Leadership for Tomorrow: Exploring New Approaches April 30, 2009

Christopher Anderson, 4-H Youth Development Specialist Maryland Cooperative Extension, College Park, MD

To introduce (or review with) to you one of my favorite resources on leadership. To discuss how this resource might help you in your work with advisory groups, councils, program committees, etc.

Personal Leadership Development Individual Leadership Development of Group Members Building Teamwork and Leadership Ability of the Group

Have you previously read the The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell?

Do you provide leadership to advisory groups, councils, boards, program committees or other similar groups?

They want to repay an indebtedness or give back. They believe in the organization and share its mission/values. They want to make connections. They are looking for a place to use talents or skills. They want to learn new skills or gain experience.

Clear sense of Goals Clear Roles and Responsibilities Open communication Productive disagreement Strong External Relationships Agreement to Support Decisions Routine Self-Assessment Celebrate Successes Effective Leadership

Orientation is essential: covering topics such as job duties, organizational mission, strategic plan, programs offered, etc. Additionally, it is beneficial to go through additional training as a group

Gives the group a common language

to communicate with, to grow around, to disagree around, to learn by teaching others to have fun

Results in a group that more effectively plans, makes decisions, and leads with one voice.

Considered as one of the classics on leadership. More than 1 million copies sold. First released in 1998. Tenth Anniversary Edition - updated and revised in 2007. Easy to read and understand. Contains insight and lessons to be learned from historic and current leaders of business, sports, military, politics, and religion.

Internationally recognized expert on leadership. Has authored more than 40 books. Has founded four companies. Has served as Minister of some of the countrys largest church congregations. Speaker to Fortune 500 companies, international government leaders, military academies and sports organizations.

The laws can be learned.

The laws can stand alone. The laws carry consequences with them. These laws are the foundation of leadership

Nobody does all the laws well, thats why you need to build a team.

Leadership Ability Determines a Persons Level of Effectiveness. Leadership ability is always the lid on personal and organizational effectiveness. Whatever you want to accomplish is restricted by your leadership ability.

The True Measure of Leadership is Influence Nothing More, Nothing Less. If you dont have influence you will never lead others. To change organizations you need influence. Leadership is not based upon holding position, leadership is about your ability to influence.

Leadership Develops Daily, Not in a Day.

Leadership is learned over time. Its the ability to develop and improve ones skills that distinguishes leaders from their followers. Successful leaders are learners.

Anyone Can Steer the Ship, but It Takes a Leader to Chart the Course. Leaders have a vision for their destination, they understand what it will take to get there, they know who theyll need on the team to be successful, and they recognize the obstacles long before they appear on the horizon.

Leaders Add Value by Serving Others

The best place for a leader isnt always the top position. It isnt the most prominent or powerful place. Its the place where he or she can serve the best and add the most value to other people.

Trust is the Foundation of Leadership.

To build trust, a leader must exemplify these qualities: competence, connection, and character. Character makes trust possible. And trust makes leadership possible.

People Naturally Follow Leaders Stronger Than Themselves.

People dont follow others by accident. They follow individuals whose leadership they respect. Followers are attracted to people who are better leaders than themselves.

Leaders Evaluate Everything With a Leadership Bias.

Leadership depends on more than just the facts. Leaders see trends, resources and problems, and can read people. The law of intuition is based on facts plus instinct and other intangible factors. A leader has to read the situation and know instinctively what play to call. Leadership is more art than science.

Who You Are Is Who You Attract.

Leaders are always on the look out for good people. In most situations you draw people to you who possess the same qualities you do. The better leader you are, the better leaders you will attract.

Leaders Touch a Heart Before They Ask for a Hand.

Effective leaders know that you first have to touch peoples hearts before you ask them for a hand. The heart comes before the hand. People dont care how much you know until they know how much you care. To connect with people in a group, relate to them as individuals.

A Leaders Potential Is Determined by Those Closest to Him. All great leaders have surrounded themselves with a strong inner circle.

Only Secure Leaders Give Power to Others.

The peoples capacity to achieve is determined by their leaders ability to empower. The best executive is the one who has the sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and the self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it - Theodore Roosevelt.

People Do What People See

Good leaders are always conscious of the fact they are setting the example and others are going to do what the y do, for better or for worse. In general, the better the leaders actions the better their peoples.

People Buy into the Leader, Then the Vision.

The leader finds the dream and then the people. The people find the leader, and then the dream. People dont first follow worthy causes. They follow worthy leaders who promote worthwhile causes.

Leaders Find a Way For the Team to Win.

Leaders believe that anything less than success is unacceptable. And they have no Plan B. That keeps them fighting.

Momentum Is a Leaders Best Friend.

It takes a leader to create momentum. Followers catch it. And managers are able to continue once it has begun. But creating it requires someone who can motivate others, not someone who needs to be motivated. Getting started is a struggle, but once youre moving forward, you can really start to do some amazing things.

Leaders Understand That Activity Is Not Necessarily Accomplishment.

Apply the Pareto Principle, if you focus your attention on the activities that rank in the top 20 percent in terms of importance, you will have an 80 percent return on your effort. As a leader, you should spend most of your time working in your areas of greatest strength.

A Leader Must Give Up To Go Up.

Sacrifice is a constant in leadership. When you become a leader, you lose the right to think about yourself. - Gerald Brooks

When to Lead Is As Important As What to Do and Where To Go. Only the right action at the right time will bring success. If a leader repeatedly shows poor judgment, even in little things, people start to think that having him as the leader is the real mistake.

To Add Growth, Lead Followers - To Multiply, Lead Leaders. The key to growth is leadership. It is my job to build the people who are going to build the company. - John Schnatter. To go to the highest level, you have to develop leaders of leaders.

A Leaders Lasting Value Is Measured by Succession.

Just as in sports a coach needs a team of good players to win, an organization needs a team of good leaders to succeed. A legacy is created only when a person puts his organization into the position to do great things without him.

One of the most important truths Ive learned over the years is this: Leadership is leadership, no matter where you go or what you do

Times change. Technology marches forward. Cultures vary from place to place. But the true principles of leadership are constantwhether youre looking at the citizens of ancient Greece, the armies of the last two hundred years, the rulers of modern Europe, the pastors in local churches, or the business people of todays global economy. ..

Leadership principles stand the test of time. They are irrefutable. (John C. Maxwell)
http://www.injoy.com/

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell The Practice of Leadership website: a Book Review of John Maxwells The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by George Ambler
http://www.thepracticeofleadership.net/2006/09/17/bookreview-the-21-irrefutable-laws-of-leadership/

The Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership, Revised Edition by James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner The Leadership Challenge, 4th Edition by James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner Leadership Theories http://changingminds.org/disciplines/leaders hip/theories/leadership_theories.htm