Part 1 (1/2)

How Successful People Lead.

John C. Maxwell.

This book is dedicated to EQUIP () and all the people who are a part of this leaders.h.i.+p organization.

EQUIP's Rule of 5:.

Every day we...

Think Globally Evaluate Our Leaders.h.i.+p Strategy Create Resources Develop a.s.sociate Trainers, Partners, and Donors Train Leaders to Train Leaders Millions of leaders are being trained because of your efforts. Thanks!.

Acknowledgments.

Thank you to: Charlie Wetzel, my writer; Stephanie Wetzel, my social media manager; Linda Eggers, my executive a.s.sistant; And of course, Fluffer Nutter.

Introduction.

If your vision of success includes starting an organization, owning a company, or putting together a team, you need to become good at leaders.h.i.+p. If you cannot lead well, you will not be successful.

When I discovered this, leaders.h.i.+p became one of my pa.s.sions. I love learning about it. I also enjoy teaching it. I've dedicated more than thirty years of my life to helping others learn what I know about leading. In fact, I spend about eighty days every year teaching leaders.h.i.+p. In the last several years, I've taught it on six continents. The subject is inexhaustible. Why? Because everything rises and falls on leaders.h.i.+p. If you want to make a positive impact on the world, learning to lead better will help you do it.

In all the years that I've taught leaders.h.i.+p, there has been one lecture that I have been asked to give more often than any other-from West Point to Microsoft headquarters and in countries all around the world. Why is it so popular? That lecture explains how successful people lead and provides a game plan for learning how to become a leader. It's t.i.tled ”The 5 Levels of Leaders.h.i.+p,” and it has been used to train leaders in companies of every size and configuration, from small businesses to Fortune 100 companies. It has been used to help nonprofit organizations understand how to lead volunteers. And taught in more than 120 countries around the world. The concept is tested and proven. It also instructs people in the use of several tried-and-true techniques that will help them become successful at leaders.h.i.+p.

Looking at leaders.h.i.+p as a series of levels that can be gained through targeted actions has many benefits. Here are just a few: It Creates a Clear Picture of Leaders.h.i.+p.

For those who are not naturally gifted at it, leaders.h.i.+p can be a mystery. For them, leading people is like walking down a dark corridor. They have a sense of where they want to go, but they can't see ahead and they don't know where the problems and pitfalls are going to lie. For many people in the academic world, leaders.h.i.+p is a theoretical exercise, an equation whose variables are worthy of research, study, and rigorous debate. In contrast, the 5 Levels of Leaders.h.i.+p is visually straightforward, so anyone can learn it.

It Defines Leading as a Verb, Not a Noun.

Leaders.h.i.+p is a process, not a position. There was a time when people used the terms leaders.h.i.+p and management interchangeably. I think most people now recognize that there is a significant difference between the two. Management is at its best when things stay the same.

Leaders.h.i.+p deals with people and their dynamics, which are continually changing. The challenge of leaders.h.i.+p is to create change and facilitate growth. Those conditions require movement, which, as you will soon see, is inherent in moving up from one level of leaders.h.i.+p to the next.

It Breaks Down Leading into.

Understandable Steps.

The subject of leaders.h.i.+p can be overwhelming and confusing. Where does leaders.h.i.+p start? What should we do first? What processes should we use? How can we gain influence with others? How can we develop a productive team? How do we help followers become leaders in their own right? The 5 Levels of Leaders.h.i.+p gives answers to these questions using understandable steps.

It Provides a Clear Game Plan for.

Leaders.h.i.+p Development.

Too often when people think of their journey into leaders.h.i.+p, they envision a career path. What they should be thinking about is their own leaders.h.i.+p development! Good leaders.h.i.+p isn't about advancing yourself. It's about advancing your team. The 5 Levels of Leaders.h.i.+p provides clear steps for leaders.h.i.+p growth. Lead people well and help members of your team to become effective leaders, and a successful career path is almost guaranteed.

It Aligns Leaders.h.i.+p Practices,

Principles, and Values

When I developed the 5 Levels, I conceived of each level as a practice that could be used to lead more effectively. As time went by and I used and taught the levels, I realized they were actually principles. Here's the difference: a practice is an action that may work in one situation but not necessarily in another. A principle is an external truth that is as reliable as a physical law. For example, when Solomon said, ”A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger,” he stated a principle that is universal and timeless. Principles are important because they function as a map, allowing us to make wise decisions. If we embrace a principle and internalize it, it becomes a part of our values. The 5 Levels influences my leaders.h.i.+p life every day.

How Leaders.h.i.+p Works

How do people learn leaders.h.i.+p? For most, it's through trial and error. While some things come only through experience, I believe the framework for how leaders.h.i.+p works can be learned by looking at the 5 Levels. So let's start with an overview and a few insights about the Levels and how they work. Then we can look at each level individually in the subsequent sections of this book. As you look at each level, you will learn the upside, downside, and best behaviors for that level. You will also become acquainted with the beliefs that help a leader move up to the next level.

Level 1-Position People follow you because they have to.

Position is the lowest level of leaders.h.i.+p-the entry level. The only influence a positional leader has is that which comes with the job t.i.tle. Positional leaders.h.i.+p is based on the rights granted by the position and t.i.tle. Nothing is wrong with having a leaders.h.i.+p position. Everything is wrong with using position to get people to follow you. Position is a poor subst.i.tute for influence.

Overview of the 5 Levels of Leaders.h.i.+p People who make it only to Level 1 may be bosses, but they are never leaders. They have subordinates, not team members. They rely on rules, regulations, policies, and organization charts to control their people. Their people will only follow them within the stated boundaries of their authority. And their people will usually do only what is required of them. When positional leaders ask for extra effort or time, they rarely get it.