome.Wherecanyoudrawtheline?

•PayNow,PlayLater:Picksmall,winnabletasksthatyoucandobeforerewardingyourselfwithfunorrelaxation.Anytimeyoucandelaygratificationandpracticeself-discipline,you’vewon.Letyourselffeelgoodaboutit,anduseittohelpyouwanttopracticeself-discipline.

•GetBackontheWagon:Weallfail,andthatcanbediscouraging.Don’tallowamistakeoralapseindisciplinetomakeyougiveup.Acknowledgethefailure,learnfromit,identifytemptationstoavoid,andgetbackontheself-disciplinewagon.

DEVELOPDISCIPLINEINYOURSTRENGTHSWhileyou’re creatingor strengtheninga strong foundationofdiscipline in

your life, start building upon your strengths.What do you dowell?What areyourtalents?Whatareyoupassionateabout?Howcanyouleveragethesethingsforyourlifeandyourleadership?

Pick one area of your lifewherewinning comesmore easily, and identifyonedisciplineyoucouldpracticetostrengthenthatarea.Planit,scheduleit,anddofollow-throughconsistently.

TEN

THEEXPANSIONOFLEADERSHIP:

PERSONALGROWTH

OnmyfortiethbirthdayIwrotealessontitled“I’m40andCounting.”ItwasareflectivelessonwhereIexaminedmylife,assessedhowIhaddonesomethingspoorlyandsomewell,andtaughtthetenthingsIbelievedallpeopleshouldtrytogetundertheirbeltsbyageforty.WritingthelessonwassofulfillingandtheresponsewassopositivethatwhenIturnedfifty,Ididalessoncalled“I’m50andReflecting:TheMostImportantLessonsI’veLearnedinMyLife.”WhenIturnedsixty...Youcanseewherethisisgoing!I’lljustcuttothechase.I’vewritten two other lessons: “I’m 60 and Compounding” and “I’m 70 andTransforming.” If I live to be eighty, you know what I’ll be doing for mybirthday.

Thoselessonshavebeenmarkersinmylife.Lookingbackoverthedecades,IthinkIhaveabetterhandleonwhatreallymatters.I’mcertainoffewerthingsnowatseventythanIwasatforty,butI’mmorecertainofthosefewthingsthanI’ve ever been in my life. One of those things—and it’s been my biggesttakeaway fromwriting those lessons—is that growth matters.My capacity togrow has determinedmy capacity to lead. Today I lead differently and moreeffectivelythanIdidatforty.Andit’snotjustbecauseI’vebeenleadinglonger.It’sbeenbecauseI’vemadepersonalgrowthapriorityalltheseyears.

Atoneofmyconferencesseveralyearsago,amanaboutmyageapproachedmeduringabreakandsaid,“IwishIwouldhaveheardyoutwentyyearsago.”

“No,youdon’t,”Ianswered.“Youdon’tunderstand,”heresponded.“IsaidIwishIhadheardyoutwenty

yearsago.”

“Youreallydon’t,”Isaid.Nowhewasstartingtogetfrustrated.“IfIwouldhaveheardwhatyousaid

today,twentyyearsago,itwouldhavechangedmylife.”“Butthat’stheproblem,”Ireplied.“TwentyyearsagoIcouldn’thavetaught

youwhatyou learned today. Ihadn’t learned ityetback then.”Hisexpressionchangedfromfrustrationtounderstanding,andhelaughed.Webothdid.

I love to talk andwrite about personal growth. It’s one ofmy passions. Ihave seen firsthand how effectively a life committed to continual personalgrowthproduces resultsbeyondourwildest imaginings.Because I’ve seen thepowerofgrowth,I’malwaysfireduptosharetheprinciplesandpractices thatwillhelppeoplemakeitahabit.That’sthehow-toofgrowth.Butbeforeanyoneisreadytolearnthehowofgrowth,theyneedtoembracethewhy.

GROWTHMATTERS

Yourcapacitytogrowwilldetermineyourcapacitytolead.Growthmatters.Ifyoutrytoleadoutofwhatyoulearnedlonginthepast,andyou’renotgrowingin the present, the clock is ticking on your time as a leader. Development,expansion, and the future of your leadership depend on your dedication topersonalgrowth.Here’swhyIsaythis:

1. GROWTH IS THE ONLY GUARANTEE THAT TOMORROWWILLGETBETTER

InJuly2015IwenttomyfiftiethhighschoolreunioninCircleville,Ohio.Ihad not seen most of my high school classmates since I graduated, so I wasexcited to renew relationshipswith people after somany years. I pictured thefacesofthefriendsIlookedforwardtoseeing.

Mywife,Margaret, and I arrived late to the party.Aswewalked into themainroom,Ilookedaroundandstopped.WasIinthewrongplace?

“Margaret,therearealotofoldpeoplehere!”Isaid.Shelaughed.“John,maybeyouneedtolookinthemirror,”wasallshesaid.ThatnightIenjoyedcatchingupwithmyclassmatesandtakingpictureswith

them.However,by theendof thatevening, I felt slightlydepressed.For threehoursIhadlistenedtopeopletalkaboutthemselves,thegoodolddays,andthemedicinestheyweretaking.Isthiswhatwe’vecometo?Ithought.Bythetime

wegottoourrentalcar,Iwasfeelingoldtoo.The passing of time guarantees that we will get older, but it doesn’t

guaranteewewillgetbetter.IknowI’mgettingolder,butI’mnotgivingintomyage.Iwantmyfuturetogetbetter.Thatrequirescontinualpersonalgrowth.Thateveningatourhotel,Isatdownandwrotethefollowing:

FiveWaystoIntentionallyNotActOld

1.AskQuestions:Oldpeoplearen’tinquisitive.Whenyoustopaskingquestions,youhavelostinterestinlife.Iwillremaininquisitive.

2.KeeptheBarofExcellenceHigh:Oldpeoplelowertheirstandards.Theygettiredandcomplacent.Iwillraisethebar.

3.BePeople-Centric:Oldpeoplebecomeself-absorbed.Theytalkaboutthemselves,theirailments,andtheirmedications.Iwillfocusonothers.

4.BePosture-Conscious:Oldpeopleslouch.Youlookyoungerwhenyoustandtall.Iwillworkonmyposture.

5.RemainToday-Focused:Oldpeopletalkaboutyesterday.Iwilllookforwardandtalkabouttoday.

That same weekend, I went out to eat with my high school basketballteammates.Wehadagreatmealandtoldoldstoriesaboutourbasketballteam.Thelongerwetalked,thebetterplayerswewere.Wetalkedaboutourshootingprowess, our fast-break offense, our crushing defense.We concluded that wewereareallygoodteam.

ThenTomSmithsaid,“Guys,Ibroughtvideoofoneofourgames.”“Let’swatchit!”weallagreed,pumpingourfistsandhigh-fivingeachother.Tomcueditup.Insecondsrealitysetin.Wherewasthespeedwe’dtalked

about?Somebodyasked,“Isthevideoinslowmotion?”“No,”Smittysaid.I watched my seventeen-year-old self throw up a bad shot. We botched

plays.We turned over the ball.We took dumb shots, which we missed. Ourdefensefellapart.Noneofwhatwewereseeingonvideomatchedthegreatnessoftheplaywehadremembered.Midwaythroughthefirstquarter,JohnThomasstoodupandsaid,“I’mgoingtogetsomedessert.”Therestofusfollowedhim.Thatnightwe realized that thegoodolddaysweren’t really thatgood.And iftherewasasilverlininginthatexperience,it’sthis:thefactthatyesterdaydidn’tlookverygoodtouswasanindicationthatwehadgrown.

