DEVELOPINGtheLEADERWITHINYOU

DEVELOPINGtheLEADERSAROUNDYOU

JOHNC.MAXWELL

NEWYORKTIMESBEST-SELLINGAUTHOROF

THE21IRREFUTABLELAWSOFLEADERSHIP

DevelopingtheLeaderWithinYou©1993byMaxwellMotivation,Inc.DevelopingtheLeadersAroundYou©1995byMaxwellMotivation,Inc.

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ISBN978-1-4002-8045-2(hardcover)ISBN978-1-4002-8057-5(IE)

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DEVELOPINGtheLEADERWITHINYOU

ThisbookisdedicatedtothemanImostadmire.Afriendwhosetouchwarmedme;Amentorwhosewisdomguidedme;Anencouragerwhosewordsliftedme;

AleaderIlovetofollow...Myfather,

MelvinMaxwell

CONTENTSIntroduction

1.TheDefinitionofLeadership:INFLUENCE

2.TheKeytoLeadership:PRIORITIES

3.TheMostImportantIngredientofLeadership:INTEGRITY

4.TheUltimateTestofLeadership:CREATINGPOSITIVECHANGE

5.TheQuickestWaytoGainLeadership:PROBLEMSOLVING

6.TheExtraPlusinLeadership:ATTITUDE

7.DevelopingYourMostAppreciableAsset:PEOPLE

8.TheIndispensableQualityofLeadership:VISION

9.ThePriceTagofLeadership:SELF-DISCIPLINE

10.TheMostImportantLessonofLeadership:STAFFDEVELOPMENT

Epilogue

Notes

IINTRODUCTION

t was a moment I will never forget. I was lecturing on the subject ofleadership,andwehadjusttakenafifteen-minutebreak.AmannamedBob

rusheduptomeandsaid,“Youhavesavedmycareer!Thankyousomuch.”Ashe turned towalk away, I stopped him and asked, “How have I ‘saved’ yourcareer?”Hereplied,“I’mfifty-threeyearsoldandforthelastseventeenyearsIhave been in a position that demands leadership. Up until recently I havestruggled,acutelyawareofmylackofleadershipskillsandsuccess.LastyearIattended your leadership seminar and learned principles that I immediatelybeganapplyinginmyworksituation.Andithappened.Peoplebegantofollowmydirection—slowlyatfirst,butnowquitereadily.Ihadplentyofexperiencebutnoexpertise.Thanksformakingmealeader!”

TestimonialslikeBob’shaveencouragedmetodevotemuchofmytimetodevelopingleaders.ItisthereasonwhyIholdleadershipseminarsintheUnitedStatesandothercountriesabouttentimesayear.Itisthereasonforthisbook.

Whatyouareabouttoreadisaculminationofskillslearnedintwentyyearsof leading people. Formore than twenty years I have taught these leadershipprinciplesandwatchedwithgreatsatisfactionasmenandwomenhavebecomemoreeffectiveinleadingothers.NowIhavetheopportunitytosharethemwithyou.

THEKEYTOSUCCESSINANENDEAVORISTHEABILITYTOLEADOTHERS

SUCCESSFULLY

Everythingrisesandfallsonleadership.WheneverImakethatstatementthelisteners are tempted to change it to, “Almost everything rises and falls onleadership.”Mostpeoplehaveadesire to lookfor theexception insteadof thedesiretobecomeexceptional.

Right now you lead at a certain skill level. For the sake of teaching thisprinciple, let’s say that on a scale of 1 to 10, your leadership skills reach the

levelof6.ThisiswhatIknow:Theeffectivenessofyourworkwillneverriseaboveyourabilitytoleadandinfluenceothers.Youcannotproduceconsistentlyon a level higher than your leadership. In other words, your leadership skillsdeterminethelevelofyoursuccess—andthesuccessofthosewhoworkaroundyou.

Recently I read thesewords inNewsweek magazine from the president ofHyattHotels:“IfthereisanythingIhavelearnedinmy27yearsintheserviceindustry,itisthis:99percentofallemployeeswanttodoagoodjob.Howtheyperformissimplyareflectionoftheoneforwhomtheywork.”1Thishumorousstoryunderscorestheimportanceofeffectiveleadership:Duringasalesmeeting,the manager was berating the sales staff for their dismally low sales figures.“I’vehadjustaboutenoughofpoorperformanceandexcuses,”hesaid.“Ifyoucan’tdothejob,perhapsthereareothersalespeopleouttherewhowouldjumpat the chance to sell theworthyproducts that eachofyouhas theprivilege torepresent.” Then, pointing to a newly recruited, retired pro-football player, hesaid,“Ifafootballteamisn’twinning,whathappens?Theplayersarereplaced.Right?”

The question hung heavy for a few seconds; then the ex-football playeranswered,“Actually,sir,ifthewholeteamwashavingtrouble,weusuallygotanewcoach.”2

LEADERSHIPCANBETAUGHT

Leadershipisnotanexclusiveclubforthosewhowere“bornwithit.”Thetraitsthataretherawmaterialsofleadershipcanbeacquired.Linkthemupwithdesireandnothingcankeepyoufrombecomingaleader.Thisbookwillsupplytheleadershipprinciples.Youmustsupplythedesire.LeonardRavenhillin“TheLast Days Newsletter” tells about a group of tourists who were visiting apicturesquevillage.As theywalkedby anoldman sitting beside a fence, onetouristaskedinapatronizingway,“Wereanygreatmenborninthisvillage?”

Theoldmanreplied,“Nope,onlybabies.”Leadershipisdeveloped,notdiscovered.Thetruly“bornleader”willalways

emerge;but,tostayontop,naturalleadershipcharacteristicsmustbedeveloped.In working with thousands of people desirous of becoming leaders, I havediscovered they all fit in one of four categories or levels of leadership: THE

LEADINGLEADER:•isbornwithleadershipqualities.•hasseenleadershipmodeledthroughoutlife.•haslearnedaddedleadershipthroughtraining.•hasself-disciplinetobecomeagreatleader.Note:Threeoutoffourofthesequalitiesareacquired.

THELEARNEDLEADER:•hasseenleadershipmodeledmostoflife.

•haslearnedleadershipthroughtraining.•hasself-disciplinetobeagreatleader.Note:Allthreequalitiesareacquired.

THELATENTLEADER:•hasjustrecentlyseenleadershipmodeled.

•islearningtobealeaderthroughtraining.•hasself-disciplinetobecomeagoodleader.Note:Allthreequalitiesareacquired.

THELIMITEDLEADER:

•haslittleornoexposuretoleaders.•haslittleornoexposuretoleadershiptraining.•hasdesiretobecomealeader.Note:Allthreecanbeacquired.

THEREAREVERYFEWLEADERSHIPBOOKS;MOSTDEALWITHMANAGEMENT

There seems to be a great deal of confusion over the difference between“leadership”and“management.”

John W. Gardner, former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health,Education,andWelfare,whodirectedaleadershipstudyprojectinWashington,D.C., has pinpointed five characteristics that set “leadermanagers” apart from“run-of-the-millmanagers”:1.Leadermanagersarelong-termthinkerswhoseebeyondtheday’scrisisandthequarterlyreport.

2.Leadermanagers’ interests in theircompaniesdonotstopwith theunitsthey head. They want to know how all of the company’s departmentsaffectoneanother,andtheyareconstantlyreachingbeyondtheirspecificareasofinfluence.

3.Leadermanagersputheavyemphasisonvision,values,andmotivation.4. Leader managers have strong political skills to cope with conflictingrequirementsofmultipleconstituents.

5.Leadermanagersdon’tacceptthestatusquo.3

Managementistheprocessofassuringthattheprogramandobjectivesoftheorganization are implemented. Leadership, on the other hand, has to do withcastingvisionandmotivatingpeople.

People don’t want to be managed. They want to be lead. Whoeverheardofaworldmanager?World leader,yes.Education leader,yes.Political leader. Religious leader. Scout leader. Community leader.Labor leader. Business leader. Yes. They lead. They don’t manage.Thecarrotalwayswinsover thestick.Askyourhorse.Youcan leadyourhorsetowater,butyoucan’tmanagehimtodrink.Ifyouwanttomanagesomebody,manageyourself.Dothatwellandyou’llbereadytostopmanagingandstartleading.4

•Knowinghowtodoajobistheaccomplishmentoflabor.•Showingothersistheaccomplishmentofateacher.• Making sure the work is done by others is the accomplishment of amanager.

•Inspiringotherstodobetterworkistheaccomplishmentofaleader.Mydesireisthatyoubeabletoaccomplishtheworkofaleader.Thisbook

is dedicated to that goal.While you read this book and begin applying theseleadershipprinciples,pleaseberemindedofBruceLarson.InhisbookWindandFire, Larson points out some interesting facts about Sandhill cranes: “Theselarge birds, who fly great distances across continents, have three remarkablequalities.First,theyrotateleadership.Noonebirdstaysoutinfrontallthetime.Second,theychooseleaderswhocanhandletheturbulence.Andthen,allduringthetimeonebirdisleading,therestarehonkingtheiraffirmation.”

Hopefullyyouwill learnenoughabout leadership to takeyourplaceat thefront of the pack. While you are making that attempt, I will be honkingaffirmationtoyouwithgreatprideandinnersatisfaction.

Ineveryagetherecomesatimewhenleadershipmustcomeforthtomeettheneedsofthehour.Therefore,thereisnopotentialleaderwhodoesnotfindhisorhertime.Readthisbookandbereadytoseizeyourmoment!

—JohnC.Maxwell

E

ONETHEDEFINITIONOFLEADERSHIP:

INFLUENCEveryonetalksaboutit;fewunderstandit.Mostpeoplewantit;fewachieveit.Thereareoverfiftydefinitionsanddescriptionsofitinmypersonalfiles.

Whatisthisintriguingsubjectwecall“leadership”?Perhaps because most of us want to be leaders, we become emotionally

involvedwhen trying to define leadership.Or, perhaps becauseweknowone,wetrytocopyhisorherbehavioranddescribeleadershipasapersonality.Asktenpeopletodefineleadershipandyou’llprobablyreceivetendifferentanswers.After more than five decades of observing leadership within my family andmany years of developing my own leadership potential, I have come to thisconclusion:Leadership is influence.That’s it.Nothingmore;nothing less.Myfavorite leadership proverb is: He who thinketh he leadeth and hath no onefollowinghimisonlytakingawalk.

JamesC.Georges,oftheParTrainingCorporation,saiditquiteeffectivelyinarecentinterviewwithExecutiveCommunications:

Whatisleadership?Removeforamomentthemoralissuesbehindit,andthereisonlyonedefinition:Leadershipistheabilitytoobtainfollowers.

HitlerwasaleaderandsowasJimJones.JesusofNazareth,MartinLutherKing,Jr.,WinstonChurchill,andJohnF.Kennedyallwereleaders.Whiletheirvaluesystemsandmanagementabilitieswereverydifferent,eachhadfollowers.

Onceyoudefineleadershipastheabilitytogetfollowers,youworkbackwardfromthatpointofreferencetofigureouthowtolead.1

Therein lies the problem. Most people define leadership as the ability toachieveaposition,nottogetfollowers.Therefore,theygoafteraposition,rank,or title and, upon their arrival, think they have become a leader. This type ofthinkingcreatestwocommonproblems:thosewhopossessthe“status”ofleaderoftenexperiencethefrustrationoffewfollowers,andthosewholackthepropertitles may not see themselves as leaders and therefore don’t develop theirleadershipskills.

Mygoalwiththisbookistohelpyouacceptleadershipasinfluence(thatis,theabilitytogetfollowers),andthenworkbackwardfromthatpointtohelpyou

learn how to lead. Each chapter is designed to place in your hand anotherprinciple that will assist your leadership development. This first chapter isdesignedtoexpandthelevelofyourinfluence.

INSIGHTSABOUTINFLUENCE

EVERYONEINFLUENCESSOMEONE

Sociologists tell us that even themost introverted individualwill influencetenthousandotherpeopleduringhisorherlifetime!ThisamazingstatisticwassharedwithmebymyassociateTimElmore.TimandIconcludedthateachoneofusisbothinfluencingandbeinginfluencedbyothers.Thatmeansthatallofusare leading in someareas,while inotherareaswearebeing led.Noone isexcludedfrombeingaleaderorafollower.Realizingyourpotentialasaleaderis your responsibility. In any given situationwith any given group, there is aprominent influencer. Let me illustrate. The mother may be the dominantinfluenceroverachild in themorningbeforeschoolbegins.Mommaychoosewhat to eat andwhat towear.The childwho is influencedbefore schoolmaybecometheinfluencerofotherchildrenonceschoolbegins.DadandMommaymeetatarestaurantforlunchandbothbeinfluencedbythewaiter,whosuggeststhehousespecialty.Thetimedinnerisservedintheeveningmaybesetbecauseofeitherthehusband’sorwife’sworkschedule.

Theprominent leaderof anygroup isquite easilydiscovered. Justobservethepeopleastheygather.Ifanissueistobedecided,whoisthepersonwhoseopinionseemsmostvaluable?Who is theoneotherswatch themostwhen theissueisbeingdiscussed?Whoistheonewithwhompeoplequicklyagree?Mostimportantly,whois theone theothersfollow?Answers to thesequestionswillhelpyoudiscernwhotherealleaderisinaparticulargroup.

WENEVERKNOWWHOORHOWMUCHWEINFLUENCE

Themosteffectiveway tounderstand thepowerof influence is to thinkofthe timesyouhavebeentouchedbythe influenceofapersonoranevent.Big

eventsleavemarksonallourlivesandmemories.Forexample,askacoupleofpeople born prior to 1930 what they were doing when they heard that PearlHarbor had been bombed, and they will describe in detail their feelings andsurroundingswhentheyheardtheterriblenews.Asksomeonebornbefore1955todescribewhatheorshewasdoingwhenthenewsthatJohnF.Kennedyhadbeen shot was broadcast. Again, you will find no loss for words. A similarresponse occurs with the younger generation when asked about the day theChallengerblewup.Thesewerebigeventsthattouchedeveryone.

Think also of the little things or peoplewho influencedyou in a powerfulway.Inreflectingonmyownlife,IthinkoftheinfluenceofacampIattendedasayouthandhowithelpeddeterminemycareerchoice.Ithinkofmyseventh-gradeteacher,GlenLeatherwood...thebubblelightsonourChristmastreethatgaveme the “Christmas feeling” every year . . . the affirming note I receivedfromaprofessor incollege . . .The list isendless.Lifeconsistsof influencerswho daily find us vulnerable to their impressions and, therefore, have helpedmold us into the persons we are. J. R.Miller said it well: “There have beenmeetingsofonlyamomentwhichhaveleftimpressionsforlife,foreternity.Noonecanunderstandthatmysteriousthingwecallinfluence...yet...everyoneof us continually exerts influence, either to heal, to bless, to leave marks ofbeauty;ortowound,tohurt,topoison,tostainotherlives.”2

This truthalsosobersmewhenIrealizemyinfluenceasafather.Afriendgavemeaplaquewiththispoemonit.Nowitsitsonmydesk:

TheLittleChapWhoFollowsMe

AcarefulmanIwanttobe,Alittlefellowfollowsme;IdonotdaretogoastrayForfearhe’llgotheself-sameway.

Icannotonceescapehiseyes.Whate’erheseesmedohetries.LikeMEhesayshe’sgoingtobe—Thatlittlechapwhofollowsme.

ImustrememberasIgo

ImustrememberasIgoThroughsummersunsandwintersnows,Iambuildingfortheyearstobe—Thatlittlechapwhofollowsme.

THEBESTINVESTMENTINTHEFUTUREISAPROPERINFLUENCETODAY

Theissueisnotwhetheryouinfluencesomeone.Whatneedstobesettlediswhat kind of an influencer you will be. Will you grow into your leadershipskills?InthebookLeaders,BennisandNanussay,“Thetruthisthatleadershipopportunitiesareplentifulandwithinreachofmostpeople.”3

Youmustbelievethat!Therestofthischapteriscommittedtohelpingyoumakeadifferencetomorrowbybecomingabetterleadertoday.

INFLUENCEISASKILLTHATCANBEDEVELOPED

RobertDilenschneider, theCEOofHillandKnowlton,aworldwidepublicrelations agency, is one of the nation’smajor influence brokers. He skillfullyweaves his persuasive magic in the global arena, where governments andmegacorporationsmeet.HewroteabookentitledPowerandInfluence,inwhichhe shares the idea of the “power triangle” to help leaders get ahead.He says,“The three components of this triangle are communication, recognition, andinfluence.You start to communicate effectively.This leads to recognition andrecognitioninturnleadstoinfluence.”4

We can increase our influence and our leadership potential. Out of thisconviction I have developed a teaching tool to assist others in understandingtheirlevelsofleadershipsotheycanincreasetheirlevelsofinfluence(seechartonpage13).

THEFIVELEVELSOFLEADERSHIP

LEVEL1:POSITION

This is the basic entry level of leadership.The only influence you have isthatwhich comeswith a title. Peoplewho stay at this level get into territorialrights, protocol, tradition, and organizational charts. These things are notnegativeunless theybecomethebasis forauthorityand influence,but theyarepoorsubstitutesforleadershipskills.

Apersonmaybe“incontrol”becausehehasbeenappointedtoaposition.Inthat position he may have authority. But real leadership is more than havingauthority;itismorethanhavingthetechnicaltrainingandfollowingtheproperprocedures. Real leadership is being the person others will gladly andconfidently follow.A real leaderknows thedifferencebetweenbeing thebossandbeingaleader,asillustratedbythefollowing:

Thebossdriveshisworkers;theleadercoachesthem.

Thebossdependsonauthority;theleaderongoodwill.

Thebossinspiresfear;theleaderinspiresenthusiasm.

Thebosssays“I”;theleader,“we.”

The boss fixes the blame for the breakdown; the leader fixes thebreakdown.

Thebossknowshowitisdone;theleadershowshow.

Thebosssays,“Go”;theleadersays,“Let’sgo!”

CHARACTERISTICSOFA“POSITIONALLEADER”

Securityisbasedontitle,nottalent.ThestoryistoldofaprivateinWorldWarIwhoshoutedon thebattlefield,“Putout thatmatch!”only tofind tohischagrinthattheoffenderwasGeneral“BlackJack”Pershing.Whentheprivate,who feared severe punishment, tried to stammer out his apology, GeneralPershingpattedhimonthebackandsaid,“That’sallright,son.JustbegladI’mnotasecondlieutenant.”Thepointshouldbeclear.Thehighertheperson’slevelof true ability and the resulting influence, the more secure and confident he

becomes.

This level is often gained by appointment. All other levels are gained byability.LeoDurocherwascoachingatfirstbaseinanexhibitiongametheGiantswereplayingatWestPoint.OnenoisycadetkeptshoutingatLeoanddoinghisbesttoupsethim.

“Hey,Durocher,”hehollered.“Howdida littlesquirt likeyouget into themajorleagues?”

Leoshoutedback,“Mycongressmanappointedme!”5

Peoplewillnotfollowapositionalleaderbeyondhisstatedauthority.Theywillonlydowhattheyhavetodowhentheyarerequiredtodoit.Lowmoraleisalways present. When the leader lacks confidence, the followers lackcommitment.TheyarelikethelittleboywhowasaskedbyBillyGrahamhowtofindthenearestpostoffice.Whentheladtoldhim,Dr.Grahamthankedhimandsaid, “If you’ll come to the convention center this evening, you can hear metellingeveryonehowtogettoheaven.”

“Idon’tthinkI’llbethere,”theboyreplied.“Youdon’tevenknowyourwaytothepostoffice.”

Positional leaders have more difficulty working with volunteers, white-collar workers, and younger people. Volunteers don’t have to work in theorganization,sothereisnomonetaryleveragethatapositionalleadercanusetomakethemrespond.White-collarworkersareusedtoparticipatingindecision-making and resent dictatorial leadership. Baby boomers in particular areunimpressedwithsymbolsofauthority.

Most of us have been taught that leadership is a position. Frustration riseswithinuswhenwegetoutintotherealworldandfindthatfewpeoplefollowusbecause of our titles. Our joy and success in leading others depend on ourabilitiestokeepclimbingthelevelsofleadership.

LEVEL2:PERMISSION

FredSmith says, “Leadership isgettingpeople towork foryouwhen theyarenotobligated.”6Thatwillonlyhappenwhenyouclimbtothesecondlevelof

influence. People don’t care howmuch you knowuntil they knowhowmuchyou care. Leadership begins with the heart, not the head. It flourishes with ameaningfulrelationship,notmoreregulation.

Leadersonthe“position”leveloftenleadbyintimidation.Theyarelikethechickens that Norwegian psychologist T. Schjelderup-Ebbe studied indevelopingthe“peckingorder”principlethattodayisusedtodescribealltypesofsocialgatherings.

Schjelderup-Ebbefoundthatinanyflockonehenusuallydominatesalltheothers.Shecanpeckanyotherwithoutbeingpeckedinreturn.Secondcomesahen that pecks all but the top hen, and the rest are arranged in descendinghierarchy,endinginonehaplesshenthatispeckedbyallandcanpecknoone.

In contrast to this, a person on the “permission” level will lead byinterrelationships.Theagendaisnotthepeckingorderbutpeopledevelopment.Onthis level, time,energy,andfocusareplacedon the individual’sneedsanddesires.Awonderful illustrationofwhy it’s so critical toputpeople and theirneedsfirstisfoundinthestoryofHenryFordinAmitaiEtzioni’sbook,ModernOrganizations:

Hemadeaperfectcar,theModelT,thatendedtheneedforanyothercar.Hewastotallyproduct-oriented.HewantedtofilltheworldwithModelTcars.Butwhenpeoplestartedcomingtohimandsaying,“Mr.Ford,we’dlikeadifferentcolorcar,”heremarked,“Youcanhaveanycoloryouwantaslongasit’sblack.”Andthat’swhenthedeclinestarted.

Peoplewhoareunabletobuildsolid,lastingrelationshipswillsoondiscoverthattheyareunabletosustainlong,effectiveleadership.(Chapter7ofthisbook,“DevelopingYourMostAppreciableAsset:People,”willdealmoreextensivelywith this subject.)Needless to say,youcan lovepeoplewithout leading them,butyoucannotleadpeoplewithoutlovingthem.

Onedayoneofmystaffmembers,DanReiland,sharedaninsightwithmethatIhaveneverforgotten:“Iflevel1,Position, isthedoortoleadership,thenlevel2,Permission,isthefoundation.”

Caution! Don’t try to skip a level. The most often skipped level is 2,Permission.Forexample,ahusbandgoesfromlevel1,Position,aweddingdaytitle, tolevel3,Production.Hebecomesagreatproviderforthefamily,butinthe process he neglects the essential relationships that hold a family together.The family disintegrates, and so does the husband’s business. Relationshipsinvolveaprocessthatprovidestheglueandmuchofthestayingpowerforlong-term,consistentproduction.

LEVEL3:PRODUCTION

Onthislevelthingsbegintohappen,goodthings.Profitincreases.Moraleishigh. Turnover is low. Needs are being met. Goals are being realized.Accompanying this growth is the “big mo”—momentum. Leading andinfluencing others is fun. Problems are solved with minimum effort. Freshstatisticsaresharedonaregularbasiswiththepeoplewhoundergirdthegrowthof the organization. Everyone is results-oriented. In fact, results are the mainreasonfortheactivity.

This is a major difference between levels 2 and 3. On the “relationship”level,peoplegettogetherjusttogettogether.Thereisnootherobjective.Onthe“results”level,peoplecometogethertoaccomplishapurpose.Theyliketogettogethertogettogether,buttheylovetogettogethertoaccomplishsomething.Inotherwords,theyareresults-oriented.

They are like a character played by Jack Nicholson, who, while in arestaurantinafamousscenefromthemovieFiveEasyPieces,istoldhecannotget a side order of toast.He comes upwith an imaginative solution. First, heorders a chicken salad sandwich on toast. Then he instructs thewaitress: “Nomayonnaise,butbutter...andholdthechicken.”

One ofmy favorite stories is about a newly hired traveling salesmanwhosent his first sales report to the home office. It stunned the brass in the salesdepartmentbecauseitwasobviousthatthenewsalesmanwasignorant!Thisiswhathewrote: “I seen thisoutfitwhich theyain’tneverbot adim’sworthofnothinfromusandIsolethemsomegoods.I’mnowgointoChicawgo.”

Before theman could be given the heave-ho by the sales manager, alongcame this letter from Chicago: “I cum hear and sole them haff a millyon.”Fearful if he did, and afraid if he didn’t fire the ignorant salesman, the salesmanagerdumpedtheprobleminthelapofthepresident.Thefollowingmorning,theivory-toweredsalesdepartmentmemberswereamazedtoseepostedonthebulletinboardabovethetwoletterswrittenbytheignorantsalesmanthismemofrom the president: “We ben spendin twomuch time trying to spel instead oftryingtosel.Let’swatchthosesails.IwanteverybodyshouldreadtheselettersfromGoochwhoisontherodedoinagratejobforusandyoushouldgooutanddolikehedone.”

Obviously,anysalesmanagerwouldprefertohaveasalesmanwhocanbothsellandspell.However,manypeoplehaveproducedgreatresultswhowerenot

“qualified.”

LEVEL4:PEOPLEDEVELOPMENT

Howdoyouspotaleader?AccordingtoRobertTownsend,theycomeinallsizes, ages, shapes, and conditions. Some are poor administrators,while somearenotoverlybright.Thereisaclue:Sincesomepeoplearemediocre,thetrueleadercanberecognizedbecausesomehowhispeopleconsistentlydemonstratesuperiorperformances.

Aleaderisgreat,notbecauseofhisorherpower,butbecauseofhisorherability to empower others. Successwithout a successor is failure. Aworker’smainresponsibilityisdevelopingotherstodothework(seechapter7).

Loyalty to the leader reaches its highest peak when the follower haspersonallygrownthroughthementorshipoftheleader.Notetheprogression:atlevel2,thefollowerlovestheleader;atlevel3,thefolloweradmirestheleader;atlevel4,thefollowerisloyaltotheleader.Why?Youwinpeople’sheartsbyhelpingthemgrowpersonally.

OneofthekeyplayersonmystaffisSherylFleisher.Whenshefirstjoinedtheteam,shewasnotapeopleperson.Ibegantoworkcloselywithheruntilshetrulybecameapeopleperson.Todayshesuccessfullydevelopsothers.ThereisabondofloyaltythatSherylgivestomyleadership,andwebothknowthereason.Mytimeinvestedwithherbroughtapositivechange.ShewillneverforgetwhatI have done for her. Interestingly, her time invested in the lives of others hasgreatlyhelpedme.Iwillneverforgetwhatshehasdoneforme,either.

The core of leaders who surround you should all be people you havepersonallytouchedorhelpedtodevelopinsomeway.Whenthathappens,loveand loyalty will be exhibited by those closest to you and by those who aretouchedbyyourkeyleaders.

Thereis,however,apotentialproblemofmovingupthelevelsofinfluenceas a leader and becoming comfortable with the group of people you havedevelopedaroundyou.Youmaynotrealizethatmanynewpeopleviewyouasa“position” leader because you have had no contact with them. The followingsuggestionswillhelpyoubecomeapeopledeveloper:

Walk slowly though the crowd. Have some way of keeping in touch with

everyone.WhenIwasapastor, Idid this inmycongregationoffive thousandby:

•learningnamesthroughthepictorialchurchdirectory.•makingcommunicationcardsavailabletothecongregationandreadingthecardsastheywereturnedin(about250werereceivedweekly).

•readingeveryinterviewformofamembershipapplicant.•readingandreplyingtolettersthatweresenttome.•visitingonesocialeventofeachSundayschoolclasseachyear.

Develop key leaders. I systematically meet with and teach those who areinfluencerswithintheorganization.They,inturn,passontootherswhatIhavegiventhem.

LEVEL5:PERSONHOOD

Littletimewillbespentdiscussingthislevel,sincemostofushavenotyetarrivedatit.Onlyalifetimeofprovenleadershipwillallowustositatlevel5andreaptherewardsthatareeternallysatisfying.Idothis—somedayIwanttositatopthislevel.It’sachievable.

CLIMBINGTHESTEPSOFLEADERSHIPHerearesomeadditionalinsightsontheleadership-levelsprocess:

THEHIGHERYOUGO,THELONGERITTAKES

Eachtimethereisachangeinyourjoboryoujoinanewcircleoffriends,youstartonthelowestlevelandbegintoworkyourselfupthesteps.

THEHIGHERYOUGO,THEHIGHERTHELEVELOFCOMMITMENT

This increase in commitment is a two-way street. Greater commitment isdemanded not only from you, but from the other individuals involved.Wheneithertheleaderorthefollowerisunwillingtomakethesacrificesanewleveldemands,influencewillbegintodecrease.

THEHIGHERYOUGO,THEEASIERITISTOLEAD

Notice the progression from level 2 through level 4. The focus goes fromlikingyou, to likingwhatyoudo for thecommon interestofall concerned, tolikingwhatyoudoforthempersonally.Eachlevelclimbedbytheleaderandthefollowersaddsanotherreasonwhypeoplewillwanttofollow.

THEHIGHERYOUGO,THEGREATERTHEGROWTH

Growth can only occur when effective change takes place. Change willbecomeeasierasyouclimb the levelsof leadership.Asyou rise,otherpeoplewillallowandevenassistyouinmakingneededchanges.

YOUNEVERLEAVETHEBASELEVEL

Eachlevelstandsuponthepreviousoneandwillcrumbleifthelowerlevelisneglected.Forexample,ifyoumovefromapermission(relationships)leveltoaproduction(results)levelandstopcaringforthepeoplewhoarefollowingyouandhelpingyouproduce, theymightbegin todevelopafeelingofbeingused.Asyoumoveupinthelevels,thedeeperandmoresolidyourleadershipwillbewithapersonorgroupofpeople.

THEFIVELEVELSOFLEADERSHIP

IFYOUARELEADINGAGROUPOFPEOPLE,YOUWILLNOTBEONTHESAMELEVELWITHEVERYONE

Noteverypersonwillrespondthesamewaytoyourleadership.

FORYOURLEADERSHIPTOREMAINEFFECTIVE,ITISESSENTIALTHATYOUTAKETHEOTHERINFLUENCERSWITHINTHEGROUPWITHYOUTOTHEHIGHERLEVELS

The collective influence of you and the other leaders will bring the restalong.Ifthisdoesnothappen,dividedinterestandloyaltywilloccurwithinthegroup.

CONCLUSIONSOFINFLUENCEWe now have a blueprint to help us understand influence and how to

increase it.Theblueprint indicates that inorder toget to the top,youmustdotwothings:

1.KNOWWHATLEVELYOUAREONATTHISMOMENT

Sinceyouwillbeondifferentlevelswithdifferentpeople,youneedtoknowwhich people are on which level. If the biggest influencers within theorganization are on the highest levels and are supportive of you, then yoursuccess in leading others will be attainable. If the best influencers are on thehighestlevelsandnotsupportive,thenproblemswillsoonarise.

2.KNOWANDAPPLYTHEQUALITIESNEEDEDTOBESUCCESSFULATEACHLEVEL

Listedbelowaresomecharacteristicsthatmustbeexhibitedwithexcellencebeforeadvancementtothenextlevelispossible.

Level1:Position/Rights

•Knowyourjobdescriptionthoroughly.•Beawareofthehistoryoftheorganization.•Relatetheorganization’shistorytothepeopleoftheorganization(inotherwords,beateamplayer).

•Acceptresponsibility.•Doyourjobwithconsistentexcellence.•Domorethanexpected.•Offercreativeideasforchangeandimprovement.

Level2:Permission/Relationship

•Possessagenuineloveforpeople.•Makethosewhoworkwithyoumoresuccessful.•Seethroughotherpeople’seyes.•Lovepeoplemorethanprocedures.•Do“win-win”ordon’tdoit.•Includeothersinyourjourney.•Dealwiselywithdifficultpeople.

Level3:Production/Results

•Initiateandacceptresponsibilityforgrowth.•Developandfollowastatementofpurpose.•Makeyourjobdescriptionandenergyanintegralpartof thestatementofpurpose.

•Developaccountabilityforresults,beginningwithyourself.•Knowanddothethingsthatgiveahighreturn.•Communicatethestrategyandvisionoftheorganization.•Becomeachangeagent,andunderstandtiming.•Makethedifficultdecisionsthatwillmakeadifference.

Level4:PeopleDevelopment/Reproduction

•Realizethatpeopleareyourmostvaluableasset.•Placeapriorityondevelopingpeople.•Beamodelforotherstofollow.

•Pouryourleadershipeffortsintothetop20percentofyourpeople.•Exposekeyleaderstogrowthopportunities.•Beabletoattractotherwinners/producerstothecommongoal.•Surroundyourselfwithaninnercorethatcomplementsyourleadership.

Level5:Personhood/Respect

•Yourfollowersareloyalandsacrificial.•Youhavespentyearsmentoringandmoldingleaders.•Youhavebecomeastatesman/consultant,andaresoughtoutbyothers.•Yourgreatestjoycomesfromwatchingothersgrowanddevelop.•Youtranscendtheorganization.Everyone is a leader, because everyone influences someone.Not everyone

willbecomeagreatleader,buteveryonecanbecomeabetterleader.Now,onlytwoquestionsmustbeanswered:“Willyouunleashyourleadershippotential?”and “Will you use your leadership skills to better mankind?” This book waswrittentohelpyoudoboth.

MyInfluence

MylifeshalltouchadozenlivesBeforethisdayisdone.Leavecountlessmarksofgoodorill,E’ersetstheeveningsun.

This,thewishIalwayswish,TheprayerIalwayspray;Lord,maymylifehelpothers’livesIttouchesbytheway.7

ACTIONSTEPSTOUNLEASHYOURLEADERSHIPPOTENTIAL

YOURLEADERSHIPPOTENTIAL

REVIEW:

1.Leadershipis____________________________________.2.Thefivelevelsofleadershipare:(1)_____________________________________________(2)_____________________________________________(3)_____________________________________________(4)_____________________________________________(5)_____________________________________________

3.WhatlevelamIcurrentlyonwithmostpeople?________________________________________________

4.WhatlevelamIcurrentlyonwithotherinfluencers?________________________________________________

RESPOND:

1.Listthefivetopinfluencersinyourorganization.

(a)Whatlevelofinfluenceareyouonwiththem?

(b)Whatlevelofinfluencearetheyonwithothers?

2. Spend one hour a month with the top five influencers, individually,buildingarelationshipwiththem.

3.Spendtwohoursamonthwiththetopinfluencersasagroup,developingthem.Spendoneofthetwohoursreviewingachapterinthisbook.Spendtheotherhourdoingaprojecttogetherthatenhancestheorganization.

4.Reviewthecharacteristicsofeachofthefivelevelsofleadershipandpickoutthreethatyouareweakinandneedtodevelop.

(1)(2)(3)

R

TWOTHEKEYTOLEADERSHIP:

PRIORITIESecently,whileattendingaconference,Iheardaspeakersay,“Therearetwothingsthataremostdifficulttogetpeopletodo:tothink,andtodothings

in order of importance.” He went on to say that these two things are thedifferencebetweenaprofessionalandanamateur.

I alsobelieve that thinking ahead andprioritizing responsibilitiesmark themajordifferencesbetweenaleaderandafollower,because:

•practicalpeopleknowhowtogetwhattheywant.•philosophersknowwhattheyoughttowant.•leadersknowhowtogetwhattheyoughttowant.Success can be defined as the progressive realization of a predetermined

goal. This definition tells us that the discipline to prioritize and the ability towork towarda statedgoal areessential toa leader’s success. In fact, Ibelievetheyarethekeytoleadership.

Successistheprogressiverealizationofapredeterminedgoal.

Manyyearsago,whileworkingtowardabusinessdegree,IlearnedabouttheParetoPrinciple.Itiscommonlycalledthe20/80principle.AlthoughIreceivedlittleinformationaboutthisprincipleatthetime,Ibeganapplyingitto

TheParetoPrinciple

20percentofyourprioritieswillgiveyou80percentofyourproduction

IFyouspendyourtime,energy,money,andpersonnel

onthetop20percentofyourpriorities.

mylife.TwentyyearslaterIfinditamostusefultoolfordeterminingprioritiesforanyperson’slifeorforanyorganization.

THEPARETOPRINCIPLETHE20/80PRINCIPLE

Thesolidlinesontheillustrationofthe20/80Principleonpage20representapersonororganizationthatspendstime,energy,money,andpersonnelonthemost important priorities. The result is a fourfold return in productivity. Thedottedlinesrepresentapersonororganizationthatspendstime,energy,money,andpersonnelonthelesserpriorities.Theresultisaverysmallreturn.

EXAMPLESOFTHEPARETOPRINCIPLE:

TIME 20percentofourtimeproduces80percentoftheresults.

COUNSELING 20percentofthepeopletakeup80percentofourtime.PRODUCTS 20percentoftheproductsbringin80percentoftheprofit.READING 20percentofthebookcontains80percentofthecontent.

JOB 20percentofourworkgivesus80percentofoursatisfaction.

SPEECH 20percentofthepresentationproduces80percentoftheimpact.DONATIONS 20percentofthepeoplewillgive80percentofthemoney.LEADERSHIP 20percentofthepeoplewillmake80percentofthedecisions.

PICNIC 20percentofthepeoplewilleat80percentofthefood!

Every leaderneeds tounderstand theParetoPrinciple in theareaofpeopleoversight and leadership. For example, 20 percent of the people in anorganizationwill be responsible for 80percent of the company’s success.Thefollowing strategy will enable a leader to increase the productivity of anorganization.

1.Determinewhichpeoplearethetop20percentproducers.2.Spend80percentofyour“peopletime”withthetop20percent.3. Spend 80 percent of your personal developmental dollars on the top 20percent.

4.Determinewhat20percentoftheworkgives80percentofthereturnandtrainanassistanttodothe80percentlesseffectivework.This“freesup”theproducertodowhathe/shedoesbest.

5.Askthetop20percenttodoon-the-jobtrainingforthenext20percent.Remember,weteachwhatweknow;wereproducewhatweare.Likebegets

like.Iteachthisprincipleatleadershipconferences.Iamoftenasked,“HowdoI

identifythetop20percentinfluencers/producersinmyorganization?”Isuggestthat you make a list of everyone in your company or department. Then askyourself this question about each individual: “If this person takes a negativeactionagainstmeorwithdrawshisorhersupportfromme,whatwilltheimpactlikelybe?”Ifyouwon’tbeabletofunction,thenputacheckmarknexttothatname.Ifthepersoncanhelpyouorhurtyou,butcannotmakeorbreakyouintermsofyourabilitytogetimportantthingsdone,thendon’tputacheckmarknexttothatname.Whenyougetthroughmakingthecheckmarks,youwillhavemarked between 15 and 20 percent of the names. Those are the vitalrelationshipsthatneedtobedevelopedandgiventheproperamountofresourcesneededtogrowtheorganization.

Efficiencyisthefoundationforsurvival.Effectivenessisthe

foundationforsuccess.

IT’SNOTHOWHARDYOUWORK;IT’SHOWSMARTYOUWORK

Amanwastoldthatifheworkedtheveryhardesthecouldhewouldbecomerich.Thehardestworkheknewwasdiggingholes,sohesetaboutdigginggreatholes in his backyard.He didn’t get rich; he only got a backache.Heworkedhardbutheworkedwithoutanypriorities.

ORGANIZEORAGONIZE

The ability to juggle three or four high-priority projects successfully is amustforeveryleader.Alifeinwhichanythinggoeswillultimatelybealifeinwhichnothinggoes.

PrioritizeAssignments

HighImportance/HighUrgency:Tackletheseprojectsfirst.

HighImportance/LowUrgency:Setdeadlinesforcompletion,andgettheseprojectsworkedintoyourdailyroutine.

LowImportance/HighUrgency:Findquick,efficientwaystogetthisworkdonewithoutmuchpersonalinvolvement.

Ifpossible,delegateittoa“cando”assistant.

LowImportance/LowUrgency:Thisisbusyorrepetitiouswork,suchasfiling.Stackitupanddoitinhalf-hoursegmentseveryweek;getsomebodyelsetodoit;ordon’tdoitatall.Beforeputtingoffuntiltomorrowsomethingyoucandotoday,studyitclearly.Maybeyoucanpostponeitindefinitely.

A few years ago I was teaching the 20/80 principle at a conference inBoston.Afewweekslatermyfriend,JohnBowen,sentmeatabletofpaperthathedesignedfromthelecture.Ihaveuseditformyownprioritizingeversince.Perhapsitwillhavevaluetoyoutoo(seepage24).

CHOOSEORLOSE

Everypersoniseitheraninitiatororareactorwhenitcomestoplanning.Anexample is our calendar.The question is not, “Willmy calendar be full?” but“Whowill fillmy calendar?” If we are leaders of others, the question is not,“WillIseepeople?”but“WhowillIsee?”Myobservationisthatleaderstendtoinitiate,andfollowerstendtoreact.Notethedifference.

LEADERS FOLLOWERSInitiate ReactLead;pickupphoneandmakecontact Listen;waitforphonetoringSpendtimeplanning;anticipateproblems Spendtimelivingday-to-day;reacttoproblems

Spendtimeplanning;anticipateproblems Spendtimelivingday-to-day;reacttoproblems

Investtimewithpeople SpendtimewithpeopleFillthecalendarbypriorities Fillthecalendarbyrequests

EVALUATEORSTALEMATE

A veteran of many years of decision making gave me this short, simpleadvice: Decide what to do and do it. Decide what not to do and don’t do it.Evaluationofpriorities,however,isnotquitethatsimple.Manytimestheyarenotblackorwhite,butmanytonesofgray.Ihavefoundthatthelastthingoneknowsiswhattoputfirst.

Thefollowingquestionswillassistyourprioritizationprocess:What is required of me? A leader can give up anything except finalresponsibility. The question thatmust always be answered before accepting anewjobis,“Whatisrequiredofme?”Inotherwords,whatdoIhavetodothatnoonebutmecando?Whateverthosethingsare,theymustbeputhighonthepriority list. Failure to do themwill cause you to be among the unemployed.Therewillbemanyresponsibilitiesofthelevelsunderyourposition,butonlyafewthatrequireyoutobe theoneandonlyonewhocandothem.Distinguishbetweenwhatyouhavetodoandwhatcanbedelegatedtosomeoneelse.

Take aminute and listwhat is required of you in your job (by priority, ifpossible).

1.2.3.

4.

Whatgivesmethegreatestreturn?Theeffortexpendedshouldapproximatetheresultsexpected.AquestionImustcontinuallyaskmyselfis,“AmIdoingwhatI do best and receiving a good return for the organization?” There are threecommonproblemsinmanyorganizations.

•Abuse:toofewemployeesaredoingtoomuch.•Disuse:toomanyemployeesaredoingtoolittle.

•Misuse:toomanyemployeesaredoingthewrongthings.BoJacksonplayeddefensiveendforhishighschoolfootballteam.Hewasgood, but he didn’t leadhis team to a championship. In fact, they

finished the season with three wins and seven losses. At Auburn University,whenallthreerunningbackswereinjured,Bo’scoachaskedhimtofillin“untiltheregularsarehealthyagain.”Bowasapprehensive,buthedid it.Therest ishistory.Thisisanexcellentexampleoffulfillingthe“return”questions.

Takeaminuteandlistwhatgivesyouthegreatestreturnonyourjob.1.2.3.

4.What ismost rewarding?Life is too shortnot tobe fun.Ourbestwork takesplacewhenweenjoyit.SometimeagoIspokeataleaders’conferencewhereIattemptedtoteachthisprinciple.Thetitleofmylecturewas“TakeThisJobandLoveIt.”Iencouragedtheaudiencetofindsomethingtheylikedtodosomuchthattheywouldgladlydoitfornothing.ThenIsuggestedtheylearntodoitsowell that peoplewouldbehappy topay them for it.AndyGranatelli said thatwhenyouaremakingasuccessofsomething, it’snotwork. It’sawayof life.You enjoy yourself because you aremaking your contribution to theworld. Ibelievethat!Takeaminuteandwritedownwhatismostsatisfyinginyourjob.

1.2.3.

4.

Success in yourworkwill be greatly increased if the 3Rs (Requirements/Return/Reward)aresimilar.Inotherwords,iftherequirementsofmyjobarethesame asmy strengths that giveme the highest return, and doing those thingsbringsmegreatpleasure,thenIwillbesuccessfulifIactonmypriorities.

