John Maxwell’s “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” is a book that I have found quite helpful in measuring my own personal growth in leadership abilities, as well as in finding the areas where I struggle or need to grow. The premise of this book is not to say there are only 21 principles concerning leadership. That idea is clearly false, proven by the number of leadership books, articles, blogs, and podcasts available today. Rather, accord to Maxwell, there are 21 “laws” to leadership that are universally true no matter where one may lead in any culture or area of society. (Note: Sociologists generally agree that there are 7 “areas of society” which are business, government, media, arts and entertainment, education, the family, and entertainment.)
Since each chapter of this book discusses one of the leadership laws, it will be most beneficial for this book review, to walk through theses laws one at a time.
21 irrefutable laws of leadership john c maxwellVeton Krasniqi
For my CMP program we were asked to partner up and read a NYT Best Seller. I chose The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, by John C. Maxwell.
Please note I am not taking credit for his work, simply presenting it with my unique take.
In his previous bestseller, Built to Last, Jim Collins explored what made great companies great and how they sustained that greatness over time.
One point kept nagging him, though — great companies have, for the most part, always been great, while a vast majority of good companies remain just that: good, but not great. What could merely good companies do to become great, to turn long-term weakness into long-term supremacy?
Collins and his team of researchers used strict benchmarks to identify a group of eleven elite companies that made the leap from good to great and sustained that greatness for at least fifteen years. The companies that made the list might surprise you as much as those left off (the likes of Intel, GE
and Coca Cola are nowhere to be found).
The real surprise of Good to Great isn’t so much what good companies do to propel themselves to greatness — it’s why more companies haven’t done the same things more often.
A leader is one who is committed to taking individuals along towards the fruition of a certain mission and creates an environment in which people can be actively involved. There is no magic in the way in which inspirational leaders operate. However an inspirational leader is considered more effective and efficient than a good leader. So, who is an inspirational leader? What are the qualities that set a good leader apart from an inspirational leader? How can a good leader be transformed into an inspirational leader? Here is presentation that answers all these questions.
There's a difference between a manager and a boss. Moreover, people have often mistaken bosses as leaders. These slides will tell you the differences between the two. Are you a leader or a boss?
Leadership is an important skill, but even more important is the ability to lead well. A strong leader inspires, encourages, and empowers those around them. Here we share with you several of the skills associated with successful leaders and what it means to embody those abilities as a truly great leader.
“Can a good company become a great company, and, if so, how?” As managers of non-profit programs, we don’t have formal training in the skills of management. Come with us on a journey to see how the principles outlined in the book, “Good to Great” can help you achieve your objectives.
Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman present the results of two major studies. One
offers findings from polling more than a million employees about their workplace needs.
The other is a 20-year study of how the methods of the world’s greatest managers
differ from those of lesser managers. This study involved interviews with more than
80,000 managers from 400 companies, the largest such investigation ever undertaken. The authors found key differences that fly in the face of traditional thinking about successful managerial practices. This astute, well-written report presents the major principles of great managers, and offers examples of leaders who put their knowledge of effective management into practice. The book’s conclusions rest on in-depth research, not theory.
This painstaking study authoritatively describes how employees feel about management
and explains exactly what great managers do, and why and how they achieve top results.Recommended it to everyone who manages, wants to manage or is managed.
21 irrefutable laws of leadership john c maxwellVeton Krasniqi
For my CMP program we were asked to partner up and read a NYT Best Seller. I chose The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, by John C. Maxwell.
Please note I am not taking credit for his work, simply presenting it with my unique take.
In his previous bestseller, Built to Last, Jim Collins explored what made great companies great and how they sustained that greatness over time.
One point kept nagging him, though — great companies have, for the most part, always been great, while a vast majority of good companies remain just that: good, but not great. What could merely good companies do to become great, to turn long-term weakness into long-term supremacy?
Collins and his team of researchers used strict benchmarks to identify a group of eleven elite companies that made the leap from good to great and sustained that greatness for at least fifteen years. The companies that made the list might surprise you as much as those left off (the likes of Intel, GE
and Coca Cola are nowhere to be found).
The real surprise of Good to Great isn’t so much what good companies do to propel themselves to greatness — it’s why more companies haven’t done the same things more often.
A leader is one who is committed to taking individuals along towards the fruition of a certain mission and creates an environment in which people can be actively involved. There is no magic in the way in which inspirational leaders operate. However an inspirational leader is considered more effective and efficient than a good leader. So, who is an inspirational leader? What are the qualities that set a good leader apart from an inspirational leader? How can a good leader be transformed into an inspirational leader? Here is presentation that answers all these questions.
There's a difference between a manager and a boss. Moreover, people have often mistaken bosses as leaders. These slides will tell you the differences between the two. Are you a leader or a boss?
Leadership is an important skill, but even more important is the ability to lead well. A strong leader inspires, encourages, and empowers those around them. Here we share with you several of the skills associated with successful leaders and what it means to embody those abilities as a truly great leader.
“Can a good company become a great company, and, if so, how?” As managers of non-profit programs, we don’t have formal training in the skills of management. Come with us on a journey to see how the principles outlined in the book, “Good to Great” can help you achieve your objectives.
Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman present the results of two major studies. One
offers findings from polling more than a million employees about their workplace needs.
The other is a 20-year study of how the methods of the world’s greatest managers
differ from those of lesser managers. This study involved interviews with more than
80,000 managers from 400 companies, the largest such investigation ever undertaken. The authors found key differences that fly in the face of traditional thinking about successful managerial practices. This astute, well-written report presents the major principles of great managers, and offers examples of leaders who put their knowledge of effective management into practice. The book’s conclusions rest on in-depth research, not theory.
This painstaking study authoritatively describes how employees feel about management
and explains exactly what great managers do, and why and how they achieve top results.Recommended it to everyone who manages, wants to manage or is managed.