Therearemanygood reasons topursuepersonalgrowth. Itopensdoors. Itmakes us better. It helps us achieve our career goals. Over time, it createsmomentuminourlives.Thatinturnencouragesustogrowevenmore.Westarttoplaceagreateremphasisongrowingthanonarriving,andthatmakesiteasierfor us to learn from our failure. But all of those things pale against themostimportantreasontopursuegrowth,becausethisreasonhasthegreatestpowertochangeourlivesineveryway.Personalgrowthincreaseshope.Itteachesusthattomorrowcanbebetterthantoday.Here’show.

Personalgrowthincreaseshope.Itteachesusthattomorrowcanbebetter

thantoday.

AGrowthMind-SetIstheSeedofHope

Thinkabout theworldofnature.Asaplingbecomesamightyoakbygrowingslowly over time. An infant grows into a child, who eventually becomes anadult. Hope is the same way. It looks forward.When we have hope, we canimagineabetterfuture.Andhopeisn’tjustwishingforthingsthatmightbe.It’sthefirmbeliefinthingsthatwillbe.It’slookingpastyourpresentcircumstanceswiththebeliefthatyouhaveapositivefuture.

Plantingtheseedofgrowthisnotcomplicated.It’sassimpleasachangeinmind-set.Whenwedecidetobelievethatgrowthispossibleandwecommittopursuingit,hopebeginstorisewithinus.Thechangeinfocusisonlythefirststep,butitcanbethebeginningofalongandrewardingjourney.

AGrowthHabitStrengthensHope

Choosingtogrowisimportant,butthatdecisionisnotenoughtocreatechangeonitsown.Weneedtoacknowledgethatgrowthisagradualprocessandmakethatprocesspartofourdailypractice.Thatmeansweneedtoestablishthehabitofgrowingonaconsistentbasis.

Whenyoupracticethedisciplineofgrowingalittleeveryday,youaredoingyourpart to strengthen thehope insideofyou.Witheachsmall stepyou take,youmakeprogresstowardimprovingyourselfandyourworld.It’slikehumorist

GarrisonKeilloroncesaid,“There’sonlysomuchyoucando,butyoumustdothatmuch—evenifyoudon’tknowhowmuchthatis.”Whenyougrow,youareputtingyourfutureintomotion.Andwitheverysteptowardthefuture,hopeisreinforcedandstrengthened.Thatprocessbecomessustainablewhenyoumakegrowthahabit.

GrowthSustainedoverTimeRealizesHope

Growthover timehelpsus to liveout our hope.Whenwe take small stepsofgrowtheveryday,overtime,weseeprogress.Ifyoustringtogetherenoughdaysof consistent growth, you begin to change as a person. You become better,stronger,moreskilled,oralloftheabove.Andwhenyouchangeyourself,youcan change your circumstances. This begins a positive cycle of your growthstrengtheningyourhope,andyourhopestrengtheningyourgrowth.Whenyoudothisweekafterweek,monthaftermonth,yearafteryear,yougraduallymovefromhopeimaginedtohoperealized.

2.GROWTHMEANSCHANGEDuringabreakataconferencewhereIwasteaching,ayoungmancameup

tomeandsaid,“I’d like todowhatyoudo.”I’msure it lookedappealing.Hewaspartof agreat audienceof two thousandpeoplewhowereeager to learn.Thanks tomy staff, the conferencewas running smoothly, andpeople floodedthe lobby, buying books and coming up tome to get them signed. I think hecould imagine himself onstage, delivering a message to a large, appreciativeaudience.

“Of course,” I said. “Who wouldn’t enjoy all this?” I looked around theauditorium, trying to capture everything aroundus. “But I have aquestion foryou,”Icontinued.“WouldyouliketodowhatIdidsoyoucandowhatIdo?”

Hisexpressionchanged.Idon’tthinkithadoccurredtohimthatIhadtakenaverylongandsometimespainfuljourneytogettowhereIwas.

That’scommonwithallofus.Weseestarathletesortalentedmusiciansatthe top of their game, andwe don’t understand the sacrifice and hardwork ittook for them to get there. Only the personwho had the dream and took thejourney truly knows what it required. The cost of change is often the greatseparator between thosewho grow and thosewho do not, between thosewhogrowintotheirdreamsandthosewhodreambutremainwheretheyare.

For years I wanted to write a book that would help people realize theirdreams, but I didn’t want the book to be hollow inspiration. I wanted to beencouraging,butIwantedtohelppeoplebuildtheirfutureonreality,notfluffyaspirations.Ittookmeawhiletofigureouttherightapproach,butIfinallywasabletowriteabookcalledPutYourDreamtotheTest.Itcontainstenquestionsyoumustaskandanswertodetermineifyourdreamcanbecomeareality.

Of those tenquestions,onequestionstandsaboveallothers indeterminingthepossibilityofachieving thedream. It’s theCostQuestion:AmIwilling topaythepriceformydream?SometimesIthinkIshouldhavetweakedtheCostQuestiontosay,“AmIwillingtocontinuallypaythepriceformydream?”AsmyfriendGeraldBrooksoftensays,“Everylevelofgrowthcallsforanewlevelof change.” It also calls formore from you. I’ve discovered that the price ofchange usually comes sooner than you think, it’s higher than you imagined itwouldbe,anditmustbepaidmoreoftenthanyouexpected.Infact,tocontinuegrowingistocontinuepayingthepriceofthatgrowth.

Life begins at the end of our comfort zone. To grow, we must embracechangeandlearntobecomecomfortablebeinguncomfortable.Thecomfortzoneischaracterizedbydoingthesamethingsinthesamewayswiththesamepeopleat the same time and getting the same results. People remain in their comfortzonesyetaskwhytheirlivesdon’tgetanybetter.That’scrazy.Doingthesamethingeverydaywillnothelpyousucceed.Growthalwaysrequireschange.

Everylevelofgrowthcallsforanewlevelofchange.

—GERALDBROOKS

TheLawoftheRubberBandinThe15InvaluableLawsofGrowthsaysthatgrowthstopswhenyoulosethetensionbetweenwhereyouareandwhereyoushould be.1 What makes any rubber band useful? Stretching. There is nopracticaluseforarubberbandunlessithasbeenstretched.Thesamecanbesaidofus.SocialcommentatorandphilosopherEricHoffersaid,“Inatimeofdrasticchange it is the learners who inherit the future. The learned usually findthemselvesequippedtoliveinaworldthatnolongerexists.”2

ThatcouldhavebeenadescriptionoftheworldIfoundmyselfinduringthe

early years of my leadership. The organization I was connected with resistedchange and therefore forfeited much of its growth potential. (Their idea ofprogresswastomovebackwardslowly.)Ifelt tornbetweenthepeopleI lovedwhowantedmetostaythesameasIwasandthenewgrowthIwasexperiencingthatmademedesiretochangeandtakeriskstoreachmypotential.Aftermonthsof internal emotional wrestling, I decided that I would follow the path ofpersonalgrowth.ThewordsofauthorGailSheehydescribemythinking:

If we don’t change, we don’t grow. If we don’t grow, we are not reallyliving.Growth demands a temporary surrender of security. Itmaymean agivingupoffamiliarbutlimitingpatterns,safebutunrewardingwork,valuesno longer believed in, relationships that have lost their meaning. AsDostoyevskyputit,‘takinganewstep,utteringanewword,iswhatpeoplefearmost.’Therealfearshouldbetheoppositecourse.3

TheprocessIwentthroughwaschallengingatfirst.Ithaditsupsanddowns.Any progress I made inmy growth revealed howmuchmore I had to learn.PsychologistHerbertGerjuoysaid,“Theilliterateofthefuturearenotthosewhocannotreadorwrite,butthosewhocannotlearn,unlearnandrelearn.”4That’swhatIhadtokeepdoing:learning,unlearning,andrelearning.Changebecameconstantbecauseeachnewchallengeandeachnew levelofgrowth requiredabetteranddifferentme.

