Week 17: Permission Downside

Read The 5 Levels of Leadership, p. 95-104

This is an interesting discussion because initially one would think that when working to build relationships there would be mostly positives in this area.  John Maxwell points out some very interesting downsides.  Here are some of the key points from this section that stand out to me. 

1.  Being a softy - "As a leader, my goal should have been to help people, not to make them happy." (p. 97).  This boils down to being able to make hard decisions.  Sometimes the 2nd and 3rd order effects of hard decisions negatively affect people even though the hard decision may be what's best for the organization or even the person.

2.  Patience is a hard thing for hard-chargers.  Trust me....I want to see results NOW!!!  However, it can take months or years to build an environment of trust and belief in your leadership.

3.  Study the four types of people on Level 2.  Know them.  Understand them.  Be prepared to deal with each of them.  You WILL encounter them.

4.  Conflict.  In all relationships, conflict will arise.  How you deal with conflict will determine whether you move forward or backward.  You might as well accept the fact that it's going to happen.  Don't waste time wishing it would not happen.  Prepare NOW for how you will deal with it!! 


I have fallen a little behind the last few weeks due to my work-life schedule.  So be prepared...I'm going to bundle some of our lessons in the future to get us on pace to finish this book this year.  Stay focused and keep learning.  Take your time and let what you are learning take root.  This is priceless wisdom that will propel you to success in the future. 

Think Outside Your Box

How many times have you heard the saying, "Think outside the box?"  This saying is meant to provoke thinking beyond what's in front of your face.  I think it's sometimes hard to find outside the box thinkers.  I'm convinced that many people can't think outside of the box, because they are stuck in their box!  Thinking outside of the box is foreign to them.  How do you get people to think outside of their box?  First you have to know where they are.  Here are some questions to help you find out:

1.  Do they know the organization's mission or vision?
2.  Do they know what it means?
3.  Do they understand how their section, unit, or office plays in to the overall mission?
4.  Can they clearly make the connection?

If you answer "No" to any of these questions, then the likelihood of a person being able to think outside the box is slim to none.  A "No" answer to these questions is a sure sign they are stuck in THEIR box.  If you're a leader, it's your job to get them out!  Take time to share the vision, explain its meaning, and help them make the connection.  Send them on their way and have them think about it.  Ask again at a later date to see if they've attempted to make the connection.

Be a leader!  Don't let your people get stuck in their box...it's no fun in there!

Fundamentals

I've taken a break from posting the last couple of weeks.  Again, laying it on the line at work, I've only had time for sleep and family.  Later this week I'll post a couple of times to get us on track.

Fundamentals.  Every sport, every business, every church, and nearly every process in life has fundamental concepts.  Leadership is no exception.  Today I want to specifically speak to those in positions that have the power to hire, select, or appoint and discover some fundamentals of leadership.  Without these basics and ensuring they are in effect, learning about the 5 Levels is almost a moot point.  Remember the focus:  those that hire, select, or appoint.

1.  Expectations.  When any leader hires, selects, or appoints a person to a particular position, the leader should, in a reasonable amount of time, make clear their expectations.  This is the groundwork.  Expectations are what one is graded by.  Expectations define the minimum requirements of the position.  Leaders should be thorough, clear, and absolute in communicating expectations.

2.  Direction.  While expectations are the groundwork, direction is the vector.  Direction focuses one on a specific path or goal.  The leader should know how the person you've hired, selected, or appointed moves the group or unit to the place you have fixated in your heart or mind.  Giving them direction creates forward movement.  It can always be adjusted.  And sometimes the feeling of "going somewhere" can be powerful.  While expectations are specific and focused, direction is often more general in nature.  Yes there may be specific goals or a specific destination in mind or communicated, but the "how" to get there is why you hired, selected, or appointed this person.  Give specific expectations and then give clear direction; you'll soon know if you hired, selected, or appointed the right person.

3.  Accountability.  This is a lost art in many realms.  The question I have to ask is, why do we not hold people accountable?  If we've given specific expectations and clear direction, yet that person is not producing, should we not hold them accountable and take steps to help or eventually make a change?  As leaders are we afraid of the hard decision?  Are we afraid of the effects of the decision?  I've personally witnessed lack of accountability in the military, in politics, at church, and the list goes on.  I've seen military members unable to produce or even run a unit be allowed to stay in a position for fear of hurting their career.  I've seen pastors who can't grow a church year after year be allowed to stay for fear of taking away their "livelihood".  I've seen appointed officials waste money yet continue to "serve" their constituents; the very people whose money they've wasted.  In all of these situations, accountability was not enforced.  In all cases, these people are a detriment to the organization.  We need tough leaders willing to make the tough call.