"Power" by Jeffrey Pfeffer is easily the most important/helpful career book I've ever read. I took 14 pages(!) of notes and thought I'd share the most important tips/strategies in this simple Word document.
The slides are consist of different models of educational leadership like academic leadership, professional leadership, visionary leadership, bureaucratic leadership etc. f
Gcsv2011 21 laws of leadership-amanda mooreServe Indiana
This document was created by an individual or individuals who submitted a proposal so he / she / they may present at the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiative’s 2011 Conference on Service and Volunteerism (GCSV11). This proposal was approved by the Indiana Commission on Community Service and Volunteerism (ICCSV) and other community partners. Sharing this document is a courtesy extended by the OFBCI to conference attendees who may want to reference materials covered at the GCSV11, and the OFBCI in no way not responsible for specific content within.
Perhaps the most intimidating aspect of leadership is knowing that in addition to playing an important role in a team’s success, leaders are held responsible for their team’s failures. In order to obtain great results from their teams, leaders must be able to consistently motivate their team members.
Knowledgeable workers must manage themselves.
Is your company’s human resources operation a true “business partner” that makes a major contribution to your bottom line? Or does it merely fulfil the daily tasks of hiring, firing and paying your employees? If the latter, don’t worry – that can change. So say the human resources experts who founded the RBL Group and the RBL Institute, a consultancy and an educational organization dedicated to helping HR leaders attain new levels of professionalism. Using the institute’s tools and tactics, you can “transform” your human resources department into a valued, knowledgeable and contributing member of your corporate team. While you don’t have to be a human resources professional to benefit from this book, its HR-speak presents a pretty dense thicket that might daunt a novice.
Why is a great company culture so rare? How can you make sure your organization has one? The good news is that creating an inspiring and sustainable culture is not as hard as you might think. Dr. David “Doc” Vik reveals the keys to success in The Culture Secret.
A remarkable culture begins with visionary leaders who help their teams take a holistic approach to creating engagement inside their companies and sharing it with customers. Discover how to take culture beyond casual Friday and into more meaningful conversations like:
•Driving Vision
•Defining Purpose
•Clear business model
•Unique/WOW factors
•Meaningful Values
•Inspired Leadership
•Great customers and customer service
•Brand enhancement
•Experience and the emotional connection
If you don’t think you have to focus on attracting—and retaining—the best employees in today’s hypercompetitive war for talent, you are living in the past. The employees and customers of today have a choice and a voice. The secret to culture is simple: take care of your people, never stop innovating, and leave customers wowed. Build a better culture to secure the future for any organization
Drawing upon a six-year research project at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, James C. Collins and Jerry I. Porras took eighteen truly exceptional and long-lasting companies and studied each in direct comparison to one of its top competitors. They examined the companies from their very beginnings to the present day -- as start-ups, as midsize companies, and as large corporations. Throughout, the authors asked: "What makes the truly exceptional companies different from the comparison companies and what were the common practices these enduringly great companies followed throughout their history?"
Filled with hundreds of specific examples and organized into a coherent framework of practical concepts that can be applied by managers and entrepreneurs at all levels, Built to Last provides a master blueprint for building organizations that will prosper long into the 21st century and beyond.
How Stella Saved the Farm is a simple and logical book based on a story which narrates the learning process about making innovation happen. The book is divided in two parts and consists of total nineteen chapters. First part carries nine chapters and remaining are under the second part, which explains the conversion of idea into innovation and then great success. The story is about the competition of two farms one run and managed by animals (Windsor farm) and another by human beings (McGillicuddys farm). Windsor farm is working through change and innovation where the status quo is no longer good enough. Interestingly, in view of poor performance of Windsor farm McGillicuddy is hoping to take over the Windsor farm, but due to the innovations, Windsor farm crosses all hurdles and gets a remarkable status in the business.
Rumelt describes strategizing as identifying pivotal issues within your market and your industry and making a plan focused on forceful, results-oriented action. He reminds readers that strategy has little to do with ambitious goals, vision, leadership, innovation or determination. For many business leaders, strategy means promulgating meaningless slogans that tout impressive but unrealistic goals. A sound business strategy presents a specific action plan to overcome a defined challenge. Rumelt says good strategy involves multiple analyses and the painstaking development of thoughtful, expertly implemented policies that surmount obstacles and move the firm profitably ahead.
Can passion be taught? Can it be fostered? The answer is yes. But perhaps more accurately, a team leader must create the right conditions for passion to emerge. Those conditions must be nurtured, not unlike a gardener creating the right conditions for his plants to flourish. Make your job easier. Get the inside scoop on the secrets of success that motivate teams to top performance. In the matrix of workplace roles and responsibilities, managers are pivotal to corporate success. Yet a manager is often the unsung hero who must adapt to demands from all sides—and do so with little or no training, and without mentorship for the role. Learn from Dan Bobinski, who draws from 20 years of consulting experience, extensive studies of best practices, and the latest in neuroscience research. You'll learn the principles and methods top managers use to develop passionate, engaged employees who are dedicated to success. You'll be able to:
— Motivate without manipulating
— Turn mistakes into a fervent drive for quality
— Equip teams to enthusiastically adapt to change
— Create environments in which people strive for excellence—and more
Today's workforce requires managers to be more than just a person in charge. Creating Passion-Driven Teams show you how to tap your team's natural motivations and achieve consistent, sustained top performance.
Whether corporate governance is a burden meant to report compliance on companies’ performance, or can it be used as a competitive advantage in view of the changing laws, awareness and scenario is the important question which is present in the minds of those at the top of the company affairs including the CEO, Directors and Boards.
The book under reference, “Boards that Deliver”, by Ram Charan attempts to answer this question in a certain and prudent manner. The author believes that with the right set of practices, any group of directors can become a board that delivers value to the management and to the investors and goes ahead to demonstrate his points giving directions on various steps to be taken to make this happen.
"I'm the boss!"