PRIORITYPRINCIPLES

PRIORITIESNEVER“STAYPUT”

Priorities continually shift and demand attention. H. Ross Perot said,“Anything that isexcellentorpraiseworthymoment-by-momenton thecuttingedgemust be constantly fought for.”Well-placed priorities always sit on “theedge.”

Tokeepprioritiesinplace,dothefollowing:•Evaluate:Everymonthreviewthe3Rs(Requirements/Return/Reward).•Eliminate:Askyourself,“WhatamIdoing thatcanbedonebysomeoneelse?”

•Estimate:Whatarethetopprojectsyouaredoingthismonth,andhowlongwilltheytake?

YOUCANNOTOVERESTIMATETHEUNIMPORTANCEOFPRACTICALLYEVERYTHING

I love this principle. It’s a little exaggeratedbut needs tobe said.WilliamJamessaidthat theartofbeingwiseis the“artofknowingwhat tooverlook.”Thepettyandthemundanestealmuchofourtime.Toomanyofusarelivingforthewrongthings.Dr.AnthonyCampolotellsaboutasociologicalstudyinwhichfiftypeopleovertheageofninety-fivewereaskedonequestion:“Ifyoucouldliveyourlifeoveragain,whatwouldyoudodifferently?”Itwasanopen-endedquestion,andamultiplicityofanswersconstantlyreemergedanddominatedtheresultsofthestudy.Thesewerethreeanswers:

Youcannotoverestimatetheunimportanceofpracticallyeverything.

•IfIhadittodooveragain,Iwouldreflectmore.•IfIhadittodooveragain,Iwouldriskmore.•IfIhadittodooveragain,Iwoulddomorethingsthatwouldliveonafter

Iamdead.Ayoungconcertviolinistwasasked thesecretofher success.She replied,

“Plannedneglect.”Thensheexplained,“WhenIwasinschool,thereweremanythingsthatdemandedmytime.WhenIwenttomyroomafterbreakfast,Imademybed,straightenedtheroom,dustedthefloor,anddidwhateverelsecametomyattention.ThenIhurriedtomyviolinpractice.IfoundIwasn’tprogressingas I thought I should, so I reversed things. Until my practice period wascompleted, I deliberately neglected everything else. That program of plannedneglect,Ibelieve,accountsformysuccess.”1

THEGOODISTHEENEMYOFTHEBEST

Most people can prioritize when faced with a right-or-wrong issue. Thechallengeariseswhenwearefacedwithtwogoodchoices.Nowwhatshouldwedo? What if both choices fall comfortably into the requirements, return, andrewardofourwork?

HowtoBreaktheTieBetweenTwoGoodOptions

•Askyouroverseerorcoworkerstheirpreference.•Canoneoftheoptionsbehandledbysomeoneelse?Ifso,passitonandworkontheoneonlyyoucando.

•Whichoptionwouldbeofmorebenefittothecustomer?Toomanytimeswe are like themerchantwhowas so intent on trying to keep the storeclean that he would never unlock the front door. The real reason forrunningthestoreistohavecustomerscomein,nottocleanitup!

•Makeyourdecisionbasedonthepurposeoftheorganization.Alighthousekeeperwhoworkedonarockystretchofcoastlinereceivedhis

newsupplyofoil once amonth tokeep the lightburning.Notbeing far fromshore,hehadfrequentguests.Onenightawomanfromthevillagebeggedsomeoiltokeepherfamilywarm.Anothertimeafatheraskedforsometouseinhislamp.Anotherneededsometolubricateawheel.Sincealltherequestsseemedlegitimate,thelighthousekeepertriedtopleaseeveryoneandgranttherequests

ofall.Towardtheendofthemonthhenoticedthesupplyofoilwasverylow.Soon it was gone, and the beacon went out. That night several ships werewrecked and lives were lost.When the authorities investigated, the man wasveryrepentant.Tohisexcusesandpleading, their replywas,“Youweregivenoilforonepurpose—tokeepthatlightburning!”

YOUCAN’THAVEITALL

Whenmy son, Joel Porter, was younger, every timewe entered a store, Iwouldsaytohim,“Youcan’thaveitall.”Likemanypeople,hehadahardtimeeliminating things in his life. Ninety-five percent of achieving anything isknowing what you want. Many years ago I read this poem by William H.Hinson:

Hewhoseeksonething,andbutone,Mayhopetoachieveitbeforelifeisdone.ButhewhoseeksallthingswhereverhegoesMustreaparoundhiminwhateverhesowsAharvestofbarrenregret.

AgroupofpeoplewerepreparingforanascenttothetopofMontBlancintheAlpsinFrance.Ontheeveningbeforetheclimb,aFrenchguideoutlinedthemainprerequisite forsuccess.Hesaid,“Toreach the top,youmustcarryonlyequipment necessary for climbing. You must leave behind all unnecessaryaccessories.It’sadifficultclimb.”

A young Englishman disagreed and the next morning showed up with aratherheavy,brightlycoloredblanket; some largepiecesofcheese;abottleofwine; a couple of cameras with several lenses hanging around his neck; andsomebarsofchocolate.Theguidesaid,“You’llnevermakeitwiththat.Youcanonlytakethebarenecessitiestomaketheclimb.”

Butstrong-willedashewas, theEnglishmansetoffonhisown in frontofthegroup toprove to themhecoulddo it.Thegroup then followedunder thedirectionoftheguide,eachonecarryingjustthebarenecessities.OnthewayuptothesummitofMontBlanc, theybegantonoticecertainthingssomeonehadleftalongtheway.First,theyencounteredabrightlycoloredblanket,thensomepiecesofcheese,abottleofwine,cameraequipment,andsomechocolatebars.Finally when they reached the top, they discovered the Englishman. Wisely,

alongthewayhehadjettisonedeverythingunnecessary.

TOOMANYPRIORITIESPARALYZEUS

Everyoneofushaslookedatourdesksfilledwithmemosandpapers,heardthephoneringing,andwatchedthedooropenallat thesametime!Rememberthe“frozenfeeling”thatcameoveryou?

WilliamH.Hinson tellsuswhyanimal trainerscarryastoolwhen theygointo a cage of lions.They have theirwhips, of course, and their pistols are attheir sides. But invariably they also carry a stool. Hinson says it is the mostimportanttoolofthetrainer.Heholdsthestoolbythebackandthruststhelegstoward the faceof thewildanimal.Thosewhoknowmaintain that theanimaltriestofocusonallfourlegsatonce.Intheattempttofocusonallfour,akindof paralysis overwhelms the animal, and it becomes tame,weak, and disabledbecause its attention is fragmented. (Nowwewill havemore empathy for thelions.)

Oneday,Sheryl,oneofourmostproductivestaffmembers,cametoseeme.She lookedexhausted. I learned that shewasoverloaded.Her“todo” listwasgettingtoolong.Iaskedhertolistallherprojects.Weprioritizedthemtogether.Icanstillseethelookofreliefonherfaceastheloadbegantolift.

If you are overloaded with work, list the priorities on a separate sheet ofpaper before you take it to your boss and see what he will choose as thepriorities.

Thelastofeachmonth,Iplanandlayoutmyprioritiesforthenextmonth.Isit downwithBarbara,my assistant, and have her place those projects on thecalendar.Shehandleshundredsofthingsformeonamonthlybasis.However,whensomethingisofHighImportance/HighUrgency,Icommunicatethattohersoitwillbeplacedaboveotherthings.Alltrueleadershavelearnedtosaynotothegoodinordertosayyestothebest.

WHENLITTLEPRIORITIESDEMANDTOOMUCHOFUS,BIGPROBLEMSARISE

RobertJ.McKainsaid,“Thereasonmostmajorgoalsarenotachievedisthatwespendourtimedoingsecondthingsfirst.”

Someyearsagoaheadlinetoldofthreehundredwhalesthatsuddenlydied.Thewhaleswere pursuing sardines and found themselvesmarooned in a bay.FrederickBroanHarriscommented,“Thesmallfishluredtheseagiantstotheirdeath . . . They came to their violent demise by chasing small ends, byprostitutingvastpowersforinsignificantgoals.”2

Often the little things in life trip us up. A tragic example is an EasternAirlinesjumbojetthatcrashedintheEvergladesofFlorida.Theplanewasthenow-famousFlight401,boundfromNewYorktoMiamiwithaheavyloadofholidaypassengers.As theplaneapproached theMiamiairport for its landing,thelightthatindicatesproperdeploymentofthelandinggearfailedtolight.Theplaneflewinalarge,loopingcircleovertheswampsoftheEvergladeswhilethecockpitcrewcheckedtoseeifthegearactuallyhadnotdeployed,orifinsteadthebulbinthesignallightwasdefective.

When the flight engineer tried to remove the lightbulb, itwouldn’t budge,andtheothermembersofthecrewtriedtohelphim.Astheystruggledwiththebulb,noonenoticedtheaircraftwaslosingaltitude,andtheplanesimplyflewright into the swamp. Dozens of people were killed in the crash. While anexperienced crew of high-priced pilots fiddled with a seventy-five-centlightbulb,theplanewithitspassengersflewrightintotheground.

TIMEDEADLINESANDEMERGENCIESFORCEUSTOPRIORITIZE

WefindthisinParkinson’sLaw:Ifyouhaveonlyonelettertowrite,itwilltakealldaytodoit.Ifyouhavetwentyletterstowrite,you’llgetthemdoneinoneday.

When is our most efficient time in our work? The week before vacation!Whycan’twealwaysrunourlivesthewaywedotheweekbeforeweleavetheoffice:making decisions, cleaning off the desk, returning calls?Under normalconditions,weareefficient(doingthingsright).Whentimepressuremountsoremergenciesarise,webecomeeffective(doingtherightthings).Efficiencyisthefoundationforsurvival.Effectivenessisthefoundationofsuccess.

OnthenightofApril14,1912,thegreatoceanliner,theTitanic,crashedintoaniceberg in theAtlanticandsank,causinggreat lossof life.Oneof themostcuriousstoriestocomefromthedisasterwasofawomanwhohadaplaceinoneofthelifeboats.

Sheaskedifshecouldreturntoherstateroomforsomethingandwasgivenjustthreeminutes.Asshehurriedthroughthecorridors,shesteppedovermoneyandpreciousgemslitteringthefloor,wheretheyhadbeendroppedinhaste.Inher own stateroom she ignored her own jewelry, and instead grabbed threeoranges.Thenshequicklyreturnedtoherplaceintheboat.

Just hours earlier it would have been ludicrous to think she would haveaccepted a crate of oranges in exchange for even one small diamond, butcircumstances had suddenly transformed all the values aboard the ship. Theemergencyhadclarifiedherpriorities.

TOOOFTENWELEARNTOOLATEWHATISREALLYIMPORTANT

Wearelikethefamilythathadbecomefedupwiththenoiseandtrafficofthecityanddecidedtomovetothecountryandtrylifeinthewideopenspaces.Intending to raise cattle, they bought aWestern ranch. Some friends came tovisitamonth laterandasked themwhat theyhadnamed the ranch.Thefathersaid,“Well,IwantedtocallittheFlying-W,andmywifewantedtocallittheSuzy-Q.ButoneofoursonslikedtheBar-J,andtheotherpreferredtheLazy-Y.SowecompromisedandcalledittheFlying-W,Suzy-Q,Bar-J,Lazy-YRanch.”Theirfriendasked,“Well,whereareyourcattle?”Themanreplied,“Wedon’thaveany.Noneofthemsurvivedthebranding!”

Theauthorisunknownwhosaid,“Aninfantisbornwithaclenchedfist;amandieswithanopenhand.Lifehasawayofpryingfreethethingswethinkaresoimportant.”

GaryReddingtellsthisstoryaboutSenatorPaulTsongasofMassachusetts.InJanuary1984,heannouncedthathewouldretirefromtheU.S.Senateandnotseekreelection.Tsongaswasarisingpoliticalstar.Hewasastrongfavorite tobereelected,andhadevenbeenmentionedasapotentialfuturecandidateforthepresidencyorvicepresidencyoftheUnitedStates.

Afewweeksbeforehisannouncement,Tsongashadlearnedhehadaformof lymphatic cancer that could not be cured but could be treated. In alllikelihood, itwould not greatly affect his physical abilities or life expectancy.TheillnessdidnotforceTsongasoutoftheSenate,butitdidforcehimtofacetherealityofhisownmortality.Hewouldnotbeabletodoeverythinghemightwanttodo.Sowhatwerethethingshereallywantedtodointhetimehehad?

Hedecidedthatwhathewantedmostoutofhislife,whathewouldnotgiveupifhecouldnothaveeverything,wasbeingwithhisfamilyandwatchinghischildrengrowup.Hewouldratherdothatthanshapethenation’slawsorgethisnameinthehistorybooks.

Shortly after his decision was announced, a friend wrote a note tocongratulateTsongasonhavinghisprioritiesstraight.Thenote read:“Nobodyonhisdeathbedeversaid,‘IwishIhadspentmoretimeonmybusiness.’”

T

THREETHEMOSTIMPORTANTINGREDIENT

OFLEADERSHIP:INTEGRITY

he dictionary defines integrity as “the state of being complete, unified.”WhenIhaveintegrity,mywordsandmydeedsmatchup.IamwhoIam,

nomatterwhereIamorwhoIamwith.Sadly, integrity is a vanishing commodity today. Personal standards are

crumbling in a world that has taken to hot pursuit of personal pleasure andshortcutstosuccess.

Onajobapplicationonequestionread,“Haveyoueverbeenarrested?”TheapplicantprintedthewordNointhespace.Thenextquestionwasafollow-uptothefirst.Itasked,“Why?”Notrealizinghedidnothavetoanswerthispart,the“honest” and rather naïve applicant wrote, “I guess it’s because I never gotcaught.”

AJeffDanzigercartoonshowsacompanypresidentannouncingtohisstaff,“Gentlemen, this year the trick is honesty.” From one side of the conferencetable,avicepresidentgasps,“Brilliant.”Across the table,anotherVPmutters,“Butsorisky.”

InacartoonintheNewYorker,twoclean-shavenmiddleagedmenaresittingtogether in a jail cell. One inmate turns to the other and says, “All along, Ithoughtourlevelofcorruptionfellwellwithincommunitystandards.”

TheWhiteHouse, thePentagon,CapitolHill, the church, the sports arena,theacademy,eventhedaycarecenterhaveallbeenhithardbyscandal.Ineverycase, the lack of credibility can be traced back to the level of integrity of theindividualswithinthoseorganizationsandinstitutions.

Apersonwithintegritydoesnothavedividedloyalties(that’sduplicity),noris he or she merely pretending (that’s hypocrisy). People with integrity are“whole”people;theycanbeidentifiedbytheirsingle-mindedness.Peoplewithintegrityhavenothingtohideandnothingtofear.Theirlivesareopenbooks.V.GilbertBeerssays,“Apersonofintegrityisonewhohasestablishedasystemofvaluesagainstwhichalloflifeisjudged.”

Integrityisnotwhatwedosomuchaswhoweare.Andwhoweare,inturn,determineswhatwedo.Oursystemofvaluesissomuchapartofuswecannotseparate it fromourselves. It becomes the navigating system that guides us. Itestablishesprioritiesinourlivesandjudgeswhatwewillacceptorreject.

Weareallfacedwithconflictingdesires.Noone,nomatterhow“spiritual,”can avoid this battle. Integrity is the factor that determines which one willprevail.Westruggledailywith situations thatdemanddecisionsbetweenwhatwewanttodoandwhatweoughttodo.Integrityestablishesthegroundrulesforresolvingthesetensions.

Itdetermineswhoweareandhowwewillrespondbeforetheconflictevenappears.Integrityweldswhatwesay,think,anddointoawholepersonsothatpermissionisnevergrantedforoneofthosetobeoutofsync.

Integritybindsourpersontogetherandfostersaspiritofcontentmentwithinus.Itwillnotallowourlipstoviolateourhearts.Whenintegrityisthereferee,wewillbeconsistent;ourbeliefswillbemirroredbyourconduct.Therewillbenodiscrepancybetweenwhatweappear tobe andwhatour familyknowsweare, whether in times of prosperity or adversity. Integrity allows us topredeterminewhatwewillberegardlessofcircumstances,personsinvolved,ortheplacesofourtesting.

Integrity isnotonly the refereebetween twodesires. It is thepivotalpointbetweenahappypersonandadividedspirit.Itfreesustobewholepersonsnomatterwhatcomesourway.

“Thefirstkeytogreatness,”Socratesremindsus,“istobeinrealitywhatweappeartobe.”Toooftenwetrytobea“humandoing”beforewehavebecomea“humanbeing.”Toearn trust a leaderhas tobe authentic.For that tohappen,onemustcomeacrossasagoodmusicalcompositiondoes—thewordsandthemusicmustmatch.

If what I say and what I do are the same, the results are consistent. Forexample: Isaytotheemployees:"Beatworkontime." Iarriveatworkontime. Theywillbeontime.

Isaytotheemployees:"Bepositive." Iexhibitapositiveattitude. Theywillbepositive.

Isaytotheemployees:"Putthecustomerfirst." Iputthecustomerfirst. Theywillputthecustomer

first.

If what I say and do are not the same, the results are inconsistent. Forexample: Isaytotheemployees:"Beatworkon

Isaytotheemployees:"Beatworkon

time."Iarriveatworklate. Somewillbeontime;somewon't.

Isaytotheemployees:"Bepositive." Iexhibitanegativeattitude. Somewillbepositive;somewon't.

Isaytotheemployees:"Putthecustomerfirst." Iputmyselffirst. Somewillputcustomersfirst;some

won't.

Eighty-ninepercentofwhatpeople learncomesthroughvisualstimulation,10percentthroughaudiblestimulation,and1percentthroughothersenses.Soitmakessensethatthemorefollowersseeandheartheirleaderbeingconsistentinactionandword,thegreatertheirconsistencyandloyalty.Whattheyhear,theyunderstand.Whattheysee,theybelieve!

Integrityisnotwhatwedoasmuchaswhoweare.

Toooftenweattempttomotivateourfollowerswithgimmicksthatareshort-livedandshallow.Whatpeopleneedisnotamottotosay,butamodeltosee.

THECREDIBILITYACIDTESTThemorecredibleyouare,themoreconfidencepeopleplaceinyou,thereby

allowingyoutheprivilegeof influencingtheir lives.Thelesscredibleyouare,the less confidence people place in you and the more quickly you lose yourpositionofinfluence.

Imageiswhatpeoplethinkweare.Integrityiswhatwereallyare.

Many leaderswhohaveattendedmyconferenceshavesaid tome,“Ihopeyou can give me some insights into how I can change my company.” Myresponse is always the same: “My goal is to inspire you to change; if thathappens, theorganizationwill alsobechanged.”As Ihavesaid timeand timeagain, everything rises and falls on leadership. The secret to rising and notfallingisintegrity.Let’slookatsomereasonswhyintegrityissoimportant.

1.INTEGRITYBUILDSTRUST

DwightEisenhowersaid:Inordertobealeaderamanmusthavefollowers.Andtohavefollowers,amanmusthavetheirconfidence.Hence,thesupremequalityforaleaderisunquestionablyintegrity.Withoutit,norealsuccessispossible,nomatterwhetheritisonasectiongang,afootballfield,inanarmy,orinanoffice.Ifaman’sassociatesfindhimguiltyofbeingphony,iftheyfindthathelacksforthrightintegrity,hewillfail.Histeachingsandactionsmustsquarewitheachother.Thefirstgreatneed,therefore,isintegrityandhighpurpose.1

PieterBruyn,aDutchspecialistinadministration,holdsthatauthorityisnotthepowerabosshasoversubordinates,butrathertheboss’sabilitytoinfluencesubordinates to recognize and accept that power. He calls it a “bargain”:Subordinatestacitlyagreetoacceptthebossasbossinreturnforbeingofferedthekindofleadershiptheycanaccept.WhatdoesBruyn’stheoryboildownto?Quitesimply,themanagermustbuild—andmaintain—credibility.Subordinatesmustbeabletotrustthattheirbosswillactingoodfaithtowardthem.

Toooftenpeoplewhoareresponsibleforleadinglooktotheorganizationtomakepeopleresponsibletofollow.Theyaskforanewtitle,anotherposition,anorganizationchart,andanewpolicytocurtailinsubordination.Sadlytheynevergetenoughauthoritytobecomeeffective.Why?Theyarelookingtotheoutsidewhen their problem is on the inside. They lack authority because they lackintegrity.

Only 45 percent of four hundred managers in a Carnegie-Mellon surveybelievedtheirtopmanagement;athirddistrustedtheirimmediatebosses.2Withsomuchdependingoncredibilityandtrust,someoneineveryorganizationmustprovidetheleadershiptoimprovethesenumbers.

CavettRobertssaid:“Ifmypeopleunderstandme,I’llgettheirattention.Ifmypeople trustme, I’llget theiraction.”Fora leader tohave theauthority tolead,heneedsmorethanthetitleonhisdoor.Hehastohavethetrustofthosewhoarefollowinghim.

2.INTEGRITYHASHIGHINFLUENCEVALUE

Emersonsaid,“Everygreat institutionis thelengthenedshadowofasingleman.Hischaracterdeterminesthecharacteroftheorganization.”Thatstatement“lines up” with the words of Will Rogers, who said, “People’s minds arechangedthroughobservationandnotargument.”Peopledowhatpeoplesee.

According to 1,300 senior executives who responded to a recent survey,integrity is thehumanqualitymostnecessary tobusinesssuccess.Seventy-one

percentput it at the topof a list of sixteen traits responsible for enhancing anexecutive’seffectiveness.

Regrettably we tend to forget the high influence value of integrity in thehome.R.C.Sproul,inhisbookObjectionsAnswered,tellsaboutayoungJewishboywhogrewupinGermanymanyyearsago.Theladhadaprofoundsenseofadmiration for his father, who saw to it that the life of the family revolvedaroundthereligiouspracticesoftheirfaith.Thefatherledthemtothesynagoguefaithfully.

Inhisteenyears,however, theboy’sfamilywasforcedtomovetoanothertowninGermany.Thistownhadnosynagogue,onlyaLutheranchurch.Thelifeof the community revolved around the Lutheran church; all the best peoplebelonged to it.Suddenly, the fatherannounced to the family that theywereallgoingtoabandontheirJewishtraditionsandjointheLutheranchurch.Whenthestunned family askedwhy, the father explained that it would be good for hisbusiness.Theyoungsterwasbewilderedandconfused.Hisdeepdisappointmentsoon gave way to anger and a kind of intense bitterness that plagued himthroughouthislife.

LaterheleftGermanyandwenttoEnglandtostudy.EachdayfoundhimattheBritishMuseum,formulatinghisideasandcomposingabook.Inthatbookhe introduced a whole new worldview and conceived a movement that wasdesigned to change the world. He described religion as the “opiate for themasses.”Hecommitted thepeoplewho followedhim to lifewithoutGod.Hisideasbecamethenormforthegovernmentsforalmosthalftheworld’speople.Hisname?KarlMarx,founderoftheCommunistmovement.Thehistoryofthetwentieth century, and perhaps beyond,was significantly affected because onefatherlethisvaluesbecomedistorted.

3.INTEGRITYFACILITATESHIGHSTANDARDS

Leadersmust live by higher standards than their followers. This insight isexactlyoppositeofmostpeople’sthoughtsconcerningleadership.Inaworldofperksandprivilegesthataccompanytheclimbtosuccess,littlethoughtisgivento the responsibilities of the upward journey. Leaders can give up anythingexcept responsibility, either for themselves or their organizations. John D.Rockefeller Jr. said, “I believe that every right implies a responsibility; everyopportunity, an obligation; every possession, a duty.” The diagram below

illustratesthisprinciple.

Too many people are ready to assert their rights, but not to assume theirresponsibilities.RichardL.Evans,inhisbookAnOpenRoad,said:

Itispricelesstofindapersonwhowilltakeresponsibility,whowillfinishandfollowthroughtothefinaldetail—toknowwhensomeonehasacceptedanassignmentthatitwillbeeffectively,conscientiouslycompleted.Butwhenhalf-finishedassignmentskeepcomingback—tocheckon,toverify,toedit,tointerruptthought,andtotakerepeatedattention—obviouslysomeonehasfailedtofollowthedoctrineofcompletedwork.

TomRobbinssaid,“Don’tletyourselfbevictimizedbytheageyoulivein.It’snot the time thatwillbringusdown,anymore than it’ssociety.There’satendencytodaytoabsolveindividualsofmoralresponsibilityandtreat themasvictimsofsocialcircumstance.Youbuythatandyoupaywithyoursoul.Whatlimitspeopleislackofcharacter.”Whenthecharacterofleadersislow,soaretheirstandards.

4.INTEGRITYRESULTSINASOLIDREPUTATION,NOTJUSTANIMAGE

Imageiswhatpeoplethinkweare.Integrityiswhatwereallyare.TwooldladieswerewalkingaroundasomewhatovercrowdedEnglishcountrychurchyard and cameupon a tombstone.The inscription said: “Here lies JohnSmith,apoliticianandanhonestman.”

“Goodheavens!”saidoneladytotheother.“Isn’t itawfulthat theyhadtoputtwopeopleinthesamegrave!”

Allofushaveknown thosewhowerenot the sameon theoutsideas theywereinside.Sadly,manywhohaveworkedharderontheirimagesthanontheirintegritydon’tunderstandwhentheysuddenly“fall.”Evenfriendswhothoughttheyknewthemaresurprised.

In ancientChina the peoplewanted security against the barbaric hordes to

thenorth,sotheybuiltthegreatwall.Itwassohightheybelievednoonecouldclimb over it and so thick nothing could break it down. They settled back toenjoytheirsecurity.Duringthefirsthundredyearsofthewall’sexistence,Chinawasinvadedthreetimes.Notoncedidthebarbarichordesbreakdownthewallor climb over it. Each time they bribed a gatekeeper and then marched rightthroughthegates.TheChineseweresobusyrelyingonthewallsofstonethattheyforgottoteachintegritytotheirchildren.

Your answers to the following questions will determine if you are intoimage-buildinginsteadofintegrity-building: Consistency: Areyouthesamepersonnomatterwhoyouarewith?Choices: Doyoumakedecisionsthatarebestforotherswhenanotherchoicewouldbenefityou?Credit: Areyouquicktorecognizeothersfortheireffortsandcontributionstoyoursuccess?

ThomasMacauleysaid,“Themeasureofaman’s realcharacter iswhathewoulddo if hewouldneverbe foundout.”Life is like avise; at times itwillsqueezeus.Atthosemomentsofpressure,whateverisinsidewillbefoundout.Wecannotgivewhatwedonothave.Imagepromisesmuchbutproduceslittle.Integrityneverdisappoints.

5.INTEGRITYMEANSLIVINGITMYSELFBEFORELEADINGOTHERS

Wecannotleadanyoneelsefartherthanwehavebeenourselves.Toomanytimeswearesoconcernedabouttheproductthatwetrytoshortcuttheprocess.Therearenoshortcutswhen integrity is involved.Eventually truthwillalwaysbeexposed.

Recently I heard of a man who interviewed a consultant to some of thelargest U.S. companies about their quality control. The consultant said, “Inqualitycontrol,wearenotconcernedabouttheproduct.Weareconcernedabouttheprocess. If theprocess is right, theproduct isguaranteed.”Thesameholdstrueforintegrity;itguaranteescredibility.

When the Challenger exploded, America was stunned to discover thatQualityControlhadwarnedNASAthatthespaceshuttlewasnotfullypreparedtogo.Butproductionsaid,“Theshowmustgoon!”

Crash,justlikemanyleaders.

Irememberhearingmybasketballcoach,DonNeff,repeatedlyemphasizetoourteam,“Youplaylikeyoupractice;youplaylikeyoupractice.”Whenwefailto follow thisprinciple,we fail to reachourpersonalpotentials.When leadersfailtofollowthisprinciple,eventuallytheylosetheircredibility.

6.INTEGRITYHELPSALEADERBECREDIBLE,NOTJUSTCLEVER

IoncehaddinnerwithFredSmith.Thiswisebusinessmansharedwithmethe difference between being clever and being credible. He said that cleverleadersnever last.Thatstatement remindedmeof thewordsofPeterDrucker,giventopastorsgatheredtodiscussimportantissuesinthechurch:

Thefinalrequirementofeffectiveleadershipistoearntrust.Otherwisetherewon’tbeanyfollowers...Aleaderissomeonewhohasfollowers.Totrustaleader,itisnotnecessarytoagreewithhim.Trustistheconvictionthattheleadermeanswhathesays.Itisabeliefinsomethingveryold-fashionedcalled“integrity.”Aleader’sactionsandaleader’sprofessedbeliefsmustbecongruentoratleastcompatible.Effectiveleadership—andagainthisisveryoldwisdom—isnotbasedonbeingclever;itisprimarilyonbeingconsistent.3

Leaders who are sincere don’t have to advertise the fact. It’s visible ineverything they do and soon becomes common knowledge to everyone.Likewise,insinceritycannotbehidden,disguised,orcoveredup,nomatterhowcompetentamanagermayotherwisebe.

Theonlywaytokeepthegoodwillandhighesteemofthepeopleyouworkwithistodeserveit.Noonecanfoolallofthepeopleallofthetime.Eachofus,eventually,isrecognizedforexactlywhatweare—notwhatwetrytoappeartobe.

Ann Landers said, “People of integrity expect to be believed. They also

knowtimewillprovethemrightandarewillingtowait.”

7.INTEGRITYISAHARD-WONACHIEVEMENT

Integrity is not a given factor in everyone’s life. It is a result of self-discipline,innertrust,andadecisiontoberelentlesslyhonestinallsituationsinour lives. Unfortunately in today’s world, strength of character is a rarecommodity. As a result, we have few contemporary models of integrity. Ourculture has produced few enduring heroes, few models of virtue. We havebecomeanationofimitators,buttherearefewleadersworthimitating.

Themeaningofintegrityhasbeeneroded.DropthewordintoconversationsinHollywood,onWallStreet,evenonMainStreet,andyou’llgetblankstaresinreturn. For most Americans, the word conjures up ideas of prudishness ornarrow-mindedness. In an age when the meanings of words are manipulated,foundationalvaluessuchasintegritycanbepulverizedovernight.

Integrity isantithetical to thespiritofourage.Theoverarchingphilosophyof life that guides our culture revolves around a materialistic, consumermentality.Thecravingneedof themoment supersedesconsiderationofvaluesthathaveeternalsignificance.

When we sell out to someone else, we also sell out ourselves. Hester H.Chomondelayunderscoresthistruthinhisshortpoem,“Judas”:

StillasofoldMenbythemselvesarepriced—ForthirtypiecesJudassoldHimself,notChrist.

BillyGrahamsaid,“Integrityisthegluethatholdsourwayoflifetogether.Wemustconstantlystrivetokeepourintegrityintact.

“Whenwealthislost,nothingislost;whenhealthislost,somethingislost;whencharacterislost,allislost.”4

To build your life on the foundation of integrity, use the following poem(“AmITrue toMyself?”byEdgarGuest) asa“MirrorTest” toevaluatehowyou’redoing.

Ihavetolivewithmyself,andsoIwanttobefitformyselftoknow,Iwanttobeable,asdaysgoby,

Alwaystolookmyselfstraightintheeye;Idon’twanttostand,withthesettingsun,AndhatemyselfforthingsIhavedone.Idon’twanttokeeponaclosetshelfAlotofsecretsaboutmyself,Andfoolmyself,asIcomeandgo,IntothinkingthatnobodyelsewillknowThekindofmanIreallyam;Idon’twanttodressupmyselfinsham.Iwanttogooutwithmyheaderect,Iwanttodeserveallmen’srespect;ButhereinthestruggleforfameandpelfIwanttobeabletolikemyself.Idon’twanttolookatmyselfandknowThatI’mblusterandbluffandemptyshow.Icanneverhidemyselffromme;Iseewhatothersmayneversee;Iknowwhatothersmayneverknow,Inevercanfoolmyself,andso,Whateverhappens,IwanttobeSelf-respectingandconsciencefree.

Next, take the “Mentor Test.” It asks, “Am I true to my leader?” JosephBailey interviewedmore than thirty top executives. He found that all learnedfirsthandfromamentor.5RalphWaldoEmersonsaid,“Ourchiefwantinlifeissomebodywhoshallmakeuswhatwecanbe.”Whenwefind thatperson,weneed to check our growth on a regular basis, asking, “Am I totally availingmyselfoftheteachingIamreceiving?”Takingshortcutsinthisprocesswillhurtbothyourmentorandyou.

Finally, take the “MassesTest.” It asks, “Am I true tomy followers?”Asleaders,wequicklyunderstandthatwrongdecisionsnotonlyadverselyaffectus,buttheyaffectthosewhofollowus.However,makingabaddecisionbecauseofwrongmotivesistotallydifferent.Beforereachingforthereinsofleadership,wemustrealizethatweteachwhatweknowandreproducewhatweare.Integrityisaninsidejob.

Advocates of modeling dependability before followers, James M. Kouzesand Barry Z. Posner report in their book, The Leadership Challenge, that

followersexpectfourthingsfromtheirleaders:honesty,competence,vision,andinspiration.6

Writeoutwhatyouvalueinlife.Aconvictionisabelieforprinciplethatyouregularly model, one for which you would be willing to die. What are yourconvictions?

Ask someone who knows you well what areas of your life he sees asconsistent(youdowhatyousay)andwhatareasheseesasinconsistent(yousaybutdon’talwayslive).

YOUWILLONLYBECOMEWHATYOUAREBECOMINGRIGHTNOW

Thoughyoucannotgobackandmakeabrand-newstart,myfriend.Anyonecanstartfromnowandmakeabrand-newend.

C

FOURTHEULTIMATETESTOFLEADERSHIP:CREATINGPOSITIVECHANGEhange the leader, change the organization. Everything rises and falls onleadership!However,Ihavefoundthat it’snoteasytochangeleaders. In

fact, I’ve discovered that leaders resist change as much as followers do. Theresult? Unchanged leaders equals unchanged organizations. People do whatpeoplesee.

PROFILEOFALEADERINTROUBLE

Notice that of the twelve trouble spots for a leader listed below, five dealwithanunwillingnesstochange.Thatspellstroublefortheorganization.

•Hasapoorunderstandingofpeople•Lacksimagination•Haspersonalproblems•Passesthebuck•Feelssecureandsatisfied•Isnotorganized•Fliesintorages•Willnottakearisk•Isinsecureanddefensive•Staysinflexible•Hasnoteamspirit•FightschangeNiccolòMachiavelli said, “There isnothingmoredifficult to take inhand,

moreperiloustoconductormoreuncertaininitssuccess,thantotaketheleadintheintroductionofaneworderofthings.”

Thefirstorderofthingstobechangedisme,theleader.AfterIconsiderhowhard it is to changemyself, then I will understand the challenge of trying tochangeothers.Thisistheultimatetestofleadership.

AMiddle-Easternmysticsaid:IwasarevolutionarywhenIwasyoungandallmyprayertoGodwas:“Lord,givemetheenergytochangetheworld.”AsIapproachedmiddleageandrealizedthatmylifewashalfgonewithoutmychangingasinglesoul,Ichangedmyprayerto:“Lord,givemethegracetochangeallthosewhocomeintocontactwithme,justmyfamilyandfriends,andIshallbesatisfied.”NowthatIamanoldmanandmydaysarenumbered,IhavebeguntoseehowfoolishIhavebeen.Myoneprayernowis:“Lord,givemethegracetochangemyself.”IfIhadprayedforthisrightfromthestart,Iwouldnothavewastedmylife.1

Howard Hendricks, in his book Teaching to Change Lives, throws achallengeouttoeverypotentialleader:

Writedownsomewhereinthemarginsonthispageyouranswertothisquestion:Howhaveyouchanged...lately?Inthelastweek,let’ssay?Orinthelastmonth?Thelastyear?Canyoubeveryspecific?Ormustyouranswerbeincrediblyvague?Yousayyou’regrowing.Okay...how?“Well,”yousay,“Inallkindsofways.”Great!Nameone.Yousee,effectiveteachingcomesonlythroughachangedperson.Themoreyouchange,themoreyoubecomeaninstrumentofchangeinthelivesofothers.Ifyouwanttobecomeachangeagent,youalsomustchange.2

Hendrickscouldhavealsosaid,“Ifyouwanttocontinueleading,youmustcontinuechanging.”Manyleadersarenolongerleading.TheyhavebecomelikeHenry Ford, who is described in Robert Lacy’s best-selling biography,Ford:TheManandtheMachine.3LacysaysFordwasamanwholovedhisModelTsomuchthathedidn’twanttochangeaboltonit.HeevenkickedoutWilliamKnudsen, his ace production man, because Knudsen thought he saw the sunsettingontheModelT.Thatoccurredin1912,whentheModelTwasonlyfouryears old and at the crest of its popularity. Ford had just returned from aEuropeanjaunt,andhewenttoaHighlandPark,Michigan,garageandsawthenewdesigncreatedbyKnudsen.

Changetheleader—changetheorganization.

On-the-scenemechanics recordedhowFordmomentarilywentberserk.Hespiedthegleamingredlacquersheenonanew,low-slungversionoftheModelT that he considered a monstrous perversion of his belovedModel T design.“Fordhadhishandsinhispockets,andhewalkedaroundthatcarthreeorfourtimes,”recountedaneyewitness.“Itwasafour-doorjob,andthetopwasdown.Finally,hegottotheleft-handsideofthecar,andhetakeshishandsout,getsholdofthedoor,andbang!Herippedthedoorrightoff!...Howthemandone

it,Idon’tknow!Hejumpedinthere,andbanggoestheotherdoor.Banggoesthewindshield.Hejumpsoverthebackseatandstartspoundingonthetop.Heripsthetopwiththeheelofhisshoe.Hewreckedthecarasmuchashecould.”

KnudsenleftforGeneralMotors.HenryFordnursedalongtheModelT,butdesign changes in competitors’ models made it more old-fashioned than hewouldadmit.Competitivenecessity finallybackedhimintomaking theModelA,thoughhisheartwasneverinit.EventhoughGeneralMotorswasnippingatFord’sheels,theinventorwantedlifetofreezewhereitwas.

Underpinning this theme, William A. Hewitt, Chairman of Deere andCompany, says, “To be a leader you must preserve all through your life theattitudeofbeingreceptivetonewideas.Thequalityofleadershipyouwillgivewilldependuponyourabilitytoevaluatenewideas,toseparatechangeforthesakeofchangefromchangeforthesakeofme.”

THELEADERASACHANGEAGENT

Oncetheleaderhaspersonallychangedanddiscernedthedifferencebetweennovelchangeandneededchange,thenthatleadermustbecomeachangeagent.Inthisworldofdiscontinuitiesandrapidchange,theleadermustbeoutinfronttoencouragechangeandgrowthandtoshowthewaytobringitabout.Hemustfirstunderstandthetwoimportantrequisitestobringingaboutchange:knowingthe technical requirements of the change, and understanding the attitude andmotivationaldemandsforbringingitabout.

Whenyou’rethroughchanging,you’rethrough.

Both requisites are criticallynecessary.Moreoften thannot, though,whenresultsfailtochange,itisbecauseofinadequateorinappropriatemotivation,notalackoftechnicalsmarts.

A manager usually will be more skilled in the technical requirements ofchange,whereastheleaderwillhaveabetterunderstandingoftheattitudinalandmotivational demands that the followers need. Note the difference: In thebeginning the skillsof a leader are essential.Nochangewill everoccur if thepsychologicalneedsareunmet.Oncechangehasbegun,theskillsofamanagerareneededtomaintainneededchange.

Bobb Biehl, in his book Increasing Your Leadership Confidence, states it

thisway: “A change canmake sense logically, but still lead to anxiety in thepsychologicaldimension.Everyoneneedsaniche,andwhenthenichestartstochangeafterwe’vebecomecomfortableinit,itcausesstressandinsecurities.Sobeforeintroducingchange,wehavetoconsiderthepsychologicaldimension.”4

A good exercise when you face change is to make a list of the logicaladvantagesanddisadvantagesthatshouldresultfromthechange,andthenmakeanother list indicating the psychological impact. Just seeing this on a sheet ofpapercanbeclarifying.Youmayfindyourselfsaying,“Idon’tliketoadmitit,butI’minsecureatthispoint,eventhoughthechangemakessenselogically.”

Anotherpossibilityis thatachangeyou’reconsideringmaynotaffectyourpsychological security, but it doesn’tmake sense logicallywhen you examinetheadvantagesanddisadvantages.Thekeyistodistinguishbetweenthelogicalandthepsychologicalaspectsofanychange.

AHISTORICALACCOUNTOFRESISTANCETOCHANGE

There is nothingmore difficult to undertake,more perilous to conduct, ormoreuncertaininitssuccessthanintroducingchange.Why?Theleaderhasforenemies all those who have done well under the old conditions and onlylukewarmdefendersinthosewhomaydowellwiththechange.

Growthequalschange.Resistancetochangeisuniversal.Itinvadesallclassesandcultures.Itseizes

everygenerationbythethroatandattemptstostopallforwardmovementtowardprogress.Many well-educated people, after being confronted with truth, havebeenunwillingtochangetheirminds.

Forexample,forcenturiespeoplebelievedthatAristotlewasrightwhenhesaid that the heavier an object, the faster it would fall to earth. Aristotle wasregardedasthegreatestthinkerofalltime,andsurelyhecouldnotbewrong.Allitwouldhavetakenwasforonebravepersontotaketwoobjects,oneheavyandone light,anddrop themfromagreatheight toseewhetherornot theheavierobjectlandedfirst.ButnoonesteppedforwarduntilnearlytwothousandyearsafterAristotle’sdeath.In1589,Galileosummonedlearnedprofessorstothebaseof the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Then he went to the top and pushed off two

weights, one weighing ten pounds and the other weighing one pound. Bothlandedatthesametime.Butthepowerofbeliefintheconventionalwisdomwassostrongthattheprofessorsdeniedwhattheyhadseen.TheycontinuedtosayAristotlewasright.

Withhistelescope,GalileoprovedthetheoryofCopernicus,thattheearthisnotthecenteroftheuniverse;theearthandtheplanetsrevolvearoundthesun.Yet when he tried to change people’s beliefs, he was thrown into prison andspenttherestofhislifeunderhousearrest.

Resisting change can unwittingly affect one’s health and life, as thefollowingaccountportrays.Hippocratesdescribedscurvyinancienttimes.Thediseaseseemedtoespeciallyplaguearmiesinthefieldandcitiesthatwereundersiegeforlongperiodsoftime.Later,followingthediscoveryofAmerica,whenlongseavoyagesbecamecommon,scurvybecamerampantamongsailors.Littlewasknownaboutwhatcausedscurvyandlessaboutitscure,althoughelaboratetheoriesandremedieswereprescribed.Noneofthemwascompletelyeffective,andmostwereworthless.

In1553,CartiermadehissecondvoyagetoNewfoundland.Ofhis103-mancrew, 100 developed agonizing scurvy and were in great anguish when theIroquois IndiansofQuebeccame to their rescuewithwhatwasdescribedasa“miraculouscure.”TheIroquoisIndiansgavethesicksailorsaninfusionofbarkandleavesofthepinetree.

In 1553,Admiral SirRichardHawkins noted that during his career on thehighseas,tenthousandseamenunderhiscommandhaddiedofscurvy.Healsorecordedthatinhisexperiencesourorangesandlemonshadbeenmosteffectiveincuringthedisease.Yettheseobservationshadnosweepingeffectinbringingaboutanawarenessofwhatcouldprevent scurvy,and theobservationsof thisadmiralwentunheeded.

JamesLind,aBritishnavalsurgeon,wholaterbecamethechiefphysicianoftheNavalHospitalatPortsmouth,England,publishedabookin1753inwhichhestatedexplicitlythatscurvycouldbeeliminatedsimplybysupplyingsailorswith lemon juice.Hecitedmanycasehistories fromhisexperienceasanavalsurgeonatsea;heprovedthatsuchthingsasmustardcress,tamarinds,oranges,andlemonswouldpreventscurvy.Infact,anythingthatcontainsenoughvitaminC,which ismost abundant in citrus fruit, tomatoes, and to a lesser degree inmostgreenvegetablesandotherfruits,willpreventscurvy.