I can give you an illustration of this in how I learned to become a betterwriter.In1977mymentor,authorLesParrottJr.,sharedwithmethatifIwantedtoinfluencepeoplebeyondmypersonalreach,Ishouldstarttowritebooks.ThedayhespokethosewordstomewasthedayIdecidedtobecomeawriter.Thedecision was instant, but the process of learning to write well was long andarduous.Toaccomplishthis,Ifollowedthelearn,unlearn,relearnprocess:

Learn:“WhatdoIneedtolearntodaythatIdidn’tknowyesterday?”

I immersed myself in the world of writing. I took classes on writing. Iinterviewedwriters. I asked authors tomentorme. I read books, studied theirstyle,anddevelopedastylethatseemedtofitme.AndIwroteconsistently.Intenyears Iwrotesevenbooks.Theyallhadone thing incommon: theydidn’tsellwell.

Unlearn: “What do I need to let go of today that I held on toyesterday?”

BeforeIdecidedtowritebooks,allmywritinghadbeenformyspeaking.Ihadtolearnadifferentsetofskills.Ihadtoseparatemyspeakingfrommywriting.Speakingwaseasyforme,andIwaseffectiveevenatayoungage.Ihadlearnedhow tousemyvoice tocommandattentionandmake themostofmypersonaandcharisma.Ihadlearnedhowtoreadacrowdandconnectwiththem.Noneofthoseskillscarriedoverintomybookwriting.

Relearn: “What do I need to change today that I was doingyesterday?”

Ihadtodevelopwritingconnectionstothereader.Ihadtolearnhowtothinktheway a reader thought and anticipate people’s responses atmy desk instead ofonstage.Thatwasdifficult.AsIworkedhardtodiscoveranddevelopanewwayof writing, I would continually ask myself, “Will the reader turn the page?”After years of hardwork andmany changes, I can saywith confidence that Ihavelearnedtoconnectwiththereader.

Thegrowthjourneyfromheretothereisoftenlonelybecauseyouhavetobewillingtobewrongandyouhavetobewillingtochange.Growthcomesastheresult of dropping bad habits, changing wrong priorities, and embracing newways of thinking. The people who do not grow get stuck because they areunwillingtoleavewhattheyhaveknownandpracticedtodosomethingbetter.They are not willing to risk being wrong so they can discover what is right.Ironically,theyclingtotheright,buttheirlivesturnoutwrong.

If you want to grow as a person and as a leader, youmust be willing tosurrender feeling right so that you can findwhat actually is right. Doing thisdoesn’trequireyoutobebrilliant,talented,orlucky.Itjustmeansyouhavetobewillingtochangeandbeuncomfortable.

3. GROWTH IS THE GREAT SEPARATOR BETWEEN THOSE WHOSUCCEEDANDTHOSEWHODON’T

Ifyouhaveadesiretobesuccessful,youcannotallowyourselftosettleforbeingaverage.Why?Haveyouevergottenexcited about eating at an averagerestaurant?Haveyouevergushedtoothersaboutanaveragevacation?Doyou

finddeepfulfillmentinanaveragerelationship?Doyouheartilyrecommendanaveragemovie to friends?Of course not.Average is never good enough.Youmuststriveforexcellence.

RecentlyIcameacrossapiecebytelecommunicationsexecutiveteamleaderDavidLewisthatdescribeswhatitmeanstobeaverage:

“Average”iswhatfailuresclaimtobewhentheirfriendsaskthemwhytheyarenotmoresuccessful.

“Average”isthetopofthebottom,thebestoftheworst,thebottomofthetop,theworstofthetop.Whichoftheseareyou?

“Average”meansbeingrun-of-the-mill,mediocre,insignificant,analso-ran,anon-entity.

Being“average”isthelazyperson’scop-out;it’slackinggutstotakeastandinlife;it’slivingbydefault.

Being“average”istotakeupspacefornopurpose;totakeatrainthroughlifebutnevertopaythefare;toreturnnointerestforGod’sinvestmentinyou.

Being“average”istopassone’slifeawaywithtime,ratherthantopassone’stimeawaywithlife;it’stokilltime,ratherthanworkingittodeath.

Tobe“average”istobeforgottenonceyoupassfromthislife.Thesuccessfularerememberedfortheircontributions;thefailuresarerememberedbecausetheytried;butthe“average,”thesilentmajority,arejustforgotten.

Tobe“Average”istocommitthegreatestcrimeonecanagainstoneself,humanity,andone’sGod.Thesaddestepitaphisthis:“HereliesMr.andMrs.Average—herelietheremainsofwhatmighthavebeen,exceptfortheirbeliefthattheywere“average.”5

Arethesethoughtsalittleharsh?Maybe.Butiftheystiryouupandinspireyoutogetoutofyourcomfortzone, thentheyhaveachievedanoblepurpose.It’sokaytobecontentwithwhatyouhave,butit’sneverokaytobesocontentwithwhoyouarethatyoustopgrowing.

Growth’s highest reward is notwhatwe get from it, butwhatwe becomebecauseofit.ImadepersonalgrowthmygoalthedayIlearnedthatgrowthwasnotautomatic, thatwedon’tgrow justby living.Thebeginningofmygrowthjourneywasmarkedbymanygoals.However,asImaturedandchangedbecause

of growth, I became less enamored with goals and more passionate aboutgrowth. The result? Today I am consistently growth conscious. Here is thedifference.

Growth’shighestrewardisnotwhatwegetfromit,butwhatwebecome

becauseofit.

GoalConscious GrowthConscious

Focusisonadestination FocusisonthejourneyMotivatespeople MaturespeopleGoalsareseasonal GrowthislifelongChallengespeople Changespeople

Whenthegoalisreached,westop

Whenthegoalisreached,wekeepgrowing

GoalQuestion:Howlongwillthistake?

GrowthQuestion:HowfarcanIgo?

IliketotellpeopleI’mamountainclimber.Peoplewhoknowmewelllookatme funny.Mybodydoesn’t look like ithasclimbedanymountains.Beforethey can say anything, I tell them, “Themountain I climb is calledGrowth.”EverydayItakeafewstepsuptowardmypotential.Evenatseventy,I’mstillclimbing.Theresult?

TheLawofDiminishingIntentsaysthatthelongeryouwaittodo

somethingyoushoulddonow,thegreatertheoddsthatyouwillneverdo

it.

I’veoutgrownyesterdayandgrownintotomorrow.I’veoutgrownoldexpectationsandgrownintonewexpectations.I’veoutgrownpastvictoriesandgrownintopresentvictories.I’veoutgrownaveragerelationshipsandgrownintoimprovingrelationships.I’veoutgrownwhatwasandgrownintowhatcouldbe.I’veoutgrownsuccessandgrownintosignificance.

Ihopeyouaregettingthepictureofwhatgrowthcandoforyou.Ihopethedesiretogrowisstartingtoburnbrightlywithinyou.TheLawofDiminishingIntent says that the longer youwait to do something you should do now, thegreater the odds that youwill never do it.6 If you haven’t already begun thejourney, start climbing today. Come join me as we move forward for themountaintopandmaketheslowbutsteadyclimbfarbeyondaverage.

4.FORGROWTHTOBEMAXIMIZED,ITMUSTBESTRATEGICThebiggest andmost important project youwill ever takeon is yourown

life.Unfortunately,mostpeopleplan theirvacationsbetter than theyplan theirlives.ButasauthorandspeakerJimRohnsaid,“Ifyoudon’tdesignyourownlifeplan,chancesareyou’llfallintosomeoneelse’splan.Andguesswhattheymay have planned for you? Not much!” For that reason, you need to beintentionalandstrategic.