It's a common mistake to think management is defined by formal authority—the ability that comes with a title to impose your will on others. In fact, formal authority is a useful but limited tool.
People Want More Than a Formal, Authority-Based Relationship with the Boss
Many managers—especially those who were achievement-driven stars as individual performers—don't even think about relationships. They're so task oriented that they put the work to be done and their authority as boss at the heart of what they do and assume they can ignore the human aspects of working with others.
The problem is that most people don't want your authority to be the be-all and end-all of the relationship. They want a personal, human connection, an emotional link. They want you to care about them as individuals. They want you to encourage their growth and development. Research tells us this kind of human relationship with the boss is a key factor determining an employee's level of engagement with the work.
We know of a small-company owner, a warm, decent woman, so pressed for time she consciously decided to avoid small talk at the office. She never opened up to people about herself or asked about their lives and interests. She didn't, that is, until her people rose up and expressed, through an intermediary, that they hated how she treated them. They wanted a real human connection with her, even if she was "the boss."
Value for the Reader :
The reader will walk away with a set of highly referred tools for increasing the personal & professional Mojo, which the author defines as “ That Positive Spirit towards what we are doing now that starts from the inside and radiates to the outside”
He defines his purpose as “ helping successful people achieve positive, lasting change in behavior “ . It is a real world advice embodied in simple processes for the reader to consider using that can improve his or her thinking , behavior and results.
Very thought provoking book and helps the reader to lead a happier, more purposeful and more productive life.
Strong Leaders at all levels within an organization are a requisite for business success. Yet the leadership pipeline –internal architecture for growing leaders is often broken or
nonexistent. This updated edition of the bestselling book has been revised to help address the challenges of today’s business environment. Anchored in experience based case studies, this
remarkable book synchronizes a proven model for planning leadership succession and development for corporate organizations. The Second edition is an improvement based on
learning and review of the authors who have drawn their work at more than one hundred international companies over a period of ten years since the first edition of the book with the same title was published. The book under review is addressed to the leading corporate organizations, where the succession path of leaders/ chief executives is being formulated & executed on a continuous basis to perpetuate the organization and make it strong and robust while facing trials and tribulations of corporate growth and success.
We attempt or avoid difficult conversations every day-whether dealing with an underperforming employee, disagreeing with a spouse, or negotiating with a client. From the Harvard Negotiation Project, the organization that brought you Getting to Yes, Difficult Conversations provides a step-by-step approach to having those tough conversations with less stress and more success. you’ll learn how to:
· Decipher the underlying structure of every difficult conversation
· Start a conversation without defensiveness
· Listen for the meaning of what is not said
· Stay balanced in the face of attacks and accusations
· Move from emotion to productive problem solving
In the continual quest for sustainable growth, companies
have traditionally focused on the competition.
They have fought over the same customers, tried to
improve on the same benefits, and hoped to wring
profits from a shrinking revenue stream. In Blue
Ocean Strategy, professors W. Chan Kim and Renée
Mauborgne argue that the key to success is to make the
competition irrelevant. They offer a practical, tested
analytical framework that innovators in any sector
can use to create new, uncontested market space. In
this “blue ocean,” organizations can take advantage
of untapped demand and deliver powerful leaps in
value—both for their customers and for themselves.
Emotional Intelligence 2.0 , a self-help book by Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves, provides a toolkit and guide for readers to increase their emotional intelligence (EQ), which the writers say can be a benefit in business and personal relationships.
You can no longer count on a return to “ Normal” competitive conditions. The business world is flat, with capital & knowledge able to move anywhere instantly. Brands are losing value, regulations are increasing and competitors can come out anywhere. Filtered information, Selective hearing, Wishful thinking, Fear and Emotional over investment can all act to prevent an organization from Confronting and dealing with reality.
As a way to understand reality, the authors put a high premium on business savvy- the ability to understand the fundamentals of a business, and the connections between them. The book presents a model and process to help leaders learn business savvy to recognize the position of their business in wider external realities and to take action based on that understanding.
The triple bottom line consists of financial profit (or success), social justice, and environmental protection. It is sometimes summarized as “Profits, People, and Planet.” An intimately related concept is “sustainability”---corporations that are built to last, societies that are stable and just, and a global natural environment that is in a healthy equilibrium. The basic argument is that we live in a time when a narrow, short-term focus on the financial bottom line alone will generate dysfunctions among people and in the environment that will come back to bite the corporation.
Sustainability and the “3BL” are, instead, about mutual benefits flowing in all three directions. The challenge is to find the sustainability “sweet spot” (think golf) where all three interests coincide. Example: Toyota’s Prius low-fuel hybrid benefits the environment, the people who build or buy them, and the owners of the company. Certainly there will be trade-offs; 3BL choices and strategies will require negotiation and compromise. But this is now an economic reality, not just an altruistic dream
It could be argued that what’s new here is just a strong case that financially successful companies must think more broadly and holistically and be sure to take into account all their stakeholder interests, including the environment and society. But it is still the financial bottom line driving the business.
Business ethics is a huge canvas, bigger than sustainability, CSR, corporate governance, or the 3BL. Business ethics is about doing the right thing and building good organizations. Business ethics and values grow out of purposes, missions, and visions and are organically intertwined with corporate cultures. There are more than three bottom lines---there are bottom lines related to every stakeholder. Business ethics doesn’t just ask how to keep three of those stakeholders (owners, environment, society) going and make them last (sustain them) but about what is right and fair and just, about what would constitute excellence and success.
THE Bhagavad Gita is an Indian spiritual text of about 700 verses. The classic takes the form of a conversation between Krishna and Arjuna. The book by Debashis Chatterjee weaves their beautiful battlefield conversation into a narrative on the problems faced by leaders such as Arjuna and the solution provided by Krishna from a perspective that is both compelling and contemporary.