Youmightrightfullyexpect thatDr.Lindwouldhavebeenhighlyhonoredandpraisedforthisgreatcontribution,butthereverseistrue.Hewasridiculed.

Hebecamefrustratedandremarkedbitterly,“Somepersonscannotbebroughttobelievethatadiseasesofatalandsodreadedcanbecuredorpreventedbysucheasymeans.”Theywouldhavemorefaithinanelaboratecompositiondignifiedwiththetitleof“anantiscorbuticgoldenelixir”orthelike.The“somepersons”to whom Dr. Lind referred were My Lords of the Admiralty and otherphysicians. In fact, they ignored Dr. Lind’s advice for forty years. One seacaptaindidtakehisadvice—thenow-famousCaptainJamesCook,whostockedhisshipswithanamplesupplyoffreshfruits.

TheRoyal Society honoredCaptainCook in 1776 for his success, but theofficialsof thenavy ignoredhis report.Notuntil1794, theyearofDr.Lind’sdeath,wasaBritishnavysquadronsuppliedwithlemonjuicebeforeavoyage.On that voyage, which lasted twenty-three weeks, there was not one case ofscurvy, yet another decade passed before regulations were enacted requiringsailors to drink a daily ration of lemon juice to prevent scurvy. With thisenactment,scurvydisappearedfromtheBritishNavy.5Theneedlesslossoflifesimply because masses of people were resistant to change was more thanunfortunate. It was outrageous.Don’t let your attitude toward change or yourown predisposition to avoid it create detrimental hindrances to your ownpersonalsuccessasaleader.

HowDoYouWritetheWord“Attitude”?

Directions:1.Writethewordattitudeontheleftlinewithyour“writing”hand.2.Writethewordattitudeontherightlinewithyourotherhand.

Thewordattitudewritten Thewordattitudewrittenwithyourwritinghand. withyourotherhand.

Application:When you look at thewordattitudewritten by the hand you do notwrite

with, you see a picture of the kind of attitude we usually have when we aretryingtodosomethingnew.Asonepersonsaid,“Nothingshouldeverbedoneforthefirsttime.”

WHYPEOPLERESISTCHANGE

InaPeanuts cartoon,CharlieBrownsays toLinus:“Perhapsyoucangiveme an answer, Linus.Whatwould you do if you felt that no one liked you?”Linusreplies,“I’dtrytolookatmyselfobjectively,andseewhatIcoulddotoimprove.That’smy answer,CharlieBrown.”TowhichCharlie replies,“Ihatethatanswer!”

Thereareanumberof reasonswhymanyofus, likeCharlieBrown, resistchange.

THECHANGEISN’TSELF-INITIATED

Whenpeoplelackownershipofanidea,theyusuallyresistit,evenwhenitisin their best interest!They simplydon’t like the idea of beingmanipulated orfeelinglikepawnsofthesystem.Wiseleadersallowfollowerstogiveinputandbeapartoftheprocessofchange.Mostofthetimethekeytomyattitudeaboutchange iswhether I am initiating it (inwhichcase I amall for it)or someoneelseisimposingthechangeonme(whichtendstomakememoreresistant).

ROUTINEISDISRUPTED

Habitsallowustodothingswithoutmuchthought,whichiswhymostofushave so many of them. Habits are not instincts. They are acquired reactions.Theydon’tjusthappen;theyarecaused.Firstweformhabits,butthenourhabitsformus.Changethreatensourhabitpatternsandforcesustothink,reevaluate,andsometimesunlearnpastbehavior.

When I was a teenager, I became interested in golf. Regrettably, I taughtmyselfinsteadoftakinglessons.Afterafewyearsandtheinnocentacquisitionofmany bad habits, I played a game of golfwith an excellent player. At thecloseof theround,he jokinglysaidmymainproblemseemedtobe that IwastooclosetotheballafterIhitit!Thenheseriouslyofferedtohelpme.Hesharedhonestly how I would need to make some changes if my golf game was toimprove.WhenIaskedhimtospecifywhatchangesIneededtomake,hesaid,“Everything!”For the next year I had to unlearn old habits. Itwas oneof themostdifficultexperiencesofmylife.ManytimesIwastemptedtoreturntomyoldhabitsfortemporaryrelieffromworkingsohardandstillplayingsobadly.

CHANGECREATESFEAROFTHEUNKNOWN

Changemeanstravelinginunchartedwaters,andthiscausesourinsecuritiesto rise. Therefore,many people aremore comfortablewith old problems thanwith new solutions. They are like the congregation that desperately needed anewbuildingbutwereafraidtoventureout.Duringaservicesomeplasterfellfromtheceilingandhitthechairmanoftheboard.Immediatelyameetingwascalledandthefollowingdecisionsweremade: One: Wewillbuildanewchurch.Two: Wewillbuildanewchurchonthesamesiteastheoldone.Three: Wewillusethematerialsoftheoldchurchtobuildthenewone.Four Wewillworshipintheoldchurchuntilthenewchurchisbuilt.

Somepeopleareopentochangeaslongasitdoesn’tinconveniencethemorcostanything.

THEPURPOSEOFTHECHANGEISUNCLEAR

Employeesresistchangewhentheyhearaboutitfromasecondhandsource.Whenadecisionhasbeenmade, the longer it takes foremployees tohearandthefurtherthedesiredchangeisfromthedecisionmaker,themoreresistanceitwillreceive.That’swhydecisionsshouldbemadeatthelowestlevelpossible.Thedecisionmaker,becauseofcloseproximitytotheissue,willmakeabetterdecision,andthosemostaffectedbythedecisionwillknowitquicklybyhearingitfromasourceclosetothemandtotheproblem.

CHANGECREATESFEAROFFAILURE

Elbert Hubbard said that the greatest mistake a person can make is to beafraidofmakingone.Itistragicwhensuccesshas“gonetomyhead.”Itisevenmoretragiciffailuregoestomyhead.Whenthishappens,IbegintoagreewithLarryAnderson, thepitcher for theSanDiegoPadres.Hesaid,“Ifat firstyoudon’tsucceed,failuremaybeyourthing.”Toomanypeople,fearingthatfailureis their thing, hold tenaciously to whatever they feel comfortable with andcontinuallyresistchange.

THEREWARDSFORCHANGEDON’TMATCHTHEEFFORTCHANGEREQUIRES

Peoplewillnot changeuntil theyperceive that theadvantagesof changingoutweighthedisadvantagesofcontinuingwiththewaythingsare.Whatleaderssometimes fail to recognize is that the followers will always weigh theadvantage/disadvantage issue in light of personal gain/loss, not organizationalgain/loss.

PEOPLEARETOOSATISFIEDWITHTHEWAYTHINGSARE

As the following story from Parables reveals, many organizations andpeoplewillchoosetodiebeforetheywillchoosetochange.

In the 1940s, the Swiss watch was the most prestigious and best qualitywatch in theworld.Consequently,80percentof thewatchessold in theworldweremadeinSwitzerland.Inthelate’50s,thedigitalwatchwaspresentedtotheleadersof theSwisswatchcompany.Theyrejectedthisnewideabecausetheyknewtheyalreadyhadthebestwatchandthebestwatchmakers.ThemanwhodevelopedthedigitalwatchsubsequentlysoldtheideatoSeiko.

In1940,Swisswatchmakingcompanies employedeighty thousandpeople.Todaytheyemployeighteenthousand.In1940,80percentofthewatchessoldin theworldweremade in Switzerland. Today 80 percent of thewatches aredigital. This story representswhat happens tomany organizations and people:Wechoosetodieratherthanchoosetochange.

CHANGEWON’THAPPENWHENPEOPLEENGAGEINNEGATIVETHINKING

Regardless of his state in the present, the negative thinker findsdisappointment in the future. The epitaph on a negative person’s headstone

shouldread,“Iexpectedthis.”ThistypeofthinkingcanbestbedescribedbyasignIreadseveralyearsagoinanofficebuilding:

Don’tlook—youmightsee.

Don’tlisten—youmighthear.

Don’tthink—youmightlearn.

Don’tmakeadecision—youmightbewrong.

Don’twalk—youmightstumble.

Don’trun—youmightfall.

Don’tlive—youmightdie.

Iwouldliketoaddonemorethoughttothisdepressinglist:

Don’tchange—youmightgrow.

THEFOLLOWERSLACKRESPECTFORTHELEADER

Whenfollowersdon’tliketheleaderwhooverseesthechange,theirfeelingswon’tallowthemtolookatthechangeobjectively.Inotherwords,peopleviewthechangeaccordingtothewaytheyviewthechangeagent.

One of the principles I share in leadership conferences is, “You’ve got tolove’embeforeyoucanlead’em.”Whenyouloveyourfollowersgenuinelyandcorrectly,they’llrespectandfollowyouthroughmanychanges.

THELEADERISSUSCEPTIBLETOFEELINGSOFPERSONALCRITICISM

Sometimes leaders resist change.For example, if a leader has developed aprogramthat isnowbeingphasedoutforsomethingbetter,heorshemayfeelthechangeisapersonalattackandwillreactdefensively.

Forgrowthandcontinualeffectiveness,everyorganizationmustgothrougha continuous four-stage cycle of create, conserve, criticize, and change. Thefigurebelowillustratesthecycle.

Stages1and4aretheoffensivefunctionsofanorganization.Stages2and3are the defensive functions. Either the creators handle criticism positively andbegin to make changes, or they will be replaced by those who will embracechangeand,therefore,create.

CHANGEMAYMEANPERSONALLOSS

Whenever change is imminent, the question on everyone’smind is, “Howwill this affect me?” Usually there are three groups of people within theorganization: (1) thosewhowill lose; (2) thosewhoareneutral; and (3) thosewhowillbenefit.Eachgroupisdifferentandmustbehandledwithsensitivity,butalsowithstraightforwardness.

CHANGEREQUIRESADDITIONALCOMMITMENT

Timeisthemostpreciouscommodityformanypeople.Wheneverchangeisabout to happen, we all look to see how it will affect our time. Usually weconclude that increased change will be fine if it does not increase our timecommitment. Sidney Howard said that half of knowing what you want isknowingwhatyoumustgiveupbeforeyouget it.When thecostofchange istime,manywillresistthechange.

Whenitcomestothecommitmentoftime,theleadermustdetermineiftheperson is unwilling or unable to change.Willingness deals with attitude, andthereislittleyoucandoifyourfollowersresistchangebecauseofattitude.Butabilitytochangedealswithperspective.Manypeoplearewillingtochangebut,because of the way they perceive their present circumstances andresponsibilities,theyareunabletochange.Atthispoint,theleadercanhelpbyprioritizing tasks, eliminatingnonessentials, and focusingon the consequential

valueofchanging.

NARROW-MINDEDNESSTHWARTSACCEPTANCEOFNEWIDEAS

In1993,approximatelysixteenhundredpeoplebelongedtotheInternationalFlat EarthResearch Society ofAmerica. Their president, CharlesK. Johnson,saidhe’sbeenaflat-eartherallhislife.“WhenIsawtheglobeingradeschoolIdidn’tacceptitthenandIdon’tacceptitnow.”

That remindsme of themanwho lived inMaine and turned one hundredyearsofage.AreporterdroveupfromNewYorkCitytointerviewtheoldman.Sittingonthefrontporch,thereportersaid,“I’llbetyou’veseenalotofchangesinyourlifetime.”Theoldmanreplied,“Yes,andI’vebeenagin’everyoneofthem.”

TRADITIONRESISTSCHANGE

I love this joke: “How many people does it take to change a lightbulb?”Answer:“Four.Onetochangethebulbandthreetoreminisceabouthowgoodtheoldlightbulbwas.”

PeoplelikethatremindmeoftheoldarmysergeantwhowasputinchargeofaplotofgrassinfrontofadministrativeheadquartersinacampinMichigan.Thesergeantpromptlydelegatedthejobtoabuckprivateandtoldhimtowaterthegrasseverydayatfiveo’clock.Theprivatedidthisconscientiously.Onedaytherewasaterrificthunderstorm,andthesergeantwalkedintothebarracksandsawtheprivatedoingbunkfatigue.

“What’sthematterwithyou?”thesergeantbellowed.“It’sfiveo’clock,andyou’resupposedtobeoutwateringthegrass!”

“But,Sergeant,”theprivatesaid,lookingconfused,“it’sraining;lookatthethunderstorm.”

“So what?” yelled the sergeant. “You’ve got a raincoat, haven’t you?”Cornfield’sLawsaysthatnothingiseverdoneuntileveryoneisconvincedthatitoughttobedone,andhasbeenconvincedforsolongthatitisnowtimetodosomethingelse.

ACHECKLISTFORCHANGE

Belowarethequestionsyoushouldreviewbeforeattemptingchangeswithinanorganization.Whenthequestionscanbeansweredwithayes,changetendstobe easier. Questions that can only be answered with no (or maybe) usuallyindicatethatchangewillbedifficult. YES NO____ ____ Willthischangebenefitthefollowers?____ ____ Isthischangecompatiblewiththepurposeoftheorganization?____ ____ Isthischangespecificandclear?____ ____ Arethetop20percent(theinfluencers)infavorofthischange?____ ____ Isitpossibletotestthischangebeforemakingatotalcommitmenttoit?____ ____ Arephysical,financial,andhumanresourcesavailabletomakethischange?____ ____ Isthischangereversible?____ ____ Isthischangethenextobviousstep?____ ____ Doesthischangehavebothshort-andlong-rangebenefits?____ ____ Istheleadershipcapableofbringingaboutthischange?____ ____ Isthetimingright?

AttimeseveryleaderfeelslikeLucy,whenshewasleaningagainstafencewithCharlieBrown.“Iwouldliketochangetheworld,”shesaid.CharlieBrownasked,“Wherewouldyoustart?”Shereplied,“Iwouldstartwithyou!”

The last question, “Is the timing right?” is the ultimate consideration forimplementingchange.Aleader’ssuccessinbringingaboutchangeinotherswillhappenonlyifthetimingisright.InmybookTheWinningAttitude,thissubjectisdiscussedinshortorder:

Thewrongdecisionatthewrongtime=disaster.

Thewrongdecisionattherighttime=mistake.

Therightdecisionatthewrongtime=unacceptance.

Therightdecisionattherighttime=success.

People change when they hurt enough that they have to change; learnenough that theywant tochange;receive enough that theyareable tochange.Theleadermustrecognizewhenpeopleareinoneofthesethreestages.Infact,topleaderscreateanatmospherethatcausesoneofthesethreethingstooccur.6

THEEVOLUTIONARYPROCESSOFCHANGE

CHANGEIt is helpful to remember that change can be seen as either revolutionary

(something totallydifferent fromwhathasbeen)orevolutionary (a refinementofwhathasbeen).Itisusuallyeasiertopresentchangeasasimplerefinementof“thewaywe’vebeendoingit”ratherthansomethingbig,new,andcompletelydifferent.Whenaproposalforchangeisintroducedintheorganization,peoplefallintofivecategoriesintermsoftheirresponse.

INNOVATORSARETHEDREAMERS

Theyaretheoriginatorsofnewideasandgenerallyarenotacknowledgedasleadersorpolicymakers.

EARLYADOPTERSARETHOSEWHOKNOWAGOODIDEAWHENTHEYSEEIT

Their opinions are respected in the organization. Although they did notcreatetheidea,theywilltrytoconvinceotherstoacceptit.

MIDDLEADOPTERSARETHEMAJORITY

Theywillrespondtotheopinionsofothers.Generallytheyarereasonableintheiranalysisofanewidea,butinclinedtomaintainthestatusquo.Theycanbeinfluencedbythepositiveornegativeinfluencersoftheorganization.

LATEADOPTERSARETHELASTGROUPTO

ENDORSEANIDEA

They often speak against proposed changes and may never verballyacknowledge acceptance. Generally they will adopt it if the majoritydemonstratessupport.

LAGGARDSAREALWAYSAGAINSTCHANGE

Theircommitmentistothestatusquoandthepast.Oftentheytrytocreatedivisionwithintheorganization.7Theevolutionaryprocessofsuccessfulchangewithinanorganizationcanbesummedupin theeightsteps thatmustoccurastheorganizationmovesfromignoranceaboutthedesiredchangeandtheeffectsitwillhavetoamind-setofwillingnessandinnovation. Step1:

Ignorance.Nounifieddirectionorsenseofprioritiesisfeltamongthefollowers.Theyare“inthedark.”

Step2:

Information.Generalinformationisgiventothepeople.Initiallytheideasforchangearenotembraced.

Step3:

Infusion.Thepenetrationofnewideasintothestatusquomaycauseconfrontationswithapathy,prejudice,andtradition.Thegeneraltendencyistofocusonproblems.

Step4:

IndividualChange.The“earlyadopters”begintoseethebenefitsoftheproposedchangeandembracethem.Personalconvictionsreplacecomplacency.

Step5:

OrganizationalChange.Twosidesoftheissuearebeingdiscussed.Lessdefensivenessandmoreopennessconcerningproposedchangescanbeobserved.Themomentumshiftsfromantichangetoprochange.

Step6:

AwkwardApplication.Somefailuresandsomesuccessesareexperiencedasthechangeisimplemented.Thelearningprocessisrapid.

Step7:

Integration.Awkwardnessbeginstodecrease,andtheacceptancelevelincreases.Agrowingsenseofaccomplishmentandasecondarywaveofresultsandsuccessesoccur.

Step8:

Innovation.Significantresultscreateconfidenceandawillingnesstotakerisks.Theresultisawillingnesstochangemorerapidlyandboldly.

AsStep8istaken,theorganizationasawholeismorewillingtogothroughtheprocessagain.Themajoreffectoftheprocessdevelopsasthemajorityoftheorganizationisexposedrepeatedlytothenewidea. 1stExposure: “Irejectthatthoughtbecauseitconflictswithmypreconceivedideas.”

2ndExposure: “Well,Iunderstandit,butIcan’tacceptit.”

3rd “Iagreewiththeideabuthavereservationsastoitsuse.”

3rd

Exposure:

“Iagreewiththeideabuthavereservationsastoitsuse.”

4thExposure: “Youknow,thatideaprettywellexpressesthewayIfeelaboutthesubject.”

5thExposure: “Iusedthatideatoday.It’sterrific!”

6thExposure:

“Igavethatideatosomeoneyesterday.Inthetruestsenseoftheword,thatideanowbelongstome.”

CREATINGACLIMATEFORCHANGEHuman behavior studies show that people do not basically resist change;

they resist “being changed.”8 This section will emphasize how to create anatmospherethatwillencourageotherstobechanged.

Unless people are changed, changewill not happen.The first statement ofthis chapter read, “Change the leader, change the organization.”Nowwewillstartwiththeleaderanddevelopastrategyfortheorganization.

THELEADERMUSTDEVELOPTRUSTWITHPEOPLE

It iswonderfulwhen thepeoplebelieve in the leader. It ismorewonderfulwhen the leader believes in the people. When both are a reality, trust is theresult.Themorepeopletrusttheleader,themorewillingtheywillbetoaccepttheleader’sproposedchanges.WarrenBennisandBertNanussaythat“trustistheemotionalgluethatbindsfollowersandleaderstogether.”9AbrahamLincolnsaid,“Ifyouwouldwinamantoyourcause,firstconvincehimthatyouarehistruefriend.Next,probetodiscoverwhathewantstoaccomplish.”

My first question to a leader who wants to make changes within anorganization is always, “What is your relationship with your people?” If therelationshipispositive,thentheleaderisreadytotakethenextstep.

THELEADERMUSTMAKEPERSONALCHANGESBEFORE

ASKINGOTHERSTOCHANGE

Sadly, toomanyleadersare likemyfriendwhomadea listofNewYear’sresolutions:benicertopeople;eatnutritiousfood;bemoregivingtofriends;cutdownonsweetsandfats;belesscriticalofothers.

Myfriendshowedme the list,and Iwasquite impressed.Theyweregreatgoals.“But,”Iaskedher,“doyouthinkyou’llbeabletomeetallofthem?”

“WhyshouldI?”sheanswered.“Thislistisforyou!”AndrewCarnegie said, “As I growolder, I pay less attention towhatmen

say.Ijustwatchwhattheydo.”Greatleadersnotonlysaywhatshouldbedone,theyshowit!

GOODLEADERSUNDERSTANDTHEHISTORYOFTHEORGANIZATION

The longer an organization has gone without change, the more effortintroducingitwill require.Also,whenchangeis implementedandtheresult isnegative, people within the organization will be leery of embracing futurechanges.Theoppositeisalsotrue.Successfulchangesinthepastpreparepeopletoreadilyacceptmorechanges.

G.K.Chestertonsuggests,“Don’t take the fencedownuntilyouknowthereasonitwasputup.”Itisimportanttoknowwhathappenedinthepastbeforemakingchangesforthefuture.

PLACEINFLUENCERSINLEADERSHIPPOSITIONS

Leaders have two characteristics. First, they are going somewhere; andsecond,theyareabletopersuadeotherpeopletogowiththem.Theyarelikethechairman of a large corporation,whowas late for ameeting.Bolting into theroom,he took thenearest available seat rather thanmoving tohis accustomedspot.Oneofhisyoungaidesprotested,“Please,sir,youshouldbeattheheadofthe table.”Theexecutive,whohadahealthyunderstandingofhisplace in thecompany,answered,“Son,whereverIsitistheheadofthetable.”

CHECKTHE“CHANGEINYOURPOCKET”

Everyleaderisgivenacertainamountof“change”(emotionalsupportintheformofbargainingchips)at thebeginningofa relationship. If the relationshipweakens, the leader gives up “change” until it is possible for him to becomebankrupt with the organization. If the relationship strengthens, the leaderreceives “change” until it is possible for him to become rich with theorganization.Always remember: it takes“change” tomakechange.Themore“change”inthepocketoftheleader,themorechangesthatcanbemadeinthelivesofthepeople.Sadly,theoppositeisalsotrue.

GOODLEADERSSOLICITTHESUPPORTOFINFLUENCERSBEFORETHECHANGEISMADEPUBLIC

Thisten-itemchecklistincludesallthestepsagoodleaderwillgothroughinsolicitingsupportforachangefromthemajorinfluencersinhisorganization.

1.Listthemajorinfluencer(s)ofthemajorgroupswithinyourorganization.2.Howmanywillbeaffecteddirectlybythischange?(Thesepeoplearethemostimportantgroup.)

3.Howmanywillbeaffectedindirectlybythischange?4.Howmanywillprobablybepositive?5.Howmanywillprobablybenegative?6.Whichgroupisthemajority?7.Whichgroupisthemostinfluential?8. If the positive group is stronger, bring the influencers together fordiscussion.

9.Ifthenegativegroupisstronger,meetwiththeinfluencersindividually.10.Knowthe“key”toeachinfluencer.

DEVELOPAMEETINGAGENDATHATWILLASSISTCHANGE

Everynewideagoesthroughthreephases:itwillnotwork;itwillcosttoomuch;and,Ithoughtitwasagoodideaallalong.

A wise leader, understanding that people change through a process, willdevelop a meeting agenda to enhance this process. One that I have used forfifteenyearshasprovedquiteeffective. InformationItems:

Itemsofinteresttothoseattendingthemeeting;positiveitemsthatboostmorale.(Thisstartsthemeetingoffonahighlevel.)

StudyItems:

Issuestobediscussedbutnotvotedon.(Thisallowsthesharingofideaswithoutthepressuretorepresentaparticularpointofview.)

ActionItems:

Issuestobevotedonthathavepreviouslybeenstudyitems.(Thisallowsdiscussiontobemadethathasalreadybeenprocessed.Ifmajorchangeisrequired,keeptheissueinthestudycategoryuntilithasbeenallowedtimeforacceptance.)

ENCOURAGETHEINFLUENCERSTOINFLUENCEOTHERSINFORMALLY

Majorchangesshouldnotsurprisepeople.A“leadershipleak”doneproperlywillpreparethepeoplefortheformalmeeting.

Each year I explain tomy key leaders that they carry two buckets aroundwith them. One bucket is filled with gasoline and the other with water.Whenever there is a “little fire” of contentionwithin the organization becausethepeople fearapossiblechange, the influencersare the first tohearabout it.Whentheyarriveonthescene,theywilleitherthrowthebucketofgasolineonthesituationandreallycauseaproblem,ortheywillthrowthebucketofwateronthelittlefireandextinguishtheproblem.Inotherwords,keyinfluencesareeithertheleader’sgreatestassetorhisgreatestliability.

Leadershipleaksshouldbeplannedandpositive,preparingthepeopleforthemeetingwherethechangewillbeformallypresented.

SHOWTHEPEOPLEHOWTHECHANGEWILLBENEFITTHEM

Assumption: The proposed change is what is best for the people, not theleader.Thepeoplemustbefirst.

A sign on the door in a bus station read: “For the convenience of others,please close the door.” Too often the door remained open until the sign waschanged to read: “Foryourown personal comfort, please close thedoor.”Thedoorwas always shut. Too often leaders of an organization tend to think andleadfromthecompany’sperspective,notthepeople’s.

GIVETHEPEOPLEOWNERSHIPOFTHECHANGE

Opennessbytheleaderpavesthewayforownershipbythepeople.Withoutownership, changeswill be short-term.Changing people’s habits andways ofthinking is like writing instructions in the snow during a snowstorm. Everytwenty minutes the instructions must be rewritten, unless ownership is givenalongwiththeinstructions.

HOWTOOFFEROWNERSHIPOFCHANGETOOTHERS

1. Inform people in advance so they’ll have time to think about theimplicationsofthechangeandhowitwillaffectthem.

2.Explaintheoverallobjectivesof thechange—thereasonsfor itandhowandwhenitwilloccur.

3. Show people how the change will benefit them. Be honest with theemployeeswhomay loseoutasa resultof thechange.Alert themearlyandprovideassistancetohelpthemfindanotherjobifnecessary.

4.Askthosewhowillbeaffectedbythechangetoparticipateinallstagesofthechangeprocess.

5.Keepcommunicationchannelsopen.Provideopportunitiesforemployeesto discuss the change. Encourage questions, comments, and otherfeedback.

6.Beflexibleandadaptablethroughoutthechangeprocess.Admitmistakesandmakechangeswhereappropriate.

7. Constantly demonstrate your belief in and commitment to the change.Indicateyourconfidenceintheirabilitytoimplementthechange.

8. Provide enthusiasm, assistance, appreciation, and recognition to thoseimplementingthechange.10

CHANGEWILLHAPPENThe question should not be “Will we ever change?” but “When and how

muchwillwe change?”Nothing stays the same except the fact that change isalways present. Even in the beginning, Adam reportedly said to Eve, as theywereledoutofparadise,“Mydear,weliveinatimeoftransition.”

CharlesExley,CEOofNCRCorporation,said,“I’vebeeninbusinessthirty-sixyears.I’velearnedalotandmostofitdoesn’tapplyanymore.”

WriterLincolnBarnettoncedescribedtheexcitementhesharedwithagroupofstudentsemergingfromaphysicslectureattheInstituteforAdvancedStudyatPrinceton.“Howdiditgo?”someoneasked.

“Wonderful!” Mr. Barnett replied. “Everything we knew last week isn’ttrue.”

Keepingcurrentwiththechangesandrelatingthemtotheorganizationisaconstant challenge for the leader. Leaders should be aware, for example, ofinformation suchas the following,whichwasoutlined in an articlewrittenbyDr.RichardCaldwell.11Hecontrastssomeofthevaluesofthe1950swiththoseofthe1990s. 1950s 1990sSaving SpendingDelayedgratification InstantgratificationOzzieandHarriet LatchkeykidsCertainty AmbivalenceOrthodoxy SkepticismInvesting LeveragingNeighborhood LifestyleMiddleclass UnderclassExport ImportPublicvirtue Personalwell-beingMomandDad NannyanddaycarePressconference PhotoopportunityAchievement FameKnowledge CredentialsManufacturing Service

Manufacturing Service

Duty Divorce“We” “Me”

NOTALLCHANGEISIMPROVEMENT,BUTWITHOUT

CHANGETHERECANBENOIMPROVEMENT

Change=Growthor

Change=GriefChange represents both possible opportunity and potential loss. My

observationisthatchangebecomesgriefwhen:•thechangeproposedisabadidea.•thechangeproposedisnotacceptedbytheinfluencers.•thechangeproposedisnotpresentedeffectively.•thechangeproposedisself-servingtotheleaders.•thechangeproposedisbasedsolelyonthepast.•thechangesproposedaretoomany,happeningtooquickly.In1950,FortunemagazineaskedelevendistinguishedAmericanstopredict

whatlifewouldbelikein1980.Inthosedays,theUnitedStatesenjoyedatradesurplusof$3billion,sonoonepredictedatradedeficitthirtyyearslater.DavidSarnoff,chairmanofRCA,wassurethatby1980,ships,airplanes,locomotives,andevenindividualautomobileswouldbeatomicallyfueled.Hesaidthathomeswouldhaveatomicgeneratorsandthatguidedmissileswouldtransportmailandother freight over great distances. Henry R. Luce, editor-in-chief of Timemagazine, predicted the end of poverty by 1980. Mathematician John vonNeumannexpectedenergytobefreethirtyyearslater.

IT’SNEVERTOOLATETOCHANGE

MaxDepree said, “In the end, it is important to remember thatwe cannotbecomewhatweneedtobebyremainingwhatweare.”12It’safactthatwhenyou’rethroughchanging,you’rethrough.

Whenyouhear the nameAlfredNobel,what do you think of?TheNobelPeacePrizemight come tomind.However, that’s only chapter 2 of his story.Alfred Nobel was the Swedish chemist who made his fortune by inventingdynamiteandtheotherpowerfulexplosivesusedforweapons.Whenhisbrotherdied,onenewspaperaccidentallyprintedAlfred’sobituaryinstead.Itdescribedthedeadmanasonewhobecamerichbyenablingpeople tokilleachother inunprecedented numbers. Shakenby this assessment,Nobel resolved to use hisfortunefromthenontoawardaccomplishmentsthatbenefitedhumanity.Nobelhadtherareopportunitytoevaluatehislifeatitsendandyetlivelongenoughtochangethatassessment.13

ComedianJerryLewissaysthatthebestweddinggifthereceivedwasafilmoftheentireweddingceremony.Hesaysthatwhenthingsgotreallybadinhismarriage,hewouldgointoaroom,closethedoor,runthefilmbackward,andwalkoutafreeman.

Idoubtyouwillbeabletorunthefilmbackwardorreadyourobituaryinthenewspaper. You can, however, make a choice today to change. And whenchangeissuccessful,youwilllookbackatitandcallitgrowth.

A

FIVETHEQUICKESTWAYTOGAINLEADERSHIP:

PROBLEMSOLVINGccording to F. F. Fournies, writing in Coaching for Improved WorkPerformance,1therearefourcommonreasonswhypeopledonotperform

thewaytheyshould:1.Theydonotknowwhattheyaresupposedtodo.2.Theydonotknowhowtodoit.3.Theydonotknowwhytheyshould.4.Thereareobstaclesbeyondtheircontrol.These four reasons why people fail to perform at their potential are all

responsibilities of leadership. The first three reasons deal with starting a jobcorrectly. A training program, job description, proper tools, and vision, alongwithgoodcommunicationskills,willgoa longway ineffectivelymeeting thefirstthreeissues.

Thischapterwilldealwiththefourthreasonthatcausesmanypeopletofailto reach their performance potential. Problems continually occur at work, athome,andinlifeingeneral.Myobservationisthatpeopledon’tlikeproblems,wearyofthemquickly,andwilldoalmostanythingtogetawayfromthem.Thisclimatemakesothersplace the reinsof leadership intoyourhands—ifyouarewillingandabletoeithertackletheirproblemsortrainthemtosolvethem.Yourproblem-solving skills will always be needed, because people always haveproblems.Andwhenproblemsoccur,noticewherepeoplegotosolvethem(seechartbelow).

This chapter will deal with the two things needed to effectively solveproblems:therightattitudeandtherightactionplan.

Before these two areas are explored, I want to share with you someobservationsIhavemadeaboutpeopleandtheirproblems.

WEALLHAVEPROBLEMS

Sometimesourproblemsoverwhelmus, as theydidmy friend Joe.BeforeJoecouldgetoutofhishouseandheadforwork,hehadfourlong-distancecalls.Everyoneseemedtohaveaproblem.AndtheyallwantedJoetogetonaplanethatdayandcomehelpout.Hefinallytoldhiswifetoforgetabouthisbreakfast.Herushedoutofthehouseasfastashecould.Then,whenhesteppedintothegarage,hediscoveredhiscarwouldnotstart.Sohecalledataxi.Whilehewaswaitingforthetaxi,hegotanothercallaboutanotherproblem.Finally,thetaxicameandJoerushedout,piledin thebackseat,andyelled,“Allright, let’sgetgoing.”

“Wheredoyouwantmetotakeyou?”thetaxidriverasked.Thesizeofthepersonismoreimportantthanthesizeoftheproblem.

“Idon’tcarewherewego,”Joeshouted.“I’vegotproblemseverywhere.”Sometimes we think our generation has more problems than the last. I

laughed at this idea after I reflected on the words of Dwight Bohmbach inWhat’sRightwithAmerica:

America’selderslivedthroughthegreat1929stockmarketcrashthatruinedmanyoftheirfamilies;theDepressionyears;theBonusMarchonWashington,whenveteransweredispersedbyArmytroops;theNewDealyears;PearlHarbor;thelossofthePhilippines;yearsoflongdays

byArmytroops;theNewDealyears;PearlHarbor;thelossofthePhilippines;yearsoflongdaysandnightsindefenseplantsinthe1940s;fightinginEuropeandthePacific;D-Day;theBattleoftheBulge;V-EDay;thehope-filledbeginningoftheUnitedNationsinAmerica;theA-bomb;V-JDay;theMarshallPlaninEurope;theBerlinairlift;warinKorea;theU-2incident;theBayofPigsinvasion;theCubanmissilecrisis;thekillingsofPresidentKennedy,BobbyKennedy,andMartinLutherKingJr.;thecivilrightsstruggle;theVietnamWar;Americansonthemoon;Watergateandtheresignationofapresidentandvicepresident;theenergycrisis;Three-MileIsland;Iranianhostages;anewpresidentshotin1981;thebombingofourembassyandhundredsofMarinesinLebanon;becomingadebtornation,withthehighestbudgetdeficitinhistory.Whatalifetime!

WeshouldrememberthewordsofPaulHarvey,whosaidthatintimeslikethese it is always helpful to remember that there have always been times likethese.

PROBLEMSGIVEMEANINGTOLife

A wise philosopher once commented that an eagle’s only obstacle toovercomefor flyingwithgreaterspeedandease is theair.Yet, if theairwerewithdrawnandtheproudbirdweretoflyinavacuum,itwouldfallinstantlytotheground,unabletoflyatall.Theveryelementthatoffersresistancetoflyingisatthesametimetheconditionforflight.

Peopleneedtochangetheirperspectives,not

theirproblems.Themainobstaclethatapowerboathastoovercomeisthewateragainstthe

propeller,yet,ifitwerenotforthissameresistance,theboatwouldnotmoveatall.

Thesamelaw,thatobstaclesareconditionsofsuccess,holdstrueinhumanlife.Alifefreeofallobstaclesanddifficultieswouldreduceallpossibilitiesandpowers to zero. Eliminate problems, and life loses its creative tension. Theproblem of mass ignorance gives meaning to education. The problem of illhealthgivesmeaningtomedicine.Theproblemofsocialdisordergivesmeaningtogovernment.

In the South, when cotton was “king,” the boll weevil crossed over fromMexico to the United States and destroyed the cotton plants. Farmers wereforcedtogrowavarietyofcrops,suchassoybeansandpeanuts.Theylearnedtousetheirlandtoraisecattle,hogs,andchickens.Asaresult,manymorefarmersbecameprosperousthaninthedayswhentheonlycropgrownwascotton.

ThepeopleofEnterprise,Alabama,weresogratefulforwhathadoccurredthatin1910theyerectedamonumenttothebollweevil.Whentheyturnedfromthe single-crop system to diversified farming, they became wealthier. Theinscriptiononthemonumentreads:“Inprofoundappreciationofthebollweevilandwhatithasdonetoheraldprosperity.”

Weallhavea tendencyallofour lives towant toget ridofproblemsandresponsibilities. When that temptation arises, remember the youth who wasquestioninga lonelyoldman.“What is life’sheaviestburden?”heasked.Theoldfellowansweredsadly,“Havingnothingtocarry.”

MANYOUTSTANDINGPEOPLEHAVEOVERCOME

PROBLEMSINTHEIRLIVES

Many of the Psalms were born in difficulty. “Most of the Epistles werewritten in prisons.Most of thegreatest thoughts of thegreatest thinkers of alltime had to pass through the fire.BunyanwrotePilgrim’sProgress from jail.FlorenceNightingale,tooilltomovefromherbed,reorganizedthehospitalsofEngland. Semiparalyzed and under constantmenace of apoplexy, Pasteurwastireless in his attack on disease. During the greater part of his life, AmericanhistorianFrancisParkmansufferedsoacutely thathecouldnotworkformorethanfiveminutesata time.Hiseyesightwassowretchedthathecouldscrawlonly a few gigantic words on a manuscript, but he contrived to write twentymagnificentvolumesofhistory.”2

Policiesaremany;principlesarefew.Policieswillchange;principles

neverdo.Bury a person in the snows of Valley Forge, and you have a George

Washington.Raise him in abject poverty, and you have anAbrahamLincoln.Strike him down with infantile paralysis, and he becomes a Franklin D.Roosevelt.Burnhimsoseverelythat thedoctorssayhewillneverwalkagain,and you have a Glenn Cunningham, who set the world’s one-mile record in1934.Havehimorherbornblackinasocietyfilledwithracialdiscrimination,

and you have a Booker T. Washington, a Marian Anderson, a GeorgeWashington Carver, or aMartin Luther King Jr. Call him a slow learner andretarded—writinghimoffasuneducable—andyouhaveanAlbertEinstein.

DollyPartonsumsitallupwiththesewords:“ThewayIseeit,ifyouwanttherainbow,yougottaputupwiththerain.”

MYPROBLEMISNOTMYPROBLEM

Thereisaworldofdifferencebetweenapersonwhohasabigproblemandapersonwhomakesaproblembig.ForseveralyearsIwoulddobetweentwentyandthirtyhoursofcounselingeachweek.Isoondiscoveredthatthepeoplewhocametoseemewerenotnecessarilytheoneswhohadthemostproblems.Theyweretheoneswhowereproblemconsciousandfoundtheirdifficultiesstressful.Naïveatfirst,Iwouldtrytofixtheirproblems,onlytodiscoverthattheywouldgooutandfindothers.TheywerelikeCharlieBrowninaChristmasspecial—he just couldn’t get the Christmas spirit. Linus finally said, “Charlie Brown,you’retheonlypersonIknowwhocantakeawonderfulseasonlikeChristmasandturnitintoaproblem.”

Linus, I have news for you. There are many people like Charlie Brown!Their “problems” are not their real problems. The problem is that they reactwrongly to “problems” and therefore make their “problems” real problems.Whatreallycountsisnotwhathappenstomebutwhathappensinme.

A study of three hundred highly successful people, people like FranklinDelano Roosevelt, Helen Keller, Winston Churchill, Albert Schweitzer,Mahatma Gandhi, and Albert Einstein, reveals that one-fourth had handicaps,such as blindness, deafness, or crippled limbs. Three-fourths had either beenborn in poverty, came frombroken homes, or at least came from exceedinglytenseordisturbedsituations.

Alwaystakethehighroad.

Why did the achievers overcome problems, while thousands areoverwhelmed by theirs? They refused to hold on to the common excuses forfailure.They turned their stumblingblocks into stepping-stones.They realizedthey could not determine every circumstance in life, but they could determinetheirchoiceofattitudetowardeverycircumstance.

I read about a church choir that was raising money to attend a musiccompetition and decided to have a car wash. To their dismay, after a busymorning,rainbegantopourinmidafternoon,andthecustomersstoppedcoming.Finally,oneofthewomenprintedthisposter:“WEWASH;[andwithanarrowpointedskyward]HERINSES!”

TheLosAngelesTimesrecentlyranthisquote:“Ifyoucansmilewheneveranythinggoeswrong,youareeitheranitwitorarepairman.”Iwouldadd:oraleader in themaking—onewho realizes that theonlyproblemyouhave is theoneyouallowtobeaproblembecauseofyourwrongreaction to it.Problemscanstopyoutemporarily.Youaretheonlyonewhocandoitpermanently.

APROBLEMISSOMETHINGICANDOSOMETHINGABOUT

My friend and mentor, Fred Smith, taught me this truth. If I can’t dosomethingaboutaproblem,it’snotmyproblem;it’safactoflife.

In1925,anAmericancompanymanufacturingandmarketingshavingcreamwas concerned about the effectiveness of its roadside advertising. With theintroductionof“high-speed”automobiles,theywereconcernedthatnobodyhadtimetoreadtheirbillboards.Sothecompany,BurmaShave,createdaseriesofsmall signs spaced at sufficient intervals so they could be read even at highspeeds. The unique approach to advertising made Burma Shave a householdnameforforty-sixyears.

As a child growing up in Ohio, I loved the Burma Shave advertisements.Thiswasmyfavorite:

ApeachlooksgoodWithlotsoffuzz...Butman’snopeach...Andneverwas.

TheBurmaShavecompanybecamecreativewithachangingsociety.Iftherehadbeennoanswertotheproblem,thentherewouldhavebeennoproblem—justafactoflife.Becarefulinresigningyourselftothepositionthatthereisnoanswertoaproblem.Someoneelsemaycomealongwithasolution.

ATESTOFALEADERISTHEABILITYTORECOGNIZE

APROBLEMBEFOREITBECOMESANEMERGENCY

Under excellent leadership a problem seldom reaches gigantic proportions,becauseitisrecognizedandfixedinitsearlystages.

Greatleadersusuallyrecognizeaprobleminthefollowingsequence:1.Theysenseitbeforetheyseeit(intuition).2.Theybeginlookingforitandaskquestions(curiosity).3.Theygatherdata(processing).4. They share their feelings and findings to a few trusted colleagues(communicating).

5.Theydefinetheproblem(writing).6.Theychecktheirresources(evaluating).7.Theymakeadecision(leading).Greatleadersareseldomblindsided.Theyrealizethatthepunchthatknocks

themoutisseldomthehardone—it’stheonetheydidn’tseecoming.Therefore,theyarealwayslookingforsignsandindicatorsthatwillgivetheminsightintothe problem ahead and their odds of fixing it. They treat problems like thepotential trespasser of an Indiana farmwho read this signon a fencepost, “Ifyou cross this field, you better do it in 9.8 seconds. The bull can do it in 10seconds.”

YOUCANJUDGELEADERSBYTHESIZEOFTHEPROBLEMSTHEYTACKLE

InoneofthePeanutscomicstrips,CharlieBrownsays,“There’snoproblemsobigthatIcan’trunfromit.”Weallhavefeltexactlyliketheliontamerwhoputthisadvertisementinthepaper:“Liontamerwantstamerlion.”

Yet,inmyobservationsofpeopleandtheirproblems,Ihavenoticedthatthesizeofthepersonismoreimportantthanthesizeoftheproblem.Problemslook

largerorsmalleraccordingtowhetherthepersonislargeorsmall.Recently, I spokewithMarcia,a ladywhowasdiagnosedwithcancer two

yearsagoandhadamastectomy.Sheisdoingverywell.Butshesharedwithmea concern for others who had the problem and were not doing well. Thereseemed to be a big difference betweenMarcia and others who had the sameproblem.IcouldhavepredictedphysicalrecoveryforMarcia.Shewaspositivefromthebeginningofherproblem.Ourfocusasaleadershouldbetobuildbigpeople.Bigpeoplewillhandlebigissueseffectively.

SOLVETASKPROBLEMSQUICKLY;PEOPLEPROBLEMSWILLTAKELONGER

Solving problemsmay be the immediate agenda, but that should never bewhere we spend most of our time. If all we do is focus on solving the nextproblemathand,wewillsoonfeellikethefarmerwhosaid,“Thehardestthingaboutmilking cows is that they never staymilked.” Problems never stop, butpeoplecanstopproblems.Mysuggestionforproducingproblemsolversare:

1. Make a time commitment to people. Those who never take time todeveloppeopleareforcedtotaketimetosolvetheirproblems.

2.Neversolveaproblemforaperson;solveitwiththatperson.Takethatindividual through the sequence that has already been given forrecognizingaproblem.Infact,spendtimewiththatpersonandstudythisentirechaptertogether.