Expectations, Direction, Accountability - FUNDAMENTALS

Week 16: Time for Level 2 & the Upside

Read:  The 5 Levels of Leadership, p. 85-94

One word comes to my mind when I think of Level 2 Leadership:  Refreshing.  It's refreshing to see a leader who is not concerned so much about position as he/she is concerned about people.  Level 2 takes the focus off of me and puts it onto you.  I think that's why the #1 upside of Permission is that it "Makes Work More Enjoyable."

Here are some of the high points from this lesson that stand out to me:
1.  "Permissional leaders like people and want to help them.  They want to see them succeed.  The prevalent attitude is one of serving others and bringing out the best in the people they work with."  Here are some simple questions:  Do you like people?  Do you want to help people?  Do you want to see people succeed?  Now that you've answered these questions, think about your actions.  Do your actions show that you like people, want to  help them, and want to see them succeed?  Aligning what we believe and what we do is so important when it comes to leadership.  Don't live in a false reality based on what you think.  Sincerely evaluate yourself.  You can never improve if you don't.

2.  On p. 90, we are given three things that we must give others when we listen.  Do you give your ears, eyes, heart, and undivided attention?  How do you listen to others?  One of your most valuable skills as a leader is learning to listen effectively.  Review this advice and intentionally practice it this week as you listen to others.

3.  One of my favorite quotes of the book is found on p. 91:  "You can care for people without leading them, but you cannot lead them effectively beyond Level 1 without caring for them."  In my opinion, if leaders in the military, in our churches, in our workplaces, and at home would grasp the importance of this message, I cannot help but believe we would see tremendous progress in each of these areas.

4.  On p. 93 we are told that "As a leader on Level 2, your goals should be to become aware of the uniqueness of people and learn to appreciate their differences."  How do you become aware of the uniqueness of people?  The only way is to spend time on them.  Awhile back I mentioned the acronym my friend James uses to remind him of this very point.  As a missionary in Kenya, Africa, getting to know people is critical to being able to meet their needs and build relationships with them.  So what does he do?  S.T.O.P.  Spend Time On People.  In this busy world, sometimes we just have to STOP and spend time on people.  That IS the only way you will get to know them.  And I don't believe that STOP only applies in Kenya, Africa.  In the United States, where the hustle and bustle of daily life can sometimes consume us, it would do us well to STOP; Spend Time On People.

Your goals this week:
1.  Evaluate your desire to bring out the best in people.
2.  Evaluate your listening techniques based on the given advice and then intentionally practice listening as outlined.
3.  Evaluate your relationship with those you lead and your level of care for them...not the level of care that you THINK you have, but the level of care you display.
4.  S.T.O.P.

Week 15: Steps to grow from Level 1 to Level 2

Read:  The 5 Levels of Leadership, p. 78-81.

This is our last week on Level 1, the POSITION level.  Hopefully you have been able to really evaluate yourself and have taken time to examine other leaders in your life that appear to be "stuck" on Level 1.  One of the best things you can do is to LEARN from others.  Some of the best lessons I've learned as a leader is the "how not to" based on the decisions of those I have served under in the past.  On this final topic of position, John Maxwell ends with the how...how do we grow up and out of Level 1 into the next level?  In your reading you will find 10 steps for growth.  I encourage you to read and re-read these steps this week.  I will highlight a few here that stand out to me, some of which I still practice.  (Remember, we've already learned that each level builds on the other.  So the lessons you learn and put in use at one level, you still continue to use them in future levels.)

Lesson 2:  Dedicate Yourself to Leadership Growth.  "You will not grow as a leader unless you commit to getting out of your comfort zone and trying to be a better leader than you are today."  Notice the word choices here:  DEDICATE, COMMIT, BETTER, GROWTH.  It's up to you!  I personally devote time every day to either read, listen, or write down leadership lessons.  I also take time to evaluate myself and the events of each day, looking for ways I can improve in every situation. 

Lesson 3:  Define Your Leaderhip.  As mentioned in a previous lesson, begin building your list of core principles that you will live by.  A couple of mine are:  Be rigorous, relentless, and right.  Come ready to play every day.  Do justly, love mercy, walk humbly.  What are your principles and/or values?  Take time to define them; write them down.  Review them often.  Rewrite them if necessary.