In this book, Krishna guides Arjuna through the ABCs of leadership. A for authenticity or truth; B stands for Being, which is the fundamental raw material for becoming a leader; and C stands for Convergence, which a leader achieves between his or her current reality and his & her goal, or between a problem/ challenges and its solution.
In the chapter “Leaders are Masters of their Minds”, the book poses the question: How does one begin the conquest of the turbulent mind? Krishna’s prescription is to return to the calm and stillness of the real self. Self-image is characterised by change and anxiety while the real self stands still in intense observation.
Stillness is the power behind intense action. Timeless leaders have taught us the art and science of always being still. Timeless leaders succeed only by the application of stillness. A mind that is restless, anxious, and nervous always misses the mark. Only a steady, controlled, almost machinelike hand can shoot the arrow that hits the bull’s eye. Krishna speaks of being indivisibly one with one’s goal, even like the arrowhead that has struck into the target.
An undivided concentration naturally brings about an absolutely unshakable stillness. The journey towards self-realisation involves the disciplines of silence and solitude. The Bhagavad Gita tells us: “The unreal has no being: the real never ceases to be. The final truth about them both has thus been perceived by the seers of ultimate reality”.
In the concluding chapter, the book relates the plight of the modern leader stuck on the information superhighway. Krishna argues that the busy mind is a mob of unprocessed thoughts and emotions. The only way to deal effectively with this mob is to create distance between the mob and the observer, who can now see the mob without being part of it. This observer within the leader is like the screen on which a filmed drama is projected.
By reading this book or the summary you learn about
· Why Leaders are effective because of who they are on the inside –Being of the person.
· How to go the highest level of leadership by developing character qualities from the inside out.
· How true commitment inspires and attracts people.
· How to start and sustain the process of continuous personal growth.
The commonly held belief that life gets easier at the top is partly true. The loftier your role in a large enterprise, the more control you have over your day-to-day activities and more you are compensated for them. But the challenges also get tougher. For one thing, you are more visible. Your mistakes, and your ability to recover from them will be noticed. Also, fewer positions exist at that rarefied level. To advance, you have to either displace someone above you or create an entirely new business. Failure is not an option, unless you can make it seem like success. To manage all this with Integrity- that is a challenge indeed.
There are two ways to proceed. You can practice relentless discipline: curbing every impulse, making every moment count , and preparing diligently for each potential challenge. Or you can approach the world with insouciant savoir-faire, trusting that your charm and resourcefulness will get you through while making it all look easy.
At the heart of this book is a question about the proper way to live. To what extent must we lead disciplined lives to be powerful people? Is that discipline a matter of duty, compensation for the original sin of being imperfect, or is it a matter of joy, of calling forth the inner golden virtue that lies deep within all of us ? In Goldsmith’s eye, it is both- and it is both- an if you dare to take on the practices he recommends, you may come to agree with him.
Basically this books is about to how hire good talent. The main point is about the correct questions –Not WHAT, but WHO. This mean that we should think about people first of all, try to find only best candidates.
The main challenges we face are
• Don’t clearly represent the duties of the employee in the role or declared position or a new position.
• Not enough suitable candidates
• Not sure in an ability to choose the best candidates
• Lose good employees.
The best acquisition process consists of 4 Steps
• List of goals for the role we are hiring – what we expect that role to deliver – outcome.
• Source
• Selection
• Closing the deal
The Selection or interview process is the KEY to Success where we need to invest quality time and right interview panel
• Screening interview
• Qualification interview
• Focus interview
• Interview with recommenders
Senior Project and Engineering Leader Jim Smith.pdfJim Smith
I am a Project and Engineering Leader with extensive experience as a Business Operations Leader, Technical Project Manager, Engineering Manager and Operations Experience for Domestic and International companies such as Electrolux, Carrier, and Deutz. I have developed new products using Stage Gate development/MS Project/JIRA, for the pro-duction of Medical Equipment, Large Commercial Refrigeration Systems, Appliances, HVAC, and Diesel engines.
My experience includes:
Managed customized engineered refrigeration system projects with high voltage power panels from quote to ship, coordinating actions between electrical engineering, mechanical design and application engineering, purchasing, production, test, quality assurance and field installation. Managed projects $25k to $1M per project; 4-8 per month. (Hussmann refrigeration)
Successfully developed the $15-20M yearly corporate capital strategy for manufacturing, with the Executive Team and key stakeholders. Created project scope and specifications, business case, ROI, managed project plans with key personnel for nine consumer product manufacturing and distribution sites; to support the company’s strategic sales plan.
Over 15 years of experience managing and developing cost improvement projects with key Stakeholders, site Manufacturing Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Maintenance, and facility support personnel to optimize pro-duction operations, safety, EHS, and new product development. (BioLab, Deutz, Caire)
Experience working as a Technical Manager developing new products with chemical engineers and packaging engineers to enhance and reduce the cost of retail products. I have led the activities of multiple engineering groups with diverse backgrounds.
Great experience managing the product development of products which utilize complex electrical controls, high voltage power panels, product testing, and commissioning.
Created project scope, business case, ROI for multiple capital projects to support electrotechnical assembly and CPG goods. Identified project cost, risk, success criteria, and performed equipment qualifications. (Carrier, Electrolux, Biolab, Price, Hussmann)
Created detailed projects plans using MS Project, Gant charts in excel, and updated new product development in Jira for stakeholders and project team members including critical path.
Great knowledge of ISO9001, NFPA, OSHA regulations.
User level knowledge of MRP/SAP, MS Project, Powerpoint, Visio, Mastercontrol, JIRA, Power BI and Tableau.
I appreciate your consideration, and look forward to discussing this role with you, and how I can lead your company’s growth and profitability. I can be contacted via LinkedIn via phone or E Mail.
Jim Smith
678-993-7195
jimsmith30024@gmail.com
The Team Member and Guest Experience - Lead and Take Care of your restaurant team. They are the people closest to and delivering Hospitality to your paying Guests!
Make the call, and we can assist you.