Michael Gerber, author of The E-Myth, said, “Systems permit ordinarypeople to achieve extraordinary results.” Strategies are nothing more thansystemsforobtainingspecificresults.Ithinkofsystemsasbeinglikefreeways.Theygetmewhere Iwant to go quickly and efficiently. In the spanof a fewyears, Iwent from “What is a growth plan?” to “I have a plan, here’s how itworks,andhere’swhatit’sdoingforme.”That’sthepowerofhavingstrategicsystems.

Asyoudevelopyourstrategiesforpersonalgrowth,makesuretheyincludethesefourelements:

TheBigPicture—WhereDoINeedtoFocusMyGrowth?

Mygrowthplaninthebeginningcouldbesummedupinoneword:grow.That’s

notveryspecific,butthat’swhereIstarted.ThegoodnewsisthatasIgrew,sodidmyawarenessofthepictureformyleadership.Questionsbegantosurfaceinmymind.InwhatareasshouldItrytogrow?WhatresourcesdoIneed?WherecanIget them?HowmuchtimeshouldIspendoneachareaofgrowth?Whatmentors should I pursue?What experiencesdo I need tohelpmegrow?Eachquestionexpandedmygrowthpicture.Themore Ihavegrown, thegreatermypictureofgrowthhasbecome.

EarlyonI learnedthatactivityisnotnecessarilyaccomplishment.Ineededtofocus.IbegantoprioritizewhatIdidandwhenIdidit.Forexample,I’mamorningperson.That’smybesttimeforthinkinganddoing,soIbeganputtingmy most important growth projects in the early morning. My best time wasgiventomymostimportantgrowthpriorities.

IalsostartedtorefinewhatIdidtogrowandhowIdidit.Ibegantofocusonthreemainareas:

•Mystrengths—theareasofgiftednessthatsetmeapartfromaverage.Growinginmystrengthsenablesmetoreachthetop10percentofpeoplewithacertainskillset.Almostallsuccessisaresultofbeinginthetop10percentofacertainarea.Ifyouareinthetop20percent,otherswillnoticeandadmireyou.Ifyou’reinthetop10percent,peoplewillseekyououtandfollowyou.

•Mychoices—theareasofweaknessthatneedtochangeformyoverallimprovement.Makingtherightchoicesisthefastestwaytogrowbecauseyouareincontrolofyourchoices.Improvementinthisareaaddsvaluetoyourstrengths.IwroteabooktitledTalentIsNeverEnough.Istillbelievethatideaistrue,butIalsobelievethattalentplusgoodchoicesismorethanenoughtomakeyousuccessful.

•Myfaith—myrelationshipwithGodthatinfluencesmyrelationshipswithothers.MyfaithisfoundationaltoeverythingIamandeverythingIdo.GrowthinthisareaenhancesmylifeandthelivesofthoseIinfluence.

Whatconstitutesyourbigpicture?Wheredoyouwanttogo?Whatarethestrengths you can develop?What choices can youmake in foundational areasthatwillimproveyou?Whatcorevaluesdoyouneedtoincludeinyourgrowthprocess? If you can answer these questions now, they will help you bemorestrategicinyourpersonalgrowth.However,youmaybelikeIwaswhenIfirstgotstarted—Ididn’tknowwhatIdidn’tknow.Ihadtostartthegrowthprocess

tobeginseeing thebigpicture. If thatdescribesyou, thenstartwhereyouare,allowthebigpicturetounfold,andmakeadjustmentstoyourgrowthprioritiesasthepicturebecomesclearer.

Measurement—HowCanIMeasureandAffectMyGrowth?

What gets measured gets done. How will you know what progress you’remaking until you find some way to track your growth? I have to say, it’simportanttodo,butit’salsodifficult.Itrequiresevaluationandreflection.

I’vefoundthatit’seasiertotrackprogressperiodicallyratherthantotrytogaugeitdaily,becausetryingtoassessyourowngrowththatfrequentlyis liketryingtodetectifchildrenaregrowing.Whenyouseeyourownchildreneveryday,youcan’ttellthey’vegrown.Butifyoudidn’tseethemforthreemonthsorayear,thechangeswouldstandout.

Idomymajorgrowthmeasurementattheendofeveryyear.AtthattimeIspendtimereflectingandgoingbackthroughmycalendarfortheyear,andIaskmyselftwoquestions:“Whostretchedme?”and“Whatstretchedme?”

As I think about the first question, I list the names of people who werecatalysts forgrowth inmy life. I try to figureouthow I can spendmore timewiththeminthecomingyear.Ialsowritedownthenamesofpeoplewhotakemytimebutthere’snovalueforeitherofusintherelationship.Ifigureouthowtospendlesstimewiththem.

AsI’mlookingoverthecalendarforthepastyear,Ithinkaboutthesecondquestion.Todeterminewhichideas,experiences,events,stories,resources,andthoughts enlarged me. I use my answers to evaluate past experiences, targetfutureones,andstartplanningkeygrowthexperiencesfor thecomingyear. Inmyearlyyearsofgrowth,everyoneandeverythingstretchedme.AsI’vegrownandexperiencedmore,I’vehadtobecomemoreintentionalandselectiveabouthowIspendmygrowthtime.Buttheintentionisalwaysthesame.Iwanttobestretched.Here’swhy:

•Onceamindisstretched,itcannotreturntoitsoriginaldimensions.•Onceaheartisstretched,itcannotreturntoitsoriginaldimensions.•Onceanideaisstretched,itcannotreturntoitsoriginaldimensions.•Oncehopeisstretched,itcannotreturntoitsoriginaldimensions.•Oncepassionisstretched,itcannotreturntoitsoriginaldimensions.•Onceworkisstretched,itcannotreturntoitsoriginaldimensions.•Onceateamisstretched,itcannotreturntoitsoriginaldimensions.

•Onceateamisstretched,itcannotreturntoitsoriginaldimensions.

Onceyou’vegrown,youwillbeforeverimpacted.Andifyoucanseeyourprogress,you’llneverwanttostopgrowing.Abutterflycannotgobacktobeinga caterpillar.After forty-five years of intentional growing, I cannot go back. Ihavenodesireto.Neitherwillyou.

Consistency—HowCanIGrowDaily?

For years I have taught that the secret of a person’s success is determined bywhatheorshedoesdaily.IrecentlyheardformerfirstladyLauraBushsay,“Allwehaveisnow.”Wow!That’ssimplebutprofound.Therewillneverbeanothernow.Takingcareoftodayandeverydaywillensurethatsomedayyournowwillturnintowow.

Thesecretofaperson’ssuccessisdeterminedbywhatheorshedoes

daily.

Iamintentionalinmypursuitofgrowthbydoingcertainthingseveryday:

•IMakeGrowthMyNumberOnePriority.Adaywithoutgrowthisnotacceptabletome.Iamconsciousofmyneedtolearntwenty-fourhoursaday,sevendaysaweek.

•ILookforGrowthOpportunitiesinEverySituation.Iknowopportunitiesarethere,soIactivelylookforthem.Iaskmyself,“DoIseeanopportunity?AndhaveItakenadvantageofit?”

•IAskQuestionsThatWillHelpMeGrow.Growthdoesn’tcomelookingforme.Imustproactivelyfindit.Iseekgrowthbycontinuallyaskingquestions.

•IFileWhatILearnEveryDay.Thenumber-onetimewasterislookingforthingsthatarelost.Ifileideas,quotes,andstoriessoIcanfindthemquickly.

•IPassOntoOthersWhatI’mLearning.I’malwaysthinkingaboutsharingwhatIdiscoverbecauseitreinforceslearning.ItalsoaddsvaluetothepeopletowhomIpassitalong.

Whatmust you do to ensure that you’re learning and growing every day?Usemylistorcreateyourown.Justbesuretomakegrowthsomethingyoudoeveryday,notsomeday.

Application—CanIActonIt?