Lesson 6:  Shift from Rules to Relationships.  This lesson ties in with lesson 7 and is key to moving up to Level 2.  Leadership is about influencing people and the only way to know how to influence people is to get out amongst the people.  How often do you make contact with the people you lead?  Or have you firmly imprinted an outline of your rear on your chair? 

Lesson 10:  Find a Leadership Coach.  This is probably one of the hardest things to do.  It requires you to search out a leader.  It requires you to prepare before meetings.  It requires the time of you and your leader.  However, a good mentor-mentee relationship can help you grow in leaps and bounds.  Your mentor can often provide constructive criticism regarding your behavior, leadership skills, focus, etc.  Your mentor can help guide you through issues you may be facing that they have already navigated through. 

NEXT WEEK - LEVEL 2...

Week 14: More on the Position Level

Read The 5 Levels of Leadership, p. 70-77

In each of the chapters of this book, John Maxwell takes time to apply various laws from his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership to each of the levels in his 5 Levels Book.  By the way, I encourage you to read the 21 Laws.  It is by far one of my favorite leadership books of all time. 

1.  Take time to think about the law of the lid.  This law should motivate you to grow and seek out growing opportunities.
2.  Thinking of leadership as a lifelong process, a journey, rather than a position will help you enjoy and "take in" the many experiences along the way.

BUT HOW DO YOU MOVE UP FROM POSITION?

Each of the four points in this section could be discussed over and over.  I encourage you to refer back to both of these sections from time to time knowing that each time you will gather a nugget of information that you may have missed the first time.  Hopefully you can see the shift from the position to the people.  Being people-oriented is huge.  Other-mindedness is critical to leadership.  Take some time to think about the following questions:

1.  What does it mean to be people-oriented?
2.  Have I put a lot of stock in position?  If so, how can I shift to be more focused on people?
3.  Am I comfortable with my leadership lid?  Or do I want to grow?  How can I continue to set higher expectations for myself?

Week 13: Level 1 Behavior

Read p. 64-69 in The 5 Levels of Leadership. 

After an unannounced 2-week hiatus from blogging, I'm back and ready to post.  Church conventions and a family vacation held my focus the last two weeks so I apologize to those of you who eagerly sat by their computers, anxiously waiting for an email, and put off all other work until the "you've got mail" sign appeared.

Back to the books...

This lesson covers what you need to do to make the best of this level while moving forward to the next.  Here are my thoughts on the three behaviors from this lesson.

1.  The biggest statement in this lesson is, "If you have to tell people that you're the leader, you're not."  Can you think of anyone that has used this exact statement?  Think about or describe this persons leadership qualities. 

Also, review the two mind-sets on p. 66-67.

2.  Leaders are dissatisfied.  Are you?  Or are you content where you are?  Again, think about the roles you hold: at home, at church, at work, in the community, etc.  Do you hold a level of dissatisfaction that moves you forward but a contentment that keeps you from getting overly critical?

3.  I have a friend that is a missionary in Kenya, Africa.  He likes to use a phrase STOP - Spend Time On People.  Is your home, your church, your office run by the motto, "us 4, no more".  If so, STOP!

Week 12: More on Position

Read:  The 5 Levels of Leadership, p. 50-63

Last week's focus on the upside and what's good about position.  This week we look at the downsides of position.  It's important to note the first paragraph that as we progressively go through the levels, the downsides decrease and the upsides increase. 

Questions to Consider:
1.  Have you always thought about leadership as a noun rather than a verb? 
2.  How does the thought, "If there is no journey, there is no leadership" speak to you?
3.  Have you ever met someone who relied on their position or title to influence people versus actually trying to work with people?  Describe the situation and what it was like?  What are you able to learn from it? 
4.  I would like you to remember the last line of #5 on p. 57.  "People who feel lonely have created a situation that makes them feel that way."  Leadership is about people...it's about taking THEM on a journey.  It's not about TELLING them where to go.  It's about SHOWING them as you go together.
5.  I love the quote by Dick Vermeil on p. 63.  "If you don't invest very much, then defeat doesn't hurt very much and winning is not very exciting."  Think about the areas where you may be a leader and ask youself, "How much am I investing?"  Are you pouring yourself into your leadership role?  Have you even defined what it means to win?  What does it mean to WIN as a father?  What does it mean to WIN as a family?  What does it mean to WIN as a pastor, as a manager, as a coach, as a teacher, as a _________?  Define it!  Then invest!  The Bible says that you reap what you sow.  Sow much and you will reap much.  Sow sparingly and you will reap sparingly. 