408-784-7371
Foodservice Consulting + Design
The case study discusses the potential of drone delivery and the challenges that need to be addressed before it becomes widespread.
Key takeaways:
Drone delivery is in its early stages: Amazon's trial in the UK demonstrates the potential for faster deliveries, but it's still limited by regulations and technology.
Regulations are a major hurdle: Safety concerns around drone collisions with airplanes and people have led to restrictions on flight height and location.
Other challenges exist: Who will use drone delivery the most? Is it cost-effective compared to traditional delivery trucks?
Discussion questions:
Managerial challenges: Integrating drones requires planning for new infrastructure, training staff, and navigating regulations. There are also marketing and recruitment considerations specific to this technology.
External forces vary by country: Regulations, consumer acceptance, and infrastructure all differ between countries.
Demographics matter: Younger generations might be more receptive to drone delivery, while older populations might have concerns.
Stakeholders for Amazon: Customers, regulators, aviation authorities, and competitors are all stakeholders. Regulators likely hold the greatest influence as they determine the feasibility of drone delivery.
Oprah Winfrey: A Leader in Media, Philanthropy, and Empowerment | CIO Women M...CIOWomenMagazine
This person is none other than Oprah Winfrey, a highly influential figure whose impact extends beyond television. This article will delve into the remarkable life and lasting legacy of Oprah. Her story serves as a reminder of the importance of perseverance, compassion, and firm determination.
Artificial intelligence (AI) offers new opportunities to radically reinvent the way we do business. This study explores how CEOs and top decision makers around the world are responding to the transformative potential of AI.
1. Some Impressionistic takes
from the book of John C Maxwell
“The 21 Irrefutable Law of Leadership”
by Ramki
ramaddster@gmail.com
2. About the Author
John C. Maxwell is an internationally
recognized leadership expert, speaker and
author who has sold more than 13 million
books. A New York Times, Wall Street
Journal and Business Week best-selling
author, Maxwell was named the World’s
Top Leadership Guru by
Leadershipgurus.net.
Three of his books,
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership,
Developing the Leader Within You and
The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a
Leader have each sold more than 1
million copies.
3. Prelude
“Everything rises and falls on leadership.” The book covers 21
principles that help you to become a more powerful and
effective leader, based on Maxwell’s insights from over 40
years of leadership successes, mistakes, and observations of
leaders in business, politics, sports, military etc.
The principles of leadership do not change over time, though
their application may vary. There are several important points
to note:
To lead well, you must do all 21 things well. Yet, no single
person can apply all 21 laws perfectly. Besides constantly
improving yourself, the other way is to develop a strong
leadership team, so that all 21 laws can be satisfied.
4. Prelude
All 21 laws can be learned and mastered.
Each law stands alone (hence you need not learn them in
sequence) but they complement/reinforce one another.
The laws bring consequences. People will follow or not follow
you, depending on whether you apply or violate the laws.
The laws need to be applied in real life to form the foundation
of leadership.
7. Leadership ability determines a person’s level of effectiveness
Brothers Dick and Maurice McDonald had a talent for the
restaurant business. As American culture became dependent on
cars, they developed methods to serve food to customers on the
run. They eventually streamlined their business, and primarily sold
hamburgers. People in the restaurant business travelled to their
hamburger joint to learn their efficient methods.
“True leadership cannot be awarded, appointed or assigned. It
comes only from influence and that can't be mandated. It must be
earned.”
Yet, the McDonald brothers failed when they attempted to
franchise their idea. Why? Because they lacked overarching
leadership ability. Their partner, Ray Kroc, had the vision and skill
to make McDonald's a marketplace phenomenon. Dedication to
success is important, and so is talent and intelligence, but without
leadership ability, you'll only get so far.
The Law of the Lid
8. Applying the Law of Lid
List your major goals - identify those that need others’
cooperation
Assess your leadership ability (using the assessment in
the book)
Ask others to rate your leadership
Compare the ratings and evaluate gaps if any. Decide how
willing you are to grow your own leadership abilities
10. The true measure of leadership is influence – nothing more, nothing
less.
True leadership cannot be bestowed, it must be earned. In 1996, a
London Daily Mail poll showed that the public considered Mother
Teresa and Princess Diana to be the most caring two people in the
world, though neither held political office. People listened to them, and
they used their influence to accomplish great things.
“Personal and organizational effectiveness is proportionate to the
strength of leadership.”
Leading and managing are two different tasks, but the idea that good
managers make good leaders is a common misconception. Leaders
influence people while managers focus on running smooth operations.
Entrepreneurs are not necessarily leaders. Even innovators may lack
the ability to build organizations. Another misconception is that being
first, being given a leadership job, or having great knowledge makes
you a leader. Only hard work and dedication can do that.
"The Law of Influence:
11. Proof of Leadership is in Followers
People follow leaders due to 7 factors, namely their :
Character - who they are
Relationships - who they know
Knowledge - what they know
Intuition - what they feel
Experience - where they’ve been
Past successes - what they’ve done
Ability - what they can do
12. Applying the Law of Influence
Identify the myths you were susceptible to + changes in
thinking required
Rate yourself on & identify ways to improve the 7 factors
Test your leadership abilities - lead a volunteer
organization for 6 months
13.
14. Leadership develops daily, not in a day.
If you cannot identify the subjects you're ignorant about, you
won't know what you need to learn.
Once you figure that out, you can begin to develop your
leadership skills by filling in the gaps in your knowledge. As
your knowledge grows, so will your leadership ability.
As you absorb leadership lessons, leading will become
second nature. Real success comes from building your
enterprise day by day.
The Law of Process
15. Phase 1 : I don’t know what I don’t know – which is a barrier
to growth.
Phase 2 : I know that I need to know – becoming conscious
of your ignorance is a first step to knowledge.
Phase 3 : I know what I don’t know – and have a plan for
personal growth.
Phase 4 : I know and grow, and it starts to show - but
leadership is still a conscious effort.