Problems should be solved at the lowest level possible. President John F.KennedysaidthatPresidentEisenhowergavehimthisadvicethedaybeforehisinauguration: “You’ll findnoeasyproblemsever come to thepresidentof theUnitedStates. If theyareeasy tosolve,somebodyelsehassolvedthem.”Thatstatement should be true of every leader. Climbing the ladder of leadershipmeans that fewer but more important decisions will be made. The problem-solvingskillsofaleadermustbesharpened,becauseeverydecisionbecomesamajordecision.JohnE.Huntersaid,“Asituationonlybecomesaproblemwhenonedoesnothavesufficient resources tomeet it.”The restof thechapterwilldealwithwhatisneededtoeffectivelysolveproblems.

THERIGHTATTITUDE

Thesubjectofourattitudeissoimportantforpotentialleadersthatthenextchapterwillbegiventoittotally.Therefore,afewthoughtswillbesufficientatthistime.NormanVincentPealewasrightwhenhesaidthatpositivethinkingishowyou think about aproblem.Enthusiasm ishowyou feel about aproblem.Thetwotogetherdeterminewhatyoudoaboutaproblem.IfIcoulddoanythingfor people, I would help them change their perspectives, not their problems.Positive thinkingdoesnotalwayschangeourcircumstances,but itwillalwayschange us. When we are able to think right about tough situations, then ourjourneysthroughlifebecomebetter.

G. W. Target, in his essay “The Window,” tells the story of two menconfined to hospital beds in the same room.Bothmenwere seriously ill, andthoughtheywerenotallowedmuchdiversion—notelevision,radio,orbooks—their friendship developed overmonths of conversation. They discussed everypossible subject inwhich they both had interest or experience, from family tojobstovacations,aswellasmuchoftheirownpersonalhistories.

Neither man left his bed, but one was fortunate enough to be next to thewindow.Aspartofhistreatment,hecouldsitupinbedforjustanhouraday.At this time he would describe the world outside to his roommate. In verydescriptive terms he would bring the outside world inside to his friend,describing tohim thebeautiful parkhe could see,with its lake, and themanyinterestingpeoplehesawspendingtheirtimethere.Hisfriendbegantoliveforthosedescriptions.

Afteraparticularlyfascinatingreport,theonemanbegantothinkitwasnotfair that his friend got to see everything,while he could see nothing.Hewasashamedofhisthoughts,buthehadquiteabitoftimetothink,andhecouldn’tgetthisoutofhismind.Eventuallyhisthoughtsbegantotaketheireffectonhishealth,andhebecameevenmoreill,withadispositiontomatch.

Oneeveninghis friend,who sometimeshaddifficultywithcongestionandbreathing,awokewithafitofcoughingandchokingandwasunabletopushthebutton for the nurse to come to his aid. The frustrated, sour man lay therelookingat theceiling, listening to this struggle for lifenext tohim, anddoingnothing.

The next morning the day nurse came in to find the man by the windowdead.

After a proper interval, themanwhowas so eager to seeout thatwindowaskedifhecouldbemoved,anditwasquicklydone.Assoonastheroomwasempty, themanstruggleduponhiselbow to lookout thewindowand fillhisspiritwiththesightsoftheoutsideworld.

Itwasthenhediscoveredthewindowfacedablankwall.3

THERIGHTACTIONPLAN

Isitnottruethattoomanytimeswehaveasurplusofsimpleanswersandashortageofsimpleproblems?Occasionallyweallfeelliketheguyinacartoonwho said, “I try to take just one day at a time, but lately several days haveattackedmeatonce.”Onethingiscertain,lifeisnotproblem-free!

The story is told thatwhen theApollo series of space vehicleswas beingdesigned, a rift developed between the scientists and the engineers. Thescientistsinsistedthateveryavailableounceofweightbereservedforscientificequipmentthatcouldbeusedtoexploreandreportonouterspace.Theywantedtheengineerstodesignaspacevehiclethatwouldbefreefromalldefects.(Thatwas the era when “zero defects” was a popular expression in industry.) Thatwouldmeana largeproportionof thespaceandweightwouldbeavailableforscientificequipment.

Theengineersarguedthatthiswasanimpossiblegoal.Theycontendedthattheonlysafeassumptionwasthatsomethingwouldgowrong,buttheycouldnotpredict with certainty where the malfunctions would occur. Therefore, theywould need to build in a series of backup systems to compensate for everypossiblemalfunction.Thatwouldmean far lessweightandcargospacewouldbeavailableforscientificequipment.

Allegedly this conflict was resolved by asking the astronauts in trainingwhich assumption they supported. They all voted in favor of lots of backupsystems! This story illustrates the importance of assumptions. Some peopleassumethatadefect-freesystemcanbedevelopedfortheirlives.Othersassumethatsomethingwillgowrong,andtheyneedabackupsystem.Toomanytimeswhenaproblemarises,wewant toblamesomeoneelseandtake theeasywayout. Recently I studied a humorous problem-solving chart (see opposite page)thatunderscoresourdesiretoduckresponsibility.

THEPROBLEM-SOLVINGPROCESS

Now,even ifwedon’twish toduck responsibilities andwehave the rightattitude and a solid action plan, it is still important to follow a processwhenwe’relookingforasolution.Isuggestfollowingthesestepstoproblemsolving.

IDENTIFYTHEPROBLEM

Toomanytimesweattackthesymptoms,notthecause.Orderingyourstaffto stay at their desks until quitting time is a Band-Aid solution that does notanswer thequestion, “Whydoes the staff leaveearly?”Your job is to identifytherealissuesthatliebeneaththesymptoms.Failingtodothisplacesyouinthesamesituationasayoungsoldierwhowaslearningtoparachute.Hewasgiventhefollowinginstructions:

1.Jumpwhenyouaretold;2.Counttotenandpulltheripcord;3.Intheveryunlikelyeventthatitdoesn’topen,pullthesecondchuteopen;and

4.Whenyougetdown,atruckwilltakeyoubacktothebase.

PROBLEM-SOLVINGFLOWCHART

Theplanegotuptotheproperaltitudeandthemenstartedpeelingout;thesoldierjumpedwhenitwashisturn.Hecountedtoten,pulledthecord,butthechutefailedtoopen.Heproceededtothebackupplanandpulledthecordofthesecondchute.It,too,failedtoopen.“AndIsuppose,”hecomplainedtohimself,“thetruckwon’tbetherewhenIgetdown.”

PRIORITIZETHEPROBLEM

RichardSlomasaysnevertotrytosolvealltheproblemsallatonce—makethem line up for you one by one.Whether you face three problems, thirty, orthreehundred,“makethemstandinsinglefilesoyoufaceonlyoneatatime.”Approach these problems, not with a view of finding what you hope will bethere,buttogetthetruthandtherealitiesthatmustbegrappledwith.Youmaynotlikewhatyoufind.Inthatcase,youareentitledtotrytochangeit.Butdo

notdeceiveyourself.Whatyoudofindmayormaynotbetherealproblem.

DEFINETHEPROBLEM

In a single sentence, answer the question, “What is the problem?” BobbBiehlencouragesus tokeepinmindthedifferencebetweensolvingaproblemandmakingadecision.A“decisionisachoiceyoumakebetweentwoormorealternatives, such as ‘Should I fly to Phoenix or Chicago?’ A problem is asituation that’s counter to your intentions or expectations: ‘I meant to fly toChicago,butIendedupinDetroit,’or‘Imeanttohave$50,000inthebank,butI’m$50,000inthehole.’”4Definingtheprobleminasinglesentenceisafour-stepprocess.

1.AsktheRightQuestions

If you have a vague idea, don’t ask a general question, such as “What ishappening here?” and don’t speculate. Instead, ask process-related questions.Two words that always govern my questions are trends and timing. Mostproblem trails can be sniffed out if specific questions are asked in these twoareas.

2.TalktotheRightPeopleBeware of authorities with a we-know-better attitude. These people have

blind spots and are resistant to change. Creativity is essential for problemsolving. In leadership conferences I often illustrate the principle by using thenine-dotproblem.

Connect the nine points belowwith four straight lineswithout lifting yourpenorpencilfromthepaper.

Ifyouhaven’tencounteredthisproblembefore,tryit.Youwerestymiedifyou made certain assumptions about the problem that limited your range ofanswers. Did you assume the lines could not extend beyond the imaginarysquareformedbythedots?Breakthatassumptionandyoucansolvethepuzzlemoreeasily.

Thiscreativesolutionisfairlycommonplace.Lesswell-knownarealternatesolutionsthatstemfrombreakingotherassumptions,suchasthesesuggestedbyastronomerTomWujec.Assumption:Thelinesmustpassthroughthecenterofthedots.Ifyoudrawlinesthat just touchthedots,youcansolvethepuzzleinjustthreestrokes.

Assumption:The linesmustbe thin.Connect the lineswithone fat line tosolvethisproblem.

Assumption:Youmaynotcreasethepaper.Foldthepapertwice,sothedotsallaretogetheronthesurface,andyouneedonlyonewideline.

Assumption:Thepapermustbeflat.Rollthepaperintoatube.It’spossibletoconnectthedotswithaspiral.

Assumption:Youcannotripthepaper.Tearthepaperintoninepieceswithonedotoneach,andconnectallthedotsbypokingaholethroughallthedotswithyourpencil.

These alternate solutions make the classic nine-dot problem even moreeffective inconveying themessage thatwecan findmoreways to solvemoreproblemsifwebreakstultifyingassumptions.5

3.GettheHardFacts

Remember PeterDrucker’swords, “Once the facts are clear, the decisionsjumpoutatyou.”Forexample,don’tletsomeonesaytoyou,“Thatpersonisagoodworker.”Getconcreteexamplesofthatindividual’sperformance.Listentowhatisnotbeingsaidandgathertheimportantdata.

4.GetInvolvedintheProcess

4.GetInvolvedintheProcessMostproblemsarenotwhattheyseem.Don’tjustasktherightquestionsand

gather hard facts.Get involved in the process by doing the actual jobs of thepeopleconcernedandseewhatproblemsarise.Problemsshouldbesolvedatthelowest levelpossible,because that iswhere theyappear.That is also the levelwheretheyaremostclearlydefined.

SELECTPEOPLETOHELPYOUINTHEPROBLEM-SOLVINGPROCESS

Socratesdevelopedthismethod2,400yearsago:Afterdefiningtheproblemathand,hewouldgatherothersaroundhimandaskfortheiropinionsandlogicalsupporttobacktheiropinionsup.Asself-appointedgadfly,Socratesspentmostofhislifecausingtroubleincomplacent,conservativeAthens.Bydebating,cajoling,andprodding,heforcedAthenianstoquestionbeliefstheytookforgranted.

Thisfinallygothimintotrouble.TheAthenianschargedhimwithimpietytowardthegodsandcorruptingAthens’youth.Hewasthrownintoprison,tried,andsentencedtodeath.Afteramonth,duringwhichherefusedfriends’offerstohelphimescape,Socratesdrankacupofhemlockanddied.

Nobodyexpectsyoutogothatfar.ButpracticingtheSocraticmethodwillhelpyoutobeabetterleader.6

Before inviting people to attend a problem-solving meeting, ask thesequestions:

•Isitarealproblem?•Isiturgent?•Isthetruenatureoftheproblemknown?• Is it specific? (If people talk about everything, they will eventually talkaboutnothing.)•Hasthegroupmostcompetenttodiscusstheproblembeeninvited,andiseachparticipantconcernedaboutsolvingthisissue?

COLLECTPROBLEMCAUSES

List all the possible causes of the problem by asking what caused the

problemandhowtheproblemcanbeavoidedinthefuture.

COLLECTPROBLEM-SOLVINGSOLUTIONS

List as many solutions to a problem as possible. The more, the better.Seldomistherejustonewaytosolveaproblem.Optionsareessentialbecauseaproblemcontinuallyshiftsandchanges.Theleaderwithoutabackupsolutionfortheprimaryanswerwillsoonbeintrouble.

PRIORITIZEANDSELECTTHE“BEST”SOLUTIONS

Weigh all the possible solutions before deciding. The following questionsshouldalwaysbeaskedbytheleader:

•Whichsolutionhasthegreatestpotentialtoberight?•Whichsolutionisinthebestinterestsoftheorganization?•Whichsolutionhasmomentumandtimingonitsside?•Whichsolutionhasthegreatestchanceforsuccess?

IMPLEMENTTHEBESTSOLUTION

Norman Bushnell, founder of Atari, said, “Everyone who’s ever taken ashowerhas an idea. It’s thepersonwhogets out of the shower, dries off, anddoessomethingaboutitwhomakesadifference.”

EVALUATETHESOLUTION

Letothers test itoutandpunchholes in it. If theypunch intellectualholes(suchas,“Idon’tthinkitwillcontinueworkingbecause. . .”), ignorethem.Iftheypointoutrealoperativeproblemsyoucanobserve,thenyoumustmaketheadjustment.Askthesequestionstoevaluatetheresponses:

•Wereweabletoidentifytherealcausesoftheproblem?•Didwemaketherightdecision?

•Hastheproblembeenresolved?•Havethekeypeopleacceptedthissolution?•DidIhelppeopletodevelopproblem-solvingskills tomanageconflict inthefuture?

SETUPPRINCIPLESORPOLICIESTOKEEPPROBLEMSFROMRECURRING

Whereas policies are set up for a particular function in a specific area,principles are guidelines for everyone and are more general. Policies changewhentheiruseisnolongeressential.Principlesdonotchange.

Policiesaremany,Principlesarefew,Policieswillchange,Principlesneverdo.

Policiesworkwellforlowermanagementandoperationalmatters.Apolicyshould never be held on to and defended when it impedes the program anddelays the change needed tomake progress.A policy’s intent is to give cleardirectionandallowabetterflowintheorganization.Manyoperationalproblemswillstaysolvedwiththeimplementationofsolidpolicy.

A principle withinmy organization is: “Always take the high road.” Thisprinciple means that whenever there is debate, question, tension, orconfrontation between staff and people, I always expect my staff to give thebenefitofthedoubttoothers.Thisprincipleisforeveryoneinmyorganizationat all times. It may have nothing to do with an operational procedure thatconcernsmachinesandpaper,butithaseverythingtodowithpeople.Toteachprincipleseffectivelytomystaff,Imust:

•modelthem;•relatethembyansweringthequestion,“HowcanIusethisinmylife?”;and•applaudwhenIseetheprinciplesbeingappliedintheirlives.Later on in this book I will spend an entire chapter on the importance of

having the right people around you. In regard to problem solving, if you are

always theproblemsolverandnever teach thepeoplearoundyou to thinkanddecide for themselves, you will have a dependent group of followers. Manyyears ago I decided to focus on helping people solve problems rather thanhelping solve people’s problems. These suggestions are some approaches youshouldfindeffective:

•Never allowothers to thinkyou always have the best answers.Thiswillonlymakethemdependentonyou.

• Ask questions. Help people to think through the entire process of theirproblem.

•Becomeacoach,notaking.Acoachbringsoutthebestinothers,helpingthemtoreachdeepdowninsideanddiscovertheirpotential.Akingonlygivescommands.

•Listtheirsolutionsonpaper.Integrateyourideaswiththeirsuntiltheyhaveownershipofthem.

•Askthemtodecideonthebestsolutiontotheirproblem.•Developagameplan.•Askthemtotakeownershipandresponsibilityforthegameplan.Letthemsetupatimeframeandanaccountabilityprocess.

Your goal should be that when the meeting is over, the other person hasprocessed the problem, selected a solution, developed a game plan, and takenownershipofit.Hisorherrelationshipwithyouwillnotbeadependentone,butadeepeningone.

T

SEVENDEVELOPINGYOURMOSTAPPRECIABLE

ASSET:PEOPLE

he one who influences others to follow only is a leader with certainlimitations.Theonewhoinfluencesotherstoleadothersisaleaderwithout

limitations. As Andrew Carnegie said, no man will make a great leader whowantstodoitallhimselfortogetallthecreditfordoingit.

GuyFergusonputsitthisway:Toknowhowtodoajobistheaccomplishmentoflabor;Tobeavailabletotellothersistheaccomplishmentoftheteacher;Toinspireotherstodobetterworkistheaccomplishmentofmanagement;Tobeabletodoallthreeistheaccomplishmentoftrueleaders.

Thischapterwill focuson the importanceofdevelopingpeople toshare inandassistyouwiththeimplementationofyourdreamsasaleader.Thethesisis:Themorepeopleyoudevelop,thegreatertheextentofyourdreams.

Peoplewhoareplacedinleadershippositions,butattempttodoitallalone,willsomedaycometothesameconclusionasthebricklayerwhotriedtomovefive hundred pounds of bricks from the top of a four-story building to thesidewalkbelow.Hisproblemwas thathe tried todo italone.Onan insuranceclaimform,heexplainedwhathappened:“Itwouldhavetakentoolongtocarrythebricksdownbyhand,soIdecidedtoputtheminabarrelandlowerthembya pulley that I had fastened to the top of the building. After tying the ropesecurelyatthegroundlevel,Ithenwentuptothetopofthebuilding.Ifastenedthe rope around the barrel, loaded it with bricks, and swung it out over thesidewalkforthedescent.

“ThenIwentdowntothesidewalkanduntiedtherope,holdingitsecurelytoguide the barrel down slowly. But, since Iweigh only one hundred and fortypounds,thefive-hundred-poundloadjerkedmefromthegroundsofastIdidn’thavetimetothinkoflettinggooftherope.AndasIpassedbetweenthesecondandthirdfloors,Imetthebarrelcomingdown.Thisaccountsforthebruisesand

lacerationsonmyupperbody.“I held tightly to the rope until I reached the top,wheremy hand became

jammed in the pulley.This accounts formybroken thumb.At the same time,however,thebarrelhitthesidewalkwithabang,andthebottomfellout.Withtheweightofthebricksgone,thebarrelweighedonlyaboutfortypounds.Thus,myone-hundred-forty-poundbodybegana swiftdescent, and Imet theemptybarrelcomingup.Thisaccountsformybrokenankle.

“Slowed only slightly, I continued the descent and landed on the pile ofbricks.Thisaccountsformysprainedbackandbrokencollarbone.

“Atthispoint,Ilostmypresenceofmindcompletelyandletgooftherope.And the empty barrel came crashing downonme.This accounts formyheadinjuries.

“As for the last question on the form, ‘What would you do if the samesituationaroseagain?’pleasebeadvisedthatIamfinishedtryingtodothejobalone.”

Ihaveobservedthattherearethreelevelsofpeople/workskills:Level1:Thepersonwhoworksbetterwithpeopleisafollower.Level2:Thepersonwhohelpspeopleworkbetterisamanager.Level3:Thepersonwhodevelopsbetterpeopletoworkisaleader.

PRINCIPLESFORPEOPLEDEVELOPMENT

MysuccessindevelopingotherswilldependonhowwellIaccomplisheachofthefollowing:

•Valueofpeople.Thisisanissueofmyattitude.•Commitmenttopeople.Thisisanissueofmytime.•Integritywithpeople.Thisisanissueofmycharacter.•Standardforpeople.Thisisanissueofmyvision.•Influenceoverpeople.Thisisanissueofmyleadership.From my own experience and through observation of other leaders who

excel in this vital area, I have discovered that there are three areas in whichsuccessfulpeopledevelopersaredifferentfromthosewhoarenotsuccessfulindevelopingothers.Successfulpeopledevelopers:

1.maketherightassumptionsaboutpeople;2.asktherightquestionsaboutpeople;and3.givetherightassistancetopeople.

SUCCESSFULPEOPLEDEVELOPERSMAKETHERIGHTASSUMPTIONSABOUT

PEOPLE

Motivating others has always been relatively easy forme.For years Iwasasked,“John,howdoyoumotivatepeople?”Mypatanswerswere things like,“Stayenthusiastic”;“encourageothers”;“lead theway”;“believe inpeople.” Iwouldwatchothersfollowmyadviceandbesuccessfulforashorttime,onlytofallbackintotheoldhabitpatternsandtheresultinglowmorale.

Observing this downward cycle, I would askmyself why the people whotookmyadvicecouldn’tcontinuallymotivateothers.Thenonedayithitme!Iwasgivingthemthefruitofmymotivationalgifts,butnottheroot.Theywerewriting down my outward answers without the benefit of my inwardassumptionsaboutpeople.Myassumptions aboutothers arewhat allowme tocontinually motivate and develop them. In fact, a leader’s having the rightassumptionsaboutpeopleisthekeyfactorintheircontinualdevelopment.

Theonewhoinfluencesotherstoleadisaleaderwithoutlimitations.

Anassumption isanopinion thatsomething is true.MyassumptionsaboutpeoplelargelydeterminehowItreatthem.Why?WhatIassumeaboutpeopleiswhat I look for. What I look for is what I find. What I find influences myresponse.Therefore, negative assumptions aboutotherswill stimulatenegativeleadership of them. Positive assumptions about others will stimulate positiveleadershipofthem.HereareseveralsuchassumptionsaboutpeoplethatIhavefoundtobeextremelyvaluable.

ASSUMPTION:EVERYONEWANTSTOFEELWORTHWHILE

The most successful teachers, writers, managers, politicians, philosophers,and leaders who deal with people instinctively know this simple fact: Everyperson in the world is hungry. Yes, every person in this world is hungry forsomething, be it recognition, companionship, understanding, love—the list isendless.OnethingIalwaysfindonalistofpeople’sneedsisthedesiretofeelworthwhile. Peoplewant to feel important! Donald Laird says to always helppeople increase their own self-esteem. Develop your skills in making otherpeople feel important. There is hardly a higher compliment you can pay anindividual than to help that person be useful and find satisfaction andsignificance.Ibelievethat!

Mytravelscheduleisheavy,andoftenIstopintheterminalinSanDiegotoget my shoes shined. Melvin, the man who shines my shoes, has become afriend. As we talk, I always try to bring two things into the conversation. IinquireabouttheLittleLeagueteamhecoaches,becausethatistheloveofhislife.And then I tellhim,andanyoneelsewhomightbe listening, thatMelvincanpolishshoesbetterthananyoneI’veeverknown.

NapoleonBonaparte, a leader’s leader, knew every officer of his army byname.Helikedtowanderthroughhiscamp,meetanofficer,greethimbyname,andtalkaboutabattleormaneuverheknewthisofficerhadbeeninvolvedin.Henevermissedanopportunitytoinquireaboutasoldier’shometown,wife,andfamily; the men were always amazed to see how much detailed personalinformationabouteachonetheemperorwasabletostoreinhismemory.

SinceeveryofficerfeltNapoleon’spersonalinterestinhim—provedbyhisstatementsandquestions—itiseasytounderstandthedevotiontheyallfeltforhim.

ASSUMPTION:EVERYONENEEDSANDRESPONDSTOENCOURAGEMENT

Fortwenty-threeyearsIhavebeenresponsiblefordevelopingpeople.Ihaveyettofindapersonwhodidnotdobetterworkandputforthgreatereffortunderaspiritofapprovalthanunderaspiritofcriticism.Encouragementisoxygentothesoul.

Researchers are turning up new evidence to support the old truth thatencouragement brings out the best in people. In one experiment, adults were

giventenpuzzlestosolve.Alltenwereexactlythesameforalltheadults.Theyworkedonthemandturnedtheminandweregivenresultsattheend.However,theresultswerefictitious.Halfoftheexamtakersweretoldtheyhaddonewell,getting seven of ten correct. The other half were told they had done poorly,gettingsevenoftenwrong.Thenallweregivenanothertenpuzzles.Again,thepuzzleswere the same for each person. The halfwho had been told they haddonewellwiththefirstpuzzlesdidbetterwiththesecondset.Theotherhalfdidworse.1Criticism,eventhoughitwasgivenfalsely,ruinedthem.

ViktorFranklsaid:Ifyoutreatpeopletoavisionofthemselves,ifyouapparentlyoverratethem,youmakethembecomewhattheyarecapableofbecoming.Youknow,ifwetakepeopleastheyare,wemakethemworse.Ifwetakethemastheyshouldbe,wehelpthembecomewhattheycanbe....Ifyousaythisisidealism—overratingman—thenImustanswer,“Idealismistherealrealism,becauseyouhelppeopleactualizethemselves.”2

Take a moment and link the definition of leadership (influence) with theresponsibility of leadership (people development). How do we who influenceothers trulymotivate anddevelop them?Wedo it throughencouragementandbelief in them.People tend tobecomewhat themost importantpeople in theirlivesthinktheywillbecome.Itrytomodelandthenencouragemystafftosaysomethinguplifting toothers in the first sixty secondsof a conversation.Thatsetsapositivetoneforeverythingelse.

Peopletendtobecomewhatthemostimportantpeopleintheirlivesthink

theywillbecome.Indescribingwhatmakesagreatbaseballmanager,ReggieJacksonsaidthat

a greatmanager has a knack formakingballplayers think they are better thantheyare.Heforcesyoutohaveagoodopinionofyourself.Heletsyouknowhebelieves in you.Hemakes you getmore out of yourself.And once you learnhowgood you really are, you never settle for playing anything less than yourbest.

HenryFordsaid,“Mybestfriendistheonewhobringsoutthebestinme.”Howtrue.Everyleaderwantstobringoutthebestthatisinpeople.Andeverysuccessfulleaderknowsthatencouragementisthewaytodoit.

ASSUMPTION:PEOPLE“BUYINTO”THE

LEADERBEFORETHEY“BUYINTO”HISORHERLEADERSHIP

Toooftenweexpectpeopletobeloyaltothepositionofaleaderinsteadofthe person who occupies that position. But people are not motivated byorganizational charts; they respond to people. The first thing a leader mustdeclareisnotauthoritybecauseofrights,butauthoritybecauseofrelationships.Peopledonotcarehowmuchyouknowuntil theyknowhowmuchyoucare.You’vegottogiveloyaltydownbeforeyoureceiveloyaltyup.Ifpeopledonotbelieve in their leader, anything will hinder them from following. If peoplebelieveintheirleader,nothingwillstopthem.

Peopledonotcarehowmuchyouknowuntiltheyknowhowmuchyoucare.

MostofusthinkofChristopherColumbusasagreatdiscoverer,buthewasalsoagreatleaderandsalesman.Beforehecouldbeginhisvoyageofdiscoverythatchangedtheworld,hehadtosellwhat,tohiscontemporaries,wasanutterlyridiculousidea!Andthatwasno“onecall”sale!Considerthecircumstancesandconditionsthatwerestackedagainsthim.

First, there was absolutely no market for a transatlantic voyage. Andhundredsofyearsoftraditionandsuperstitionpracticallyguaranteedthereneverwouldbe.

Second, althoughColumbus hadmade sea voyages as a passenger, he hadneverbeenthecaptainofaship.

Third,Columbuswasaforeigner(anItalian) living inPortugaland then inSpain.

Fourth,Columbusdidnothavesufficientmoneytofundsuchanadventure.Infact,theonlyonewhocouldlegallyfundavoyageofdiscoverywasaheadofstate—akingoraqueen.Sohisprospectlistofbenefactorswasrathershort.

Fifth, his price was not cheap. In addition to needing ships and support,Columbus had a long list of personal demands, including: (a) a 10 percentcommissiononall commercebetweenhisdiscoveries and themother country;(b)atitle—AdmiraloftheOceanSea;(c)thepermanentpositionofgovernorofallnewterritories;and(d)allofhishonorsandrightspassedontohisheirs.

Remarkably,Columbusmadethesaleanddiditonhisownterms!Modernsalespeople could learn a lot from Columbus’s sales techniques. He was

propelled by a single-minded passion. He wholeheartedly believed he couldreachAsiabycrossingtheAtlantic.Eventhoughhisbeliefwaswrong, itgavehim the stamina, conviction, and confidence to convinceothers.Andheneverstoppedselling.

He didn’tmind asking for the order again and again and again! He spentsevenyearsaskingKingJohnofPortugaltofundthevoyage.ThenhewenttoSpain andworkedonFerdinand and Isabella for sevenyears before he finallygothisYes.

Columbushadtoseebeforehecouldsail.Anysuccessfulleaderknowsthistruth.Peoplemustbuyintoyoubeforetheybuyintoyourdreams.Highmoraleinanorganizationcomesfromhavingfaithinthepersonatthetop.

ASSUMPTION:MOSTPEOPLEDONOTKNOWHOWTOBESUCCESSFUL

Mostpeoplethinksuccessisluck,andtheykeeptryingtowinthelotteryoflife.But success is really the result of planning. It happenswhere preparationandopportunitymeet.

Mostpeoplethinksuccessisinstantaneous.Theylookatitasamoment,anevent,oraplace in time. It’snot.Success is reallyaprocess. It isgrowthanddevelopment. It is achieving one thing and using that as a stepping-stone toachievesomethingelse.Itisajourney.

Failureistheopportunitytobegin

againmoreintelligently.Mostpeople think thatsuccess is learninghowtonever fail.But that’snot

true.Success is learning fromfailure.Failure is theopportunity tobeginagainmoreintelligently.Failureonlytrulybecomesfailurewhenwedonotlearnfromit.

Oncepeoplerealizethatyou,asaleader,canhelpthembecomesuccessful,they’re yours! Someone said, “Success is relative. Once you have it, all therelativescome.”Thisisalsotrueinanorganization.Oncetheleaderhasproventobesuccessfulandshownaninterestinhelpingothersachievesuccessthroughthe company, that leaderwill have loyal followerswho arewilling to develop

andgrow.

ASSUMPTION:MOSTPEOPLEARENATURALLYMOTIVATED

Justwatchaone-year-oldtrytoexploreandfindoutwhatisinahouse.Thatis naturalmotivation.Myobservation is that people begin an endeavorwith adesiretoparticipate,butareoftendemotivatedandthenmustbere-motivatedtoparticipate.

Littlechildrenwanttogotoschool.Three-andfour-year-oldchildren“play”school. They can’twait to begin. They start off in first gradewith shiny newlunchboxesandahighdegreeofmotivation.However,bythetimetheyareinschoolfor twoor threeyears,somekidshate it.Theymakeexcusesnot togo,complaining, “Ihavea sore tummy.”Whathappened?The schools effectivelydemotivatedtheoriginalhighdegreeofenthusiasmandexcitement.

Thetruesecretofmotivationiscreatinganenvironmentinwhichpeoplearefreefromtheinfluencesthatdemotivate.

WhatMotivatesPeople?

Significantcontributions.Peoplewanttojoininagrouporpursueacausethatwillhavelastingimpact.Theyneedtoseethatwhattheyaredoingisnotwastedeffort, but is making a contribution. People must see value in what they aredoing.Motivationcomesnotbyactivityalone,butbythedesiretoreachtheendresult.Goal participation. People support what they create. Being part of the goal-settingprocess ismotivating,and itallowspeople to feelneeded.They like tofeel theyaremakingadifference.Whenpeoplehavegiven input, theyhaveastakeintheissue.Theyownitandsupportit.Seeinggoalsbecomerealityandhelping to shape the future is fulfilling. Goal participation builds team spirit,enhancesmorale,andhelpseveryonefeelimportant.Positive dissatisfaction. Someone said that dissatisfaction is the one-worddefinition formotivation. Dissatisfied people are highlymotivated people, forthey see the need for immediate change. They know something iswrong and

oftenknowwhatneedstobedone.Dissatisfactioncaninspirechangeor itcanlead to a critical spirit. It can lead to apathy or stir one to action. The key isharnessingthisenergytowardeffectivechange.Recognition. People want to be noticed. They want credit for personalachievementsandappreciationfortheircontributions.Often,givingrecognitionisanotherwayofsayingthanks.Personalaccomplishmentismotivating,butitismuchmoresowhensomeonenoticestheaccomplishmentandgivesworthtoit.Recognitionisonewaytogivemeaningtoaperson’sexistence.Clearexpectations.Peoplearemotivatedwhentheyknowexactlywhattheyaretodoandhavetheconfidencethattheycandoitsuccessfully.Noonewantstojumpintoataskthatisvagueorajobwhosedescriptionisuncertain.Motivationrises in a job when the goals, expectations, and responsibilities are clearlyunderstood. When delegating responsibility, be sure to give the necessaryauthority to carry out the task. People perform better when they have somecontrolovertheirworkandtheirtime.

WhatDemotivatesPeople?

Certain behavior patterns can be demotivating. We sometimes behave inthesewayswithoutrealizingthenegativeinfluencestheyhaveonothers.Here’showwecanavoiddemotivatingbehavior.Don’t belittle anyone. Public criticismand cutting conversations, even in jest,can hurt.Wemust be alert and sensitive. Taken to the extreme, belittling candestroyaperson’sself-esteemandself-confidence.Ifyouhavetogivecriticism,remember that it takes nine positive comments to balance one negativecorrection.Don’t manipulate anyone. No one likes to feel maneuvered or used.Manipulation, no matter how slight, tears down the walls of trust in arelationship.Wegainmorebybeinghonestandtransparentthanwedobybeingcunningandcrafty.Buildpeopleupthroughaffirmationandpraise,andthey’llbemotivatedandloyal.Remember,giveanditshallbegiventoyou.Don’t be insensitive. Make people your priority. People are our greatestresources;therefore,taketimetoknowandcareaboutthem.Thismeansbeingresponsiveinconversation,neverappearingpreoccupiedwithselforinahurry.

Stop talking anddevelop the art of really listening.Quit thinkingofwhatyouwillsaynext,andbegintohear,notonlywhattheysay,buthowtheyfeel.Yourinterestineveninsignificantmatterswilldemonstrateyoursensitivity.Don’t discourage personal growth. Growth is motivating, so encourage yourstafftostretch.Givethemopportunitiestotrynewthingsandacquirenewskills.Weshouldnotfeelthreatenedbytheachievementsofothers,butshouldbeverysupportive of their successes. Allow your staff to succeed and fail. Build theteamspiritapproachthatsays,“Ifyougrow,weallbenefit.”

SUCCESSFULPEOPLEDEVELOPERSASKTHERIGHTQUESTIONSABOUTPEOPLE

Nowwehavecompletedthediscussionofhowmakingtherightassumptionsabout people must be our first principle to follow as a successful peopledeveloper. Next we need to become familiar with the right questions to askpeople.Therearesix.

AMIBUILDINGPEOPLE,ORAMIBUILDINGMYDREAMANDUSINGPEOPLETODOIT?

People must come first. Fred Smith says that Federal Express, from itsinception, hasput its people first because it is right todo so andbecause it isgoodbusiness aswell. “Our corporatephilosophy is succinctly stated:People-Service-Profits.”

Thisquestiondealswiththeleader’smotives.Thereisaslightbutsignificantdifferencebetweenmanipulationandmotivation.

Manipulationismovingtogetherformyadvantage.Motivationismovingtogetherformutualadvantage.

DOICAREENOUGHTOCONFRONTPEOPLE

WHENITWILLMAKEADIFFERENCE?

Confrontation is very difficult for most people. If you feel uneasy justreading the word confront, I’d like to suggest that you substitute the wordclarify.Clarifytheissueinsteadofconfrontingtheperson.Thenfollowthesetencommandments.

TheTenCommandmentsofConfrontation

1.Doitprivately,notpublicly.2.Doitassoonaspossible.Thatismorenaturalthanwaitingalongtime.3.Speaktooneissueatatime.Don’toverloadthepersonwithalonglistofissues.

4.Onceyou’vemadeapoint,don’tkeeprepeatingit.5.Dealonlywithactionsthepersoncanchange.Ifyouaskthepersontodosomethingheorsheisunabletodo,frustrationbuildsinyourrelationship.

6.Avoidsarcasm.Sarcasmsignalsthatyouareangryatpeople,notattheiractions,andmaycausethemtoresentyou.

7.Avoidwords likealways andnever.Theyusuallydetract fromaccuracyandmakepeopledefensive.

8.Presentcriticismsassuggestionsorquestionsifpossible.9.Don’tapologizefortheconfrontationalmeeting.Doingsodetractsfromitandmayindicateyouarenotsureyouhadtherighttosaywhatyoudid.

10.Don’t forget the compliments.Usewhat I call the “sandwich” in thesetypesofmeetings:Compliment—Confront—Compliment.

AMILISTENINGTOPEOPLEWITHMORETHANMYEARS,

THATIS,AMIHEARINGMORETHANWORDS?

The following test is one I have found useful and have given tomy ownstaff.

AmIaGoodListener?

GiveyourselffourpointsiftheanswertothefollowingquestionsisAlways:threepointsforUsually;twopointsforRarely;andonepointforNever.

____DoIallowthespeakertofinishwithoutinterrupting?____DoIlisten“betweenthelines,”thatis,forthesubtext?____Whenwritingamessage,doI listenforandwritedownthekeyfactsandphrases?

____DoIrepeatwhatthepersonjustsaidtoclarifythemeaning?____ Do I avoid getting hostile and/or agitated when I disagree with thespeaker?

____DoItuneoutdistractionswhenlistening?____ Do I make an effort to seem interested in what the other person issaying?

Scoring:26orhigher:Youareanexcellentlistener.22–25:Betterthanaveragescore.18–21:Roomforimprovement.

17orlower:Getoutthererightawayandpracticeyourlistening.3

DavidBurns,amedicaldoctorandprofessorofpsychiatryattheUniversityof Pennsylvania, says: “The biggest mistake you can make in trying to talkconvincingly is to put your highest priority on expressing your ideas andfeelings. What most people really want is to be listened to, respected, andunderstood.Themomentpeopleseethattheyarebeingunderstood,theybecomemoremotivatedtounderstandyourpointofview.”

WHATARETHEMAJORSTRENGTHSOFTHISINDIVIDUAL?

Anyonewhocontinuallyhastoworkinareasofpersonalweaknessinsteadofpersonalstrengthswillnotstaymotivated.If individualshavebeengrindingaway at tasks assigned in theirweak areas and you reassign them towork inareasofstrength,you’llseeadramaticincreaseinnaturalmotivation.

HAVEIPLACEDAHIGHPRIORITYONTHEJOB?

People tend to staymotivatedwhen they see the importance of the thingstheyareaskedtodo.Thefivemostencouragingwordsinanorganizationare:“Itwillmake a difference.”The fivemost discouragingwords in an organizationare:“Itwon’tmakeanydifference.”

IcanstillrememberthedayLindawashiredtooverseethecomputersysteminouroffices.Shecame intomyoffice foran initialmeeting.Mygoalwas togiveherthebigpicturetohelpherseethatherworkwasmorethancomputers.Iconveyed thatdoingher jobwithexcellencewouldencourageeveryworker todo a better job. I can still see her eyesmoisten as she realized that herworkwouldpositivelycontributetoeveryone’ssuccess.

HAVEISHOWNTHEVALUETHEPERSONWILL

RECEIVEFROMTHISRELATIONSHIP?

Peopletendtostaymotivatedwhentheyseethevaluetothemofthethingstheyareaskedtodo.Thesimplefact iswhenwehearanannouncement,seeacommercial,orareasked tomakeacommitment,a smallvoice in thebackofourmindsasks,“What’sinitforme?”Thereasonpeopleskipthemeetingyouworked so hard to plan is simple: they haven’t seen the value (benefits andrewards)theywillreceivebybeingthere.

Think about an important relationship you have with a subordinate orperhapswithyourboss.Ontheleft-handsideofapage,drawupalistofallthecontributionsyouaremaking to this relationship, that is,whatyouaregiving.

With a subordinate, your list might include pay, job security, time, andprofessionaldevelopment.Titlethislist“WhatIGive.”

Ontheright-handsideofthepage,makeasecondlist,entitled“WhatIGet.”Write all the benefits you are receiving. Then sit back and compare your twolists. Don’t count the number of items on each one. (Some things are moreimportantthanothers,andyouprobablyleftsomeitemsoffbothlists.)Instead,answer thissimplequestion:Consideringall thatyougive toyourrelationshipversusallthatyou’regettingfromit,whoisgettingthebetterdeal?Chooseyouranswerfromthefollowingoptions:

1.Iamgettingabetterdeal.Thiscanproducecomplacencyandingratitude.2.Theotherpersonisgettingabetterdeal.Thiscanproduceresentment.3. We are getting an equally good deal. This usually produces mutualrespectandmotivation.

Analyze your answer by looking at the three axioms of the Equity Factor(foundinHusemanandHatfield’sManagingtheEquityFactor):

1. People evaluate relationships by comparing what they give to arelationshipwithwhattheygetfromit.

2.Whenwhatpeoplegivedoesnotequalwhattheyget,theyfeeldistress.3.Peoplewhofeeldistressbecausetheygivemorethantheygetwillrestoreequity.Thisbecomesanegative.Doyoucommithere?4

SUCCESSFULPEOPLEDEVELOPERSGIVETHERIGHTASSISTANCETOPEOPLE

Ineedtoworkouttheirstrengthsandworkontheirweaknesses.ThequestionthatasaleaderImustcontinuallyaskisnot,“Howharddoesthispersonwork?”(Isheorshefaithful?)but“Howmuchdoesthispersonaccomplish?”(Isheorshefruitful?).

Some of the most capable people in an organization never utilize theirgreatest strengths. They may be locked into what management considersimportant jobs, and they may do them well. But they may never get anopportunity todowhat theycandobest.When thishappens,everybody loses.Thepersonlosesbecauseoflackofopportunityandlackofjobsatisfaction;the

organizationlosesbecauseitwastessomeofitsmostvaluableassets.Thewholeventureoperatesatlessthancapacity.Imustgivethemmyself.Youcanimpresspeopleatadistance,butyoucanonlyimpactthemupclose.

•Listallthepeopleyouspentthirtyminuteswiththisweek.•Didyouinitiatethetimeordidthey?•Didyouhaveanagendabeforethemeeting?• Was the meeting for the purpose of relationships, counseling,communication,ordevelopment?

•Wasitawin-winmeeting?•Wasitwiththeinfluentialtop20orthelower80percent?Loveeveryone,butgiveyourselftothetop20percentinyourorganization.

Encouragethemany;mentorthefew.Betransparentwiththem.Developaplanfortheirgrowth.Becomeateam.Imustgivethemownership.AsSidneyJ.Harrisbelieves:

Peoplewanttobeappreciated,notimpressed.Theywanttoberegardedashumanbeings,

Notassoundingboardsforotherpeople’segos.Theywanttobetreatedasanendinthemselves,

Notasameanstowardthegratificationofanother’svanity.Imustgivethemeverychanceforsuccess.Myresponsibilityasa leader is toprovideassistanceforthosewhoworkwithmebygivingthem:

• An excellent atmosphere to work in. It should be positive, warm, open,creative,andencouraging.

•Therighttoolstoworkwith.Donothireexcellentpeopletodoexcellentworkwithaveragetools.

• A continual training program to work under. Growing employees makegrowingcompanies.

• Excellent people to work for. Develop a team. Coming together is thebeginning.Workingtogetherissuccess.

• A compelling vision to work toward. Allow your people to work forsomethinglargerthanthemselves.

Great leaders always give their people a head start over those who workunder an average leader. Excellent leaders add value to their people and help

thembecomebetterthantheywouldbeiftheyworkedalone.Thefirstquestionaleadershouldaskis:“HowcanIhelpmakethosearoundmemoresuccessful?”Whenthatanswerisfoundandimplemented,everyonewins!

PEOPLE-DEVELOPMENTPRINCIPLES

PEOPLEDEVELOPMENTTAKESTIME

AtonetimeAndrewCarnegiewasthewealthiestmaninAmerica.HecametoAmericafromhisnativeScotlandwhenhewasasmallboy,didavarietyofoddjobs,andeventuallyendedupasthelargeststeelmanufacturerintheUnitedStates. At one time he had forty-threemillionaires working for him. In thosedays,amillionairewasarareperson;conservativelyspeaking,amilliondollarsinhisdaywouldbeequivalenttoatleasttwentymilliondollarstoday.

A reporter askedCarnegie how he hired forty-threemillionaires. Carnegieresponded that thosemenwerenotmillionaireswhen they startedworking forhimbuthadbecomemillionairesasaresult.

The reporter then asked how he had developed these men to become sovaluablethathewouldpaythemsomuchmoney.

Carnegierepliedthatmenaredevelopedthesamewaygoldismined.Whengoldismined,severaltonsofdirtmustbemovedtogetanounceof

gold,butonedoesn’tgointotheminelookingfordirt.Onegoesinlookingforgold.