Week 11: Position

Read:  The 5 Levels of Leadership, p. 39-49

We now get in to the nuts and bolts of the 5 Levels of Leadership.  Hopefully by now you have a decent understanding of the overall structure of the 5 Levels and you have been able to perform the personal assessment to determine where you stand.  As we begin our journey, we start with the first level, POSITION.  For those of you not in a leadership position, consider this training as preparation for when you take on that first or next leadership role.  Begin preparing now!  Position begins when you are called or appointed to fulfil a particular role.  I want you to not just think about being picked for a position, i.e. manager, clerk, youth leader, etc.  I want you to also consider the roles you often step in to.  For example, a man that is newly married has stepped in to the role of husband.  This is a leadership position.  A husband and wife who have their first child have stepped in to the role of parent. This is a leadership position.  Let's expand our thinking to not just positions we are selected for, but also roles we hold.  Now, enjoy the reading as you learn about the "Upside of Position."

Discussion Questions:
1.  How does it make you feel when you have been selected to fill a leadership role?
2.  Have you ever thought about a leadership position as a "an invitation to grow as a leader?"  If not, why?  How can you make personal growth a part of your leadership journey?
3.  Take time to list your values.  This is very similar to our previous exercise of listing your core principles. 
4.  Now take time to look at the series of questions on p. 48.  Take time to think through each question.

CHALLENGE:  As you go through this leadership journey, I encourage you to commit to writing your thoughts, important quotes, items of interest, areas requiring work, and answers to discussion questions in a journal.  Putting pen to paper helps you document where you are. It gives you a reference point going forward.  Take notes now, then watch how you grow through the course of these lessons!

Post on its way

Two weeks in a row...I apologize for the delay.  I'll have this weeks' leadership post up by 1500 EST on Tuesday.  My goal is to get back to posting on Saturday or Sunday at the latest. 

Rob

Week Ten: Assessment Week Part 2

I'm really starting to get excited.  This is the last week of what I would consider preparation.  We are on week 9 of laying a solid foundation.  This is the final step before we dive in to learning about the 5 Levels of Leadership in detail and how to apply them to our lives.  Before we begin with this week's lesson, let me remind you of where we are going.  As mentioned, you've laid a solid foundation by understanding that first God has created us to lead.  We also determined that leadership is influence and that you spend your entire life directly and indirectly influencing other people.  Second, we have spent numerous weeks covering the 5 Levels at what I call the 20,000 ft. view.  After establishing in our minds what the 5 Levels incorporates in a general sense, we are now taking time to identify where we see ourselves as leaders and where others view us as leaders.  Moving forward, we will begin to cover the 5 Levels in detail along with steps to actually apply the 5 Levels in our lives.  Remember, we are moving at a snail's pace for three reasons:  I'm busy, you're busy, and we want to take the time necessary to study, process, understand, and apply what we are learning in the area of leadership.  This study will take us through most of the remainder of this year or early in to next year.  We will then end our study by looking at some Biblical examples of leadership.  I may also include a few business and sports examples to help drive home some of the lessons learned.  Part two of our leadership training plan will then be the year of DISCOVERY.  After we've learned about leadership we will then DISCOVER where our passion is.  This will give you an opportunity to DIRECTLY APPLY what you've learned into the area you are passionate about.  This year of study, the year of DISCOVERY, will be challenging.  It will be a year like no other.  You will determine your level of success.  You will be involved in your own experiment.  Your life will be the lab.  How exciting!!!!  

Now that you have a gentle reminder of where we're going, let's get back to the lesson at hand:  assessment by others.

Read:  The 5 Levels of Leadership, pages 27-35.

It's now your job to finish your assessment of where you stand with regard to the 5 Levels.  If you do not oversee anyone directly, feel free to use a friend or a family member.  Remember, you can influence them and what level you are on with them will determine how much you can influence (lead) them.  Also, if you don't oversee anyone directly, you can think of your view in a general sense...how would you behave if you were in a leadership position?  On page 31, he writes that "a no answer to any statement indicates where you need to do some work."  I encourage you to write down these statements in your journal and as you go through the book, think of ways you can do better or ways you can actually accomplish what you may not be doing at this time.  Be honest!  Be tough!  This assessment will be your starting point going forward.  Enjoy!