Phase 5 : I simply go because of what I know – the ability to
lead has become almost automatic.
5- Phases of Leadership Growth
16. Applying the Law of Process
Identify the myths you were susceptible to + changes in
thinking required
Rate yourself on & identify ways to improve the 7 factors
Test your leadership abilities - lead a volunteer
organization for 6 months
17.
18. Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the
course
Leadership requires planning and forethought.
Consider what you are asking others to follow you into doing.
Preparedness is the main secret of this law.
Decide what you're going to do, and tell key staff members
your goals.
Allow time for them to accept the course you've proposed. Be
prepared for problems, but always highlight their successes.
Each day, review the course you've set.
The Law of Navigation
19. Look inward: Draw on your past success and failures. A
good way to learn from past experiences is to do reflective
thinking.
Look outward: Examine the conditions before making
commitments for you and your team.
Listen to what others have to say and gather information
from multiple sources.
Balance faith (confidence to make the trip) and fact (of
what needs to be done).
Being a Good Navigator …
20. Applying the Law of Navigation
Set aside time for reflective
thinking - Reflect weekly, or
immediately after every major
success or failure.
Do your homework
Know whether you naturally
lean towards faith or fact, &
have someone with the
opposite inclination to
complement you in your
team
P- Predetermine a course of action
L- Lay out your goals
A- Adjust your priorities
N- Notify key personnel
A- Allow time for acceptance
H- Head into action
E- Expect problems
A- Always point to the successes
D- Daily review of your plan
21.
22. Leaders add value by serving others
The person with the title, the one running the meeting, may
not be the real leader.
True leadership depends on influence. The man or woman to
whom people listen is the actual leader.
Real leaders have strength of character, build good
relationships and know a lot about their work. They have
strong intuition and plain, raw talent.
The Law of Addiction
23. Applying the Law of Addiction
Perform small acts of service for others, without seeking
recognition or credit. Keep doing it until you feel no
resentment doing them.
List down the people closest to you, what they value, and
rate how well you know it. Spend time with those you need to
get to know better.
Start adding value to the people on your list
24.
25. Trust is the foundation of Leadership
Without trust, there can be no influence. Trust is built when a
leader consistently demonstrates competence, connection &
character.
A sound character is key to building long-term trust for it
conveys consistency, potential & builds respect.
When you make a mistake as a leader, others can see it. But,
if you have been consistent as a leader, your followers are
usually prepared to forgive lapses in ability, especially if you
are ready to confess and apologize to regain the trust.
The Law of Solid ground
26. Applying the Law of Solid ground
Assess how trustworthy you are to your followers (by how
open they are with you) and to your colleagues and leaders
(by how much responsibility they entrust to you)
Build your character by focusing on integrity (be totally
honest, even when it hurts), authenticity (be yourself with
everyone) and discipline (do the right things despite of how
you feel)
Apologize to those you have hurt or betrayed in the past and
commit to slowly re-earn their trust
27.
28. People naturally follow leaders stronger than themselves
When people first come together in a group, they all go about their
own ways, in different directions. As they interact more, the strongest
leaders tend to stand out and people will follow them.
Author observes these top 6 ways that leaders gain respect:
Natural leadership ability
Respect for others
Courage to do what’s right, even at the risk of failure
Success, in terms of past accomplishments and track record
Loyalty to stick to the team until the job is done, stay with the
organization and followers through tough times
Value added to others
To measure your level of respect as a leader, look at the caliber of
the people that you attract, and how they respond when you ask
for change or commitment.
The Law of Respect
29. Applying the Law of Respect
Assess your current level of leadership: Review the
response you received when you last asked for commitment
or change.
Rate yourself on the 6 leadership qualities. Identify 1
practice/habit/goal to improve in each area, and work on each
one for a month.
Ask people closest to you what they respect most about
you, and which areas you need most to grow in.
30.
31. Who you are is who you attract
As leaders, we usually have a mental list of the qualities we
want in our people. However, we attract not what we want, but
who we are. People are drawn to others with similar
characteristics: generation, attitude, background, values, energy
levels, giftedness, and leadership ability. Hence:
If you are dissatisfied with the ability of people you are
attracting, improve your leadership skills.
If you are dissatisfied with the reliability of your followers,
develop your character.
If you are happy with who you are attracting, recruit people who
are different from you, to fill your areas of weaknesses.
The Law of Magnetism
32. Applying the Law of Magnetism
Write down the qualities you desire in your followers, and
why. Test your self-awareness: ask someone you trust if you
have these qualities.
Identify if you need to develop your character and/ or
leadership skills. Find mentors who can and will help you -
ideally from a similar profession and are several steps ahead
of you in their career.
List your 5 biggest strengths and weaknesses in terms of
skills. Create a profile of the kind of people who can take
you to the next level.
33.
34. Leaders evaluate everything with a leadership bias.
We are naturally intuitive in our area of strength, be it communication, arts, etc.
How we see people and events is determined by who we are – hence, leaders
see things with a leadership bias.
Leaders use informed intuition, i.e. they gather facts and intuitively read
what’s going on, to make sound decisions. It involves both natural ability and
learned skills:
Leaders read their situation: They sense attitudes, team dynamics, when
things are improving or declining, and they know it even before they have hard
facts like reports and statistics.
Leaders read trends: They step back and look years or decades ahead,
beyond individual projects or goals.
Leaders read resources: They intuitively focus on optimizing resources. They
look beyond their individual efforts, to mobilize people and leverage resources.
Leaders read people: They sense people - their hopes, fears and concerns -
and this is one of the key intuitive leadership skills.
Leaders read themselves: They know their own strengths and weaknesses,
skills and blind spots, and current state of mind.
The Law of Intuition
35. Applying the Law of Intuition
Determine which is your Strongest natural talent, and focus
on trusting your intuition in that area, before developing it for
leadership.
