By Thomas Davis CRNA, MAE, Lt. Col (ret)
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“Leadership is not about titles, positions or flowcharts.
It is about one life influencing another.”
~John C. Maxwell
John C. Maxwell has bestowed a lasting gift to those in leadership positions throughout the world by his commitment to developing leaders at all levels of the chain of command. Born in 1946, John Maxwell is the son of a minister who followed his father’s call to the cloth, earning a bachelor’s degree at Ohio Christian University and a master’s degree from Azusa Pacific University. While working as a pastor, he found that his greatest gift to society lay in leading others to discover their true talents.
John and his brother Larry are the co-founders of EQUIP, a non-profit organization that is founded on the premise “We believe that every person is born with the potential to influence others.” The organization is based on Christian values and has taught over 5 million people in 126 countries techniques to motivate and empower one another. Maxwell’s style of leadership coaching is based connectedness and the development of interpersonal relationships which create a synergy and makes everyone a better person.
John’s success with his approach to leadership coaching has grown into a multi-million-dollar organization that offers books, articles, seminars, and keynote speaking to audiences worldwide. With sales topping $18 million for copies of his 12 books and having written countless articles, John Maxwell has established himself as a legend in leadership development.
Reviewing the lifelong work of John Maxwell reveals that his highly successful approach to leadership is built upon five essential elements – Vision, Values, Relationships, Attitude and Communication.
Vision “Great leaders always seem to embody two seemingly disparate qualities. They are both highly visionary and highly practical.” ~Maxwell. Effective leaders can visualize what their workplace would look like if collaborative teamwork opened the door to peak performance. Leading a team starts with being able to see the end point and relentlessly working to get there.
Values “The respect that leadership must have requires that one’s ethics be without question. A leader not only stays above the line between right and wrong, he stays well clear of the ‘gray areas.'” ~Maxwell. Values provide an essential navigation tool for guiding a team. Aligning personal and organizational values will establish the standard for behavior that is acceptable in the workplace and forms a basis for decision-making.
Relationships “The bottom line in leadership isn’t how far we advance ourselves but how far we advance others.” ~Maxwell. Productivity moves at the speed of relationships and in John’s own words, “interaction fuels action.” Maxwell describes 5 levels of leadership and at level 2 the leader connects one on one with each team member. Those who make the effort to connect with others open the door to two-way relationships that produce unexpected rewards. “The rewards leaders give are counterbalanced by the results that their people give in return.” ~Maxwell
Attitude “The leader’s Attitude is like a thermostat for the place she works. If her attitude is good, the atmosphere is pleasant, and the environment is easy to work in. But if her attitude is bad, the temperature is insufferable.” ~Maxwell. Attitude is contagious and how you show up each day is quickly perceived and copied by members of your team. Per John Maxwell, “people hear your words, but they feel your attitude.” Be a leader and set the tone for your workgroup. Leverage your position and exude the attitude that will elevate your team.
Communication “If you really want to be an uncommon leader, you’re going to have to find a way to get much of your vision seen, implemented, and added to by others.” ~Maxwell. The key to communication is delivering information in an open and transparent manner and then listening to feedback that it generates. In his book, Everyone communicates, few connect, Maxwell reinforces the importance of listening to understand the other person as a way of broadening diversity of thought. “As a leader, you will never get ahead until your people are behind you.” ~Maxwell
Now in his 70’s, Maxwell’s lifelong commitment to leadership development has earned him the status of being a legend in leadership. His books, seminars and leadership coaching has directly touched the lives of millions of leaders and indirectly touched the lives of those they supervise. In the words of John Maxwell, “leaders stretch with challenges, followers struggle with challenges and losers shrink from challenges.” Follow Maxwell’s five essential elements for effective leadership and become a legend in your own workplace.
Tom is a noted author, speaker and mentor. Contact tom@procrna.com for information about the 4-part values-based leadership webinar series.