Knowledge doesn’t make a person better. Application does. Anything thatdoesn’tgetputintoactionremainstheoretical.Butthegoalofpersonalgrowthistobecomebetter—tobecomebetterasaperson,aparent,aspouse,anemployee,anemployer,oraleader.Wecanexperiencechangeandstillbepassive.Buttoexperiencegrowth,wemustbeactive.

Wehavetotakecontrolofourpersonalgrowth,acceptresponsibilityforit,anddosomethingwithit.Whileothersmayleadsmalllives,wecannot.Whileothersseethemselvesasvictims,wewillnot.Whileotherswillleavetheirfutureinsomeoneelse’shands,wewillnot.Whileotherssimplygothroughlife,Iwillgrowthroughlife.Makethatchoice,anddonotsurrender.

WheneverI’mwritingabookoralesson,Iaskmyself,“Canpeoplereceivethis?CantheyreproducewhatIdo?Cantheyapplyit?Willithelpthem?”WhydoIaskmyselfthesequestions?Becauseapplicationstimulatestransformation.Nothing happens with information unless it is applied. Every time I learnsomething,Iaskmyself,“WherecanIusethis?WhencanIusethis?Whoneedstoknowthis?”ThesoonerIaskthosequestionsandactonthem,thegreaterthereturnformeandothers.

5.GROWTHISJOYWhen I was in my thirties, one of my mentors told me, “Growth is

happiness.”Thatstatementreallystuckwithme,andformanyyearsIrepeatedit. But my perspective on that has changed, and today my appreciation forgrowthhasdeepened.Forme,growthismorethanjusthappiness.It’sjoy.

WhydoIsaythat?First,growthhasfilledmylife.It’smademebiggeronthe inside than Iamon theoutside.Mostpeopleatmyageareworndownbywork. Instead, because I’ve been filling my well with thoughts, ideas,experiences,andchangesthathavegrownmeformorethanfiftyyears,Idon’tfeelwornout.IfeelasifI’mjustwarmedup.

Second,I’mlivingmymissionandpassion,whichistoaddvaluetoleaderswhomultiplyvaluetoothers.Igettolivemypassioneveryday,andmygrowth

istargetedtohelpmefulfillmymissionbetter.AuthorNapoleonHillsaid,“It’snotwhatyouaregoingtodo,butit’swhat

you are doing right now that counts.” Every day for forty-five years, I’vefocusedmy“rightnow”onmymission.It’sthemostrewardingthingIcando.Itgivesmegreat joy.And I’mable to do it only because I’vemadegrowthmyconstantcompanion.EntertainerDollyPartonsaid,“Findoutwhoyoureallyareanddoitonpurpose.”7That’swhatI’vedone.AndIcontinuetotakejoyinit.Why?BecauseitalignswithwhoIam:

Iwanttokeepmakingadifference.Ineverwanttostopgrowing.Iwanttousemybestgifts.Ifeelcalled.Ilovemyteam.Ihaveastrongsenseofresponsibility.Ilovemeetingnewchallenges.Iambeingrewardedfinancially.Iamcreatingalegacy.I’mstillenjoyingwhatIdo.

Iwantthatforyoutoo.Iwantyoutofindthejoyofgrowthandapplythatgrowthtoyourpurpose.Iwantyoutomakeadifference.AndIwantyoutodoitby developing the leaderwithin you so that you can reach your potential, notonlyasaleader,butineveryareaofyourlife.

It’snotwhatyouaregoingtodo,butit’swhatyouaredoingrightnowthat

counts.

—NAPOLEONHILL

PaulHarveysaid,“Youcantellyou’reontheroadtosuccessbecause it isuphillalltheway.”Thejourneymaybeuphill,butasIexplainedinthepreviouschapter,everythingworthwhileisuphill.

Growing intoyour leadershippotentialwill takegreat timeandeffort.You

willneedtobehighlyintentional.Youwillhavetoworkforit.Youwillhavetospend your time andmoney to achieve it.Growthwill not come to you.Youmust pursue it. Effective leadership doesn’t happen on its own. Youmust goafter it. But the journey is as important as the destination. Each step of yourjourneyleadstonewdiscoveriesaswellas theknowledgethat there’smoretolearn.

Toomanypeoplewanttoknowtheendofthestorybeforetheyarewillingtotakethefirststep.Andthatlimitsthem.They’veheard,“Thereisnothingnewunderthesun,”8sotheystayhome.Theydon’tpursuegrowth.Theywaitforthediscoveriesoflifetocometothem,andtheyarealwaysdisappointed.

The real joyof the journey is that each stepwe takebegins tounfoldnewdiscoveries.Itisonlyafterwe’velearnednewthingsthatwecanlookbackandrealizewhatwedidn’t know—andhowmuchmore there is to learn.Andournew knowledge and discoveries become themotivation for us to continue thejourney. Before long, we begin to realize that the destination isn’t what wedesire; rather, it is thegrowthwe experience along theway.Andwediscoverthatthereisnofinishline.

Wherewillyourgrowth journey takeyou? Idon’tknow. I’vegone fartheranddonemuchmorethanIeverdreamedofwhilegrowingupinthesmalltownofCircleville,Ohio.BackthenIcouldn’thaveimaginedwhereIamnow.

Sotaketheroadthat’sopenbeforeyou.Takeastep.Makepersonalgrowthyourdailyhabit.First,lettheroadtakeyouwhereitleads.Asyougrow,begintomake choices at each juncture.Over timeyouwill becomemore proactive,moredirective,moreintentionalinwhereitleadsyou.Butalwaysremainopenandteachable.Keepallowingyourselftobesurprisedeveryday.Growintothepersonyouhavethepotentialtobe.You’llneverregretit.

DEVELOPINGTHELEARNERWITHINYOU

Becausepersonalgrowthneedstobelifelong,whatyoudotogrowinthisareawillbeonlytheverybeginningofalongbutenjoyablejourney.Starthere,butrevisitthisprocesseverysixtotwelvemonths.

ADOPTALEARNER’SMIND-SET

Good leaders are learners. They are intentional. They want to learn fromeveryone theymeet. They never arrive. They never feel that they know it all.Andtheyarenotafraidofhavingtounlearnsomethingsandrelearnothers.

Whatisyourmind-setaboutgrowth?Whatmustyouchangeinyourattitudeto become a better learner? Make the decision to learn something today andevery day. Then tell others of your commitment so they can hold youaccountable.

DEVELOPASPECIFICGROWTHSTRATEGYGrowthisnotautomatic.Youhavetofightforit.Andyouhavetomakeita

dailyhabit.Usetheguidelinesfromthechaptertoplanyourgrowthstrategy:

•BigPicture:WheredoIneedtofocusmygrowth?Ifagrowthplanisnewforyou,startwiththebasics.(Whatarethey?Startwithwhatyouthinktheyare.Askamentororrespectedcolleaguewhatheorshethinksarethebasics.That’syourstartinglist.)Ifyou’reanoldhandatpersonalgrowth,thenfocusonyourstrengths.Pickonetothreeareaswhereyouwanttogrow.Thendigdeepinoneofthoseareas.

•Measurement:HowcanImeasureandaffectmygrowth?Howwillyouknowyou’regrowing?Howwillyoumeasureyourprogress?Ifyouhaveanebulousidea,somethinglike,“Iwanttogrowasaleader,”youwon’tknowwhetheryou’reimproving.However,ifyouinsteaddecidetoimproveyourcommunicationskillsasaleaderandsay,“Insixmonths,Iwanttobeabletodoapolished,impacting,formalfifteen-minutepresentationforworkthatwillbepraisedbymycolleagues,andIwanttobeabletospeakclearlyanddecisivelyanytimeI’mcalleduponinameeting,”thenyouhaveameasurabletargettoshootfor.

•Consistency:HowcanIgrowdaily?Personalgrowthneedstobeadailyactivitythatdevelopsintoadailyhabit.Ifyoudon’tplanit,scheduleit,andresourceit,thenitwillneverbecomethat.Breakdownyourmeasurablegoalintogrowthstepsyoucantakedaily.