RobertHalfsaid,“Thereissomethingthatismuchmorescarce,somethingrarerthanability.Itistheabilitytorecognizeability.”Thereisstillanotherstepthatmustbetakenbeyondtheabilitytodiscoverthegoldthatisintheleader’smine.Itmustalsobedeveloped.Itisbettertotraintenpeopletoworkthantodotheworkoftenpeople,butitisharder.“Themanwhogoesalonecanstarttheday.Buthewhotravelswithanothermustwaituntiltheotherisready.”5

PEOPLESKILLSAREESSENTIALFORSUCCESS

Companies that go along successfully have leaders who get along withpeople.DaveE.Smalleyrecordsinhisbook,Floorcraft,thatAndrewCarnegie

oncepaidCharlesSchwabasalaryofonemilliondollarsayearsimplybecauseSchwabgot alongwith thepeople.Carnegiehadmenwhounderstood the jobbetter andwhowere better fitted by experience and training to execute it, buttheylackedtheessentialhumanqualityofbeingabletogetotherstohelpthem—togetthebestoutoftheworkers.

Most chief executives of major companies, when asked what one singlecharacteristic is most needed by those in leadership positions, replied, “Theabilitytoworkwithpeople.”

TeddyRooseveltsaid,“Themostimportantsingleingredienttotheformulaofsuccessisknowinghowtogetalongwithpeople.”

John Rockefeller, who built giant corporations, stated that he would paymorefortheabilitytodealwithpeoplethananyotherabilityunderthesun.

TheCenter forCreativeLeadership inGreensboro,NorthCarolina, studied105successfulexecutivesanddiscoveredthefollowing:

•They admitted theirmistakes and accepted the consequences, rather thantryingtoblameothers.

•Theywereabletogetalongwithawidevarietyofpeople.•Theyhadstronginterpersonalskills,sensitivitytoothers,andtact.•Theywerecalmandconfident,ratherthanmoodyandvolatile.Unsuccessfulexecutivestendedtobetootough,abusive,sarcastic,aloof,or

unpredictable.Theirworstfaultwasbeinginsensitivetoothers.Lack of people skills can result in the kind of situation former Denver

BroncocoachJohnRalstonexperiencedwhenhelefttheteam.“Ileftbecauseofillnessandfatigue—thefansweresickandtiredofme.”

BEAMODELTHATOTHERSCANFOLLOW

The number one motivational principle in the world is: People do whatpeoplesee.Thespeedoftheleaderdeterminesthespeedofthefollowers.Andfollowerswillnevergoanyfurtherthantheirleader.ForyearsIhavefollowedandtaughtthisprocessfordevelopingothers: Action ResultIdoit: Imodel.Idoit,andyouarewithme: Imentor.Youdoit,andIamwithyou: Imonitor.Youdoit: Youmoveforward.

Youdoit: Youmoveforward.

Youdoit,andsomeoneiswithyou: Wemultiply.

People’s minds are changed more through observation than througharguments.

Benjamin Franklin learned that plaster scattered in the fields wouldmakethingsgrow.He toldhisneighbors,but theydidnotbelievehim.Theyarguedwithhim,tryingtoprovethatplastercouldbeofnouseatalltograssorgrain.Afteralittlewhileheallowedthemattertodropandsaidnomoreaboutit.

Early the next spring Franklin went into the field and sowed some grain.Closebythepath,wheremenwouldwalk,hetracedsomeletterswithhisfinger,putplasterintothem,andthensowedseedintheplaster.Afteraweekortwotheseedsprangup.

Astheypassedthatway,theneighborswereverysurprisedtosee,inbrightergreenthanalltherestofthefield,largeletterssaying,“Thishasbeenplastered.”BenjaminFranklindidnotneedtoarguewithhisneighborsanymoreaboutthebenefitsofplasterforthefield.

LEADOTHERSBYLOOKINGTHROUGHTHEIREYES

HenryWadsworth Longfellow said, “We judge ourselves bywhatwe feelcapableofdoing;whileothersjudgeusbywhatwehavealreadydone.”

Anyleaderwhosuccessfullydealswithagroupofpeoplerealizesthattheyeach have their own agenda and perception of how things are. Long ago Ilearnedthatpeoplethinktheir:

problemsarethebiggest,childrenarethesmartest,

jokesarethefunniest,andfaultsoughttobeoverlooked.

Anamusingstorybeautifullyillustrateshoweachofusviewslife.AfterWorldWar II, a general and his young lieutenant boarded a train in

England.The only seats leftwere across from a beautiful young lady and hergrandmother.Thegeneralandthelieutenantsatfacingthewomen.Asthetrainpulledout,itwentthroughalongtunnel.Forabouttensecondstherewastotaldarkness. In thesilenceof themoment, thoseon the trainheard two things—a

kiss and a slap. Everyone on the train had his or her own perception ofwhathappened.

Theyoungladythoughttoherself,I’mflatteredthatthelieutenantkissedme,butI’mterriblyembarrassedthatGrandmotherhithim!

The Grandmother thought, I’m aggravated that the young man kissed mygranddaughter,butI’mproudshehadthecouragetoretaliate!

Thegeneralsatthere,thinkingtohimself,Mylieutenantshowedalotofgutsinkissingthatgirl,butwhydidsheslapmebymistake?

Thelieutenantwastheonlyoneonthetrainwhoreallyknewwhathappened.Inthatbriefmomentofdarkness,hehadtheopportunitytokissaprettygirlandslaphisgeneral.6

Thesequestionswillhelpyoudiscoveranotherperson’sagendainavarietyofsituations:

•Backgroundquestion:What is thisperson’shistorywith thisorganizationoranother?

• Temperament question: What is this person’s primary and secondarytemperament?

•Securityquestion:Isthis,inanyway,affectingtheindividual’sjob?•Relationship question:How is he or she related tome, or someone else,organizationally?

•Motivequestion:Whatistherealreasonthisisonhisorheragenda?• Potential question:Does this person or issuemerit the leader’s time andenergy?

IhavediscoveredthatthedevelopmentofpeopleismoresuccessfulwhenI:

listenwellenoughtoleadthroughtheireyes;relatewellenoughtocommunicatewiththeirhearts:workwellenoughtoplacetoolsintheirhands;thinkwellenoughtochallengeandexpandtheirminds.

LEADERSMUSTCAREFORPEOPLEBEFORETHEYCANDEVELOPTHEM

Too often I see leaders who request commitment from people without

showingthempropercare.TheyarelikeNarvaez,theSpanishpatriotwho,whiledying, was asked by his father-confessor whether he had forgiven all hisenemies.Narvaezlookedastonishedandsaid,“Father,Ihavenoenemies.Ishotthemall.”

Narvaezdidn’tknowthat“niceguys”getthebestresultsfromsubordinates.Teleometrics International studied the perception high-achieving executiveshaveofthepeopleintheirorganizations,comparedtolow-achievingexecutives.TheirresultswerereportedintheWallStreetJournal.

Ofthesixteenthousandexecutivesstudied,the13percentidentifiedas“highachievers” tended to care about people as well as profits. Average achieversconcentrated on production, while low achievers were preoccupied with theirown security. High achievers viewed subordinates optimistically, while lowachievers showed a basic distrust of subordinates’ abilities. High achieverssought advice from their subordinates; low achievers didn’t. High achieverswere listeners; moderate achievers listened only to superiors; low achieversavoidedcommunicationandreliedonpolicymanuals.

PEOPLEDEVELOPERSLOOKFOROPPORTUNITIESTOBUILDUPPEOPLE

Most people in leadership positions daily steal someone’s ego food— thesatisfactionoftheirneedsforesteem.Infact,theystealitanddon’tevenknowit. For example, someone says, “I’ve really had a busy day,” and the leaderreplies,“You’vebeenbusy!Youshouldseealltheworkpiledonmydesk,andIcan’tevengettoit.”Orsomeonesays,“IfinallyfinishedthatprojectI’vebeenworkingonforeightmonths,”andtheleaderreplies,“Yeah,Jimfinallyfinishedthatbigprojecthe’sbeenworkingontoo.”

Whatistheleaderdoing?Well,he’stakingawaythefoodthatpeopleneedfortheirego.Ineffect,he’ssaying,“Youmaythinkyou’reprettygood,butletmetellyouaboutsomeoneelsewhoisprobablybetter.”

Just for fun, check yourself tomorrow and see howmany times you catchyourselfsatisfyingyourownesteemneedsbystealingawaysomeoneelse’segofood.

J.C.Staehle,afteranalyzingmanysurveys, foundthat theprincipalcausesofunrestamongworkersareactionsgoodleaderscanavoid.Theyarelistedin

theorderoftheirimportance.1.Failuretogivecreditforsuggestions2.Failuretocorrectgrievances3.Failuretoencourage4.Criticizingemployeesinfrontofotherpeople5.Failuretoaskemployeestheiropinions6.Failuretoinformemployeesoftheirprogress

7.FavoritismNote:Every issue isanexampleof the leaderstealingorkeepingegofood

fromtheworkers.

THEGREATESTPOTENTIALFORGROWTHOFACOMPANYISGROWTHOFITSPEOPLE

InasurveyofworkersacrosstheUnitedStates,nearly85percentsaidtheycouldworkharderon the job.More thanhalf claimed they coulddouble theireffectiveness“if[they]wantedto.”7

People are the principal asset of any company,whether itmakes things tosell,sellsthingsmadebyotherpeople,orsuppliesintangibleservices.Nothingmoves until your people canmake itmove. In actual studies of leadership inAmerican business, the average executive spends three-fourths of hisworkingtimedealingwithpeople.Thelargestsinglecostinmostbusinessispeople.Thelargest,mostvaluableassetanycompanyhas is itspeople.Allexecutiveplansarecarriedout,orfailtobecarriedout,bypeople.

According to William J. H. Boetcker, people divide themselves into fourclasses:

1.Thosewhoalwaysdolessthantheyaretold2.Thosewhowilldowhattheyaretold,butnomore3.Thosewhowilldothingswithoutbeingtold4.Thosewhowillinspireotherstodothings

It’suptoyou.AsRalphWaldoEmersonsaid,“Trustmenandtheywillbetruetoyou:treat

themgreatlyandtheywillshowthemselvesgreat.”Someofthebestadviceyoucanfindaboutbeingagoodleaderisfoundin

thisoldChinesepoem:

Gotothepeople,Liveamongthem.Learnfromthem.Lovethem.Startwithwhattheyknow,Buildonwhattheyhave.Butofthebestleaders,Whentheirtaskisaccomplished,Theirworkisdone,Thepeoplewillremark,“Wehavedoneitourselves.”

R

EIGHTTHEINDISPENSABLEQUALITYOF

LEADERSHIP:VISION

obertK.Greenleaf,inhisbook,TheServantasLeader,says,“Foresightisthe ‘lead’ that the leader has.Once he loses this lead and events start to

force his hand, he is leader in nameonly.He is not leading; he is reacting toimmediateevents,andheprobablywillnotlongbealeader.Thereareabundantcurrentexamplesoflossofleadershipwhichstemfromafailuretoforeseewhatreasonablycouldhavebeenforeseen,andfromfailuretoactonthatknowledgewhiletheleaderhasfreedomtoact.”1

Myobservationoverthelasttwentyyearshasbeenthatalleffectiveleadershave a vision ofwhat theymust accomplish. That vision becomes the energybehind every effort and the force that pushes through all the problems.Withvision,theleaderisonamissionandacontagiousspiritisfeltamongthecrowduntilothersbegintorisealongsidetheleader.Unityisessentialforthedreamtobe realized. Long hours of labor are given gladly to accomplish the goal.Individual rightsare set asidebecause thewhole ismuchmore important thanthe part. Time flies, morale soars upward, heroic stories are told, andcommitmentisthewatchword.Why?Becausetheleaderhasavision!

Allthatisnecessarytoremovetheexcitementfromtheprecedingparagraphisoneword—vision.Withoutit,energyebbslow,deadlinesaremissed,personalagendasbegintosurface,productionfalls,andpeoplescatter.

HelenKellerwasasked,“Whatwouldbeworsethanbeingbornblind?”Shereplied,“Tohavesightwithoutvision.”Sadly,toomanypeopleareplacedintoleadershippositionswithoutavisionfortheorganizationthattheywilllead.Allgreatleaderspossesstwothings:Theyknowwheretheyaregoing,andtheyareable to persuade others to follow. They are like the sign in an optometrist’soffice:“Ifyoudon’tseewhatyouwant,you’vecometo therightplace.”Thischapter will deal with the leader’s foresight and the ability to gather peoplearoundit.

Thewordvisionhasperhapsbeenoverused in the last fewyears.The first

goalofmanyamanagementworkshopistodevelopastatementofpurposeforthe organization. Others will look at you oddly if you cannot recite yourorganization’s purpose by memory and produce a card with the statement ofpurposeprintedonit.

Whyallthepressuretodevelopapurposeforyourorganization?Therearetwo reasons. First, vision becomes the distinctive, rallying cry of theorganization. It is a clear statement in a competitivemarket that you have animportant niche among all the voices clamoring for customers. It is your realreasonforexistence.Second,visionbecomesthenewcontroltool,replacingthe1,000-page manual that is boxy and constrains initiative. In an age whendecentralizationallthewaytothefrontlineisrequiredtosurvive,thevisionisthekeythatkeepseveryonefocused.

VISIONSTATEMENTSWhatyouseeiswhatyoucanbe.Thisdealswithyourpotential.Ihaveoften

askedmyself, does the visionmake the leader?Or, does the leadermake thevision?

I believe the vision comes first. I have knownmany leaders who lost thevisionand,therefore,losttheirpowertolead.Peopledowhatpeoplesee.Thatisthegreatestmotivationalprincipleintheworld.StanfordResearchsaysthat89percentofwhatwelearnisvisual,10percentofwhatwelearnisauditory,and1percentofwhatwelearnisthroughothersenses.

In otherwords, people depend on visual stimulation for growth. Couple avisionwitha leaderwilling to implement thatdream,andamovementbegins.People do not follow a dream in itself. They follow the leader who has thatdream and the ability to communicate it effectively. Therefore, vision in thebeginning will make a leader, but for that vision to grow and demand afollowing,theleadermusttakeresponsibilityforit.

FOURVISIONLEVELSOFPEOPLE

1.Somepeopleneverseeit.(Theyarewanderers.)2.Somepeopleseeitbutneverpursueitontheirown.(Theyarefollowers.)

3.Somepeopleseeitandpursueit.(Theyareachievers.)4.Somepeopleseeitandpursueitandhelpothersseeit.(Theyareleaders.)HubertH.Humphrey isanexampleof“whatyousee iswhatyoucanbe.”

DuringatriptoWashington,D.C.,in1935,hewrotethisinalettertohiswife:“Honey,Iseehowsomeday,ifyouandIjustapplyourselvesandmakeupourminds to work for bigger and better things, we can someday live here inWashingtonandprobablybeingovernment,politics,orservice...Oh,gosh,Ihopemydreamcomestrue—I’mgoingtotryanyhow.”

Allgreatleaderspossesstwothings:one,theyknowwheretheyaregoing,andtwo,theyareabletopersuade

otherstofollow.

YOUSEEWHATYOUAREPREPAREDTOSEE

Thisdealswithperception.KonradAdenauerwascorrectwhenhesaid,“Weallliveunderthesamesky,butwedon’tallhavethesamehorizon.”

AutomobilegeniusHenryFordoncecameupwitharevolutionaryplanforanewkindofengine.WeknowittodayastheV-8.Fordwaseagertogethisgreatnew idea into production.He had somemen drawup the plans and presentedthemtotheengineers.

As the engineers studied the drawings, one by one they came to the sameconclusion.Theirvisionaryboss justdidn’tknowmuchabout the fundamentalprinciples of engineering. He’d have to be told gently—his dream wasimpossible.

Leaderscannevertaketheirpeoplefartherthantheyhavetraveled.Likeleader,likepeople.

Fordsaid,“Produceitanyway.”Theyreplied,“Butit’simpossible.”“Go ahead,”Ford commanded, “and stay on the job until you succeed, no

matterhowmuchtimeisrequired.”

For six months they struggled with drawing after drawing, design afterdesign. Nothing. Another six months. Nothing. At the end of the year, Fordcheckedwithhisengineers,andonceagain they toldhim thatwhathewantedwas impossible.Ford told them tokeepgoing.Theydid.And theydiscoveredhowtobuildaV-8engine.

HenryFordandhisengineersbothlivedunderthesamesky,buttheydidn’tallhavethesamehorizon.

InA Savior for All Seasons,WilliamBarker related the story of a bishopfrom the East Coastwhomany years ago paid a visit to a small,Midwesternreligious college. He stayed at the home of the college president, who alsoservedasprofessorofphysicsandchemistry.Afterdinner thebishopdeclaredthat the millennium couldn’t be far off, because just about everything aboutnaturehadbeendiscoveredandallinventionsconceived.

Theyoungcollegepresidentpolitelydisagreedandsaidhefelt therewouldbemanymorediscoveries.Whentheangeredbishopchallengedthepresidenttoname just one such invention, the president replied hewas certain thatwithinfiftyyearsmenwouldbeabletofly.

“Nonsense!” sputtered the outraged bishop. “Only angels are intended tofly.”

Thebishop’s namewasWright, andhehad twoboys at homewhowouldprove to have greater vision than their father. Their names were Orville andWilbur.Thefatherandhissonsbothlivedunderthesamesky,buttheydidn’tallhavethesamehorizon.

Howcanthisbe?Whyisitthattwopeoplecanbeinthesameplaceatthesametimeandbothseeentirelydifferentthings?It’ssimple.Weseewhatweareprepared to see, not what is. Every successful leader understands this aboutpeople and asks three questions:What do others see; why do they see it thatway;andhowcanIchangetheirperception?

WHATYOUSEEISWHATYOUGET

The following illustration originated in Luis Palau’s book Dream GreatDreams(MultnomahPress,1984).

ThinkabouthowniceandrefreshingitistotasteacoldCoke.Hundredsofmillionsofpeoplearoundtheworldhaveenjoyedthisexperience,thankstothe

visionofRobertWoodruff.DuringhistenureaspresidentofCoca-Cola(1923–1955),Woodruffboldlydeclared,“WewillseethateverymaninuniformgetsabottleofCoca-Colaforfivecentswhereverheisandwhateverthecosts.”WhenWorldWarIIhadended,Woodruffstatedthatbeforehediedhewantedeveryperson in theworld tohave tastedCoca-Cola.RobertWoodruffwasamanofvision!

Withcarefulplanningandalotofpersistence,WoodruffandhiscolleaguesreachedtheirgenerationaroundtheglobeforCoke.

God’sgifttomeismypotential.MygiftbacktoGodiswhatIdowiththatpotential.

WhenDisneyWorld firstopened,Mrs.WaltDisneywasasked tospeakattheGrandOpening,sinceWalthaddied.Shewasintroducedbyamanwhosaid,“Mrs.Disney,IjustwishWaltcouldhaveseenthis.”Shestoodupandsaid,“Hedid,”andsatdown.WaltDisneyknewit.RobertWoodruffknewit.EvenFlipWilsonknewit!Whatyouseeiswhatyouget.

At this point, I feel compelled to ask a question before we go on to thesubject of personal ownership of a vision: “Is my dream going to make adifferenceintheworldinwhichIlive?”

Bobb Biehl, in his book Increasing Your Leadership Confidence, says,“Keep in mind the difference between a winner’s and a loser’s mentality.Winnersfocusonwinningbig—notjusthowtowin,buthowtowinbig.Losers,however,don’tfocusonlosing;theyjustfocusongettingby!”2

Keepaskingyourself,“Survival,success,orsignificance?”Areyoustrivingtosimplysurvive,areyoudreamingaboutsuccess,orareyoureallyouttomakeatrulysignificantdifference?

MoisheRosenteachesaone-sentencementalexercisethat’saneffectivetoolindreaming.Itissimplythis:

IfIhad________________________________________,Iwould________________________________________.

If you had anything you wanted—unlimited time, unlimited money,unlimitedinformation,unlimitedstaff—alltheresourcesyoucouldaskfor,whatwouldyoudo?Youranswertothatquestionisyourdream.Makeitworthwhile.

OnedayLucyandLinushadachickenwishboneandweregoingtopullittomake a wish. Lucy explained to Linus that if he got the bigger half of the

wishbone,hiswishwouldcometrue.Linussaid,“DoIhavetosaythewishoutloud?”Lucysaid,“Ofcourse.Ifyoudon’tsayitoutloud,itwon’tcometrue.”SoLucywent ahead andmade herwish first. She said, “Iwish for four newsweaters, a new bike, a new pair of skates, a new dress, and one hundreddollars.”ThenitwastimeforLinustomakehiswish.Hesaid,“Iwishforalonglifeforallmyfriends,Iwishforworldpeace,Iwishforgreatadvancementsinmedicalresearch.”Aboutthattime,Lucytookthewishboneandthrewitaway.She said, “Linus, that’s the trouble with you. You’re always spoilingeverything.”

PERSONALOWNERSHIPOFAVISIONMyfriendRickWarrensays,“Ifyouwanttoknowthetemperatureofyour

organization,putathermometerintheleader’smouth.”Leaderscannevertaketheirpeoplefartherthantheyhavetraveled.Therefore,thefocusofvisionmustbeontheleader—likeleader,likepeople.Followersfindtheleaderandthenthevision.Leadersfindthevisionandthenthepeople.

I am asked many questions when I speak at leadership conferencesthroughout the country.Oneof themost commonquestions askedby those inleadership positions is: “How do I get a vision for my organization?” Thisquestioniscrucial.Untilitisanswered,apersonwillbealeaderinnameonly.AlthoughIcannotgiveyouavision,Icansharetheprocessofreceivingoneforyouandthosearoundyou.

LOOKWITHINYOU:WHATDOYOUFEEL?

TheodoreHesburghsaid,“Theveryessenceofleadershipisthatyouhaveavision.It’sgottobeavisionyoucanarticulateclearlyandforcefullyoneveryoccasion. You can’t blow an uncertain trumpet.” An “uncertain trumpet” isusuallytheresultofanindividualwhoeitherlacksavisionoris tryingtoleadwith someone else’s dream.Certain trumpet sounds come forth from a leaderwho has birthed a vision from within. There is a vast difference between apersonwithavisionandavisionaryperson.

•Apersonwithavisiontalkslittlebutdoesmuch.

•Avisionarypersondoeslittlebuttalksmuch.•Apersonwithavisionfindsstrengthfrominnerconvictions.•Avisionarypersonfindsstrengthfromoutwardconditions.•Apersonwithvisioncontinueswhenproblemsarise.•Avisionarypersonquitswhentheroadbecomesdifficult.Manygreatpeoplebeganlifeinthepoorestandmosthumbleofhomes,with

little education and no advantages. Thomas Edison was a newsboy on trains.AndrewCarnegiestartedworkat$4amonth,JohnD.Rockefellerat$6aweek.TheremarkablethingaboutAbrahamLincolnwasnotthathewasborninalogcabin,butthathegotoutofthelogcabin.

Demosthenes, the greatest orator of the ancient world, stuttered! The firsttime he tried tomake a public speech, hewas laughed off the rostrum. JuliusCaesarwasanepileptic.Napoleonwasofhumbleparentageandfarfrombeingaborngenius(hestoodforty-sixthinhisclassatthemilitaryacademyinaclassofsixty-five).Beethovenwas deaf, aswasThomasEdison.CharlesDickenswaslame;sowasHandel.Homerwasblind;Platowasahunchback;SirWalterScottwasparalyzed.

Whatgave thesegreat individuals thestamina toovercomeseveresetbacksandbecomesuccessful?Eachpersonhadaninnerdreamthatlitafirethatcouldnotbeextinguished.Greatvisionsbeginasan“insidejob.”NapoleonHillsaid,“Cherish your visions and dreams as they are the children of your soul: theblueprintsofyourultimateachievements.”

LOOKBEHINDYOU:WHATHAVEYOULEARNED?

Apersonwithout experience sees avision idealistically.To this individualthe vision alone is enough. Naively this person casts the vision to others,expecting the dream to do thework and failing to realize that a vision needssupport.Apersonwithexperiencelearnsthatpeoplebuyintotheleaderbeforetheybuy into thevision.Experienced leaders realize thatpeopleare fickleanddreamsarefragile.Experiencehastaughtmetheseprinciplesaboutvision:

•Thecredibilityofavisionisdeterminedbytheleader.•Theacceptanceofavisionisdeterminedbythetimingofitspresentation.

•Thevalueofavisionisdeterminedbytheenergyanddirectionitgives.• The evaluation of a vision is determined by the commitment level ofpeople.

•Thesuccessofavisionisdeterminedbyitsownershipbyboththeleaderandthepeople.

Leonard Lauder, president of Estee Lauder, said, “When a person withexperiencemeetsapersonwithmoney,thepersonwithexperiencewillgetthemoney.Andthepersonwiththemoneywillgettheexperience.”

LOOKAROUNDYOU:WHATISHAPPENINGTOOTHERS?

A little boy attended his first symphonic concert. He was excited by thesplendid hall, the beautiful people in their formal finery, and the soundof thelarge,enthusiasticorchestra.Ofalltheinstrumentsintheorchestra,however,hisfavoritewasthecymbals.Thefirstloud,dramaticcrashofthosebrassdiskswonhimoverwithoutreservation.Henoticed, though, thatmostof theevening thecymbal player stood motionless while the other musicians played. Onlyoccasionallywas the cymbal player called upon tomake his contribution, andeventhenhistimeofglorywasquitebrief.

Aftertheconcert,thelittleboy’sparentstookhimbackstagetomeetsomeofthe musicians. The little fellow immediately sought out the cymbalist. “Say,mister,” he said sincerely, “how much do you need to know to play thecymbals?”Themusicianlaughedandanswered,“Youdon’thavetoknowmuchatall.Youonlyhavetoknowwhen.”

Agoodideabecomesgreatwhenthepeopleareready.Theindividualwhoisimpatientwithpeoplewillbedefective in leadership.Theevidenceofstrengthlies not in streaking ahead, but in adapting your stride to the slower pace ofotherswhilenotforfeitingyourlead.Ifweruntoofarahead,weloseourpowertoinfluence.

LOOKAHEADOFYOU:WHATISTHEBIG

PICTURE?

Thisquestionoftenseparatesleadersfrommanagers.Leadersareconcernedwiththeorganization’sbasicpurpose—whyitexistsandwhatitshouldachieve.They are not preoccupied with the “how to” or nuts-and-bolts aspect of theoperation.

LOOKABOVEYOU:WHATDOESGODEXPECTOFYOU?

RichardE.Daysaid,“Everygoldenerainhumanhistoryproceedsfromthedevotionandrighteouspassionofsomesingleindividual.Therearenobonafidemassmovements;itjustlooksthatway.ThereisalwaysonemanwhoknowshisGodandknowswhereheisgoing.”

God’sgifttomeismypotential.MygiftbacktoGodiswhatIdowiththatpotential. I believegreat leaders sense a “higher calling”—one that lifts themabove themselves.What a terrible waste of life to be climbing the ladder ofsuccessonly to findwhenyou reach the top thatyouwere leaningagainst thewrong building. Great visions are bigger than the person. My definition ofsuccessis:

knowingGodandHisdesiresforme;growingtomymaximumpotential;and

sowingseedsthatbenefitothers.

LOOKBESIDEYOU:WHATRESOURCESAREAVAILABLETOYOU?

Avision shouldbegreater than thepersonwhohas it. Its accomplishmentmust be the result ofmany people bringingmany resources to the job.ManytimesIhavereadthespeechofPresidentJohnF.KennedythatcastthevisionofAmerica landing on the moon during the decade of the ’60s. That dreamcapturedthepeopleandresourcesofourcountryandbecameareality.

Theexperiencedleaderisalwayslookingforotherstomakethedreamcometrue.Mytoppriorityinthevisionforthetwenty-five-million-dollarrelocationofthecongregationIpastoristodevelopandfindwinnerstohelpmakethevisiona reality. I continually evaluate the progress of this relocation project by thecommitment of the people. Too often leaders hesitate to test the commitmentlevelsofthosearoundthem.Whatistheresult?Theyareneversurewheretheproject stands, orwhere their people stand. I rememberwell the conclusions Ifelt when we finished our first four-million-dollar fund-raising effort. Weworkedhard,andIknewwherethepeoplestood.

The leader continually passes on the vision to those who come around,knowingthatdreams,ifpresentedright,arecontagious.

In the movie Tucker: The Man and His Dream, Abe, the bottom-linebusinessmanandbeleagueredbookkeeperforPrestonTucker,whoconceivedaradicalnewautomobile—alow-costcarwithfuelinjector,rear-mountedengine,disc brakes, pop-out windows, seat belts, and aerodynamic design—caughtTucker’sdream.

Despite amisrememberedwarning from hismother, he bought a share ofTucker’sidealism.

Abe thought hismother said, “Don’t get too close to people; you’ll catchtheirdreams.”

Yearslaterherealizedshehadsaidgerms,notdreams.3

CORPORATEOWNERSHIPOFAVISIONAvisionisaclearpictureofwhattheleaderseeshisorhergroupbeingor

doing.AccordingtoasurveyreportedbyLeadershipmagazine,communicatingavisionisoneofthemostfrustratingareasofleadinganorganization.

Recently I was a guest on a radio talk show. The host poured out hisfrustrationtomeduringthebreakconcerningthisveryissue.Hesaid,“Ihaveavisionformypeoplebut find itdifficult to transfer thatvision toothers.”Onefact is true: leaders who effectively communicate goals to their followersachievefarmorethanthosewhodon’t.

Successfulleadersseeonthreelevels:

Level1.Perception:seeingwhatisnowwiththeeyesofrealityLevel2.Probability:seeingwhatwillbewiththeeyesofdiscernment

Level3.Possibility:seeingwhatcanbewiththeeyesofvision

A futurist lives only on Level 3. A forecaster lives only on Level 2. AfollowerlivesonlyonLevel1.AleaderlivesonLevel3,leadsonLevel2,andlistensonLevel1.

For example, an organization sets changing its name as a goal. The greatleader,througheyesofvision,alreadyseesanewnameforthecompany(Level3). That leader, through the eyes of discernment, sees the trend of theorganization (Level 2). The leader knows the direction of the company bylookingthroughtheeyesofreality(Level1).

Surprisingly,visioncastingdoesnotbeginwithLevel3(thebigpicture).ItbeginswithLevel1(thesmallpicture)andwillonlybesuccessfuliftheleadercaninfluenceLevel2(thenextpicture).

UNDERSTANDINGWHATHINDERSAVISION—LEVEL1

Wesee things, not as they are, but aswe are.Therefore,when a vision ishindered, it is usually a people problem. There are ten types of people whousuallyhinderthevisionoftheorganization.

1.LIMITEDLEADERS

Everythingrisesandfallsonleadership.Thatstatementiscertainlytruewithvision casting. A limited leader will either lack the vision or the ability tosuccessfullypassiton.

The primeminister of France once said, “If you are doing big things, youattractbigmen. Ifyouaredoing little things,youattract littlemen.Littlemenusuallycause trouble.”Thenhepaused,shookhisheadsadly,andadded,“Wearehavinganawfullotoftrouble.

2.CONCRETETHINKERS

George Bernard Shaw said, “Some men see things as they are and say,

‘Why?’[concretethinker]Idreamofthingsthatneverwereandsay‘Whynot?’[creativethinker]”

CharlieBrownholdsuphishandsbeforehis friendLucyandsays,“Thesearehandswhichmaysomedayaccomplishgreatthings.Thesearehandswhichmaysomedaydomarvelousworks!Theymaybuildmightybridges,orhealthesick,orhithomeruns,orwritesoul-stirringnovels!Thesearehandswhichmaysomedaychangethecourseofdestiny!”

Lucy, who always sees things as they are, replies, “They’ve got jelly onthem.”

3.DOGMATICTALKERS

Many visions aren’t realized because of strong, dogmatic people. To beabsolutelycertainaboutsomething,onemusteitherknoweverythingornothingaboutit.Mostofthetime,thedogmatistknowsnothingbutconventionallysayssomething.Forexample,“Everything thatcanbe inventedhasbeen invented.”ThatwasCharlesH.Duell,directoroftheU.S.PatentOffice,speakingin1899!Ofcourse,Duellwasnotalone.PresidentGroverClevelandoncecommented(in1905) that “sensible and responsiblewomen do notwant to vote.”Then therewasRobertMiliken,NobelPrizewinnerinphysics,whosaidin1923,“Thereisnolikelihoodmancanevertapthepoweroftheatom.”LordKelvin,presidentofEngland’s Royal Society (a scientific organization), noted in 1885, “Heavier-than-airflyingmachinesareimpossible.”

MyfavoriteisastatementofbaseballgreatTrisSpeaker.Hewasquotedin1921assaying,“[Babe]Ruthmadeabigmistakewhenhegaveuppitching.”

4.CONTINUALLOSERS

Manypeoplelookattheirpastfailuresandfeartheriskofpursuingavision.Theirmotto is, “If at first youdon’t succeed, destroy all evidence that you’vetried.”Theyalsodestroyeveryone’sattempttoevertryagain.

5.SATISFIEDSITTERS

Peoplestriveforcomfort,predictability,andsecurityinlife.Ontheheelsof

comfortcomescomplacency;ofpredictability,boredom;andofsecurity,alackofvision.Anestisgoodforarobinwhileitisanegg.Butitisbadforarobinwhenithaswings.It’sagoodplacetobehatchedin,butit’sapoorplacetoflyin.It’salwayssadwhenpeopledon’twanttoleavethenestsoftheirlives.

In aLeadershipmagazine article, LynnAnderson describedwhat happenswhen people lose their vision. A group of pilgrims landed on the shores ofAmericanearlyfourhundredyearsago.Withgreatvisionandcouragetheyhadcometosettleinthenewland.Inthefirstyear,theyestablishedatown.Inthesecond, they elected town council. In the third, the government proposedbuildingaroadfivemileswestwardintothewilderness.Butinthefourthyear,thepeopletriedtoimpeachthetowncouncilbecausethepeoplethoughtsucharoad into the forest was a waste of public funds. Somehow these forward-lookingpeoplehad lost theirvision.Onceable toseeacrossoceans, theynowcouldnotlookfivemilesintothewilderness.

6.TRADITIONLOVERS

The British have always been good with the patronage system. John F.Barker in Roll Call tells the story that for more than twenty years, for noapparent reason, an attendant stood at the foot of the stairway leading to theHouseofCommons.At last someonecheckedanddiscovered that the jobhadbeenheld in theattendant’s family for threegenerations. It seems itoriginatedwhen the stairs were painted and the current attendant’s grandfather wasassignedthetaskofwarningpeoplenottosteponthewetpaint.

OneBritishnewsman,toldofthesituation,commented,“Thepaintdriedupbutnotthejob.”

7.CENSUSTAKERS

Somepeopleneverfeelcomfortablesteppingoutofthecrowd.Theydesiretobeapartof,not apart from, thegroup.Thesepeoplewillonlyembrace thevisionwhenthemajoritydoes.Theyareneverinfront.

True leadersarealways in theminoritybecause theyare thinkingaheadofthepresentmajority.Evenwhenthemajoritycatchesup,theseleaderswillhavemovedaheadandso,again,willbeintheminority.4

8.PROBLEMPERCEIVERS

Somepeoplecanseeaproblemineverysolution.Usuallyobstaclesarethethingsyouseewhenyoutakeyoureyesoffthegoal.Interestingly,somepeoplethinktheabilitytoseeproblemsisamarkofmaturity.Notso.It’sthemarkofapersonwithoutavision.Thesepeopleabortgreatvisionsbypresentingproblemswithoutanysolutions.

Cardinal JohnHenryNewman said that nothingwould get done at all if amanwaiteduntilhecoulddosomethingsowellthatnoonecouldfindfaultwithit.

9.SELF-SEEKERS

Peoplewho live for themselves are in amighty small business. They alsonever accomplish much. Great goals are only reached by the united effort ofmany.Selfishpeoplearevisionbusters.

10.FAILUREFORECASTERS

Some people have a faculty for touching thewrong keys. From the finestinstrument, theyextractonlydiscord.All their songsare inaminorkey.Theysendthenoteofpessimismeverywhere.Theshadowsdominatealltheirpictures.Their outlook is always gloomy, times are always bad, and money is tight.Everything in them seems to be contracting; nothing in their lives expands orgrows.

ThesepeoplearelikethemanwhogatheredwithmanyothersattheHudsonRivertoseethefirststeamshiplaunched.Hekeptsaying,“They’llnevergethergoing.They’ll never get her going.”But they did.The steamship belched andmovedoutfast.Immediatelythesamemansaid,“They’llnevergetherstopped.They’llnevergetherstopped.”

I love theChineseproverb that states,“Manwhosays, ‘Itcannotbedone’shouldnotinterruptmanwhoisdoingit.”

SETTINGTHEPROPERENVIRONMENT—

LEVEL2

Knowingpeopleandthekeystotheirliveswillallowtheleadertogotothe“nextpicture”inLevel2.It isessential that theleaderbeginto influencewhatwillbeseenbythepeople.Remember,iftheleaderandafewothersseeLevel3,thenonlytheywillknowifLevel2issetcorrectlytotakeothersintothevisionarea.ThefollowingstepswillsetLevel2correctly.

COMEALONGSIDEOFTHEM

Let themseeyourheartbefore they seeyourhope.Peopledon’t carehowmuchyouseeuntiltheyseehowmuchyoucare.Iemphasizeagain:peoplebuyinto the leader before they buy into that leader’s vision. Cultivate trust. Betransparentandpatient.Startwheretheyarebyseeingthroughtheireyes.Seektofindtheirhopesanddreams.Beginbuildingabridgebetweenthevisionoftheorganizationandtheirpersonalgoals.Donecorrectly,bothcanbeaccomplished.Goforthewin-win.Remember,whenyouhelppeoplegetwhattheywant,theywill help you getwhat youwant. This can only be accomplished by buildingstrongrelationshipswithpeople.

PAINTTHEPICTUREFORTHEM

One time I read that a great teacher never strives to explain his vision; hesimply invites you to stand beside him and see for yourself. I agreewith therelationshippartofthisstatement,butIbelievegreatleadersexplaintheirvisionbypaintingapictureforthepeople.JohnW.Patterson,founderofNationalCashRegister,said,“Ihavebeentryingallmylife,firsttoseeformyself,andthentogetotherpeopletoseewithme.Tosucceedinbusinessitisnecessarytomaketheothermanseethingsasyouseethem.Seeing. . .wastheobjective.Inthebroadestsense,Iamavisualizer.”

Every great vision has certain ingredients, and the great leadermakes thepeopleunderstand,appreciate,and“see”them:

Horizon:A leader’s vision of the horizon allows people to see the heights oftheirpossibilities.Each individualwilldeterminehowhighheor shewants to

go.Yourresponsibilityistoputplentyofskyintothepicture.PaulHarveysaidthatablindman’sworldisboundedbythelimitsofhistouch;anignorantman’sworldby the limitsofhisknowledge;agreatman’sworldby the limitsofhisvision.

Sun:Thiselementrepresentswarmthandhope.Lightbringsouttheoptimisminpeople. A prime function of a leader is to keep hope alive. Napoleon said,“Leadersaredealersinhope.”

Mountains:Everyvisionhas itschallenges.EdwinLand, founderofPolaroid,said, “The first thingyoudo is teach theperson to feel that thevision is veryimportantandnearlyimpossible.Thatdrawsoutthedriveinthewinner.”

Birds:Thiselementrepresentsfreedomandthespiritofman.Watchinganeaglerisecausesyoutofeelyourownspiritsoar.“Warsmaybefoughtwithweapons,but it is the spirit of themenwho fight and of themanwho leads that gainsvictory.”5

Flowers: The journey toward the realization of any great vision takes time.Makesurethesceneryincludesreststops—placestosmellflowersandbecomerefreshed mentally and physically. Success is the progressive realization of apredetermined,worthwhilegoal.

Path:Peopleneeddirection,aplace tobegin,andapath to follow.A travelerthrougharuggedcountryaskedhisIndianguide,“Howareyouabletopickyourway over these jagged peaks, by treacherous trails, without ever losing yourdirection?”

Theguideanswered,“Ihavethenearlookandthefarvision.WiththeoneIseewhatisdirectlyaheadofme;withtheotherIguidemycoursebythestars.”6

Yourself: Never paint the visionwithout placing yourself in the picture. Thiswill show your commitment to the vision and your desire to walk with thepeoplethroughtheprocess.Theyneedamodeltofollow.AsWarrenR.AustinsaidinUNWorld,“Ifyouwouldliftme,youmustbeonhigherground.”

Whyshouldaleaderpaintthepictureandplacetheseessentialsinit?Roger

von Oech, in his book, A Kick in the Seat of the Pants, gives an excellentanswer:

Takealookaroundwhereyou’resittingandfindfivethingsthathaveblueinthem.Goaheadanddoit.

Witha“blue”mind-set,you’llfindthatbluejumpsoutatyou:abluebookonthetable,abluepillowonthecouch,blueinthepaintingonthewall,andsoon.

Inlikefashion,you’veprobablynoticedthatafteryoubuyanewcar,youpromptlyseethatmakeofcareverywhere.That’sbecausepeoplefindwhattheyarelookingfor.7

Theleaderhelpsthepeopledevelopthissensitivityandaneyeforknowingwhat to look for. If the picture is painted clearly and shown continually, soonotherswillbegintoseehowtoseehowitfitsintoeverythingtheydo.Theywillhaveavisionmind-set.Thentherewillbeonlyonethinglefttobringthevisionintotheownershipofothers.

PUTTHETHINGSTHEYLOVEINTHEPICTURE

People carry pictures of other people and things they love. Put what isimportant to the people within the frame of the vision and you will havetransferredthevisiontothepeople.

DuringWorldWarII,parachuteswerebeingconstructedby the thousands.Fromtheworkers’pointofview,thejobwastedious.Itinvolvedcrouchingovera sewing machine eight to ten hours a day and stitching endless lengths ofcolorlessfabric.Theresultwasaformlessheapofcloth.Buteverymorningtheworkersweretoldthateachstitchwaspartofalifesavingoperation.Theywereaskedtothinkastheysewedthateachparachutemightbetheonewornbytheirhusbands,theirbrothers,theirsons.

Althoughtheworkwashardandthehourslong,thewomenandthemenonthehomefrontunderstoodtheircontributiontothelargerpicture.8

OPENINGEYESTOPOSSIBILITIES—LEVEL3

Onthislevelweneedtoaskourselveshowtogrowpeopletothesizeofthevision.This represents the one thing the leadermust continually do . . . growpeopletothevisiononcetheyseeit.

ThereareseveralstepsaLevel3leadermusttake.First,theleadermustseek

and findwinners toadd to the team.Thesequalitiesofwinnerswillguide thesearch:

•Winnersarelesssensitivetodisapprovalandrejection—theybrushitoff.•Winnersthink“bottomline.”•Winnersfocusonthetaskathand.•Winnersarenotsuperstitious—theysay,“That’slife.”•Winnersrefusetoequatefailurewithself-worth.•Winnersdon’trestrictthinkingtoestablished,rigidpatterns.•Winnersseethebigpicture.•Winnerswelcomechallengewithoptimism.•Winnersdon’twastetimeinunproductivethought.Once the winners are added to the team, they join others as the major

influencers in the organization.At this point, it is extremely important for theleader to spend timewith the influencers to discover the “keys” to their lives.What is most valued by these influencers should help them through toughpersonal issues;providea timeandplace for them togrow;addvalue to theirfamily and job; assist them in finding their strengths; and plug them into theorganization.

Also,itisveryimportantfortheleadertomentorthesewinners.Theyshouldbeexposedtogreatbooks(pastandpresent),greatplaces,greatevents,andgreatpeople.Theyshouldfindgreatideasinyou,theleader,andtheyshoulddevelopa desire to pursue your interests and vision in an attempt to build amutuallybeneficialrelationship.Whenthisoccurs,youwillfindthatthewinnersnaturallypassonthevisionthatyouholddearforyourorganizationandforthem.

ThesuccessfulLevel3leaderwillseeonthreelevels:1.ThePerceptibleLevel:What isnowseen—theeyesof reality.A leaderlistensonthislevel.

2. The Probable Level: What will be seen—the eyes of discernment. Aleaderleadsonthislevel.

3.ThePossibleLevel:Whatcanbeseen—theeyesofvision.Aleaderlivesonthislevel.