Improve your Ability to read people (if you are not strong in
it) through books on relationship, conversing more with
people and watching people.
Train yourself to Mobilize people and harness resources –
think through how you can achieve your current projects/
goals without doing the work yourself (except for recruiting,
empowering and motivating).
36.
37. Only secure leaders give power to others
To lead well means to help people reach their potential - build
them up, give them resources, authority, responsibility, and
autonomy to achieve. The main ingredient of empowerment
is belief in people.
Leaders usually fail to empower others due to 3 key barriers:
Desire for job security, i.e. fear of becoming dispensable;
Resistance to change, which is inevitable for progress; and
Lack of self-worth, and they can’t give power to others
because they feel they have no power themselves.
The Law of Empowerment
38. Applying the Law of Empowerment
Assess your Self-worth and sense of security. Take
positive steps to add value to yourself and improve your self-
worth.
Grow your Belief in people. Help them to use their gifts &
opportunities.
Learn to give your power away: Set your best people up for
success.
39.
40. Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand
We need to connect with people emotionally before we can move them to
action. The bigger the challenge, the stronger the connection needed. The
stronger the connection, the easier it is to enlist support.
It’s the leader’s job to initiate connection with the people, not vice versa.
The key to connecting with people is to relate to them as individuals, even
if they are in a group. When speaking to a large group of people, focus on
talking to one person. To connect well:
Connect with yourself: Belief in who you are & where you lead
Communicate with openness and sincerity
Know your audience: learn their names, histories, goals
Live your message: To be credible, practice what you preach
Go to where they are: Remove physical barriers and try to attune yourself to
their culture, background, education etc.
Focus on them, not yourself
Believe in them: Communicate not because you have something of value to
say, but because you believe your audience has value
Offer direction and hope
The Law of Connection
41. Applying the Law of Connection
Connect with yourself (become more self-aware, value your
strengths and deal positively with your weaknesses). Maxwell
listed 10 questions for you to assess your level of self-
awareness and identify your blind spots.
Learn to “walk slowly through the crowd” – spend a few
minutes a day building relationships & connecting with
people.
If you’d rate yourself <8 out of 10 as a public speaker,
improve your communication skills.
42.
43. A leader’s potential is determined by those closest to him
Your inner circle members are those you turn to for advice, support
and assistance. You need to be intentional about who you draw into
your inner circle, and to constantly improve yourself and your circle.
To filter good candidates for your inner circle, ask these questions:
Do they have high influence with others?
Do they bring a complementary gift to the table?
Do they hold a strategic position in the organization?
Do they add value to me and to the organization?
Do they have a good fit with and positively impact other inner
circle members?
You should identify and cultivate before you recruit your inner circle
members, so you can assess if they display excellence, maturity, and
good character in everything they do.
The Law of the Inner Circle
44. Applying the Law of Inner Circle
List down the names of your inner circle members and what
each one contributes. Identify people to fill gaps and
eliminate redundancies.
Develop your current and future inner circle members by
strategically mentoring them/ developing relationships, giving
extra responsibilities, accountability and credit.
Create a smaller inner circle group if you are leading a
large team.
45.
46. People do what people see
Great leaders show the way with the right actions, which are
copied by their followers to success. Leaders understand the
role of the vision:
A mission provides the purpose or the “why”
A vision provides a picture of the “what”
A strategy provides a plan or the “how”
Besides having a clear vision of the future and what must be
done, leaders bridge the vision gap between them and their
followers. To bring the picture alive, they don’t just communicate
the vision; they effectively model the vision, setting the right
example and showing the way. Such clarity and credibility
produces belief, energy, passion, and motivation for people to
keep going.
The Law of the Picture
47. Applying the Law of the Picture
Give yourself a Character audit. Review your actions last
month against your list of core values - identify gaps &
inconsistencies for improvement (in both actions & attitude).
Ask someone you trust to Observe and note
inconsistencies between what you teach and do. Review
the results without defending yourself.
List 3-5 things you wish people will do better. Rate
yourself - Improve on items with low scores and set visible
examples for items with high scores.
48.
49. People buy into the leader, then the vision
The message being received is always filtered through the
messenger. People follow worthy causes because they first
buy into worthy leaders who promote those causes. They
listen to people whom they believe in, feel are credible, and
want to go along with.
Leader + Vision = Results
When followers buy-in to both the leader and the vision, they
will follow the leader through any challenge, i.e. both
components are eventually needed for breakthrough results.
However, people need to first buy into the leader.
The Law of Buy In
50. Applying the Law Buy in
Write down the vision statement for your leadership &
organization. Make sure it is worthy of your time and effort. If
not, rethink it.
Rate the buy-in of each person you lead on a scale of 1-10.
Develop a strategy to earn credibility with each person.
51.
52. Often, momentum is the determining factor between losing &
winning. An organization or team with momentum is like a train
moving at high speed that can plough through obstacles. The
Big Mo…
Is a great exaggerator. It magnifies both obstacles &
possibilities to make them look bigger than they really are.
Makes leaders look better than they are. A leader starts
getting credit when he creates success for his team, and this is
compounded over time to make him seem more successful.
Helps followers perform better than they are. With the Big
Mo, even average people can deliver above-average results.
The Law of the Big Mo
53. Is easier to steer than to start.
Is the most powerful change agent. People are more
willing to be a part of the change if there’s strong momentum
and past successes.
Is the leader’s responsibility. Leaders should initiate and
sustain momentum, as they have the vision and ability to
assemble/ motivate a team.
Begins inside the leader: A leader drives his vision
consistently and enthusiastically, until enough momentum is
generated.
If you are faced with a huge inertia and massive negativity,
the only way to create positive momentum is to start small
and gradually build up momentum over time, until it
reaches a tipping point.
The Law of the Big Mo
54. Applying the Law of the Big Mo
Check in on yourself: Are you consistently enthusiastic
about your vision?