Week 9: Assessment Week Part 1

First of all I'd like to apologize for getting the blog out so late this week.  Like I've said before, I am extremely busy.  I sit tonight at 6:45 pm, still at work, trying to finish to leave by 7 pm and make it home by 8 pm before the girls are tucked into bed.  Then, back at it at 4:00 a.m. to start my day by 5:30 in the morning.  Yes I'm making excuses, but I hope you'll forgive me this time around.

Read:  The 5 Levels of Leadership, p. 21 - 26

This week begins the fun!  We've laid the foundation and now begin laying the initial building blocks.  First things first is an assessment of where we are.  You have to know where you are to know where you need to go.  The first assessment will be your personal assessment.  Take time to think through each statement.  Focus on the first line in the paragraph on p. 26, "In leadership, you are only as good as the lowest level you've mastered."  Once you perform the personal assessment, you'll discover your lowest level of leadership.  That is your starting point.  As mention, "That is where you will need to give your attention when working with people to improve your leadership ability." 

Next week we will hit the team assessments and final scoring.  Once we complete Part 2, you'll know what level you are at.  This will be your reference point moving forward as we dig into each individual level and learn how to apply them to our lives.  Have fun with the assessment; take it seriously.  You influence many people in a day, month, year, or lifetime.  What you do from here going forward will only expand your influence and raise your leadership!!  Good luck!!

Week Eight: More Insights to the 5 Levels

Read THE 5 LEVELS OF LEADERSHIP, p. 14-20 (starting at insight #6)

We have spent quite a bit of time reviewing the 5 Levels from a distance and have covered numerous important insights.  This is our last section of what I would consider an overview.  It's time to start getting excited because beginning next week we will move closer to application of the 5 Levels.  But first, five more insights are necessary.

Insight Six:  Take time to think through this insight with regard to a family or a church.  How can a family or a church experience a greater return as they move higher up the 5 Levels?

Insight Seven:  I love the phrase "INTENTIONAL GROWTH".  I personally believe that we are either growing or we are slowing.  I can't express how powerful this is.  Intentional growth is proactive.  Not intentionally growing is reactive.  Think about the roles you hold in life:  father, mother, husband, wife, employee, employer, church member, church leader, volunteer, and the list goes on.  What if you changed your way of thinking?  What if you decided to INTENTIONALLY GROW in each of the roles you hold?  How would that impact your life and the lives of those around you?

Insight Eight:  The Law of the Lid is one of my favorite laws found in John Maxwell's book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.  "Leadership ability determines a person's level of effectiveness."  Focus on the two lines at the top of page 17:  "One of the burdens of leadership is that as we go, so go the people we lead.  Reaching our potential sets an environment for others to reach theirs."  We raise our lid by intentionally growing and climbing to a higher level.  How do you set an environment for others to reach their potential?

Insight Nine:  Leadership is a process, not a destination!  Settle that thought in your mind and you will then step into a life of continuous learning and progressing.  To me the Christian life is all about forward movement.  The Bible says we are in a race, looking unto Jesus.  Starting over at a lower leadership level does not necessarily mean moving backwards.  It's all about growth.

Insight Ten:  The big question for this level is:  are you prepared to HELP people move up with you?  I've seen leaders who are afraid of others' success because they are insecure that they may lose their position.  I've also seen leaders unwilling to help others move up with them because it takes too much time and effort.  Again I ask, "are you prepared to HELP people move up with you?"


As we soon dive into discovering the 5 Levels in detail and learning how to apply them in many situations, keep the three points in mind that are mentioned on page 19.

Effective leaders interact with followers based on:
1.  Where they are with that specific follower
2.  Where the follower perceives the leader to be
3.  Where the followers are in their own leadership development

This tells me that each situation is different and requires a change in our mindset from just moving through life to intentional thought, planning, and growth.

Week Seven: Insights Into the 5 Levels

We previously covered some of these insights, but I feel it is important to cover them again prior to moving on to a thorough study of the 5 Levels.

Read THE 5 LEVELS OF LEADERSHIP, p. 11-14 (read the first 5 insights)

Discussion questions:

Insight One:  How can you ensure you don't leave a level behind as you climb the levels?

Insight Two:  How can you assess what level you are on in your various relationships?  How do you maintain it?

Insight Three:  Does this one make sense to you?  If so, why not strive to climb higher?  Why do you think people don't strive to climb the levels?

Insight Four:  I've committed to memorizing this statement and I encourage you to do the same - "Nobody achieves anything great by giving the minimum."

Insight Five:  How would people act and/or react in relationships if they simply thought of the principle behind this insight?  How can you use this insight as a principle in your life?