Vision is empowering to the leader who has it. The leader with visionbelievesnotonlythatwhatheenvisionscanbedone,butthat itmustbedone.Therewasastudydoneofconcentrationcampsurvivorsregardingthecommoncharacteristicsofthosewhodidnotsuccumbintheconcentrationcamps.Viktor

Frankl was a living answer to that question. He was a successful Viennesepsychiatrist before the Nazis threw him into such a camp. Years later, whengivinglectures,hewouldsay:

ThereisonlyonereasonwhyIamheretoday.Whatkeptmealivewasyou.Othersgaveuphope.IdreamedthatsomedayIwouldbeheretellingyouhowI,ViktorFrankl,hadsurvivedNaziconcentrationcamps.I’veneverbeenherebefore,I’veneverseenanyofyoubefore,I’venevergiventhisspeechbefore.ButinmydreamsIhavestoodbeforeyouandsaidthesewordsathousandtimes.

Itwas the vision thatmade the difference.As a youngman I learned thispoem.Itisanappropriatewaytoendthischapter.

Ah,greatitistobelievethedream,Aswestandinyouthbythestarrystream.Butagreaterthingistolivelifethrough,Andsayattheend,thedreamcametrue.

Leadersdothatforthemselves,andothers.

I

NINETHEPRICETAGOFLEADERSHIP:

SELF-DISCIPLINEnreading the livesofgreatmen, I foundthat thefirstvictory theywonwasoverthemselves...Self-disciplinewithallofthemcamefirst.”1

TheGreekwordforself-controlcomesfromarootwordmeaning“togrip”or“takeholdof.”Thisworddescribespeoplewhoarewilling togetagripontheirlivesandtakecontrolofareasthatwillbringthemsuccessorfailure.

Aristotleusedthissamewordtodescribe“theabilitytotestdesirebyreason. . . to be resolute and ever in readiness to end natural vent and pain.” Heexplained that peoplewho are not controlled have strong desireswhich try toseducethemfromthewayofreason;buttosucceedtheymustkeepthosedesiresundercontrol.

Once, while conducting a leadership seminar, I defined discipline in thebeginningoflifeasthechoiceofachievingwhatyoureallywantbydoingthingsyou don’t really want to do. After successfully doing this for some time,disciplinebecomesthechoiceofachievingwhatyoureallywantbydoingthingsyounowwant todo!I trulybelievewecanbecomedisciplinedandenjoy it—afteryearsofpracticingit.

All great leaders haveunderstood that their numberone responsibilitywasfortheirowndisciplineandpersonalgrowth.Iftheycouldnotleadthemselves,theycouldnotleadothers.Leaderscannevertakeothersfartherthantheyhavegonethemselves,fornoonecantravelwithoutuntilheorshehasfirsttraveledwithin.Agreatpersonwillleadagreatorganization,butgrowthisonlypossiblewhen the leader is willing to “pay the price” for it. Many potentially giftedleadershavestoppedshortofthepaymentlineandfoundoutthatshortcutsdon’tpayoffinthelongrun.

ThisiswhatEdwinMarkhamhastosayabouthumanworth:

WeareblinduntilweseeThatinthehumanplanNothingisworththemakingIfitdoesnotmaketheman.

WhybuildthesecitiesgloriousIfmanunbuildedgoes?InvainwebuildtheworldUnlessthebuilderalsogrows.2

THEPROCESSFORDEVELOPINGPERSONALDISCIPLINE

FredericktheGreatofPrussiawaswalkingontheoutskirtsofBerlinwhenheencounteredaveryoldmanproceedingintheoppositedirection.

“Whoareyou?”askedFrederick.“Iamaking,”repliedtheoldman.“Aking!”laughedFrederick.“Overwhatkingdomdoyoureign?”“Overmyself,”wastheproudreply.“Reigning”overyourselfrequirespersonaldiscipline.

STARTWITHYOURSELF

AreporteronceaskedthegreatevangelistD.L.Moodywhichpeoplegavehimthemosttrouble.Heansweredimmediately,“I’vehadmoretroublewithD.L.Moodythananymanalive.”ThelateSamuelHoffensteinsaid,“WhereverIgo, I go too, and spoil everything.” And there is the classic Jack Paar line,“Looking back,my life seems to be one long obstacle course,withme as thechiefobstacle.”

Wecannottravelwithoutuntilwefirsttravelwithin.

My observation is that more potential leaders fail because of inner issuesthan outer ones. Eachmonth I teach a leadership lesson tomy staff,which isrecordedliveandsenttootherleadersacrosstheUnitedStates.RecentlyIspokeonthesubject“HowtoGetoutofYourOwnWay.”Atremendousresponsewasreceivedfrommanylisteners,whosaid,“Thelessonwasneededinmylife.Iammyworstproblem!”MostofuscanrelatetothesignIsawinanoffice:“Ifyou

could kick the person responsible formost of your troubles, youwouldn’t beabletositdownforweeks.”

Whenwearefoolish,wewanttoconquertheworld.Whenwearewise,wewant

toconquerourselves.

YourCompetitor

AnenemyIhad,whosefaceIstoutlystrovetoknow,Forhardhedoggedmystepsunseen,whereverIdidgo.Myplanshebalked,myaimshefoiled,heblockedmy

onwardway.

WhenforsomeloftygoalItoiled,hegrimlysaidtome,Nay.OnenightIseizedhimandheldhimfast,fromhimthe

veildiddraw,

Ilookeduponhisfaceatlastandlo...myselfIsaw.

Whenwearefoolish,wewanttoconquertheworld.Whenwearewise,wewanttoconquerourselves.

STARTEARLY

Perhaps the most valuable result of all education is the ability to makeyourselfdothethingyouhavetodo,whenitoughttobedone,whetheryoulikeitornot;itisthefirstlessonthatoughttobelearnedand,howeverearlyaman’strainingbegins,itisprobablythelastlessonthathelearnsthoroughly.

Hardworkistheaccumulationofeasy

thingsyoudidn’tdowhenyoushouldhave.

Myparentsmodeleddisciplineandinsistedthattheirthreechildrendevelopthatlifestyle.Timemanagement,hardwork,persistence,honesty,responsibility,andapositiveattitude, regardlessof thesituation,werealwaysexpectedofus.However, I didn’t appreciate this training until Iwent to college.There I sawmanystudentswhocouldn’tgetagripontheirlivesortheirstudies.Ibegantorealize that I had a decided advantage over others because of the disciplinesalready “undermy belt.” It is true—when you do the things you ought to dowhenyououghttodothem,thedaywillcomewhenyouwilldothethingsyouwant to dowhen youwant to do them.Hardwork is the accumulation of theeasythingsyoudidn’tdowhenyoushouldhave.

Whatyouaregoingtobetomorrow,youarebecomingtoday.

STARTSMALL

Whatyouaregoingtobetomorrow,youarebecomingtoday.Itisessentialto begin developing self-discipline in a small way today in order to bedisciplinedinabigwaytomorrow.

ASmallPlanThatWillMakeaBigDifference

1.Listfiveareasinyourlifethatlackdiscipline.2.Placetheminorderofyourpriorityforconqueringthem.3.Takethemon,oneatatime.4.Secureresources,suchasbooksand tapes, thatwillgiveyouinstructionandmotivationtoconquereacharea.

5. Ask a person who models the trait you want to possess to hold youaccountableforit.

6.Spendfifteenminuteseachmorninggettingfocusedinordertogetcontrolofthisweakareainyourlife.

7.Doafive-minutecheckuponyourselfatmidday.

8.Takefiveminutesintheeveningtoevaluateyourprogress.9.Allowsixtydaystoworkononeareabeforeyougotothenext.10. Celebrate with the one who holds you accountable as you showcontinuedsuccess.

Remember, having it all doesn’tmean having it all at once. It takes time.Startsmallandconcentrateontoday.Theslowaccumulationofdisciplineswillonedaymakeabigdifference.BenFranklin said, “It is easier to suppress thefirstdesirethantosatisfyallthatfollowit.”

STARTNOW

AsJohnHancockFieldsays,“Allworthwhilemenhavegoodthoughts,goodideas, and good intentions, but precious few of them ever translate those intoaction.”

Greatleadersneversetthemselvesabovetheir

followersexceptincarryingoutresponsibilities.

In1976,IndianaUniversity’sbasketballteamwasundefeatedthroughouttheregular season and captured theNCAANationalChampionship.Controversialand colorful coach Bobby Knight led them to that championship. Shortlyafterward, Coach Knight was interviewed on the television show 60Minutes.Thecommentatorsaskedhim,“Whyisit,Bobby,thatyourbasketballteamsatIndianaarealwayssosuccessful?Isitthewilltosucceed?”

“Thewill tosucceedis important,”Knightreplied,“butI’ll tellyouwhat’smore important: It’s thewill toprepare. It’s thewill togoout thereeverydaytrainingandbuildingthosemusclesandsharpeningthoseskills!”

Successdependsnotmerelyonhowwellyoudothethingsyouenjoy,buthowconscientiouslyyouperform

thosedutiesyoudon’t.AbrahamLincoln said, “Iwill get ready, and thenperhapsmychancewill

come.”Toooftenthedisciplineshavenotbeendevelopedandanopportunityis

missed. Charlie Brown of thePeanuts comic strip once said that his life wasmixed up because he missed all of the rehearsals. Before you can become a“star,”youhavetostart.Nowisthebesttime.

ORGANIZEYOURLIFE

“Oneoftheadvantagesofbeingdisorderlyisthatoneisconstantlymakingexcitingdiscoveries.”ThatstatementbyA.A.Milneistrue,butthediscoveriesareusually too late andconsequently anopportunity ismissed.Thenyouas aleader are perceived as being “out of control.” This leads to uncertainty andinsecurityamongfollowers.

Whenyouareorganized,youhavea specialpower.Youwalkwith a suresense of purpose. Your priorities are clear in your mind. You orchestratecomplexeventswithamasterful touch.Thingsfall intoplacewhenyourevealyour plans.Youmove smoothly from one project to the nextwith nowastedmotion.Throughoutthedayyougainstaminaandmomentumasyoursuccessesbuild.Peoplebelieveyourpromisesbecauseyoualwaysfollowthrough.Whenyouenterameeting,youarepreparedforwhatevertheythrowatyou.Whenatlastyoushowyourhand,you’reawinner.

Christopher Robin, in Winnie the Pooh, gives my favorite definition oforganization:“Organizingiswhatyoudobeforeyoudosomething,sothatwhenyoudoit,it’snotallmixedup.”

Hereismytoptenlistforpersonalorganization:

1.SETYOURPRIORITIES

Twothingsaredifficulttogetpeopletodo.Thefirstistodothingsinorderofimportance,andthesecondistocontinuedoingthingsinorderofimportance.WilliamGladstonesaid,“Heisawisemanwhowastesnoenergyonpursuitsforwhichheisnotfitted;andheiswiserstillwhofromamongthethingshecandowell,choosesandresolutelyfollowsthebest.”

Majoreventsinmylife,suchasmyspeakingatconferences,arescheduledayearortwoinadvance.ThelastweekofeachmonthIspendtwohoursplanningmyscheduleforthenextthirtydays.OnpaperIlistallmymajorresponsibilities

according to importance and time needed to accomplish those tasks. Thisbecomes the gauge to help me “keep on track” and keep moving. As eachassignmentiscompletedinitsallottedtime,Icheckitoffmymonthlylist.

2.PLACEYOURPRIORITIESINYOURCALENDAR

Oncethislistiswrittenoutonpaper,Igiveittomypersonalassistant,whowrites it onmy calendar.This protectsme fromoutside pressures that clamordaily formy time. This alsomakesme accountable to someone elsewho canhelpmestayontrack.

3.ALLOWALITTLETIMEFORTHEUNEXPECTED

Thekindsofworkyoudowilldetermine theamountof timeyousetasideforinterruptions.Forexample,themoreyouinteractwithpeople,themoretimeyoumust set aside. I set asideone-half day eachweek inmycalendar for theunexpected.

4.DOPROJECTSONEATATIME

Agoodgeneralfightsonlyononefrontatatime.Thatisalsotrueofagoodleader. A feeling of being overwhelmed is the result of too many projectsclamoringforyourattention.ForyearsIhavefollowedthissimpleprocess:

Itemizeallthatneedstobedone.Prioritizethingsinorderofimportance.Organizeeachproject.Emphasizeonlyoneprojectatatime.

5.ORGANIZEYOURWORKSPACE

Myworkspaceisorganizedintwoplaces:administrativeandcreative.My

administrativeofficeincludesaroomforsmall-groupmeetings,myworkdesk,andadeskformypersonalassistant.Thisallowsmetoconstantlycommunicateany details immediately to my key people. This office contains my calendar,computers, and files, and allows me easy access to administrative help. Mycreative office is separated from everyone. It contains my books, a copymachine,andmywritingfiles.Thissecludedplaceisoff-limitstomystaffandallowsmeaproperenvironmentforthinking,reading,andwriting.

6.WORKACCORDINGTOYOURTEMPERAMENT

If you are a morning person, organize your most important work for themorninghours.Obviously,ifyouarealatestarter,dotheopposite.However,besurenottoallowtheweaknessesofyourtemperamenttoexcuseyoufromwhatyouknowyouneedtodotoworkmosteffectively.

7.USEYOURDRIVINGTIMEFORLIGHTWORKANDGROWTH

MyfathergavemesomegreatadvicethedayIbecamesixteenandreceivedmy driver’s license. Climbing into the passenger side of the car, he placed abookinmyglovecompartmentandsaid,“Son,neverbeinacarwithoutabook.Wheneveryouaredelayedintraffic,youcanpulloutthisbookandread.”Mycar also contains many tapes for me to listen to and a notepad to jot downthoughts.Myhands-freecarphonealsoallowsmetomakecallstopeopleontheway home from work. Recently while driving, I made twenty-one calls andsavedhoursofofficetime.ManytimesItakeastaffpersonwithmesowecandiscuss business and develop a closer relationship. I estimate that the averagepersoncouldachieveeightadditionalhoursofpersonalgrowthandworkineachweekbyusingdrivingtimewisely.

8.DEVELOPSYSTEMSTHATWORKFORYOU

BobbBiehlsays,“Systems—fromto-do listsandcalendars to librariesand

computers—areyourservants.Theyhelpyoudothingsbetterandquicker,andbyimprovingthem,youdecreaseyourtimeexpensesandincreaseyourresults.”Don’tfightsystems.Improvethem.

9.ALWAYSHAVEAPLANFORTHOSEMINUTESBETWEENMEETINGS

Hourscanbesavedbymakingthebestuseofminutes.Ikeepalistofthingstodothatcanbedoneanywhereinveryshortamountsoftime.Therearecallstomake,memostoreplytoorsend,reportstoscan,thank-younotestowrite,andcommunicationstoshare.Keephandyalistofthingsyoucandoinashorttime.

10.FOCUSONRESULTS,NOTTHEACTIVITY

Remember Peter Drucker’s definition of efficiency (doing things right)versus effectiveness (doing the right things)? As you spend time on personalorganization,besuretokeepyourfocusondoingtherightthings,thatis,doingwhatistrulyimportant.Thenusethisruleofthumbfororganizingyouroverallworkstrategy:

Workwhereyouarethestrongest80percentofthetime.Workwhereyouarelearning15percentofthetime.Workwhereyouareweak5percentofthetime.

WELCOMERESPONSIBILITY

Winston Churchill said, “The price of greatness is responsibility.” Toincreaseyourabilitytotakeresponsibility,dothefollowing:

Beresponsibleforwhoyouare.Ibelieveinthis.Infact,I’dlikeyoutoconsiderhow it relates to researchdonebyapsychologistwhostudiedsomepeopleon

thebottom.Thepsychologistvisitedaprisonandaskedvariousinmates,“Whyareyou

here?’ The answers were very revealing, even though expected. There weremany of them: “I was framed”; “They ganged up on me”; “It was a case ofmistaken identity”; “Itwas notme—itwas somebody else.” The psychologistwondered if one could possibly find a larger group of “innocent” peopleanywhereelsebutinprison!

ThatremindsmeofoneofAbrahamLincoln’sfavoritestoriesaboutthemanwhomurdered both his parents and then, when his sentence was about to bepronounced, pleaded formercy on the grounds that hewas an orphan!As thepoliticiansaidtothejudge,“It’snotmyfault,YourHonor,Inevercouldhavedoneallthatstuffifthepeoplehadn’telectedme!”

Be responsible for what you do. It is rare to find a person who will beresponsible,whowillfollowthroughcorrectlyandfinishthejob.Butwhenhalf-finished assignments keep returning to your desk to check up on, verify, edit,and upgrade, obviously someone is failing to take hold of the reins ofresponsibility.

Iamonlyone,ButstillIamone.Icannotdoeverything,ButstillIcandosomething;AndbecauseIcannotdoeverythingIwillnotrefusetodothesomethingthatIcando.3

Be responsible for what you have received. John D. Rockefeller Jr. said, “Ibelieve that every right implies a responsibility; every opportunity, anobligation;everypossession,aduty.”WinstonChurchillsaid,“Itisnotenough

thatwedoourbest;sometimeswehavetodowhat’srequired.”AndJesussaid,“Everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required” (Luke12:48).

Beresponsibletothoseyoulead.Greatleadersneversetthemselvesabovetheirfollowers,exceptincarryingoutresponsibilities.

CoachBoSchembechler tellsabout thethirdgameof the1970season.HisUniversity ofMichiganWolverineswere playingTexasA&Mand they couldnotmovetheball.Allofasudden,DanDierdorf,theiroffensivelineman—whowas probably the best in the country at that time—came rushing over to thesidelines. Fed up with the team’s performance, he yelled at Schembechler infrontofeverybodyonthesidelines.

“Listen,coach!Runeveryplayoverme!Overme!Everyplay!”And theydid.Michiganranoff-tacklesixtimesinarowandmarchedrightdownthefield.Michiganwonthegame.

When the game is on the line, great leaders always take responsibility forleadingtheirteamstovictory.Thisismyfavorite“takeresponsibility”story.

Thesalesmanagerofadog-foodcompanyaskedhis salespeoplehow theylikedthecompany’snewadvertisingprogram.“Great!Bestinthebusiness!”thesalespeopleresponded.

“Howdoyoulikeournewlabelandpackage?”“Great!Bestinthebusiness!”thesalespeopleresponded.“Howdolikeoursalesforce?”Theywerethesalesforce.Theyhadtoadmittheyweregood.“Okay,then,”

said themanager. “Sowe’vegot thebest label, thebestpackage, and thebestadvertisingprogrambeingsoldby thebestsalesforce in thebusiness.Tellmewhyweareinseventeenthplaceinthedogfoodbusiness.”

Therewassilence.Finallysomeonesaid,“It’sthoselousydogs.Theywon’teatthestuff!”

ACCEPTACCOUNTABILITY

Plato said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” Success and powerhaveoftencrowdedoutoftheleader’slifeawillingnesstobecomeaccountableto others.Leaders in all areas of life are increasingly fallingbefore the public

becauseofthisproblem.Whydoesthishappen?

HUMANNATURECANNOTHANDLEUNCHECKEDPOWER

AbrahamLincolnsaid,“Nearlyallmencanstandadversity,butifyouwantto testaman’scharacter,givehimpower.”Powercanbecompared toagreatriver;whilewithinboundsitisbothbeautifulanduseful.Butwhenitoverflowsitsbounds, itdestroys.Thedangerofpower lies in thefact that thosewhoarevestedwith it tend tomake itspreservation their firstconcern.Therefore, theywillnaturallyopposeanychangesintheforcesthathavegiventhemthispower.Historytellsusthatpowerleadstotheabuseofpower,andabuseofpowerleadstolossofpower.

George Bush prayed in his inaugural address of 1989, “For we are givenpowernottoadvanceourownpurposesnortomakeagreatshowintheworld,noraname.Thereisbutoneuseofpower,anditistoservepeople.”

LEADERSCANEASILYBESEPARATEDFROMTHEIRPEOPLE

WhenHarryTrumanwasthrustintothepresidencyatthedeathofFDR,SamRayburngavehimsomefatherlyadvice:“Fromhereonoutyou’regoingtohavelotsofpeoplearoundyou.They’lltrytoputawallaroundyouandcutyouofffromanyideasbuttheirs.They’lltellyouwhatagreatmanyouare,Harry.ButyouandIbothknowyouain’t.”

Hubert H. Humphrey said, “There is no party, no chief executive, noCabinet,nolegislatureinthisoranyothernation,wiseenoughtogovernwithoutconstant exposure to informed criticism.” That is true for any person whooccupiesaleadershipposition.

DEVELOPINTEGRITY

ThebookProfilesofLeadershiprevealstheanswersAmerica’stopbusiness

andgovernment leaders gavewhen askedwhat quality they thoughtwasmostimportanttotheirsuccessasleaders.Theirunanimousanswer:integrity.

Integrityisthehumanqualitymostnecessarytobusinesssuccessaccordingto the 1,300 senior executiveswho responded to a recent survey. Seventy-onepercentput it at the topof a list of sixteen traits responsible for enhancing anexecutive’seffectiveness.Thedictionarydefinesintegrityas“thestateofbeingcomplete,unified.”Whenpeoplehaveintegrity,theirwordsanddeedsmatchup.They arewho they are, nomatterwhere they are orwho they’rewith.Peoplewith integrity are not divided (that’s duplicity) or merely pretending (that’shypocrisy). They are “whole,” and their lives are “put together.” People withintegrityhavenothingtohideandnothingtofear.Theirlivesareopenbooks.

Integrity in a leader must be demonstrated daily in a number of tangibleways.ThesearefivethatIstrivetodemonstratetothoseIlead.1.IwilllivewhatIteach.Decidingwhattobeismoreimportantthandecidingwhat todo.Oftenweaskyoungpeople “What areyougoing todowhenyougrowup?”Butthemoreimportantquestionis,“Whatareyougoingtobe?”Thecharacterdecisionmustbemadebeforeacareerischosen.Walterandadopteditsprinciples:

Earlyinmyyearsofleadership,IreadthispoembyHowardA.

Character

Iwouldbetrue,fortherearethosewhotrustme;Iwouldbepure,fortherearethosewhocare;Iwouldbestrong,fortherearethosewhosuffer;Iwouldbebrave,forthereismuchtodare.Iwouldbefriendofall—thefoe,thefriendless;Iwouldbegiving,andforgetthegift;Iwouldbehumble,forIknowmyweakness;Iwouldlookup,andlaugh,andlove,andlift.

2. Iwilldowhat I say. If Ipromise something toa subordinate, colleague,orsuperior, I want to keep my word. The Center for Creative Leadership inGreensboro, North Carolina, released a study of twenty-one high-potentialexecutiveswhowere terminatedfromtheircompaniesorforcedtoretireearly.

The one universal character flaw or unforgivable sin which always led todownfallwasbetrayingatrust;thatis,notdoingsomethingthatwaspromised.

3. I will be honest with others. If those who work with me ever catch memisrepresenting the facts or covering up a problem, I will instantly losecredibility.Anditwillnotbeeasytorepair.

Dr. William Schultz, a noted psychologist who developed truth-in-management strategies at Proctor andGamble andNASA, believes the key toproductivity is “howwell peoplework together,” andhe believes that nothing“increases compatibility like mutual trust and honesty.” Dr. Schultz says, “Ifpeopleinbusinessjusttoldthetruth,80percentto90percentoftheirproblemswould disappear.” Trust and honesty are the means that allow individuals tocooperatesothattheycanallprosper.

4. I will put what is best for others ahead of what is best for me. Theorganization I lead and those I work with must come first. When I put theorganization’sbestinterestsaheadofmine,Ikeepintegritywiththosewhohiredme. When I put the interest of those I work with ahead of mine, I developfriendshipsandloyalty.BelowistheleadershippyramidthatIhavealwaystriedtofollow.

5.Iwillbetransparentandvulnerable.LongagoIrealizedthatinworkingwithpeople, I have two choices. I can close my arms or I can open them. Bothchoiceshavestrengthsandweaknesses.IfIclosemyarms,Iwon’tgethurt,butIwillnotgetmuchhelpeither.IfIopenmyarms,Ilikelywillgethurt,butIwillalsoreceivehelp.Whathasbeenmydecision?I’veopenedmyarmsandallowedotherstoenjoythejourneywithme.Mygreatestgifttoothersisnotajob,butmyself.Thatistrueofanyleader.

PAYNOW,PLAYLATER

Therearetwopathsthatpeoplecantake.Theycaneitherplaynowandpaylater,orpaynowandplay later.Regardlessof thechoice,one thing iscertain.Lifewilldemandapayment.

Myfathertaughtmethisimportantdiscipline.Eachweekhewouldlayoutthechoresforthenextsevendays.Manyofthemcouldbedoneanytimeduringtheweek.Ourgoalwas tocomplete thembySaturdaynoon. Ifcompleted,wecoulddosomethingfunwiththefamily.Ifnotcompleted,funwasforfeitedandthatindividualstayedhometocompletethechore.Ineededtomissmydeadlineonlyacoupleof timestorealize thatIneededto“payupfront”andfinishmyworkontime.

This lesson has been valuable to me, and I’m teaching it to my children,ElizabethandJoelPorter.Iwantthemtorealizethatthereisnosuchthingasa“freelunch,”thatlifeisnotagift—itisaninvestment.Thesoonertheycantakecontroloftheirdesiresandsubmitthemtolife’sdemands, themoresuccessfultheywill become. JohnFoster said, “Amanwithoutdecisionof character canneverbesaidtobelongtohimself.Hebelongstowhatevercanmakecaptiveofhim.”My friend Bill Klassen often remindsme that “whenwe pay later, thepriceisgreater!”

“I’veneverknownamanworthhissaltwhointhelongrun,deepdowninhis heart, didn’t appreciate the grind, the discipline,” saidVinceLombardi. “Ifirmly believe that any man’s finest hour—this greatest fulfillment to all heholdsdear—is thatmomentwhenhehasworkedhisheartout inagoodcauseandliesexhaustedonthefieldofbattle—victorious.”

BECOMECHARACTERDRIVENINSTEADOFEMOTIONDRIVEN

Mostofthesignificantthingsdoneintheworldweredonebypersonswhowereeithertoobusyortoosick!“Therearefewidealandleisurelysettingsforthedisciplinesofgrowth,”RobertThorntonHendersonsaid.“Ninetypercentoftheworkisdoneinthiscountrybypeoplewhodon’tfeelwell.”

It isnotdoingthethingsweliketodo,butdoingthethingswehavetodo

thatcausesgrowthandmakesussuccessful.JohnLuthersaid,“There’snosuchthing as a perfect job. In any position you’ll find some duties which, if theyaren’tonerousimmediately,eventuallywillbe.”Successdependsnotmerelyonhowwell you do the things you enjoy, but how conscientiously you performthosedutiesyoudon’t.

Tenor Luciano Pavarotti is such a winner. He is often described by hisadmirers as “the new Caruso.” In a newspaper interview, the six-foot, three-hundred-poundtenorasked:“Doyouwanttoknowthehardestthingaboutbeinga singer? It is to sacrifice yourself every moment of your life, with not oneexclusion.Forexample,ifit israining,don’tgoout;eatthis,dothis,sleeptenhoursaday.Itisnotaveryfreelife.Youcannotjumponahorse.Youcannotgotoswim.”

Successfulpeoplearewilling todo thingsunsuccessfulpeoplewillnotdo.Myobservationisthatoneofthosethingsthatmakesadifferenceisthisissueofbeingcharacterdriveninsteadofemotiondriven.Thisisthedifference: CHARACTER-DRIVENPEOPLE: EMOTION-DRIVENPEOPLE:doright,thenfeelgood feelgood,thendorightarecommitmentdriven areconveniencedrivenmakeprinciple-baseddecisions makepopularbaseddecisionsletactioncontrolattitude letattitudecontrolactionbelieveit,thenseeit seeit,thenbelieveitcreatemomentum waitformomentumask,“Whataremyresponsibilities?” ask,“Whataremyrights?”continuewhenproblemsarise quitwhenproblemsarisearesteady aremoodyareleaders arefollowers

ThelateLouisL’Amourisoneofthebest-sellingauthorsofalltime.Nearly230million copies of his books are in print worldwide, and every one of hismorethanonehundredbooksisstillinprint.Whenaskedthekeytohiswritingstyle,heresponded,“Startwriting,nomatterwhat.Thewaterdoesnotflowuntilthefaucetisturnedon.”

That’s a goodword for life. Sometimes,whatwe need to do is just to dosomething.Helpsomeone.Sometimes,justgettingintoactionwillreleasepowerinour lives.Weought toadopt thisasourmottofor life:“Thewaterdoesnotflowuntilthefaucetisturnedon.”

Good character ismore to be praised than outstanding talent.Most talentsare,tosomeextent,gifts.Bycontrast,goodcharacterisnotgiventous.Wehave

tobuilditpiecebypiece—bythought,choice,courage,anddetermination.Thiswillonlybeaccomplishedwithadisciplinedlifestyle.

StephenCoveysaid:IfItrytousehumaninfluencestrategiesandtacticsofhowtogetotherpeopletodowhatI

want,toworkbetter,tobemoremotivated,tolikemeandeachother—whilemycharacterisfundamentallyflawed,markedbyduplicityorinsincerity—then,inthelongrun,Icannotbesuccessful.MyduplicitywillbreeddistrustandeverythingIdoevenusingso-calledgoodhumanrelationstechniqueswillbeperceivedasmanipulative.

Itsimplymakesnodifferencehowgoodtherhetoricisorevenhowgoodtheintentionsare:ifthereislittleornotrustthereisnofoundationforpermanentsuccess.Onlybasicgoodnessgiveslifetotechnique.4

T

TENTHEMOSTIMPORTANTLESSONOF

LEADERSHIP:STAFFDEVELOPMENT

hegrowthanddevelopmentofpeople is thehighest callingof leadership.Chapter7emphasizedthegeneraldevelopmentofpeople.Thischapterwill

centeronthedevelopmentofastaff,butitisimpossibletogointodepthonthisimportant subject inonechapter.The intentof thisbook is tohelp establish aleadershipfoundation.Therefore,IhavedealtonlywithbasicsinthehopethatIcanhelpyoudeveloptheleaderinyou.Iwillwriteanotherbookthatwillenableyoutodeveloptheleadersaroundyou.

WhenIturnedforty,Ibegantoreviewmylife.ImadealistofallthethingsIwasdoingatthattime.Mylistincluded:

seniorpastorofacongregationof3,500attenders;oversightanddevelopmentofthirteenpastors;president of Injoy, Inc., a company that develops resource materials for

thousandsofpeople;a national and international speaking schedule with over four hundred

engagementsannually;producingamonthlyleadershiptapeforInjoyLifeClubsubscribers;writing

abookeveryeighteenmonths;workingonanothereducationdegree;andmostimportant—takingenoughtimeformywife,Margaret,andourtwo

children,ElizabethandJoelPorter.Afterwritingoutmylist,myconclusionwastwofold:Ididn’thaveanymore

hours, and therefore I couldn’t work any harder; and my future growth inproductionwouldbedeterminedbymyabilitytoworkthroughotherpeople.

These two realities enabledme to search for and find the most importantleadershiplessonI’veeverlearned:

THOSECLOSESTTOTHELEADERWILLDETERMINE

THELEVELOFSUCCESSFORTHATLEADER.

NiccolòMachiavellisaid,“Thefirstmethodforestimatingtheintelligenceofaruleristolookatthemenhehasaroundhim.”I’mnotcertainthissubjectisanissueofIQ,butIamsurethatitisatestofleadership.Leaderswhocontinuetogrowpersonallyandbringgrowthtotheirorganizationswillinfluencemanyanddevelop a successful team around them. The better the players, the better theleader. Few people are successful unless a lot of people want them to be.AndrewCarnegiesaid,“Itmarksabigstepinyourdevelopmentwhenyoucometo realize that other people can help you do a better job than you could doalone.”

Belowisanillustrationofwhatcanhappentoanorganizationwhenthekeyplayersslightlyincreasetheirpotentialwhiletheyworkforthesameteam.

3x3x3x3x3=243+25%increaseindividually4x4x4x4x4=1024+400%increasetogether

A great leader develops a team of people who increase production. Theresult? The leader’s influence and effectiveness begin to multiply (workingthrough others) instead of adding (working by oneself). That no man cansincerely try to help another without helping himself is, according to RalphWaldoEmerson,oneofthemostbeautifulcompensationsofthislife.

David Jackson, founder and chief executive officer of Altos ComputerSystems,said,“Inmyexperience, thereal turningpoint inacompany iswhenyougo fromone to twopeople.Then, at least, there’s someone to answer thephonewhileyoueatyourlunch.”

Allleadershave“warstories”ofbadexperiencesinleadinganddevelopingstaff. Perhaps this humorous illustration will help us laugh about our pastexperiencesandallowustogetasecondwindtobeginbuildingawinningteamaroundus:

Asnearlyeveryoneknows,a leaderhaspracticallynothing todoexcept todecidewhatistobedone;tellsomebodytodoit;listentoreasonswhyitshouldnotbedoneorwhyitshouldbedoneinadifferentway;followuptoseeifthethinghasbeendone;discoverthatithasnot;inquirewhy;listentoexcusesfromthepersonwhoshouldhavedoneit;followupagaintoseeifthethinghasbeen

done,onlytodiscoverthatithasbeendoneincorrectly;pointouthowitshouldhavebeendone;concludethataslongasithasbeendone,itmayaswellbeleftwhereitis;wonderifitisnottimetogetridofapersonwhocannotdoathingright;reflect that thepersonprobablyhasaspouseandalargefamily,andanysuccessorwouldbe just asbadandmaybeworse; considerhowmuch simplerand better matters would be now if he had done it himself in the first place;reflect sadly thathecouldhavedone it right in twentyminutes,and,as thingsturnedout,hehashadtospendtwodaystofindoutwhyithastakenthreeweeksforsomebodyelsetodoitwrong.

Inspiteofall theproblemsthatariseinthedevelopmentofstaff, twofactsare certain. First, only as we develop a team do we continually succeed. AChineseproverb says, “Ifyouareplanning foroneyear,grow rice. Ifyouareplanning for twenty years, grow trees. If you are planning for centuries, growmen.”Second,onlyaswedevelopateamdowecontinuallymultiply.

APICTUREOFAWINNINGTEAM

Winningteams....•havegreatleaders•pickgoodpeople•playtowin•makeotherteammembersmoresuccessful•keepimproving

WINNINGTEAMSHAVEGREATLEADERS

Everything rises and falls on leadership. There are two ways you can getotherstodowhatyouwant:Youcancompelthemtodoit,oryoucanpersuadethem. Compulsion is themethod of slavery; persuasion is themethod of freemen.

Persuading requires an understanding ofwhatmakes people tick andwhat

motivatesthem,thatis,aknowledgeofhumannature.Greatleaderspossessthatknowledge.

In a recent survey, seventy psychologists were asked: “What is the mostessential thingforasupervisor toknowabouthumannature?”Two-thirdssaidthatmotivation—anunderstandingofwhatmakespeoplethink,feel,andactastheydo—isuppermost.

If you understand what motivates people, you have at your command themostpowerfultoolfordealingwiththem.

People Management has been studying the personal histories of tens ofthousands of people since 1961. They found that, without exception, peoplerepeat a pattern of behavior every time they accomplish something they thinktheydowelland finddeeplysatisfying.Theyalso found thatexcellent leadersunderscorethisbehaviorinthefollowingways.

EXCELLENTLEADERSCREATETHERIGHTENVIRONMENT

Theybelieveintheirteam.Thiscreatesanenvironmentforsuccess.Thebestwaytogainandholdtheloyaltyofyourpersonnelistoshowinterestinandcareforthembyyourwordsandactions.SamWaltonsaid,“Outstandingleadersgooutof theway toboost theself-esteemof theirpersonnel. Ifpeoplebelieve inthemselves,it’samazingwhattheycanaccomplish.”

EXCELLENTLEADERSKNOWBASICHUMANNEEDS

Paul “Bear” Bryant, the legendary football coach at the University ofAlabama,saidtherearefivethingswinningteammembersneedtoknow:

1.whatisexpectedfromeachone;2.thateachwillhaveanopportunitytoperform;3.howeachoneisgettingalong;4.thatguidancewillbegivenwhereeachneedsit;and5.thateachwillberewardedaccordingtohiscontribution.

EXCELLENTLEADERSKEEPCONTROLOFTHE“BIG3”

Anyleaderwhowantstoplayanactiveroleinallareasoftheorganizationmaybe tempted to takeon toomanyresponsibilities.However, threeareasarecrucialtotheleader’sauthorityandsuccess:

1. Finance: because the finance staff is a prime means of exercisingexecutivecontrolinanyorganization.

2. Personnel: because the selection of people will determine theorganization.

3.Planning:becausetheplandeterminesthefutureoftheorganization.

EXCELLENTLEADERSAVOIDTHE“SEVENDEADLYSINS.”

1.Tryingtobelikedratherthanrespected.2.Notaskingteammembersforadviceandhelp.3.Thwartingpersonaltalentbyemphasizingrulesratherthanskills.4.Notkeepingcriticismconstructive.5.Notdevelopingasenseofresponsibilityinteammembers.6.Treatingeveryonethesameway.7.Failingtokeeppeopleinformed.T.BoonePickenssaid,“Therearemanywaystoavoidmistakes,butthebest

way to sidestep thedisasters is tobeavailable.Youdon’thave tomakeeverydecision,butyoushouldalwaysbeaccessible.Ifyourpeoplearesmart,theywillkeepyouinformed,andifyou’reinformed,you’reapartofthedecision.Withthat inplace, it’s easy foryou tobackyourpeople and that eliminates secondguessing.”

WINNINGTEAMSPICKGOODPEOPLE

Whenbuildingthestaffforhisnewlyconceivedcomputercompany,H.RossPerothiredthebestpeoplehecouldfind.Hismottois,“Eaglesdon’tflock.Youhave to find themoneat a time.”Hewas saying thatyoucan’tbuilda strongteamonweakindividuals.

Adlai E. Stevenson said that there are only three rules of soundadministrators:Pickgoodpeople,tellthemnottocutcorners,andbackthemtothelimits.Pickinggoodpeopleisthemostimportant.

BobbBiehlsaysthatfrom60to80percentofthesuccessofanycompanyororganizationisattributabletothreefactors:

•acleardirection•therightteamofplayers•soundfinancesThat’swhyfewthingsareasimportantasputtingtherightpeopleintheright

places.RecentlyIreadahumorousarticleentitled“WhoNottoHire.”Itsaidnever

hireanyone...• who is accompanied by his or her (a) slave, (b) attorney with a taperecorder,(c)bodyguard,(d)teddybear,(e)policeescort,(f)mother.

•whobrags about being smarter than any three of the jerks he or she hasworkedforpreviously.

•whoserésumérunslongerthanfortypages.•whoserésuméisprintedincrayon.•whohissesatyourquestions.•whooccasionallylapsesintopiglatin.•whobreaksintowrackingsobswhenaskedtonameapersonalreference.•whoisunabletodecidehairandeyecolors.•whois,bycourtorder,onpermanentintravenoussedation.•whotriestoimpressyouwithhisorherrepertoireof“knockknock”jokes.•who,undersalaryrequirements,scrawls,“Iwantitallnow!”While you’re laughing, remember that Murphy’s Law would seem to

conclude that the ideal résuméwill turnuponedayafter theposition is filled!Still,gettingtherightpeopleintherightplacesiscrucialtothesuccessofyourorganization.Therearefiveprinciplesforpickingpeoplethatwillhelpyougetthebestcandidatesonyourteam.

1.THESMALLERTHEORGANIZATION,THEMOREIMPORTANTTHEHIRING

Smallorganizationsoftenmakethemistakeofthinkingthattheycangetbywith inferior staffmembers because they are small. The opposite is true. In afirmofonehundredemployees,ifoneisinferior,thelossisonly1percent.Butiftheorganizationhasapayrolloftwo,andoneisinferior,thelossis50percent.However, the bright side is that it’smuch easier to pick one excellent personthanahundred.

2.KNOWWHATKINDOFPERSONYOUNEED(PERSONALREQUIREMENTS)

Listedbelowarethe“Top20”personalrequirementsIlookforinapotentialstaffmember:

1. Positive attitude—the ability to see people and situations in a positiveway.

*2. High energy level—strength and stamina to work hard and not weardown.

3.Personalwarmth—amannerthatdrawspeopletothem.4. Integrity—trustworthy, good solid character, words and walk areconsistent.

5. Responsible—always “comes through,” no excuses; job delegated-jobdone.

6.Goodself-image—feelsgoodaboutself,others,andlife.*7.Mentalhorsepower—abilitytokeeplearningasthejobexpands.8.Leadershipability—hashighinfluenceoverothers.9. Followership ability—willingness to submit, play team ball, and followtheleader.

*10.Absenceofpersonalproblems—personal,family,andbusinesslifeareinorder.

11.Peopleskills—theabilitytodrawpeopleanddevelopthem.

12.Senseofhumor—enjoyslife,failstotakeselftooseriously.*13.Resilience—ableto“bounceback”whenproblemsarise.*14. Track record—has experience and success, hopefully in two ormoresituations.

15.Greatdesire—hungersforgrowthandpersonaldevelopment.16.Self-discipline—willingto“paytheprice”andhandlesuccess.17.Creativity—abilitytoseesolutionsandfixproblems.18.Flexibility—notafraidofchange;fluid;flowsastheorganizationgrows.19. Sees “Big Picture”—able to look beyond personal interest and see thetotalpicture.

*20.Intuitive—abletodiscernandsenseasituationwithouttangibledata.

3.KNOWWHATTHEJOBREQUIRES

A job has certain characteristics that require specific skills and personalitytraits.Thesetengeneralquestionswillhelpaleaderpicktherightperson.Doesthejobrequire...

1.anup-frontorabehind-the-scenesperson?2.ageneralistoraspecialist?3.aproduceroramaintainer?4.apeoplepersonorapaperperson?5.aleaderorasupporter?6.aveteranorarookie?7.acreativethinkeroranabstractthinker?8.constantsupervisionorlittlesupervision?9.ateamplayeroranindividual?10.short-termcommitmentorlong-termcommitment?Themore you know about the kind of person you need andwhat the job

requires,thegreateryouroddsofhiringtherightindividual.KurtEinstrensays,“Hiringthewrongpersonscostsyourcompanyatleasttwoyears’salary.Manytimes there is a much higher price that is paid, not in cash, but strainedrelationships,badPR,andlackoftrust.”

OftenIamaskedinleadershipconferences,“Howdoyouknowwhichstaff

person to hire?” I always laugh and say, “You never know for sure,” andmytrackrecordunderscoresthatcomment!ThesearesomeguidelinesIhavetriedtofollowwhenlookingforstaff:

•Knowwhatyouneedbeforeyoustartlookingforsomeone.•Taketimetosearchthefield.•Callmanyreferences.•Haveseveralinterviews.•Includeyourassociatesinsomeoftheinterviewsandaskfortheirinput.•Interviewthecandidates’spouses.•Checkoutthecandidates’trackrecords.•Ifpossible,haveatrialruntoseeifthejobandthepotentialstaffmatch.• Ask hard questions, such as, “Why did you leave?”; “What can youcontribute?”;“Areyouwillingtopaytheprice?”

•Trustyourinstincts.There isonlysomuchyoucanputonpaper. If it looksgoodonpaperbut

feelsbadinside,goslowly.Infact,backoffandletanassociatetakeover;thencompareconclusions.Personally,Ionlyhireapersonifitlooksgoodandfeelsgood.

4.KNOWWHATTHEPOTENTIALSTAFFMEMBERWANTS

People work harder, stay longer, and do better on the job when they likewhattheydo.Realizingthistruth,Ialwaysmakesurethepotentialteamplayerfeelsgoodaboutmeastheleader,theotherplayersontheteam,andthevisionandrequirementsoftheteam.Ialwayssaytothem,“Don’tcomeunlessitfeelsright.”Iknowthatnoamountofmoney,attention,privileges,andpromiseswillmotivateastaffmemberwhoreallydoesnotwant tobeontheteam.It isalsoimportantthatthespouse“feelsgood”aboutthejob.Positivefeelingsofastaffmemberwillslowlydisappearifthespouseisunhappy.