Identify demotivating factors in your team & how you can
remove/minimize them
Celebrate and reward accomplishments in your team
55.
56. Leaders find a way for the team to win.
Victorious leaders don’t accept defeat. To them, there’s no
alternative to winning & they keep fighting till they succeed. In
fact, great leaders are at their best when faced with a great
challenge that pushes them to do whatever it takes to bring
their people to victory.
There are 3 components of victory in any field or domain:
Unified vision, with all players working towards the same
agenda
Diverse skills, and an appreciation for each unique skill
Right leadership, i.e. a leader who’s dedicated to victory,
and brings players to their potential, towards the common
vision
The Law of Victory
57. Applying the Law of Victory
Be absolutely dedicated to the success of your team. If not,
it is either the wrong vision, or you are in the wrong
organization/ leadership role.
List down all the skills needed to achieve your goals. Bring
the right members on your team/ train current members.
Speak with individual team members to understand what they
value. Consistently articulate a single vision that aligns all
members’ goals.
58.
59. Leaders understand that activity is not necessarily accomplishment
Not every leader practices prioritization because:
They confuse activity with accomplishments.
It’s hard work, as prioritization means constantly thinking ahead, and
working to align the moving pieces with the vision.
It involves doing what’s uncomfortable or painful
To become more effective, prioritize your lives using the 3Rs:
What is Required? What must you do that nobody can or should do
for you? Focus on those and eliminate/ delegate the rest.
What gives the greatest Return? Focus on your natural gifts and
strengths to get more productive and fulfilled. If something can be
done 80% as well by someone else, delegate it.
What brings the greatest Reward? Make time for the things that
gives you greatest personal satisfaction.
Use similar considerations to prioritize and make decisions at an
Organizational level.
The Law of Priorities
60. Applying the Law of Priorities
Identify an area in your life that is not working well. Determine
how you can solve the issue and realign your priorities.
Write down your answers to the 3Rs. Create a list of the
things you are doing that don’t fit solidly into one of the 3Rs:
redesign or eliminate them.
Regularly revisit the priorities for you and your team.
61.
62. A leader must give up to go up
True leadership is not all about freedom, power and wealth. It
requires sacrifice, to trade something of value that you possess,
for something even more valuable that you don’t yet possess.
Leaders may not even see the success from their sacrifices, but
someone in the future will benefit from it.
There is no success without sacrifice: Good leaders
understand trade-offs. They sacrifice the good for the great.
Leaders are often asked to give up more than others: With
greater responsibilities comes greater sacrifice. Good leaders
prioritize what’s right for the team, ahead of themselves.
You must keep giving up to stay up: Successful leaders
continuously change, improve and sacrifice.
The higher the level of leadership, the greater the sacrifice.
The Law of Sacrifice
63. Applying the Law of Sacrifice
Create 2 lists – the things you are willing to give up, vs those
you are not willing to give up, to advance as a leader.
List down what you’re prepared to offer that’s of value (e.g.
time, energy, resources) for something of even greater worth.
Identify possible “destination diseases” you may have (the
thinking that you can sacrifice for a limited period of time then
“arrive”), & write down a statement of ongoing-growth to
counter that mind-set.
64.
65. When to lead is as important as What to do and Where to go
Timing is everything. It can make the deciding difference
between success and failure. Only the right action at the right
time will deliver results in success.
Good leadership timing involve the following factors:
Understanding of the situation
Maturity of motives
Confidence in what’s to be done
Decisiveness
Experience
Intuition
Preparedness
The Law of Timing
66. Applying the Law of Timing
Review the recent and major actions you’ve initiated and
how much attention you gave to timing.
Analyze some failed initiatives for your organization or
team to determine whether they were caused by the wrong
action or timing (Maxwell listed a list of questions to help with
the assessment).
Use the list of factors above to prepare for the timing of
your actions.
67.
68. To add growth, lead followers. To multiply, lead leaders.
Why develop leaders? Maxwell summarizes it as such:
“If you develop yourself, you can experience personal
success.
If you develop a team, your organization can experience
growth. If you develop leaders, your organization can achieve
explosive growth”
To lead leaders, you need a different focus and attitude:
The Law of Explosive Growth
69. The Law of Explosive Growth
It can be challenging to lead leaders:
There are more followers than leaders, and they don’t flock, so leaders are
hard to find.
Leaders are hard to gather, because you need to create an attractive
environment that they can thrive in.
Leaders are hard to keep, and will only follow you if you constantly grow
and stay ahead of them.
70. Applying the Law of Explosive Growth
Identify the stage you are at: developing yourself, your
team or leaders.
Start developing leaders if you are not already doing so.
Identify how you can find and gather potential leaders.
Identify how you can gather and hold leaders.
71.
72. Leaders lasting value is measured by Succession
A leader’s lasting value is measured by what he leaves behind. This in
turn requires a leader to be highly intentional about his legacy:
Know the legacy you want to leave: How do you want to be
remembered when you are gone? Decide on the one sentence that
will summarize your life.
Live the legacy you want to leave.
Choose who will carry on your legacy: A legacy can only live on in
people, not things or lifeless objects.
Make sure you pass the baton
The Law of the Legacy
73. Applying the Law of Legacy
What will your life stand for? Summarize it in one line. This
may take time to crystalize and could change with maturity
and experience.
What must you change in order to live that legacy?
Identify and start to invest in the person(s) who will carry out
your legacy.
74.
75. Key Takeaways
Strengthen the potential of your organization by developing leaders
instead of followers.
Lead from your own personal integrity.
No matter how many followers you have, try to connect with them
individually.
Make each action accomplish more than one goal.
People follow the leader first, then they follow the leader's plan.
If you intend to change course, give your organization's leaders time
to accept the shift and to begin to build consensus with their
followers.
Sometimes your best use of power is to give it away.
Real leaders accept nothing less than victory.
Leadership requires sacrifice all along the way.
For the good of the organization, prepare other leaders to take your
place.