•Application:CanIactonit?Asyoureviewmaterials,targetlearningevents,identifygrowthexperiences,recruitmentors,anddevelopotherstrategiesforyourdailygrowth,alwayschoosehowyouspendyourtimebasedonwhetheryoucanputwhatyou’relearningintopractice.

I recommend that you reassess your growth targets regularly—quarterly,semiannually,orannually.Duringeachassessmentperiod,measuretheprogressyou’vemadeonyourpreviousgrowthgoals,anddeterminewhetheryouneedtocreate new ones. As I explained, I do this annually during the last week ofDecember.Iencourageyoutofindyourownrhythm.Andremember,thisisn’taone-and-doneactivity.Thisissomethingyoucandoeveryyearofyourlife.

WHAT’SNEXT?

When I wrote the original version of Developing the Leader Within Youtwenty-fiveyearsago, I thought itwasgoing tobemyone leadershipbook. Ithadn’t occurred tome that Imight havemore to say about the subject. But Ishould have known better. Because I am continually working to grow anddevelop myself, how could I not have more to say on the subject? So I wasgrateful for the opportunity to update this book. And, of course, I’ve writtenotherleadershipbooksaswellsince1993.

Theprocessofdevelopingtheleaderwithinyouisalifelongjourney.Ifyouhavetakenthetimetoreadthisbookandyou’vedonetheassignmentsattheendof each chapter, I have no doubt that you have begun to see changes in yourleadership ability. Your influence with others has grown. Your priorities areclearer and you act on them more decisively. You’ve won character battles.You’ve been able to initiate change and solve problems with greater ability.Your attitude is helping you to believe in people and serve them better. Youhaveavisionforyourleadershipandmoreself-disciplinetofollowthroughwithit.Andyou’relearningmoreeveryday.

Butthisisonlythebeginning.Thejourneyyouhaveaheadofyoucanbeanexciting one. I want to encourage you to keep expanding and growing yourleadership skills. Keep working on the ten core areas I discuss in this book.Make use of the bonus materials at www.MaxwellLeader.com. Listen topodcasts.Readleadershipbooksfromotherauthors.IalsowanttorecommendThe 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership to you. It will give you specificleadershipprinciplestoliveby.

Idon’tthinkit’spossibleforanyonetoevergettoaplacewhereheorshehaslearnedeverythingthereistoknowaboutleadership.I’mseventyyearsold,I’ve spent almost fifty years studying leadership and practicing what I’velearned, and I’mstillgrowing. I feel that I’m likecellistPabloCasals,whoateighty-onewas askedwhy he still practiced for hours every day.His answer:

“BecauseIthinkIammakingprogress.”1Adopt Casals’s attitude and continue developing the leader within you. It

willbeoneofthebestthingsyoueverdoforyourself.

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

JohnC.Maxwellisa#1NewYorkTimesbestsellingauthor,coach,andspeakerwho has soldmore than 26million books in fifty languages. In 2014 hewasidentified as the #1 leader in business by the American ManagementAssociation®andthemostinfluentialleadershipexpertintheworldbyBusinessInsider and Inc.magazines.He is the founderof the JohnMaxwellCompany,theJohnMaxwellTeam,EQUIP,andtheJohnMaxwellLeadershipFoundation,organizations that have trained millions of leaders. In 2015, they reached themilestone of having trained leaders from every country in the world. TherecipientoftheMotherTeresaPrizeforGlobalPeaceandLeadershipfromtheLuminaryLeadershipNetwork,Dr.Maxwell speaks each year toFortune 500companies,presidentsofnations,andmanyoftheworld’stopbusinessleaders.HecanbefollowedatTwitter.com/JohnCMaxwell.FormoreinformationabouthimvisitJohnMaxwell.com.

NOTES

CHAPTER1:THEDEFINITIONOFLEADERSHIP1.JamesC.Georges,inaninterviewpublishedinExecutiveCommunication,January1987.

2.J.R.Miller,TheEveryDayofLife(NewYork:ThomasY.Crowell,1892),246–47.

3.WarrenG.BennisandBurtNanus,Leaders:StrategiesforTakingCharge(NewYork:HarperBusinessEssentials,2003),207.

4.RobertL.Dilenschneider,PowerandInfluence:MasteringtheArtofPersuasion(NewYork:PrenticeHall,1990),8.

5.E.C.McKenzie,QuipsandQuotes(GrandRapids:Baker,1980).6.FredSmith,LearningtoLead:BringingOuttheBestinPeople(Waco:Word,1986),117.

7.JamesKouzesandBarryPosner,TheLeadershipChallenge:HowtoMakeExtraordinaryThingsHappeninOrganizations,5thed.(SanFrancisco:Jossey-Bass,2012),38.

8.“Influence,”inRoyB.Zuck,ed.,TheSpeaker’sQuoteBook(GrandRapids:Kregel,2009),277.

CHAPTER2:THEKEYTOLEADERSHIP1.JamieCornell,“TimeManagement:It’sNOTAboutTime,”HuffPost’sTheBlog,October10,2016,http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jamie-cornell/time-management-its-not-a_b_12407480.html?utm_hp_ref=business&ir=Business.

2.WilliamJames,ThePrinciplesofPsychology(NewYork:HenryandHolt,1890),chap.22.

3.RobertJ.McKain,quotedinTejgyanGlobalFoundation,GreatThinkersGreatThoughts:OneThoughtCanChangeYourWorld...(N.p.:O!Publishing,2012),chap.44.

4.DanS.Kennedy,“5TimeManagementTechniquesWorthUsing,”Entrepreneur,November8,2013,https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/229772.

5.RichardA.Swenson,Margin:RestoringEmotional,Physical,Financial,andTimeReservestoOverloadedLives(ColoradoSprings:NavPress,2004),69.

6.SeeJohnMaxwell,The21IrrefutableLawsofLeadership,10thanniv.ed.(Nashville:ThomasNelson,2007),chap.12.

7.“AboutEmotionalIntelligence,”TalentSmart,http://www.talentsmart.com/about/emotional-intelligence.php.

8.TonySchwartz,“Relax!You’llBeMoreProductive,”NewYorkTimes,February9,2013,http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/opinion/sunday/relax-youll-be-more-productive.html.

9.Ibid.

CHAPTER3:THEFOUNDATIONOFLEADERSHIP1.PaulVallely,PopeFrancis:UntyingtheKnots:TheStrugglefortheSoulofCatholicism,rev.andexp.ed.(NewYork:Bloomsbury,2015),155.

2.SummarizedfromGaryHamel,“The15DiseasesofLeadership,AccordingtoPopeFrancis,”HarvardBusinessReview,April14,2015,https://hbr.org/2015/04/the-15-diseases-of-leadership-according-to-pope-francis.

3.Ibid.4.DavidKadalie,Leader’sResourceKit:ToolsandTechniquestoDevelopYourLeadership(Nairobi:Evangel,2006),102.

5.StephenM.R.CoveywithRebeccaR.Merrill,TheSpeedofTrust:OneThingThatChangesEverything(NewYork:FreePress,2006),14.

6.JamesM.KouzesandBarryZ.Posner,“WithoutTrustYouCannotLead,”InnovativeLeader8,no.2(February1999),http://www.winstonbrill.com/bril001/html/article_index/articles351_400.html.

7.RobBrown,BuildYourReputation:GrowYourPersonalBrandforCareerandBusinessSuccess(WestSussex,UK:Wiley,2016),22–23.

8.TimIrwin,Derailed:FiveLessonsLearnedfromCatastrophicFailuresofLeadership(Nashville:ThomasNelson,2009),17.