5.WHENYOUCANNOTAFFORDTOHIRETHEBEST,HIRETHE

YOUNGWHOAREGOINGTOBETHEBEST

Then:

Believeinthem—thatwillencouragerisk.Showthem—thatwillbuildrespect.Lovethem—thatwillstrengthenrelationships.Knowthem—thatwillpersonalizedevelopment.Teachthem—thatwillenhancegrowth.Trustthem—thatwilldeveloployalty.Expandthem—thatwillprovidechallenges.Liftthem—thatwillensureresults.

WINNINGTEAMSPLAYTOWIN

The difference between playing to win and playing to not lose is thedifferencebetweensuccessandmediocrity.IgrewupinOhioandbecameafanofBigTenfootball.Over theyears Iobserved thatBigTen teamsusually lostthe “big game” every year at the Rose Bowl. Why? Were Pac Ten teamsconsistentlybetter?No,themarginofvictorywasnotaresultoftalent.Itwasaresult of how each team approached the game. Big Ten teams playedconservatively, trying not to lose. Pac Ten teams playedwide open, trying towin.

Eachtimenewstaffmembersjoinourteam,Igivethemeachaplaqueandaskthemtodisplayitonthewalloftheiroffices.Thewordsontheplaqueread,“I don’t have to survive.” At the presentation, I encourage them to be not-survivors. I remind themto takerisks,make toughdecisions, liveon theedge,andmake a difference. Peoplewho play it safe continuallymiss opportunitiesand seldom make progress. It’s the same way in baseball—you cannot stealsecondbasewithyourfootonfirst!

Thisisafavoritepoemofmine.Itdescribesthosebland,safepeople.

TherewasaverycautiousmanWhoneverlaughedorplayed.Heneverrisked,henevertried,Heneversangorprayed.Andwhenheonedaypassedaway,

Andwhenheonedaypassedaway,Hisinsurancewasdenied.Forsinceheneverreallylived,Theyclaimedheneverreallydied.

ArecentsurveyofworkersacrosstheUnitedStatesrevealedthatnearly85percentofthoseinterviewedsaidtheycouldworkharderonthejob.Morethanhalfclaimedtheycoulddoubletheireffectiveness“iftheywantedto.”1Winningteams are seldommore talented than losing teams. But they are alwaysmorecommitted. They want to win. They pay the price and go after victory. Thecrowd in the bleachers may wonder how they got so lucky, but the teammembersknowtheyplayedtowin.

WINNINGTEAMSMAKETHEIRTEAMMEMBER

MORESUCCESSFUL

In otherwords, because of the othermembers of the team, each player isbetterthantheplayerwouldbeifheorsheplayedalone.VinceLombardi,oneoftheall-timegreatheadcoaches,said,“Startbyteachingthefundamentals.Aplayer’sgottoknowthebasicsofthegameandhowtoplayhisposition.Next,keep him in line.That’s discipline.Themen have to play as a team, not as abunchofindividuals...Thenyou’vegottocareforoneanother.You’vegottoloveeachother...Mostpeoplecallitteamspirit.”2

Robert W. Keidel said that trying to change individual and/or corporatebehavior without addressing the larger organizational context is bound todisappoint.Sooneror laterbureaucratic structureswill consumeeven themostdeterminedofcollaborativeprocesses.AsWoodyAllenoncesaid,“Thelionandthelambmayliedowntogether,butthelambwon’tgetmuchsleep.”

What todo?Workon the lionaswell as the lambbydesigning teamworkinto the organization. Although the Boston Celtics have won sixteenchampionships,theyhaveneverhadtheleague’sleadingscorerandneverpaidaplayer based on his individual statistics. The Celtics understand that virtuallyeveryaspectofbasketballrequiresclosecollaboration.

Therearesignificantwaystoengageinbetterteambuilding.

KNOWTHEKEYTOEACHPLAYER

Everyindividualhasapersonalagenda,the“realreason”heorshewantstobeontheteam.Thatpersonalagendaisthekeytomotivatingeachplayer.

MAPOUTATEAMMISSION

Lay out the vision. Develop organizational mottoes, names, symbols, andslogans.Thiswillencourageprideinteammemberships.

DEFINETHEROLEOFEACHPLAYER

This will help avoid unnecessary rivalries by clearly identifying eachperson’s rolewithin thegroup.Thiswill alsoavoid the“fairness” issue that iscommonwithstaffs.Eachplayerwillbeappreciatedforhisorhercontributiontotheteam.

CREATEAGROUPIDENTITY

Establish your groups’ worth by examining and promoting its history andvalues.Creatememoriestogetherasagroup.

USELIBERALDOSESOF“WE”AND“OUR”

Teambuildinginvolvesgettingthememberstofeelasenseofownershipinwhattheyaredoingasagroup.Whenthegrouphasdonewell,itisimportanttopraisetheentireeffortwithoutsinglingoutindividuals.

COMMUNICATEWITHEVERYONE

Don’t be a fact hog.Share informationwith everyonewho is affected, notwith just thekeyplayers.Peopleareusually“downon”what theyarenot“upon.”Asaleader,youwillknowyouhavesucceededwhenthemembersofyour

teamputtheinterestsofthegroupovertheirown.Doyou recallwhenEdmundHillary andhisSherpaguide,Tenzing,made

their historic climb of Mount Everest? Coming down from the peak, Hillarysuddenly lost his footing. Tenzing held the line taut and kept themboth fromfallingbydigginghisaxeintotheice.LaterTenzingrefusedanyspecialcreditforsavingHillary’slife;heconsidereditaroutinepartofthejob.Asheputit,“Mountainclimbersalwayshelpeachother.”

WINNINGTEAMSKEEPIMPROVING

Wheneveranorganizationisthroughimproving,it’sthrough!Whyisitthataprofessionalfootball,basketball,orbaseballteamseldomrepeatsastheworldchampion inconsecutiveyears?Mainly, it’sbecauseof the temptation tokeepalltheplayers,practices,andstrategiesthesameasthepreviousyear.Toomanythink that if they “stay put,” they can stay on top. That’s not true. Either thecurrent players must keep growing and improving, or potentially better onesmustbebroughtintotheorganization.Continuedsuccessisaresultofcontinuedimprovement.

Thefirstobjectiveoftheleaderistodeveloppeople,nottodismissthem.Studies have shown that day-to-day coaching, rather than comprehensive

annual appraisals, ismost effective for improving performance.This coachingprocess has two crucial components: setting specific objectives and holdingfrequentprogressreviews.

Objectives should specify end results, the exact extent of achievement themanagerexpects,andshouldbetiedtoatimetable.Howmanyobjectivesshouldtheemployeebegiven?Inourexperience,afewarebetterthantoomany.Ifthesubordinate is overloaded, expecting all the objectives to be accomplished isunreasonable.Remember,theobjectivesaretheprimarymeasuringstick.

Byendresults,wemeanwhatshouldbeobservablydifferentasaresultofthesubordinate’sperformanceonthejob.Alltoooftenemployeesexpecttobeevaluatedon thebasisofhowmucheffort theyareputting into the job, ratherthanwhattheyareaccomplishing.Thisisespeciallytrueofweakperformers.Itiscriticalthatthemanagermakeclearthatcertainoutcomesareexpectedandthesubordinatewillbeheldaccountableforthem.Themanagershouldmakeeveryeffort to setmutually acceptable goals. If there is disagreement, however, the

manager must unhesitatingly insist upon setting the objectives. Remember:performance,notjusteffort,istheyardstickformeetingobjectives.

Frequent progress reviews accomplish three things. First, they serve as acontinual reminder that reaching the objectives is important to the person’scareer. Second, reviews give the manager a chance to recognize positivemovementtowardobjectives.Third,ifprogressisnotforthcoming,themanagercan listen to the reasons for lack of performance and attempt to get thesubordinateontrack.Thereviewbecomesaproblem-solvingsession.

Whether or not the employeemakes progress, holding reviewspermits themanager or boss to remain in control of the process.3 If you havemore thanthree people reporting to you right now, chances are you are unhappywith atleastoneofthem.Thesituationusuallyhasoneormoreoftheseelements:

•Thepersonisnotdoingatop-notchjob,butnotaterribleoneeither;soyoukeephimorheraround.

• Finding someone else who can do the job means interviewing, hiring(takingarisk),andthentrainingthenewperson.Youdonothavetimeforthateither.

•Thepersondefinitelyisnotdoingthejob,butyoulikehimorher(ormorelikelyyoufeelsorryforhimorher).

•Youdon’t quite have all thedocumentationyouneed to fire this person.Your last review was too flowery, and you have not really said howunhappyyouarewiththeindividual’swork.

Theresult?Nothinghappens.Butkeepinmindthatyouandthepersonwhoneeds to be dismissed are not the only two people in the equation.What toomanyleadersfailtorealizearethefacts:

•Thesituation iswell-known tootherworkers in theorganization.Noonecankeepbelow-parperformanceasecret.

• Your failure to fire will have a detrimental effect on your career. As aleader,yourfirstandgreatest responsibility is to theorganizationand itshighestgood.Whenever aperson’s leadershippositionputs thepersonalagenda of himself or herself ahead of the organization, that leader is aliability.

•Themoraleoftheotheremployeessuffersbecauseyoukeepthebelow-parperformeronthepayrollwhileeveryoneelseispullingmorethanenoughweight.

Remember,itisn’tthepeopleyoufirewhomakeyourlifemiserable;it’stheones you don’t. If you have serious doubts about a staff member and haveworkedwithhimorherwithoutsuccess,itisbettertohavethatpersonworkingsomewhereelse.

How can dismissing a person be handled correctly? Bobb Biehl says theessence of doing it right is in maintaining this perspective: “When youappropriately fire a person from a position in which he is failing, you areactually releasinghimfrom that failure—and freeinghim toseekaposition inwhichhecanfindsuccess.Withaproperrelease,it’sevenpossibletoinstillinapersontheexcitementthatcomesfromanticipatinganewadventure.”

Obviously the optimum scenario is to interview well, hire well, and thenbegin todevelopyourstaff to reach their—andyour—greatestpotential.Therearethreephasesofpotential:

1.Imaximizemypotential(Ipourmyenergyintomyself).2.Imaximizethepotentialofothers(Ipourmyenergyintokeypeople).3.Theymaximizemypotential(theypourtheirenergyintome).Producersexcelonlyatphase1.Leadersexcelatphases1and2.Fortunateleadersexcelatphases1and2andexperiencephase3.Let’s take amoment now to stop and consider your strengths as a leader.

Thisevaluationwillallowyou to review thoseareasof importance toa leaderwe’vediscussedinthepagesofthisbook,whilereinforcingtheareasyouneedtoemphasizeinyourdevelopment.Justcirclethenumberthatcorrespondswithhowyouseeyourability,rightnow.

1 2 3 4 5

Mastered Strong Satisfactory Needsgrowth Difficult

CommonStrengthsOutstandingLeadersShare

DREAMING12345Neverletgoofadreamuntilyou’rereadytowakeupandmakeithappen.

Inworkingwithleaders,Ihaveoftenaskedmyself,“Doesthemanmakethedream,ordoesthedreammaketheman?”Myconclusion:bothareequallytrue.

GOALSETTING12345Agoalisadreamwithadeadline.

Ifyoudon’tknowwhatyouwantandwhereyouaregoing,youwillgetnexttonothingandendupnowhere.

INFLUENCING12345The very essence of all power to influence lies in getting the other person toparticipate.

Peopledonotcarehowmuchyouknowuntiltheyknowhowmuchyoucare.

PERSONALORGANIZATION12345“Organizingiswhatyoudobeforeyoudosomething,sothatwhenyoudoit,it’snotallmixedup.”—ChristopherRobininWinniethePooh.

PRIORITIZING12345“Heisawisemanwhowastesnoenergyonpursuitsforwhichheisnotfitted;andhe iswiser stillwho, fromamong the thingshe candowell, chooses andresolutelyfollowsthebest.”—WilliamGladstone

PROBLEMSOLVING12345“Themajoritysee theobstacles; thefewsee theobjectives;historyrecords thesuccesses of the latter, while oblivion is the reward of the former.”—AlfredArmandMontapert

RISKTAKING12345Risksarenottobeevaluatedintermsoftheprobabilityofsuccess,butintermsofthevalueofthegoal.

DECISIONMAKING12345Yourdecisionswillalwaysbebetterifyoudowhatisrightfortheorganizationratherthanwhatisrightforyourself.

CREATIVITY12345Thereisalwaysabetterway...yourchallengeistofindit.

“Man’s mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its originaldimensions.”—OliverWendallHolmes

HIRING/FIRING12345“There are only three rules of sound administration: pick good [people], tellthemnottocutcorners,andbackthemtothelimit.Pickinggood[people]isthemostimportant.”—AdlaiE.Stevenson

“Whenyouappropriatelyfireapersonfromapositioninwhichheisfailing,you are actually releasing him from that failure—and freeing him to seek apositioninwhichhecanfindsuccess.”—BobbBiehl

EVALUATION12345People who reach their potential spend more time asking, “What am I doingwell?”ratherthan“WhatamIdoingwrong?”

The person who knows how will always have a job; but the person whoknowswhywillalwaysbetheboss.

Ifyouarestronginorifyouhavemasteredfourareas,youareonLevel#1.Ifyouarestronginorifyouhavemasteredeight,youareonLevel#2.Ifyouarestrong in or if you have mastered every area, you are on Level #3, and thatmeans you have a strong support team that has allowed you to grow beyondyourself.

At this point inmy life, I am fortunate to be living on the Level #3. I’vegrownbeyondmyownresourcesandammultiplyinginsteadofaddingbecauseof those closest to me. I will be forever grateful to them. With them I willcontinuetolead.BecauseofthemIwillcontinuetogrow.

Someofthesepreciouspeopleare:Margaret Maxwell—my wife and best friend. Marrying her is the bestdecisionIevermade.

StephenF.Babby—mycolleagueandthewisestpersonIknow.DickPeterson—myclosefriend,whosegoalinlifeistohelpme.DanReiland—myexecutivepastor,whoseloyaltyandenergyareunequaled.Barbara Brumagin—my personal assistant, who has a servant’s heart andsuperiorskills.

Melvin Maxwell—my father, who is my hero in life and mentor inleadership.

*These things probably cannot be taught. The others can be taught with apropermentor,environment,andwillingnessby thestaffmember.Mostof thequalitiesintheabovelistcanbeevaluatedwithacoupleofinterviewsandtests.

EPILOGUE

Thisworldneedsleaders...whouse their influenceat the right times for the right reasons;who takealittlegreatershareoftheblameandalittlesmallershareofthecredit;

wholeadthemselvessuccessfullybeforeattemptingtoleadothers;

whocontinuetosearchforthebestanswer,notthefamiliarone;

whoaddvaluetothepeopleandorganizationstheylead;whoworkforthebenefitofothersandnotforpersonalgain;whohandlethemselveswiththeirheadsandhandleotherswiththeirhearts;

whoknowtheway,gotheway,andshowtheway;

whoinspireandmotivateratherthanintimidateandmanipulate;

wholivewithpeopletoknowtheirproblemsandlivewithGodinordertosolvethem;

Thegrowthanddevelopmentofpeopleisthehighestcallingofleadership.

whorealizethattheirdispositionsaremoreimportantthantheirpositions;

whomoldopinionsinsteadoffollowingopinionpolls;whounderstandthataninstitutionisthereflectionoftheircharacter;

whoneverplacethemselvesaboveothersexceptincarryingresponsibilities;

whowillbeashonestinsmallthingsasingreatthings;

whodisciplinethemselvessotheywillnotbedisciplinedbyothers;

whoencountersetbacksandturnthemintocomebacks;

whofollowamoralcompassthatpointsintherightdirectionregardlessofthetrends.

NOTES

INTRODUCTION

1.DavidHartley-Leonard,“Perspectives,”Newsweek,24August1987,11.2.ContributedbyDougLysen,Reader’sDigest,February1989.3. JohnW.Gardner, “TheNature of Leadership,” Leadership Papers #1, Independent Sector, January1986.

4.RichardKerrforUnitedTechnologiesCorp.BitsandPieces,March1990.

CHAPTER1

1.JamesC.Georges,ParTrainingCorp.,Tucker,GA,interviewedinExecutiveCommunications,January1987.

2.J.R.Miller,TheBuildingofCharacter(NewJersey:AMGPublishers,1975).3.WarrenBennisandBurtNanus,Leaders(NewYork:HarperandRow,1985),222.4.RobertDilenschneider,Powerand Influence:Mastering theArtofPersuasion (NewYork:PrenticeHall,1990).

5.E.C.McKenzie,QuipsandQuotes(GrandRapids:Baker,1980).6.FredSmith,LearningtoLead(Waco:Word,1986),117.7.JohnC.Maxwell,BeaPeoplePerson(Wheaton:Victor,1989).

CHAPTER2

1.R.EarlAllen,LetItBegininMe(Nashville:BroadmanPress,1985).2.WilliamH.Cook,Success,MotivationandtheScriptures(Nashville:Broadman,1974).

CHAPTER3

1. Dwight D. Eisenhower,Great Quotes from Great Leaders, ed. Peggy Anderson (Lombard: GreatQuotations,1989).

2.CCMCommunicator,newsletteroftheCouncilofCommunication,Spring1988.3.PeterDrucker,Management,Tasks,ResponsibilitiesandPractices(NewYork:Harper&Row,1974).4.Newsweek,24August1987,11.5.JosephBailey,“CluesforSuccessinthePresident’sJob,”HarvardBusinessReview,1983.6.JamesM.KouzesandBarryZ.Posner,TheLeadershipChallenge(SanFrancisco:Jossey-Bass,1987).

CHAPTER4

1.QuotedinPaulWharton,StoriesandParablesforPreachersandTeachers(Mahwah:Paulist,1986).2.HowardHendricks,TeachingtoChangeLives(Portland:Multnomah,1987),32.3.RobertLacy,Ford:TheManandtheMachine(NewYork:LittleBrown,1986).4.BobbBiehl,IncreasingYourLeadershipConfidence(Sisters,OR:QuestarPublishers,1989).5.MelvinE.PageandH.LeonAbramsJr.,YourBodyIsYourDoctor(NewCanaan:Keats,1972).6.JohnMaxwell,TheWinningAttitude(SanBernardino:Here’sLife,1984).7.WinifieldArn,GrowthReportNo.5,TenStepsforChurchGrowth(NewYork:Harper&Row,1977).8.GeorgeF.Trusell,HelpingEmployeesCopewithChange:AManager’sGuidebook (Buffalo: PATPublishers,1988).

9.BennisandNanus,Leaders.10.Trusell,HelpingEmployeesCopewithChange.11.R.F.Caldwell,“TheFaceofCorporateCulture,”SantaClaraToday,November1984,12.12.MaxDePree,LeadershipIsanArt(NewYork:Doubleday,1989),87.13.RonJenson,ed.,HigherGround.

CHAPTER5

1.F.F.Fournies,CoachingforImprovedWorkPerformance(NewYork:VanNostrandReinhold,1978).2. Taken from a quotation by MacDonald in A. C. Remley, Leaves of Gold, (Williamsport: CoslettPublishing,1948).

3. Adapted from G.W. Target, “TheWindow,” in TheWindow and Other Essays (Mountain View:PacificPressPublishingAssociation,1973),5–7.

4.Beihl,IncreasingYourLeadershipConfidence.5.TomWujec,PumpingIons:GamesandExercisestoFlexYourMind(NewYork:Doubleday,1988).6.JohnK.Clemens,HartwickHumanitiesinManagementReport(Oneonta:HartwickInstitute,1989).

CHAPTER6

1.ChuckSwindoll,ImprovingYourServe(Waco:Word,1981).2.NellMohney,“BeliefsCanInfluenceAttitudes,”KingsportTimesNews,25July1986,4B.3.NormanVincentPeale,PowerofthePlusFactor(NewYork:Fawcett,1988).4. Anonymous, “Attitude,” Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, ed. Emily Morison Beck (Boston: LittleBrown,1980).

5.ViktorFrankl,“YouthinSearchofMeaning,”MoralDevelopmentFoundations,DonaldM.Joy,ed.(Nashville:Abingdon,1983).

6.C.S.Lewis,MereChristianity(NewYork:Macmillan,1952),86.7.DonaldRobinson,“MindOverDisease,”Reader’sDigest,March1990.

CHAPTER7

1.ThomasPetersandRobertWaterman,InSearchofExcellence(NewYork:Warner,1984),58.2.Frankl,“YouthinSearchofMeaning.”3. Stephen Ash, “ The Career Doctor,” cited in Michigan Department of Social Services, No-NameNewsletter,Fall1986.

4. Richard Huseman and John Hatfield,Managing the Equity Factor (NewYork: HoughtonMifflin,1989).

5.HenryDavidThoreau,Bartlett’sFamiliarQuotations.6.RonWatts,LaCroixUnitedMethodistChurch,CapeGirardeau,MO,personalcommunication.7.HusemanandHatfield,ManagingtheEquityFactor.

CHAPTER8

1.RobertK.Greenleaf,TheServantasLeader(Mahwah:Paulist,1977).2.Biehl,IncreasingYourLeadershipConfidence.3.Quotedin“Weekend,”Newsday,8,1990.4.HarryC.McKown,ABoyGrowsUp(NewYork:McGraw-Hill,1985).5. George S. Patton, Great Quotes from Great Leaders, Peggy Anderson, ed. (Lombard: GreatQuotations,1989).

6.RalphWaldoEmerson,Bartlett’sFamiliarQuotations.7.RogervonOech,AKickintheSeatofthePants(SanFrancisco:HarperCollins,1986).8.DenisWaitleyandReniL.Witt,TheJoyofWorking(NewYork:Dodd,Mead&Co.,1985).

CHAPTER9

1.HarryS.Truman,GreatQuotesfromGreatLeaders.2.EdwinMarkham,GreatQuotesfromGreatLeaders.3.EdwardEverettHale,Bartlett’sFamiliarQuotations.4. StephenCovey,The SevenHabits ofHighlyEffectivePeople:Restoring theCharacterEthic (NewYork:SimonandSchuster,1989).

CHAPTER10

1.HusemanandHatfield,ManagingtheEquityFactor.2.VinceLombardi,GreatQuotesfromGreatLeaders.3.WilliamJ.MorinandLyleYorks,Dismissal(SanDiego:HarcourtBraceJovanovich,1990).

DEVELOPINGtheLEADERSAROUNDYOU

Thisbookisdedicatedtothemenwhohavedevelopedme:ToLarryMaxwell,

mybrother,whoencouragedinmethedesiretogrowmentally;

ToGlennLeatherwood,myjuniorhighSundayschoolteacher,whoinspiredmetohaveaheartforGod;

Tomyhighschoolbasketballcoach,DonNeff,whoinstilledinmethedesiretowin;

ToElmerTowns,pastorandfriend,whostrengthenedmydesiretoreachmypotential;

Andaboveall,tomyfather,MelvinMaxwell,mylifelongmentor.Iamaleadertodaybecauseofthetime

youspentdevelopingme.

CONTENTS1.TheLeader’sKeyQuestion:

AMIRAISINGUPPOTENTIALLEADERS?2.TheLeader’sToughestChallenge:

CREATINGACLIMATEFORPOTENTIALLEADERS3.TheLeader’sPrimaryResponsibility:

IDENTIFYINGPOTENTIALLEADERS4.TheLeader’sCrucialTask:

NURTURINGPOTENTIALLEADERS5.TheLeader’sDailyRequirement:

EQUIPPINGPOTENTIALLEADERS6.TheLeader’sLifelongCommitment:

DEVELOPINGPOTENTIALLEADERS7.TheLeader’sHighestReturn:

FORMINGADREAMTEAMOFLEADERS8.TheLeader’sGreatestJoy:

COACHINGADREAMTEAMOFLEADERS9.TheLeader’sFinestHour:

REALIZINGVALUETOANDFROMLEADERS10.TheLeader’sLastingContribution:

REPRODUCINGGENERATIONSOFLEADERS

Notes

AbouttheAuthor

O

ONETHELEADER’SKEYQUESTION:

AMIRAISINGUPPOTENTIALLEADERS?

nenight, afterworkingquite late, IgrabbedacopyofSports Illustrated,hopingitspageswouldlullmetosleep.Ithadtheoppositeeffect.Onthe

back cover was an advertisement that caught my eye and got my emotionaljuices flowing. It featured a picture of JohnWooden, the coach who led theUCLABruins formanyyears.Thecaptionbeneathhispicture read, “Theguywhoputstheballthroughthehoophastenhands.”

John Wooden was a great basketball coach. Called “the Wizard ofWestwood,” he brought ten national basketball championships to UCLA in aspanoftwelveyears.Twoback-to-backchampionshipsarealmostunheardofintheworldofcompetitivesports,butheledtheBruinstoseventitlesinarow.Ittookaconsistent levelof superiorplay,goodcoaching,andhardpractice.Butthekey to theBruins’s successwasCoachWooden’sunyieldingdedication tohisconceptofteamwork.

Heknewthatifyouoverseepeopleandyouwishtodevelopleaders,youareresponsibleto:(1)appreciatethemforwhotheyare;(2)believethattheywilldotheirverybest; (3)praise their accomplishments; and (4) acceptyourpersonalresponsibilitytothemastheirleader.

CoachBearBryantexpressedthissamesentimentwhenhesaid:I’mjustaplowhandfromArkansas,butIhavelearnedhowtoholdateamtogether—howtoliftsomemenup,howtocalmothersdown,untilfinallythey’vegotoneheartbeattogetherasateam.There’salwaysjustthreethingsIsay:“Ifanythinggoesbad,Ididit.Ifanythinggoessemi-good,thenwedidit.Ifanythinggoesrealgood,theydidit.”That’sallittakestogetpeopletowin.

BearBryantwonpeopleandgames.Untila fewyearsago,heheld the titleofthewinningestcoachinthehistoryofcollegefootballwith323victories.

Great leaders—the truly successful oneswho are in the top 1 percent—allhaveonethingincommon.Theyknowthatacquiringandkeepinggoodpeopleis a leader’s most important task. An organization cannot increase itsproductivity—but people can! The asset that truly appreciates within any

organizationispeople.Systemsbecomedated.Buildingsdeteriorate.Machinerywears.Butpeoplecangrow,develop,andbecomemoreeffectiveiftheyhavealeaderwhounderstandstheirpotentialvalue.

Acquiringandkeepinggoodpeopleisaleader’smostimportanttask.

Thebottomline—andtheessentialmessageofthisbook—isthatyoucan’tdoitalone.Ifyoureallywanttobeasuccessfulleader,youmustdevelopotherleadersaroundyou.Youmustestablishateam.Youmustfindawaytogetyourvisionseen,implemented,andcontributedtobyothers.Theleaderseesthebigpicture,butheneedsotherleaderstohelpmakehismentalpictureareality.

Mostleadershavefollowersaroundthem.Theybelievethekeytoleadershipisgainingmorefollowers.Fewleaderssurroundthemselveswithotherleaders,but the oneswho do bring great value to their organizations.And not only istheirburdenlightened,buttheirvisionisalsocarriedonandenlarged.

WHYLEADERSNEEDTOREPRODUCELEADERS

Thekeytosurroundingyourselfwithotherleadersistofindthebestpeopleyou can, then develop them into the best leaders they can be. Great leadersproduceotherleaders.Letmetellyouwhy:

THOSECLOSESTTOTHELEADERWILLDETERMINETHESUCCESSLEVELOFTHATLEADER

ThegreatestleadershipprinciplethatIhavelearnedinmorethanthirtyyearsofleadershipisthatthoseclosesttotheleaderwilldeterminethesuccesslevelofthatleader.Anegativereadingofthisstatementisalsotrue:Thoseclosesttotheleader will determine the level of failure for that leader. In other words, thepeopleclosetome“makemeorbreakme.”Thedeterminationofapositiveor

negative outcome in my leadership depends upon my ability as a leader todevelop those closest tome. It also depends uponmy ability to recognize thevalue thatothersbringtomyorganization.Mygoal isnot todrawafollowingthatresultsinacrowd.Mygoalistodevelopleaderswhobecomeamovement.

Stopforamomentandthinkofthefiveorsixpeopleclosesttoyouinyourorganization.Areyoudevelopingthem?Doyouhaveagameplanforthem?Aretheygrowing?Havetheybeenabletoliftyourload?

Withinmyorganizationsleadershipdevelopmentiscontinuallyemphasized.In their first training session, I give new leaders this principle:As a potentialleaderyouareeitheranassetoraliabilitytotheorganization.I illustratethistruthbysaying,“Whenthere’saproblem,a‘fire’intheorganization,youasaleader are often the first to arrive at the scene. You have in your hands twobuckets.Onecontainswaterandtheothercontainsgasoline.The‘spark’beforeyouwilleitherbecomeagreaterproblembecauseyoupourthegasolineonit,oritwillbeextinguishedbecauseyouusethebucketofwater.”

Everypersonwithinyourorganizationalsocarriestwobuckets.Thequestionaleaderneedstoaskis,“AmItrainingthemtousethegasolineorthewater?”

ANORGANIZATION’SGROWTHPOTENTIALISDIRECTLYRELATEDTOITSPERSONNELPOTENTIAL

Whenconductingleadershipconferences,Ioftenmakethestatement,“Growa leader—grow the organization.” A company cannot grow without until itsleadersgrowwithin.

Growaleader—growthe

organization.I am often amazed at the amount of money, energy, andmarketing focus

organizationsspendonareasthatwillnotproducegrowth.Whyadvertisethatthecustomerisnumberonewhenthepersonnelhavenot

been trained in customer service?When customers arrive, theywill know thedifferencebetweenanemployeewhohasbeen trained togive serviceandonewho hasn’t. Slick brochures and catchy slogans will never overcome

incompetentleadership.In1981IbecameSeniorPastorofSkylineWesleyanChurchinSanDiego,

California.Thiscongregationaveraged1,000inattendancefrom1969to1981,and itwason anobviousplateau.When I assumed leadership responsibilities,thefirstquestionIaskedwas,“Whyhasthegrowthstopped?”Ineededtofindan answer, so I called my first staff meeting and gave a lecture titled TheLeadership Line. My thesis was, “Leaders determine the level of anorganization.” I drew a line across a marker board and wrote the number“1,000.”IsharedwiththestaffthatforthirteenyearstheaverageattendanceatSkylinewas1,000.Iknewthestaffcouldlead1,000peopleeffectively.WhatIdidnotknowwaswhethertheycouldlead2,000people.SoIdrewadottedlineandwrotethenumber2,000,andIplacedaquestionmarkbetweenthetwolines.Ithendrewanarrowfromthebottom1,000tothetop2,000lineandwrotetheword“change.”

Itwouldbemy responsibility to train themandhelp themmake thenecessarychangestoreachournewgoal.Whentheleaderschangedpositively,Iknewthegrowthwouldbecomeautomatic.Now,Ihadtohelpthemchangethemselves,orIknewIwouldliterallyhavetochangethembyhiringotherstotaketheirplace.

From1981to1995IgavethislectureatSkylineonthreeoccasions.Thelasttime,thenumber4,000wasplacedonthetopline.AsIdiscovered,thenumberschanged,butthelecturedidn’t.Thestrengthofanyorganizationisadirectresultof the strength of its leaders.Weak leaders equal weak organizations. Strongleadersequalstrongorganizations.Everythingrisesandfallsonleadership.

Everythingrisesandfallsonleadership.

POTENTIALLEADERSHELPCARRYTHELOAD

BusinessmanRollandYoungsaid,“Iamaself-mademan,butIthinkifIhadittodooveragain,Iwouldcallinsomeoneelse!”Usuallyleadersfailtodevelopother leaders either because they lack training or because they possesswrongattitudesaboutallowingandencouragingotherstocomealongsidethem.Often,leaderswronglybelieve that theymust competewith thepeople close to theminstead of working with them. Great leaders have a different mind-set. InProfiles in Courage, President John F. Kennedy wrote, “The best way to goalongistogetalongwithothers.”Thiskindofpositiveinteractioncanhappenonly if the leader has an attitude of interdependency with others and iscommittedtowin-winrelationships.

Take a look at differences between the two views leaders possess aboutpeople:

WINNINGBYCOMPETITIVENESS WINNINGBYCOOPERATIONLookatothersasenemies LookatothersasfriendsConcentrateonyourself ConcentrateonothersBecomesuspiciousofothers BecomesupportiveofothersWinonlyifyouaregood WinifyouorothersaregoodWinningdeterminedbyyourskills WinningdeterminedbytheskillsofmanySmallvictory LargevictorySomejoy MuchjoyTherearewinnersandlosers Thereareonlywinners

Peter Drucker was correct when he said, “No executive has ever sufferedbecause his peoplewere strong and effective.”The leaders aroundme liftmyloadinmanyways.Herearetwoofthemostimportantones:1.Theybecomeasoundingboardforme.Asaleader,IsometimeshearcounselthatIdon’twanttohearbutneedtohear.That’stheadvantageofhavingleadersaround you—having peoplewho know how tomake decisions. Followers tellyouwhatyouwanttohear.Leaderstellyouwhatyouneedtohear.

Ihavealwaysencouragedthoseclosesttometogivemeadviceonthefrontend.Inotherwords,anopinionbeforeadecisionhaspotentialvalue.Anopinionafter the decision has beenmade is worthless. AlexAgase, a college footballcoach, once said, “If you really want to give me advice, do it on Saturdayafternoonbetweenoneandfouro’clock,whenyou’vegottwenty-fivesecondstodoit,betweenplays.Don’tgivemeadviceonMonday.Iknowtherightthingto

doonMonday.”

2.Theypossessa leadershipmind-set.Fellowleadersdomore thanworkwiththeleader,theythinkliketheleader.Itgivesthemthepowertolightentheload.Thisbecomes invaluable in areas suchasdecisionmaking,brainstorming, andprovidingsecurityanddirectiontoothers.

Amajorityofmytimeisspentawayfromtheofficespeakingatconferencesandevents.Therefore,itisessentialthatIhaveleadersinmyorganizationswhocancarryoneffectivelywhileIamgone.Andtheydo.IthappensbecauseIhavespent my life finding and developing potential leaders. The results are verygratifying.

Thisleadershipmind-setofsharingtheloadiswonderfullydemonstratedby,ofallthings,geese,asillustratedbyTomWorsham:

Whenyouseegeeseheadingsouthforthewinterflyingalongina“V”formation,youmightbeinterestedinknowingthatsciencehasdiscoveredwhytheyflythatway.Researchhasrevealedthataseachbirdflapsitswings,itcreatesanupliftforthebirdimmediatelybehindit.Byflyingina“V”formation,thewholeflockaddsatleast71percentgreaterflyingrangethanifeachbirdflewonitsown.(Peoplewhoshareacommondirectionandsenseofcommunitygetwheretheyaregoingmorequicklyandeasilybecausetheyaretravelingononeanother’sthrust.)

Wheneveragoosefallsoutofformation,itsuddenlyfeelsthedragandresistanceoftryingtogoitalone.Itquicklygetsbackintoformationtotakeadvantageoftheliftingpowerofthebirdimmediatelyinfront.(Ifweaspeoplehaveasmuchsenseasagoose,wewillstayinformationandsowillthosewhoareheadedthesamewayweare.)Whentheleadgoosegetstired,herotatesbackinthe“V”andanothergoosefliesthepoint.(Itpaystotaketurnsdoinghardjobs.)

Thegeesehonkfrombehindtoencouragethoseupfronttokeepuptheirspeed.(Whatdowesaywhenwehonkfrombehind?)

Andfinally,whenagoosegetssick,oriswoundedbygunfireandfallsout,twoothergeesefalloutofformationandfollowitdowntohelpandprotectit.Theystaywiththegooseuntilitiseitherabletoflyagainordead,andthentheylaunchoutontheirownorwithanotherformationtocatchupwiththeirgroup.(Ifwehavethesenseofagoose,wewillstandbyeachotherlikethat.)

Whoeverwasthefirsttocallanotherpersona“sillygoose”didn’tknowenoughaboutgeese!1

LEADERSATTRACTPOTENTIALLEADERS

Birds of a feather really do flock together. I really believe that it takes a

leadertoknowaleader,growaleader,andshowaleader.Ihavealsofoundthatittakesaleadertoattractaleader.

Attraction is the obvious first step, yet I find many people in leadershippositionswhoareunabletoaccomplishthistask.Trueleadersareabletoattractpotentialleadersbecause:

•Leadersthinklikethem.•Leadersexpressfeelingsthatotherleaderssense.•Leaderscreateanenvironmentthatattractspotentialleaders.•Leadersarenotthreatenedbypeoplewithgreatpotential.Forexample,apersoninaleadershippositionwhoisa“5”onascaleof1to

10willnotattractaleaderwhoisa“9.”Why?Becauseleadersnaturallysizeupanycrowdandmigratetootherleaderswhoareatthesameorhigherlevel.

Any leader who has only followers around him will be called upon tocontinuallydrawonhisownresourcestogetthingsdone.Withoutotherleadersto carry the load, he will become fatigued and burnt out. Have you askedyourselflately,“AmItired?”Iftheanswerisyes,youmayhaveagoodreasonforit,asthishumorousstoryillustrates:

Ittakesaleadertoknowaleader,grow

aleader,andshowaleader.

Somewhereintheworldthereisacountrywithapopulationof220million.Eighty-fourmillionareoversixtyyearsofage,whichleaves136milliontodothework.Peopleundertwentyyearsofagetotal95million,whichleaves41milliontodothework.

Thereare22millionemployedbythegovernment,whichleaves19milliontodothework.FourmillionareintheArmedForces,whichleaves15milliontodothework.Deduct14,800,000,thenumberinstateandcityoffices,andthatleaves200,000todothework.Thereare188,000inhospitalsorinsaneasylums,sothatleaves12,000todothework.

Itisofinteresttonotethatinthiscountry11,998peopleareinjail,sothatleavesjusttwopeopletocarrytheload.That’syouandme—andbrother,I’mgettingtiredofdoingeverythingmyself!

Unless youwant to carry thewhole load yourself, you need to be developingleaders.

LEADERSWHOMENTORPOTENTIALLEADERS

MULTIPLYTHEIREFFECTIVENESS

Notlongago,ataconferencewheremanagementexpertPeterDruckerwasspeaking,thirtyofmyleadersandIwerecontinuallychallengedtoproduceandmentor other leaders. Peter asked us, “Who will take your place?” He keptemphasizing,“Thereisnosuccesswithoutasuccessor.”

I left that meeting with one resolve: I was going to produce leaders whocould produce other leaders. No longer was it enough to grow by addingleaders.Now,myfocuswasuponmultiplyingthoseleaders.Toaccomplishthis,I began to train my leaders to learn the fine art of setting parameters andpriorities.Iwantedthemtogainadeepunderstandofourgoalsandthengooutintoourorganizationandtrainotherstosomedayreplacethemorhelpcarrytheload.

Thereisnosuccesswithoutasuccessor.

Atthattime,theboardofmyorganizationbecamemyfocusfordevelopingleaders.In1989one-halfofmyboardmemberswerebrandnew,andthegroupfaced major decisions on a $35 million relocation project. I was concerned.Could decisions of such magnitude be made by rookies? However, my fearssubsided at the next board retreat when I discovered that every new boardmemberhadbeenmentoredbyformer,experiencedmembers.Theoldboardhadheard me and implemented my teachings, and the new board was nowbenefiting.Thenewmembershadcomeintotheirpositionsalreadyrunningwiththerestofus.ItwasthenthatIrealizedanimportantlesson:Leaderscreateandinspire new leaders by instilling faith in their leadership abilities and helpingthemdevelopandhoneleadershipskillstheydon’tknowtheypossess.

My experience with the board shows what happens when people worktogether—sidebyside.Whenpeopleworkforacommoncause,theynolongeraddtotheirgrowthpotential.Theirunitymultipliestheirstrength.Thefollowinganecdotefurtherillustratesmypoint:

AtaMidwesternfair,manyspectatorsgatheredforanold-fashionedhorsepull(aneventwherevariousweightsareputonahorse-drawnsledandpulledalongtheground).Thegrand-championhorsepulledasledwith4,500poundsonit.Therunner-upwasclose,witha4,400-poundpull.Someofthemenwonderedwhatthetwohorsescouldpullifhitchedtogether.Separatelytheytotalednearly9,000pounds,butwhenhitchedandworkingtogetherasateam,theypulledover12,000pounds.

DEVELOPEDLEADERSEXPANDANDENHANCETHEFUTUREOFTHEORGANIZATION

Iwasonceaskedtospeakataconferenceonthesubject,HowtoStructureYourOrganizationforGrowth.Ipolitelyrefused.Iamconvincedthatstructurecanaidgrowthbutnotgiveit.PollsterGeorgeBarnasaid,“Greatorganizationsmay have great leaders and a poor structure, but I’ve never seen a greatorganizationthathadagreatstructureandapoorleader.”Structurecanmeanthedifference between a bad organization and a good one. But the differencebetweenagoodorganizationandagreatoneisleadership.

Henry Ford knew this. He said, “You can takemy factories, burn upmybuildings,butgivememypeople,andI’llbringmybusinessrightbackagain.”What didHenryFord know that somany other people in leadership positionsdon’tknow?Heknewthatbuildingsandbureaucracyarenotessentialtogrowth.A companymust organize aroundwhat it is trying to accomplish, not aroundwhatisbeingdone.Ihaveseenpeopleinanorganizationdothingsaparticularwaysimplybecausethebureaucracystatesitmustbedonethatway,evenwhenithinderswhattheorganizationistryingtoaccomplish.Organizearoundtasks,notfunctions.

Toooftenwearelikethecommunitythatbuiltanewbridge:Theresidentsofasmalltownbuiltanewbridge.Thentheydecidedthat,iftheyhadanew

bridge,they’dbetterhireawatchmantokeepaneyeonit.Sotheydid.Someonenotedthatthewatchmanneededasalary,sotheyhiredanaccountant.Heinturnpointedouttheneedforatreasurer.Withawatchman,anaccountant,andatreasurer,theyhadtohaveanadministrator,soresidentsappointedone.Congressthenvotedacutinfunding,andpersonnelhadtobecutback.So,theyfiredthewatchman!

Don’tletthemachinationsortrappingsofyourorganizationmakeyoulosesightofwhat’stobeaccomplished.

Oneofthethingsmyfathertaughtmewastheimportanceofpeopleaboveall other elements in an organization. He was the president of a college forsixteenyears.Oneday,aswesatonacampusbench,heexplainedthatthemostexpensiveworkers on campuswere not the highest paid. Themost expensiveones were the people who were nonproductive. He explained that developingleaders took time and costmoney.You usually had to pay leadersmore. Butsuchpeoplewereaninvaluableasset.Theyattractedahigherqualityofperson;theyweremoreproductive;andtheycontinuedtoaddvaluetotheorganization.

Heclosedtheconversationbysaying,“Mostpeopleproduceonlywhentheyfeellikeit.Leadersproduceevenwhentheydon’tfeellikeit.”

THEMOREPEOPLEYOULEAD,THEMORELEADERSYOUNEED

MoseswasthegreatestleaderintheOldTestament.Howwouldyouliketorelocateone-and-a-halfmillioncomplainingpeople?Itwashard...andtiring.Andashisnationgrew,Mosesbecamemoretired,andthepeople’sneedswentunmet.

The problem?Moses was trying to do it all himself. HisDisorganizationChartlookedlikethediagramonpage14.

Jethro, thefather-in-lawofMoses,suggested thathefind, recruit,and trainotherleaderstoassisthiminhisleadershipresponsibilities.Mosesfollowedthatadvice, and soon he had other leaders helping him carry the load.The result?ThisneededchangegaveaddedstrengthtoMosesandenabledalltheneedsofthepeopletobemet.

Aleader’ssuccesscanbedefinedasthemaximumutilizationoftheabilitiesofthoseunderhim.

ZigZiglarsays,“Successisthemaximumutilizationoftheabilitythatyouhave.”Ibelievealeader’ssuccesscanbedefinedasthemaximumutilizationoftheabilitiesofthoseunderhim.AndrewCarnegieexplaineditlikethis:“Iwishtohaveasmyepitaph:‘Hereliesamanwhowaswiseenoughtobringintohisservicemenwhoknewmorethanhe.’”Itismydesirethatthefollowingpageshelpyoudoexactlythat.

