A guide to becoming a better leader of your small business

You never know when or where you’re going to come across an interesting resource. Last week I was reviewing a profile for a quarterly journal that I edit and in response to the question of what her favorite book was, the profiled person said The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell. The title sounded interesting so I looked it up online and came across a treasure trove of advice on the topic of leadership that should prove invaluable to any small business owner.

Here are short snippets on two of Maxwell’s irrefutable laws of leadership:

1. The Law of the Lid – Leadership Ability Determines a Person’s Level of Effectiveness

Leadership ability is the lid that determines a person’s level of effectiveness. Your leadership ability always determines your effectiveness and the potential impact of your organization.

Leadership has a multiplying effect. To reach the highest level of effectiveness, you have to raise your leadership lid.

13.    The Law of the Picture – People Do What People See

When leaders show the way with their right actions, their followers copy their good example and succeed.

Great leaders are both highly visionary and highly practical. Their vision helps them see beyond the immediate. They can envision what’s coming and what must be done. Leaders possess an understanding of how:

Mission provides purpose – answering the question, Why?

Vision provides a picture – answering the question, What?

Strategy provides a plan – answering the question, How?

As author Hans Finzel observed, “Leaders are paid to be dreamers. The higher you go in leadership, the more your work is about the future.”

Lots of food for thought there, isn’t there? And those are only two of the 21 laws! In addition to buying this book or finding it at your local library, you might also want to subscribe to the John Maxwell Co., blog. Also, check out their line-up of events. They seem to be doing presentations in all sections of the country. I would guess that these also could be valuable networking events.

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