9.RosalinaChai,“BeautyoftheMosaic,”Awakin.org,February22,2016,

http://www.awakin.org/read/view.php?tid=2138.10.DavidGergen,“Charactervs.Capacity,”U.S.News&WorldReport,

October22,2000.11.RobertF.Morneau,Humility:31ReflectionsonChristianVirtues

(Winona,MN:St.Mary’sPress,1997).12.DavidBrooks,TheRoadtoCharacter(NewYork:RandomHouse,

2015),xii.13.Ibid.14.ParkerJ.Palmer,AHiddenWholeness:TheJourneyTowardan

UndividedLife(SanFrancisco:Wiley,2004),5.15.Brooks,RoadtoCharacter,14.16.JohnOrtberg,SoulKeeping(GrandRapids:Zondervan,2014),43.17.Ibid.,46.18.Webster’sNewWorldDictionary,3rdcollegeed.,s.v.“integrity.”19.Ortberg,SoulKeeping,103.20.TomVerducci,“TheRainmaker:HowCubsBossTheoEpsteinEndeda

SecondEpicTitleDrought,”SportsIllustrated,December19,2016,https://www.si.com/mlb/2016/12/14/theo-epstein-chicago-cubs-world-series-rainmaker.

CHAPTER4:THEULTIMATETESTOFLEADERSHIP1.GordonS.WhiteJr.,“HoltzCausesOrderlySuccess,”NewYorkTimes,October23,1988,http://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/23/sports/college-football-holtz-causes-orderly-success.html.

2.EricHarveyandSteveVentura,ForgetforSuccess:WalkingAwayfromOutdated,CounterproductiveBeliefsandPeoplePractices(Dallas:Performance,1997),12.

3.Ibid.,2–3.4.MalcolmGladwell,“TheBigManCan’tShoot”(podcast),RevisionistHistory,episode3,http://revisionisthistory.com/episodes/03-the-big-man-cant-shoot,accessedFebruary10,2017.

5.“WiltChamberlain,”BasketballReference,http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/chambwi01.html,accessedFebruary10,2017.

6.“RickBarry,”BasketballReference,http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/barryri01.html,accessedFebruary10,2017.

7.“Transcript:ChoosingWrong,”ThisAmericanLifefromWBEZ

(website),June24,2016,https://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/590/transcript,accessedFebruary10,2017.

8.Gladwell,“TheBigManCan’tShoot.”9.AdaptedfromLightbulbjokes.com,http://www.lightbulbjokes.com/directory/a.html,accessedFebruary8,2017.

10.RickWarren,“WhyYourWayIsn’tWorking,”Crosswalk.com,July12,2016,http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/daily-hope-with-rick-warren/daily-hope-with-rick-warren-july-12-2016.html.

11.“MadmenTheyWere.TheGreatestPitchofThemAll.TrueStory,”StreamAbout(blog),March23,2012,http://streamabout.blogspot.com/2012/03/madmen-they-were-greatest-pitch-of-them.html.

12.“PeterMarsh,AdvertisingExecutive—Obituary,”Telegraph,April12,2016,http://www.telegraph.co.uk/obituaries/2016/04/12/peter-marsh-advertising-executive-obituary/.

13.SamuelR.Chand,8StepstoAchieveYourDestiny:LeadYourLifewithPurpose(NewKensington,PA:WhitakerHouse,2016),Kindleedition,loc.997of1895.

14.MacAnderson,212Leadership:The10RulesforHighlyEffectiveLeadership(Napierville,IL:SimpleTruths,2011),Kindleedition,33–34.

15.ParaphraseofastatementmadebyRobertKennedyinMay1964duringaspeechattheUniversityofPennsylvania.

16.MacAndersonandTomFeltenstein,ChangeIsGood...YouGoFirst:21WaystoInspireChange(Napierville,IL:Sourcebooks,2015).Italicsareintheoriginal.

17.WinstonChurchill,HisCompleteSpeeches,1897–1963,ed.RobertRhodesJames,vol.4(1922–1928)(N.p.:ChelseaHouse,1974),3706.

18.Maxwell,The21IrrefutableLawsofLeadership,169.

CHAPTER5:THEQUICKESTWAYTOGAINLEADERSHIP1.M.ScottPeck,TheRoadLessTraveled(NewYork:Touchstone,1978),15.

2.SeePaulLarkin,“3PrinciplesofPragmaticLeaders,”LinkedIn,July19,2015,https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/3-principles-pragmatic-leaders-paul-larkin/.

3.JimCollins,GoodtoGreat,(NewYork:HarperCollins,2001),81.4.“Expectancy-ValueTheoryofMotivation,PsychologyConcepts,http://www.psychologyconcepts.com/expectancy-value-theory-of-motivation/,accessedFebruary14,2017.

5.LouisE.Bisch,“SpiritualInsight,”LeavesofGrass,ClydeFrancisLytle,ed.(FortWorth:Brownlow,1948),14.

6.Maxwell,The21IrrefutableLawsofLeadership,103.7.VictorGoertzelandMildredGoertzel,CradlesofEminence,2nded.(Boston:GreatPotentialPress,1978),282.

8.GlennLlopis,“The4MostEffectiveWaysLeadersSolveProblems,”Forbes,November4,2013,http://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2013/11/04/the-4-most-effective-ways-leaders-solve-problems/#397e9edf2bda.

9.MaxDePree,LeadershipIsanArt(N.p.:CrownBusiness,2004),11.10.AdaptedfromajokebyHennyYoungmanincludedinWarrenBuffett’s

BerkshireHathaway,Inc.,1991LettertoShareholders,http://www.berkshirehathaway.com/letters/1991.html,accessedFebruary9,2017.

11.Llopis,“The4MostEffectiveWaysLeadersSolveProblems.”12.Larkin,“3PrinciplesofPragmaticLeaders.”13.“JohnF.KennedyandPT109,”JohnF.KennedyPresidentialLibraryand

Museum,https://www.jfklibrary.org/JFK/JFK-in-History/John-F-Kennedy-and-PT109.aspx,accessedFebruary9,2017.

CHAPTER6:THEEXTRAPLUSINLEADERSHIP1.“CharlesR.Swindoll:Quotes:QuotableQuote,”Goodreads,http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/267482-the-longer-i-live-the-more-i-realize-the-impact,accessedSeptember25,2017.

2.RobertE.Quinn,DeepChange:DiscoveringtheLeaderWithin(SanFrancisco:Jossey-Bass,1996),21.

3.NellMohney,“BeliefsCanInfluenceAttitudes,”KingsportTimes-News,July25,1986,48.

4.DannyCoxwithJohnHoover,LeadershipWhentheHeat’sOn,2nded.(NewYork:McGraw-Hill,2002),88.

5.“ElishaGrayandtheTelephone,”ShoreTelwebsite,https://www.shoretel.com/elisha-gray-and-telephone,accessedMarch1,

2017.6.Adaptedfromhisarticle“SuccessPrinciples:DoYouFeelLucky—orFortunate?”SuccessNet.org,http://successnet.org/cms/success-principles17/lucky-fortunate,accessedJune5,2017.

7.RichardJerome,“CharltonHeston1923–2008,”Peoplemagazine,April21,2008,http://people.com/archive/charlton-heston-1923-2008-vol-69-no-15/.

8.TimHansel,ThroughtheWildernessofLoneliness(Chicago:D.C.Cook,1991),128.

9.T.BoonePickens,inTheUltimateHandbookofMotivationalQuotesforCoachesandLeaders,ed.PatWilliamswithKenHussar(Monterey,CA:CoachesChoice,2011),chap.2.

10.DianeCoutu,“CreativityStepbyStep,”HarvardBusinessReview,April2008,https://hbr.org/2008/04/creativity-step-by-step.

11.AllisonEck,“Don’tJustFinishYourProject,EvolveIt,”99U,http://99u.com/articles/52033/do-you-have-a-jazz-mindset-or-a-classical-mindset,accessedSeptember25,2017.

12.Ibid.13.SarahRapp,“WhySuccessAlwaysStartswithFailure,”99U,

http://99u.com/articles/7072/why-success-always-starts-with-failure,accessedFebruary21,2017.

14.HeidiGrantHalvorson,“WhyYouShouldGiveYourselfPermissiontoScrewUp,”99U,http://99u.com/articles/7273/why-you-should-give-yourself-permission-to-screw-up,accessedMarch6,2017.

15.KouzesandPosner,TheLeadershipChallenge.16.MarkBatterson,ChasetheLion:IfYourDreamDoesn’tScareYou,It’s

TooSmall(NewYork:Multnomah,2016),ix.

CHAPTER7:THEHEARTOFLEADERSHIP1.Ephesians4:11–12NIV.2.“TheServantasLeader,”RobertK.GreenleafCenterforServantLeadership,https://www.greenleaf.org/what-is-servant-leadership/,accessedMarch9,2017.

3.EugeneB.Habecker,TheOtherSideofLeadership(Wheaton,IL:VictorBooks,1987),217.

4.1Timothy6:17–19MSG.

5.S.ChrisEdmonds,TheCultureEngine:AFrameworkforDrivingResults,InspiringYourEmployees,andTransformingYourWorkplace(Hoboken:JohnWileyandSons,2014),67.

6.AnnMcGee-CooperandDuaneTrammell,“FromHero-as-LeadertoServant-as-Leader,”FocusonLeadership:Servant-LeadershipfortheTwenty-FirstCentury,ed.LarryC.SpearsandMicheleLawrence(NewYork:JohnWileyandSons,2002),Kindleedition,loc.1623of4168.

7.“PopetoDeacons:‘YouAreCalledtoServe,NotBeSelf-Serving,’”VaticanRadio,May29,2016,http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/05/29/pope_to_deacons_’you_are_called_to_serve,_not_to_be_self-se/1233321.

8.Songusedwithpermission.9.DanPrice,“BecomeaServantLeaderin4Steps,”Success,January25,2017,http://www.success.com/article/become-a-servant-leader-in-4-steps.

10.AlanLoyMcGinnis,BringingOuttheBestinPeople:HowtoEnjoyHelpingOthersExcel(Minneapolis:AugsburgBooks,1985),177.

11.JimHeskett,“WhyIsn’t‘ServantLeadership’MorePrevalent?”WorkingKnowledge(HarvardBusinessSchool),May1,2013,http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/why-isnt-servant-leadership-more-prevalent.

CHAPTER8:THEINDISPENSABLEQUALITYOFLEADERSHIP1.AndyStanley,Visioneering:God’sBlueprintforDevelopingandMaintainingVision(ColoradoSprings:Multnomah,1999),9.

2.JamesAllen,AsaManThinketh(N.p.:ShandonPress,2017),Kindleedition,loc.329of394.

3.Ibid.,loc.75of394.4.WilliamP.Barker,ASaviorforAllSeasons(OldTappan,NJ:FlemingH.Revell,1986),175–76.

5.LuisPalau,DreamGreatDreams(ColoradoSprings:Multnomah,1984).6.KennethHildebrand,AchievingRealHappiness(NewYork:Harper&Brothers,1955).

7.RickWarren,“TheCrucialDifferenceBetweenManagingandLeading,”Pastors.com,July31,2015,http://pastors.com/the-crucial-difference-between-managing-and-leading/.

8.NapoleonHill,asquotedinBarryFarber,DiamondPower:GemsofWisdomfromAmerica’sGreatestMarketer(FranklinLakes,NJ:Career

Press,2003),53.9.AsquotedinMichaelNasonandDonnaNason,RobertSchuller:TheInsideStory(Waco:WordBooks,1983).

10.JudithB.Meyerowitz,“TheVocationalFantasiesofMenandWomenatMid-life”(doctoraldissertation,ColumbiaUniversity,1989).

11.SeeJohnMaxwell,The15InvaluableLawsofGrowth(NewYork:CenterStreet,2012),chap.7.

12.AsquotedinDiannaDanielsBooher,Executive’sPortfolioofModelSpeechesforAllOccasions(NewYork:PrenticeHall,1991),34.

13.JohnMaxwell,GoodLeadersAskGreatQuestions(NewYork:CenterStreet,2014),6.

14.Seechapter1inJohnMaxwell,PutYourDreamstotheTest(Nashville:ThomasNelson,2011).

15.SeeMaxwell,The21IrrefutableLaws,chap.19.16.“AndyStanley—Chick-Fil-ALeadercast2013,”TheSermonNotes,May

10,2013,http://www.thesermonnotes.com/andy-stanley-chick-fil-a-leadercast-2013/.

17.DonaldT.Phillips,MartinLutherKing,Jr.onLeadership:InspirationandWisdomforChallengingTimes(NewYork:WarnerBooks,1998),97.

18.GeorgeS.Patton,“MechanizedForces:ALecture,”CavalryJournal(September–October1933),inJ.FurmanDanielIII,ed.,21stCenturyPatton:StrategicInsightsfortheModernEra(Annapolis,MD:NavalInstitutePress,2016),142.

19.TimWorstall,“SteveJobsandtheDon’tSettleSpeech,”Forbes,October8,2011,https://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2011/10/08/steve-jobs-and-the-dont-settle-speech/#4a2544f87437.

CHAPTER9:THEPRICETAGOFLEADERSHIP1.“Temperance(1466)egkráteia,”SermonIndex.net(GreekWordStudies),accessedApril17,2017,http://www.sermonindex.net/modules/articles/index.php?view=article&aid=35940.

2.EdgarA.Guest,“KeepGoing,”BrooklynDailyEagle,February24,1953,8,https://www.newspapers.com/clip/1709402/keep_going_poem_by_edgar_a_guest/.

3.BrianTracy,ThePowerofDiscipline:7WaysItCanChangeYourLife(Naperville,IL:SimpleTruths,2008),6–7.

4.RoryVaden,TaketheStairs:7StepstoAchievingTrueSuccess(NewYork:Perigee,2012),35–36.

5.Ibid.,38.6.AttributedtoDennisP.KimbroinJeoraldPittsandLilTone,“CanYouIdentifyWhatIAm?”LosAngelesSentinel,December16,2010,http://www.lasentinel.net/can-you-identify-what-i-am.html.

7.Proverbs23:7.8.GaryKellerwithJayPapasan,TheONEThing:TheSurprisinglySimpleTruthBehindExtraordinary(N.p.:BardPress,2013).

9.“Biography,”LouisLamour.com,http://www.louislamour.com/aboutlouis/biography6.htm,accessedApril20,2017.

10.“3,000HitsClub,”MLB.com,http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/milestones/index.jsp?feature=three_thousand_h,accessedApril19,2017.

CHAPTER10:THEEXPANSIONOFLEADERSHIP1.Maxwell,The15InvaluableLawsofGrowth,156.2.EricHoffer,ReflectionsontheHumanCondition(NewYork:Harper&Row,1973),22.

3.GailSheehy,Passages:PredictableCrisesofAdultLife(NewYork:Ballantine,2006),499.

4.QuotedinAlvinToffler,FutureShock(NewYork:BantamBooks,1970),414.

5.DavidD.LewisJr.PersonalDevelopmentPage,Facebook,November12,2014,https://www.facebook.com/DreamUnstuck/posts/743099232444718.

6.Maxwell,The15InvaluableLawsofGrowth,5.7.DollyParton,Twitter,April8,2015,https://twitter.com/dollyparton/status/585890099583397888?lang=en.

8.Ecclesiastes1:9.

WHAT’SNEXT?1.QuotedinLeonardLyons,LyonsDen,DailyDefender(Chicago),

November4,1958,page5,col.1.