T

TWOLEADER’STOUGHESTCHALLENGE:

CREATINGACLIMATEFORTHEPOTENTIALLEADERS

hosewhobelieveinourabilitiesdomorethanstimulateus—theycreateanatmosphere in which it becomes easier for us to succeed. Creating an

environmentthatwillattractleadersisvitaltoanyorganization.Doingthatisthejob of leaders. They must be active; they must generate activity that isproductive; and they must encourage, create, and command changes in theorganization.Theymustcreateaclimateinwhichpotentialleaderswillthrive.

LEADERSMUSTBEENVIRONMENTALCHANGEAGENTS

Theleadersinanyorganizationmustbetheenvironmentalchangeagents.Theymustbemorelikethermostatsthanthermometers.Atfirstglance,apersoncouldconfuse these instruments.Bothare capableofmeasuringheat.However, theyarereallyquitedifferent.Athermometerispassive.Itrecordsthetemperatureofitsenvironmentbutcandonothingtochangethatenvironment.Athermostatisan active instrument. It determines what the environment will be. It effectschangeinordertocreateaclimate.

The attitude of the leader, coupled with a positive atmosphere in theorganization, can encouragepeople to accomplishgreat things.Andconsistentaccomplishment generates momentum. Many times momentum is the onlydifference between a winning, positive growth climate and a losing, negativegrowthclimate.

Leaderscannotaffordtooverlooktheimportanceofmomentum: Withmomentum, Leaderslookbetterthantheyactuallyare.Withmomentum, Followersincreasetheirperformance.

Withmomentum, Followersincreasetheirperformance.Withoutmomentum, Leaderslookworsethantheyactuallyare.Withoutmomentum, Followersdecreasetheirperformance.

Momentumisthegreatestofallchangeagents.Morethan90percentofthesuccessfulchangeswe’ve instituted inourorganizationhavebeen theresultofcreatingmomentumbeforeaskingpeopletochange.

To maximize the value of momentum, leaders must: (1) develop anappreciationforitearly;(2)knowthekeyingredientsofitimmediately;and(3)pourresourcesintoitalways.

The next time you find it difficult to adjust the environment in yourcompany,keepinmindthissimplefactfromthelawsofphysics:Waterboilsat212degrees,but at211degrees, it is still justhotwater.Oneextradegree, anincreaseoflessthanone-halfofonepercent,canmakethedifferencebetweenapotoflanguishingliquidandabubblingcaldronofpower.Onedegreecancreatea full head of steam—enough power tomove a trainweighing tons.That onedegreeisusuallymomentum.

Momentumisthegreatestofallchangeagents.

Leadersinsomeorganizationsdon’trecognizetheimportanceofcreatingaclimate conducive to building potential leaders. They don’t understand how itworks.AdvertisingexecutiveWilliamBernbach,whounderstandsthedifferenceitmakes,oncestated,“I’malwaysamusedwhenotheragencies try tohiremypeople away. They’d have to ‘hire’ the whole environment. For a flower toblossom,youneedtherightsoilaswellastherightseed.”Untiltheleadersinanorganization realize this, they will not succeed, regardless of the talentedindividuals they bring into the firm. The right atmosphere allows potentialleaderstobloomandgrow.Thatiswhytheatmosphereneedstobevaluedanddeveloped first.Evenwhen a leader froman organizationwith a poor climatesteals away a potential leader who is beginning to bloom from the rich“greenhouse”environmentofahealthyorganization,thepotentialleaderwillnotcontinuetogrowandbloom.Unless,ofcourse,theleaderhasalreadyconvertedtheenvironmentofhisorherownorganizationfrom“arctic”to“tropical.”

Toseetherelationshipbetweenenvironmentandgrowth,lookatnature.Anobservation was made by a man who dives for exotic fish for aquariums.According to him, one of the most popular aquarium fish is the shark. Thereason for this is that sharks adapt to their environment. If you catch a smallsharkandconfineit,itwillstayasizeproportionatetotheaquariuminwhichit

lives.Sharkscanbesixincheslongandfullymature.Butturnthemlooseintheoceanandtheygrowtotheirnormalsize.

Thesameistrueofpotentialleaders.Someareputintoanorganizationwhentheyarestillsmall,andtheconfiningenvironmentensures that theystaysmalland underdeveloped. Only leaders can control the environment of theirorganization.Theycanbethechangeagentswhocreateaclimateconducivetogrowth.

MODELTHEDESIREDSTYLEOFLEADERSHIP

AccordingtonotedmedicalmissionaryAlbertSchweitzer,“Exampleisnotthemainthingininfluencingothers...itistheonlything.”Partofcreatinganappealing climate is modeling leadership. People emulate what they seemodeled. Positive model—positive response. Negative model—negativeresponse.What leadersdo,potential leadersaround themdo.What theyvalue,theirpeoplevalue.Theleaders’goalsbecometheirgoals.Leaderssetthetone.AsLee Iacocca suggests, “The speedof theboss is the speedof the team.”Aleadercannotdemandofotherswhathedoesnotdemandofhimself.

AsyouandIgrowandimproveasleaders,sowillthosewelead.Weneedtorememberthatwhenpeoplefollowus,theycanonlygoasfaraswego.Ifourgrowthstops,ourabilitytoleadwillstopalongwithit.Neitherpersonalitynormethodologycansubstituteforpersonalgrowth.Wecannotmodelwhatwedonot possess. Begin learning and growing today, and watch those around youbegin to grow.As a leader, I am primarily a follower of great principles andothergreatleaders.

FOCUSONTHEPOTENTIALOFTHELEADERANDTHEORGANIZATION

Asstatedbefore, thosewhobelieve inourabilitiesdomore thanstimulateus. They create an atmosphere in which it becomes easier to succeed. The

opposite is also true. When a leader does not believe in us, success is verydifficultforustoachieve.Itbecomesnearlyimpossible.Asleaders,wecannotallowthistohappentothoseweleadifweexpectourorganizationstosucceed.

Toensuresuccess,identifythepotentialineachfutureleaderandcultivateitin light of the needs of the organization. It produces awin-win situation.Thementoringleaderwinsbecauseoftherisingstarworkingbeneathhimorherwhocan perform and produce. The organizationwins because itsmission is beingfulfilled.Thepotentialleaderwinsbecauseheisbeingdevelopedandimproved.Hisfuturelooksbright.

Oneofthebestapplicationsofthis ideaisexpressedinwhatIcall the101percent principle:Find the one thing that you believe is the potential leader’sgreatestasset,andthengive101percentencouragementinthatarea.Focusingonaperson’sstrengthspromotespositivegrowth,confidence,andsuccessasapotentialleader.

FOCUSONTHEPOTENTIALLEADER’SNEEDS(DESIRES)

People often associate great achievement with a number of things: luck,timing, circumstance, or natural talent. The secret to a person’s success oftenappearstobeanelusivequality.TheUniversityofChicagodidafive-yearstudyofleadingartists,athletes,andscholarstodeterminewhatmadethemsuccessful.Conducted by Dr. Benjamin Bloom, the research was based on anonymousinterviews with the top twenty performers in various fields. Included were avariety of professionals such as concert pianists, Olympic swimmers, tennisplayers, sculptors, mathematicians, and neurologists. Bloom and his team ofresearchers probed for clues as to how these high achievers developed. For amore complete picture, they also interviewed their families and teachers. Thereportstatedconclusivelythatdrive,determination,anddesire,notgreatnaturaltalent,ledtotheextraordinarysuccessoftheseindividuals.

Greatleadersknowthedesiresofthepeopletheylead.Asmuchaspotentialleaders respect the knowledge and ability of their leaders, these are secondarymatterstothem.Theydon’tcarehowmuchtheirleadersknowuntiltheyknowhowmuch their leaderscare . . . about theirneeds, theirdreams, theirdesires.Oncealeaderisgenuinelyinterestedinthewell-beingofthosearoundhim,the

determinationanddriveofthepeopleinthatgroupareactivatedinaremarkableway.Thestartingpointofallachievementisdrive,determination,anddesire.

Ittakesaleaderwithvisiontoseethefutureleaderwithintheperson.

NapoleonBonaparteisknownasoneofhistory’sgreatestleaders.Oneofhisleadershipsecretswasknowingtheneedsofhismen.Hefirstdeterminedwhathismenwantedmost.Thenhedideverythingpossible tohelp themget it.Heknew this was a key to successful motivation. Most leaders do the opposite.Theyfirstdecidewhat theywant.Thentheytry topersuadeothers towant thesamethingasmuchastheydo.

LOOKFORTHELEADERWITHINTHEPERSON

Thereisnofutureinanyjob.Thefutureliesinthepersonwhoholdsthejob.It takes a leader with vision to see the future leader within the person.Michelangelo,whenquestionedabouthismasterpieceDavid,answeredthatthesculpturehadalwaysexistedwithinthestone.Hehadsimplychiseledawaytherock around it. Leaders must have the same kind of vision when viewingpotential leaders. Some of the qualities to look for in a person include thefollowing: Positiveness: theabilitytoworkwithandseepeopleandsituationsinapositivewayServanthood: thewillingnesstosubmit,playteamball,andfollowtheleaderGrowthpotential:

ahungerforpersonalgrowthanddevelopment;theabilitytokeepgrowingasthejobexpands

Follow-through: thedeterminationtogetthejobdonecompletelyandwithconsistencyLoyalty: thewillingnesstoalwaysputtheleaderandtheorganizationabovepersonaldesiresResiliency: theabilitytobouncebackwhenproblemsariseIntegrity: trustworthinessandsolidcharacter;consistentwordsandwalk“Bigpicture” mind-set:theabilitytoseethewholeorganizationandallofitsneedsDiscipline: thewillingnesstodowhatisrequiredregardlessofpersonalmoodGratitude: anattitudeofthankfulnessthatbecomesawayoflife

When searching for these traitswithin a person, the leader should emulategoldprospectors.Theyarealwaysonthelookoutforpotentialgoldmines.Every

mountainisapossibleopportunitytostrikeitrich.Whentheyfindtracesofore,they assume there is a vein and begin digging. The same is true in everyorganization.Ifyouasaleaderlookforandfindtracesofgoldinyourpeople,startdigging.Youwilluncoverthemotherlode!

PLACEANEMPHASISONPRODUCTION,NOTPOSITIONANDTITLE

Organizations that place great emphasis on titles and position are teachingtheiremployeestodothesame.Employeesinthattypeofenvironmentcanoftenbecome preoccupied with moving up the ladder to the next position or withreceivingamore important-soundingtitle.Whenitcomesdownto it, titlesareworth little. A lofty title doesn’t help a poor producer. A lowly title doesn’thinderasuperproducer.Position,likeatitle,doesn’tmakealeadereither.

InDevelopingtheLeaderWithinYou,Idescribethefivelevelsofleadership:position, permission, production, personnel development, and personhood.Positionisthelowestlevel.Apersonwhostandsonhispositionwillneverhaveinfluencebeyondhisorherjobdescription.

Seniority also provides little in and of itself. A survey was conducted byAccountemps, a temporary personnel service and placement organization.Executivesandpersonneldirectorswereaskedforthemostinfluentialfactorsinevaluating an employee for promotion.The results: 66 percent named specificaccomplishments,47percentnamedgeneralworkhabitsandperformance,andonly4percentcitedseniorityasbeingimportant.Timeonthejobisnosubstituteforproductioninthejob.

Inanorganizationemphasizingproduction,attentionandenergyaredevotedtodoingthejobanddoingitwell.Thereisateamatmos-developingphere,withaccomplishingthemissionoftheorganizationasthegoal.

That is the kind of climatewhere leaders emerge.AsCharlesWilson, theformerpresidentofGeneralElectric, said,“Nomatterwhatsize thebottle, thecreamalwayscametothetop.”

PROVIDEGROWTHOPPORTUNITIES

There is a story of a touristwho paused for a rest in a small town in themountains.Hewentover toanoldmansittingonabench in frontof theonlystoreintownandinquired,“Friend,canyoutellmesomethingthistownisnotedfor?” “Well,” replied the old man, “I don’t rightly know except that it’s thestartingpointtotheworld.Youcanstarthereandgoanywhereyouwant.”

Allpeopledonotviewtheircurrentlocationasthestartingpointtowherevertheywanttogointheworld.Weasleadersmustencouragethosearoundustoseethemselvesinsuchaplace.Creatinganenvironmentforpersonalgrowthiscritical. However, if the people around you are unaware they are in such anenvironment, theymay not take advantage of it. That is one reasonwhy it isimportanttocreateopportunitiesforgrowth.Anotherreasonisthatestablishedleadersareinapositiontoknowwhatopportunitiesapotentialleaderneeds.Inorder to create the right opportunities, we must look at the potential leadersaroundusandask, “Whatdoes thispersonneed inorder togrow?”Agenericformulawillnotwork.Ifwedon’tfittheopportunitytothepotentialleader,wemayfindourselvesinthepositionofofferingthingsthatourpeopledon’tneed.

ErnestCampbell,afacultymemberatUnionTheologicalSeminary,tellsanenlighteningstory:

Awomanwenttoapetstoreandpurchasedaparrottokeephercompany.Shetookhernewpethomebutreturnedthenextdaytoreport,“Thatparrothasn’tsaidawordyet!”

“Doesithaveamirror?”askedthestorekeeper.“Parrotsliketobeabletolookatthemselvesinthemirror.”Sosheboughtthemirrorandreturnedhome.

Thenextdayshewasback,announcingthatthebirdstillwasn’tspeaking.

“Whataboutaladder?”thestorekeepersaid.“Parrotsenjoywalkingupanddownaladder.”Sosheboughtaladderandreturnedhome.

Sureenough,thenextdayshewasbackwiththesamestory—stillnotalk.

“Doestheparrothaveaswing?Birdsenjoyrelaxingonaswing.”Sheboughttheswingandwenthome.

Thenextdayshereturnedtothestoretoannouncethebirdhaddied.

“I’mterriblysorrytohearthat,”saidthestorekeeper.“Didthebirdeversayanythingbeforeitdied?”

“Yes,”theladyreplied.“Itsaid,‘Don’ttheysellanyfooddownthere?’”

Many leaders are like the lady in the story. They want their people toproduce.When the people don’t, the leaders provide themwith all the thingssome expert says they are supposed to like. However, the leaders themselvesneverlookattheirpeopletoseewhattheyreallyneed.

As you examine potential leaders and determinewhat each needs, keep in

mindtheseideasforgrowthopportunities:•Exposethepotentialleadertopeoplesuccessfulinhisfield.• Provide a secure environment where the potential leader is free to takerisks.

•Providethepotentialleaderwithanexperiencedmentor.•Providethepotentialleaderwiththetoolsandresourcessheneeds.•Spendthetimeandmoneytotrainthepotentialleaderinhisareasofneed.The ideaof buildingpotential leaders throughgrowthopportunities canbe

summedupinthispoembyEdwinMarkham:WeareblinduntilweseeThatinthehumanplanNothingisworththemakingIfitdoesnotmaketheman.

WhybuildthesecitiesgloriousIfmanunbuildedgoes?InvainwebuildtheworldUnlessthebuilderalsogrows.1

LEAD(DON’TMANAGE)WITHVISION

Animportantpartofleadershipinvolvescastingvision.Someleadersforgettocastvisionbecausetheygetcaughtupinmanaging.Trueleadersrecognizeadifferencebetweenleadersandmanagers.Managersaremaintainers,tendingtorelyon systemsandcontrols.Leaders are innovators andcreatorswho relyonpeople.Creativeideasbecomerealitywhenpeoplewhoareinapositiontoactcatchthevisionoftheirinnovativeleader.

Aneffectivevisionprovidesguidance.Itgivesdirectionforanorganization.. . direction that cannot effectively result from rules and regulations, policymanuals,ororganizationalcharts.Truedirectionforanorganizationisbornwithavision.Itbeginswhentheleaderacceptsit.Itgainsacceptancewhentheleadermodelsit.Anditbecomesrealitywhenthepeoplerespondtoit.

DOBIGTHINGS

Nearlyeverythinga leaderdoeshingeson the typeofvisionhehas. Ifhisvision issmall,sowillbehis resultsandhis followers.Ahigh-rankingFrenchofficial who understood this concept once expressed it thus when addressingWinstonChurchill:“Ifyouaredoingbigthings,youattractbigmen.Ifyouaredoing little things,youattract littlemen.Littlemenusuallycause trouble.”Aneffectivevisionattractswinners.

Toooftenpeoplelimittheirownpotential.Theythinksmall.Theyareafraidofrisk.Peoplenolongerwillingtostretcharenolongerabletogrow.AsauthorHenryDrummondsays,“Unlessamanundertakesmorethanhepossiblycando,hewillneverdoallhecando.”

SPENDMOREEFFORTONTHE“FARMTEAM”THANONTHEFREEAGENTS

Oncea leaderhasavision,heneeds tobuilda teamtocarry itout.Wheredoeshefindwinners?It’snoteasy.Infact,mostwinnersaremade,notfound.Inmajorleaguebaseball,teamsgenerallyrecruitplayersinoneoftwoways.Theyeitherbringplayersupfromtheirownminorleaguefarmteamsorgooutsidetheorganization in searchof free agents.Timeafter time,baseball fanshave seentheir teams bring in expensive free agents with the expectation of winning aWorldSeries.Timeaftertimetheyaredisappointed.

The“farmteam”methodinvolvesbringinginthebestundevelopedplayerswhocanbefoundandallowingthemtostartwiththeorganizationattheirownlevel. They are coached and developed. Theirmanagers and coaches discovertheirstrengthsandweaknessesandfindtherightpositionsforthem.Theplayersgainexperienceandhaveanopportunitytobringuptheirlevelofplay.Iftheirperformanceisgoodenough,theygetpromotedtothemajorleagueteam.

The vast majority of the leadership in our organization is recruited andpromoted fromwithin. It has not always been easy, but there are tremendousadvantagesinusingthefarm-teammethod.Thefirstisthatyoualreadyknowtheindividual’s character and attitude. When you interview somebody on theoutside,youtakearisk.Youhavetobaseahiringdecisiononwhatthepotentialemployee and the recommendations tell you. Job descriptions on a resume

address skills, not character.Most employers agree that character and attitudearethemostimportantfactorsinhiringanewemployee.Skillscanbetaught.

Thesecondadvantageisthatapersonpromotedfromwithinalreadyknowsthe organization and its people.A successful employeewho is considered forpromotionhas already caught the leader’s vision.He shares the philosophyofthe organization. He has spent time building relationships with the people. Aperson brought in from outside must spend time learning these things. Oncehired,hemayevenbeunwillingorunabletoassimilate.Whenyouhirepeoplefromwithin,theyhitthegroundrunning.

The third advantage is that a person brought up from the farm team is aprovenperformer.Youhavealreadyseenhisgiftsandimpact.Youknowhecanhit the ball in your park. As a result, the risk is relatively small.With a freeagent,youhavehadlimitedopportunitytoobservehimfirsthand.Itispossiblethathemaynotbeable tohit theball inyourpark,because theconditionsaredifferent.Developing the talentonyourfarmteamwill requirestrategicactionandaparticularattitudefromtheteam’sleader.Theleadermust:

•Investtimeandmoneyinhispotentialleaders.•Committopromotingfromwithin.• Show his people that personal and professional growth within theorganizationarenotonlypossiblebutalsoactual.

MAKEDIFFICULTDECISIONS

WillardC.Butch,chairmanoftheChaseManhattanCorporation,wasoncegiven some advice by Marion Folsom, then a top Eastman Kodak Companyexecutive:“Bill,you’regoingtofindthat95percentofallthedecisionsyou’llevermakeinyourcareercouldbemadeaswellbyareasonablyintelligenthighschoolsophomore.Butthey’llpayyoufortheotherfivepercent.”

Someofthetoughestdecisionsaleaderfacesconcernpoorperformers.Greatleadersmakesmartchoicesconcerningthem.Aleaderwhodoesnoteffectivelyhandlethemwillhurt:

•theorganization’sabilitytoachieveitspurpose•themoraleoftopperformers•hisowncredibility

•thelowperformers’self-imageandpotentialeffectivenessTodiscoverthepropercourseconcerningapoorperformer,aleaderneedsto

ask himself, “Should this person be trained, transferred, or terminated?” Theanswerwilldeterminetheappropriatecourseofaction.

Iflowperformanceisduetopoororundevelopedskills,itcallsfortraining.Likewise, training can often benefit an employee needing to be taught theorganization’s philosophy or vision. Training is often the most positive ofsolutions, because it invests in the employee. It is also more economical toimproveacurrentemployeethanstartanewpersonfromscratch.

Sometimes an employee is a low performer because he is expected toperforma jobthatdoesnotmatchhisgiftsandabilities. If theemployeehasagood attitude and a desire to succeed, he can be transferred to a positionmatchinghisgifts.Therehemayflourish.

Terminatinganemployeeisbyfarthemostdifficultofthetoughdecisionsaleaderfaces.Itisalsooneofthemostimportantdecisionshemaymake.Infact,removingpoorperformersfromanorganizationisasimportantasfindinggoodones.Terminatingapoorperformerbenefitstheorganizationandeveryoneinit.It also gives the former employee the opportunity to reevaluate his or herpotentialandfindtheplaceandpositionwhereheorshecanbeawinner.

PAYTHEPRICETHATATTRACTSLEADERS

Successalwayscomesataprice.ThatisalessonIlearnedalongtimeago.My father taughtme that apersoncanpaynowandplay later,orhecanplaynowandpaylater.Eitherway,heisgoingtopay.

Apersoncanpaynowandplaylater,orhecanplaynowandpaylater.

Creatingaclimateforpotentialleadersalsorequiresaleadertopayaprice.It beginswith personal growth.The leadermust examinehimself, askhimselfthe hard questions, and then determine to do the right thing regardless ofatmosphere or mood. There are few ideal and leisurely settings for thedisciplinesofgrowth.Mostofthesignificantthingsdoneintheworldweredoneby persons who were either too busy or too sick to do them. Emotion-based

companies allow the atmosphere to determine the action. Character-basedcompaniesallowtheactiontodeterminetheatmosphere.

Successful leaders recognize that personal growth and the development ofleadership skills are lifetime pursuits. Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus, inLeaders:TheStrategiesforTakingCharge,didastudyofninetytopleadersinallfields.Theyfoundthat“itisthecapacitytodevelopandimprovetheirskillsthat distinguishes leaders from their followers.” They came to the conclusionthat“leadersareperpetuallearners.”

Commitment to provide a climatewhere potential leadersmay growmuststart with the leader’s commitment to personal growth. Answer the followingquestionstodetermineyourcurrentcommitmentlevel.

QUESTIONSONCOMMITMENTTOPERSONALGROWTH

1.DoIhaveagameplanforpersonalgrowth?YesNo

2.AmItheleaderofthatplan?YesNo

3.AmIwilling tochange tokeepgrowing,even if itmeansgivingupmycurrentposition,ifIamnotexperiencinggrowth?

YesNo4.Ismylifeanexampleforotherstofollow?:

YesNo5.AmIwillingtopaythepricetobecomeagreatleader?

YesNoAnoonanyof thesequestions shouldcausea leader toexaminehisplanandcommitment topersonalgrowth.Alackofcommitmentonthepartofa leadermakes itdifficult forpotential leadersaroundhimtobedeveloped.Ifyouasaleaderhavenotmadethiscommitment,yourfutureislimited,andyouwillneverbecomeagreatleader.Nowisthetimetochange.

Theenvironmentinwhichyouworkwillinfluenceyouandthoseyoulead.Answerthefollowingquestionstohelpdetermineyourorganization’sdedication

todevelopingleadersandprovidingaclimatethatpromotesorganizationalandpersonalgrowth.

QUESTIONSTOASKCONCERNINGORGANIZATIONALGROWTH

1.Has the organizationmade a specific commitment to grow and developpeople?

SeldomSometimesUsually2.Istheorganizationwillingtospendmoneytodevelopemployees’growth?

SeldomSometimesUsually3. Is theorganizationwilling tomakechanges tokeep itselfand itspeoplegrowing?

SeldomSometimesUsually4. Does the organization support leaders willing to make the difficultdecisions necessary for people’s personal growth and the growth of theorganization?

SeldomSometimesUsually5. Does the organization place an emphasis on production rather thanpositionortitle?

SeldomSometimesUsually6.Doestheorganizationprovidegrowthopportunitiesforitspeople?

SeldomSometimesUsually7.Doorganizationalleadershavevisionandshareitwiththeirpeople?

SeldomSometimesUsually8.Doestheorganizationthinkbig?

SeldomSometimesUsually9.Doestheorganizationpromotefromwithin?

SeldomSometimesUsually10. Are there other leaders in the organizationwilling to pay the price ofpersonalsacrificetoensuretheirgrowthandthegrowthofothers?

SeldomSometimesUsually

IfthemajorityoftheanswerstothesequestionsisSeldomorSometimes,achangeisinorder.Iftheorganizationiscontrolledbyyou,beginchangingnow.Ifyouheadadepartmentintheorganization,thenyouareinapositiontomakepositivechanges.Doasmanythingsasyourorganizationwillallowtocreateapositive climate for potential leaders. If you are in a position only to makechangesforyourself, try tofindsomeonein theorganizationwhowilldevelopyou—or change your job.Great leaders share themselves andwhat they havelearnedwith the learners whowill become tomorrow’s leaders. A person canimpresspotentialleadersfromadistance,butonlyfromupclosecanheimpactthem.

Greatleaderssharethemselvesandwhattheyhavelearned.

Herearea fewclosing thoughtsoncreatingaclimate forpotential leaders.Sportsrecordsprovidetangibleevidenceofthepositivechangesthatcanoccurwhen the right climate has been established. One Olympic athlete, ParryO’Brien,wonagoldmedalatthe1952Olympicsbythrowinga16-poundshot57feet.In1953hesetanewworldrecordbythrowingtheshot59feet,3/4inch.ExpertsatthetimesaidO’Brien,thebestintheworld,mightbeathisrecordbyafewinchesifhepracticed,buttheywerecertainthatnoonewouldeverbeabletobreakthe60-footbarrier.

Luckily,O’Briendidn’tthinklikeanexpert.Asanathletehewasdeterminedtocontinueimprovinghimself.Hebeganexperimentingwithdifferentstylesandinventedanewtechniqueforhisevent,whichwouldbecometheuniversalstyleofputtingtheshotuntilthemid-1970s.

In1956O’BrienwonattheOlympicsagain—notbyafewinches,butbyafew feet.Healsobroke theunbreakablebarrierby tossing theshot60 feet,11inches.O’Brien sethis final record in1959whenhe threw the shot63 feet,4inches. From that time on, every competitive shot-putter has tossed the shotbeyondthatlength.Today,therecordisover75feet.

The same is true of the four-minutemile.Noone, the experts said,wouldeverbeable to run themile in less than fourminutes.Then, in1954,ayoungmedical student named Roger Bannister did the impossible by breaking thatbarrier. Today, every world-class runner can run the mile in less than fourminutes.Why?Becauseonemandecidedtokeepimproving.Onemandecidedtopaythepriceofpersonalgrowth.

Hewaswillingtolead.Asaresult,hecreatedaclimateforthoseachievers

whofollowedhim.Areyouthetypeofleaderwhoiswillingtopaythepriceandcreateaclimateinwhichyourpeoplecanfollowyouandemergeastheleadersoftomorrow?

T

THREETHELEADER’SPRIMARYRESPONSIBILITY:

IDENTIFYINGPOTENTIALLEADERS

here is somethingmuchmore important and scarce than ability: It is theability to recognize ability. One of the primary responsibilities of a

successfulleaderistoidentifypotentialleaders.It’snotalwaysaneasyjob,butitiscritical.

DaleCarnegiewasamasteratidentifyingpotentialleaders.Onceaskedbyareporter how he had managed to hire forty-three millionaires, Carnegierespondedthatthemenhadnotbeenmillionaireswhentheystartedworkingforhim. They had become millionaires as a result. The reporter next wanted toknow how he had developed these men to become such valuable leaders.Carnegiereplied,“Menaredevelopedthesamewaygoldismined.Severaltonsofdirtmustbemovedtogetanounceofgold.Butyoudon’tgointotheminelookingfordirt,”headded.“Yougoinlookingforthegold.”That’sexactlytheway todeveloppositive,successfulpeople.Lookfor thegold,not thedirt; thegood, not thebad.Themorepositivequalitiesyou look for, themoreyou aregoingtofind.

Todeveloppositive,successfulpeople,lookforthegold,notthedirt.

SELECTINGTHERIGHTPLAYERS

Professional sports organizations recognize the importance of selecting theright players. Every year, coaches and owners of professional baseball,basketball,andfootballteamslookforwardtothedraft.Toprepareforit,sports

franchises spendmuch time and energy scouting new prospects. For instance,scouts from pro football organizations travel to regular-season college games,bowl games, senior-only bowl games, and camps to gain knowledge aboutprospectiveplayers.Allofthisenablesthescoutstobringplentyofinformationbackto theownersandheadcoachesso thatwhendraftdayarrives, the teamscanpick themostpromisingplayers.Teamownersandcoachesknow that thefuturesuccessoftheirteamsdependslargelyontheirabilitytodrafteffectively.

It’s no different in business. You must select the right players in yourorganization. If you select well, the benefits are multiplied and seem nearlyendless.Ifyouselectpoorly,theproblemsaremultipliedandseemendless.

Toooften,leadershireemployeeshaphazardly.Becauseofdesperation,lackof time, or just plain ignorance, they quickly grab any candidate who comesalong. Then they hold their breath and hope everythingworks out.But hiringneedstobedonestrategically.Beforeyouhireanewemployee,youroptionsarenearlylimitless.Onceyouhavemadethehiringdecision,youroptionsarefew.Hiring an employee is like skydiving: once you’ve jumped out of the plane,you’recommitted.

Hiringanemployeeislikeskydiving:

onceyou’vejumpedoutoftheplane,you’recommitted.

Thekeytomakingtherightchoicedependsontwothings:(1)yourabilitytoseethebigpicture,and(2)yourabilitytojudgepotentialemployeesduringtheselectionprocess.

It isagoodideatostartwithaninventory.Iuse thisonebecauseIalwayswanttolookinsideaswellasoutsidetheorganizationtofindcandidates.IcallthislisttheFiveA’s: Assessmentofneeds: Whatisneeded?Assetsonhand: Whoarethepeoplealreadyintheorganizationwhoareavailable?Abilityofcandidates: Whoisable?Attitudeofcandidates: Whoiswilling?Accomplishmentsofcandidates:Whogetsthingsdone?

Noticethattheinventorybeginswithanassessmentofneeds.Theleaderofthe organization must base that assessment on the big picture.While he wasmanageroftheChicagoCubs,CharlieGrimmreportedlyreceivedaphonecallfrom one of his scouts. The man was excited and began to shout over the

telephone,“Charlie,I’velandedthegreatestyoungpitcherintheland!Hestruckouteverymanwhocametobat.Twenty-seveninarow.Nobodyevenhitafouluntil the ninth inning. The pitcher is right here with me. What shall I do?”Charlie replied,“Signup theguywhogot thefoul.We’re lookingforhitters.”Charlieknewwhattheteamneeded.

There is one situation that supersedes a needs analysis: when a trulyexceptionalperson is availablebutdoesn’tnecessarilymatch thecurrentneed,dowhateveryoucantohirehimorheranyway.Inthelongrun,thatpersonwillpositively impact the organization. You see this kind of decision-making insports.Footballcoachesgenerallydraftplayerstofillspecificneeds.Iftheylackastrongrunningback,theydraftthebestrunningbackavailable.Butsometimestheygetanopportunitytodraftan“impactplayer,”asuperstarwhocaninstantlychange thewholecomplexionof the team. Incidentally, impactplayersusuallypossessnotonlyathleticabilitybutalsoleadershipskills.Evenasrookies,theyhave all the qualities to be teamcaptains.When I have anopportunity to hiresomeonewhoisexceptional—asuperstar—Idoit.ThenIfindaplaceforhimor her.Good people are hard to find, and there is always room for onemoreproductivepersoninanorganization.

Usuallywearenotjudgingsuperstars,andthedecisionsarehardertomake.Howdoprosportsteamsevaluatepotentialplayers?Manyuseagridthatyieldsascoreforeachplayerbasedonhisabilities.Inthesameway,weneedtohaveatool tohelpevaluatepeople’spotentialas leaders.Here isa listof twenty-fivecharacteristicstohelpyourateandidentifyapotentialleader.

ASSESSMENTOFCURRENTLEADERSHIPQUALITIES(FORPOTENTIALLEADERS)

SCALE0=Never1=Seldom2=Sometimes3=Usually4=Always

1.Thepersonhasinfluence. 0 1 2 3 42.Thepersonhasself-discipline. 0 1 2 3 43.Thepersonhasagoodtrackrecord. 0 1 2 3 44.Thepersonhasstrongpeopleskills. 0 1 2 3 45.Thepersonhastheabilitytosolveproblems. 0 1 2 3 46.Thepersondoesnotacceptthestatusquo. 0 1 2 3 4

6.Thepersondoesnotacceptthestatusquo. 0 1 2 3 4

7.Thepersonseesthebigpicture. 0 1 2 3 4

8.Thepersonhastheabilitytohandlestress. 0 1 2 3 49.Thepersondisplaysapositivespirit. 0 1 2 3 410.Thepersonunderstandspeople. 0 1 2 3 411.Thepersonisfreeofpersonalproblems. 0 1 2 3 412.Thepersoniswillingtotakeresponsibility. 0 1 2 3 413.Thepersonisfreefromanger. 0 1 2 3 414.Thepersoniswillingtomakechanges. 0 1 2 3 415.Thepersonhasintegrity. 0 1 2 3 416.ThepersonisgrowingclosertoGod. 0 1 2 3 417.Thepersonhastheabilitytoseewhathastobedonenext. 0 1 2 3 418.Thepersonisacceptedasaleaderbyothers. 0 1 2 3 419.Thepersonhastheabilityanddesiretokeeplearning. 0 1 2 3 420.Thepersonhasamannerthatdrawspeople. 0 1 2 3 421.Thepersonhasagoodself-image. 0 1 2 3 422.Thepersonhasawillingnesstoserveothers. 0 1 2 3 423.Thepersonhastheabilitytobouncebackwhenproblemsarise. 0 1 2 3 424.Thepersonhastheabilitytodevelopotherleaders. 0 1 2 3 425.Thepersontakesinitiative. 0 1 2 3 4

TotalPoints:____________________Whenassessingapotential leader, paymore attention to thequalityof the

person as addressed by the characteristics than to the specific score. Sinceleadersgradedifferently,scoresvary.Hereismygradingscale: 90-100 Greatleader(shouldbementoringothergoodandgreatleaders)80-89 Goodleader(mustkeepgrowingandkeepmentoringothers)70-79 Emergingleader(focusongrowthandbeginmentoringothers)60-69 Burstingwithpotential(excellentpersontobedeveloped)Below60 Needsgrowth(maynotbereadytobementoredasaleader)

The “Below60” category is often themost difficult to judge. Somepeople inthis group will never become leaders. Others are capable of becoming greatleader.Thebetter leader theevaluator is, thebetterhis judgmentofaperson’sleadership potential. Thus, it is important that a successful leader do theinterviewingandhiringofpotentialleaders.

InInc.magazine,marketingexpertI.MartinJacknisidentifiesatrendhehasseen in hiring. He terms it the Law of Diminishing Expertise. Simply stated,leaderstendtohirepeoplewhoseabilityandexpertisearebeneaththeirown.As

a result, when organizations grow and more people are hired, the number ofpeoplewithlowexpertisefarexceedstheleaderswhohavegreatexpertise.

Here’showthisworks.Let’ssay,forexample,youareanoutstandingleaderwith great vision, self-discipline, right priorities, and super problem-solvingskills.You score a 95 on theAssessment ofCurrent LeadershipQualities. Soyou decide to start your own business, called Leader to Leader, Inc. Yourbusinessdoessowellthatyousoonneedfournewemployees.Youwouldliketohirefour95s,but,chancesare,95swanttoworkforthemselves(justasyoudo)andarenotavailable.Youneedhelp,soyouhirefour85s,notasskilledasyou,buteachaleaderinhisorherownright.

Imustmentionatthiscrucialstageinthecompany’sdevelopment,youmayhavebeentemptedtohirelessthan85sforyourstaff.Youmaybethinkingtoyourself,ThefourpeopleIhirejusthavetofollowmeandmydirection,andthecompanywilldofine.Icansettleforacoupleoffollowerswhoare65s.Thatisthecriticalerrormanyleadersmake.Byselectingfollowersratherthanpotentialleaders,theleaderofanorganizationlimitsitspotentialforgrowth.Butforthemoment, let’s say thatyoudon’tmake thatmistake, andyouhire four leaderswithscoresof85.

Youandyourteamofleadersaredoinggreat.Thebusinesscanhardlykeepupwithdemand.Thenyoulandanationalaccount.Yourhardworkhaspaidoff,butyounowestimatethatyouwillneedaboutonehundredemployeesworkingaroundtheclocktocarrytheload.Younowneedtobuildawholeorganization.

You begin with your faithful four employees. They’re good leaders, theyhelpedyoumake it, andyou’re dedicated to promoting fromwithin.They aregoing tobeyour fourmanagers.Youdecide thebestway tostructure theneworganizationistohaveonemanageroverseeingsales,andeachoftheotherthreemanagers overseeing an eight-hour shift to keep production going twenty-fourhours a day. Each manager will supervise two assistant managers and abouttwentyotheremployees.

The four managers hire their assistants who, consistent with the law ofdiminishing expertise, rate as75s.Themanagersgive the assistants the jobofhiringthetwentyemployees.Youguessedit.Theyhire65s.Asaresult,almostovernight, the company whose staff leadership score averaged 87 and lookedlikethis:

LeadertoLeader,Inc.withfiveemployeesnowhasaleadershipscoreaveraging67andlookslikethis:

THELEADER’SPRIMARYRESPONSIBILITY

LeadertoLeader,Inc.withnearlyonehundredemployeesThewhole complexion ofLeader to Leader, Inc. has changed.And if the

originalfouryouhiredhadnotbeenleaders,youwouldhavebeeninevenworsetrouble.

Thisisaslightlyexaggeratedexample.Mostcompaniesdon’tgofromfiveto one hundred employees overnight. But the organizations of great leadersexpandquickly.What’simportantisthatyoucanactuallyseetheimpacthiringhas on an organization. In this example, what was once an organizationcomprisedofhighproducersisnowanorganizationoverwhelmedwithmarginalproducers. If the sales department lands another national account, another

expansionwilloccur.Inthenextexpansion,theassistantmangers,whoare75s,willprobablybepromotedtobecomenewmanagers,andthecompanywilltakeanotherdownturn,possiblyputtingitsaverageinthemediocre50s.

Fortunately,therearewaystocombatthetrendtowardmediocrity:1.MakeHiringtheResponsibilityofaHighlyDevelopedLeader

Sinceundevelopedpeoplehirelessdevelopedpeople,improvethesource.

2.HiretheMostHighlyDevelopedLeadersYouCanGet

Don’tsettleforpoorperformers.Keepinmindthatonegreatpersonwillalwaysout-produceandout-performtwomediocrepeople.

3.CommittoModelingLeadershipLetallthepeopleintheorganizationknowwhatisexpectedofthem.Manypotentialleaderswilltrytoreachastandardtheycansee.

4.CommittoDevelopingThoseAroundYou

Ifyoudevelopthepotentialleadersaroundyou,bythenextexpansion,thededicatedassistantmanagerswhowere75swillbe85sandreadytolead.

I would say that David Ogilvy, founder of the giant advertising agencyOgilvyandMather, understood the lawofdiminishing expertise, basedon theinformationDennisWaitleygivesabouthiminTheNewDynamicsofWinning.He states that Ogilvy used to give each new manager in his organization aRussian doll. The doll contained five progressively smaller dolls. A messageinsidethesmallestoneread:“Ifeachofushirespeoplewhoaresmallerthanweare,weshallbecomeacompanyofdwarfs.Butifeachofushirespeoplewhoarebigger thenweare,OgilvyandMatherwillbecomeacompanyofgiants.”Committofinding,hiring,anddevelopinggiants.

QUALITIESTOLOOKFORINALEADER

Tohuntforleaders,youfirstneedtoknowwhattheylooklike.Herearetenleadershipqualitiestoseekinanyoneyouhire:

CHARACTER

Thefirstthingtolookforinanykindofleaderorpotentialleaderisstrengthof character. I have found nothing more important than this quality. Seriouscharacter flaws cannot be ignored. They will eventually make a leaderineffective—everytime.

Character flaws should not be confused with weaknesses. We all haveweaknesses. They can be overcome through training or experience. Characterflawscannotbechangedovernight.Changeusuallytakesalongperiodoftimeand involvessignificant relational investmentanddedicationon thepartof theleader.Anypersonthatyouhirewhohascharacterflawswillbetheweaklinkinyourorganization.Dependingonthenatureofthecharacterflaw,thepersonhasthepotentialtodestroytheorganization.

Characterflawscannotbeignored.Theywilleventually

makealeaderineffective.

Some of the qualities that make up good character include: honesty,integrity, self-discipline, teachability, dependability, perseverance,conscientiousness, and a strongwork ethic. Thewords of a personwith rightcharactermatchthedeeds.Hisreputationissolid.Hismannerisstraightforward.

The assessment of character can be difficult. Warning signs to watch forinclude:

•aperson’sfailuretotakeresponsibilityforhisactionsorcircumstances•unfulfilledpromisesorobligations•failuretomeetdeadlinesYoucantellmuchaboutaperson’sabilitytoleadothersfromhowwellhe

manageshisownlife.Finally,lookathisinteractionswithothers.Youcanalsotellmuchabouta

person’s character from his relationships. Examine his relationships withsuperiors,colleagues,andsubordinates.Talktoyouremployeestofindouthowthepotentialleadertreatsthem.Thiswillgiveyouadditionalinsight.

INFLUENCE

Leadershipisinfluence.Everyleaderhasthesetwocharacteristics:(A)heisgoingsomewhereand(B)heisabletopersuadeotherstogowithhim.Influencebyitselfisnotenough.Thatinfluencemustbemeasuredtodetermineitsquality.Whenlookingatapotentialemployee’sinfluence,examinethefollowing:

Whatistheleader’slevelofinfluence?Doesthatpersonhavefollowersdueto position (he uses the power of his job title), permission (he has developedrelationships which motivate), production (he and his followers consistentlyproduceresults),personneldevelopment(hehasdevelopedothersaroundhim),orpersonhood(hetranscendstheorganizationanddevelopspeopleonaworld-classscale)?

Whoinfluences the leader?Whoishefollowing?Peoplebecomelike theirmodels.Ishismodelethical?Doeshismodelhavetherightpriorities?

Whomdoesheinfluence?Likewise,thequalityofthefollowerwillindicatethe quality of the leader. Are his followers positive producers or a bunch ofmediocreyes-men?

Stuart Briscoe, in Discipleship for Ordinary People, tells the story of ayoungclergymanwhoofficiatedat the funeralofawarveteran.Theveteran’smilitary friendswanted toparticipate in the service tohonor theircomrade, sotheyrequestedthattheyoungpastorleadthemdowntothecasketforamomentof remembranceand thenout throughasidedoor.Theoccasionfailed tohavethedesiredeffectwhentheclergymanledthemthroughthewrongdoor.Infullview of the other mourners, the men marched with military precision into abroom closet and had to beat a hasty and confused retreat. Every leadermustknowwherehe is going.Andevery followerhadbetter be surehe’sbehind aleaderwhoknowswhathe’sdoing.

POSITIVEATTITUDE

Apositiveattitude isoneof themostvaluable assets apersoncanhave inlife.MybeliefinthisissostrongthatIwroteanentirebookonthesubject,TheWinningAttitude:YourKeytoPersonalSuccess.Sooften,whatpeoplesaytheirproblemisreallyisn’ttheirproblem.Theirproblemistheattitudewhichcausesthemtohandlelife’sobstaclespoorly.

The individualwhoseattitudecauseshim toapproach life fromanentirelypositive perspective is someonewho can be called a no-limit person. In otherwords, thepersondoesn’t accept thenormal limitationsof life asmost peopledo. He or she is determined to walk to the very edge of his potential, or hisproduct’spotential,beforeheacceptsdefeat.Peoplewithpositiveattitudesareabletogoplaceswhereotherscan’t.Theydothingsthatotherscan’t.Theyarenotrestrictedbyself-imposedlimitations.

Apersonwithapositiveattitudeislikeabumblebee.Thebumblebeeshouldnotbeabletofly,becausethesize,weight,andshapeofitsbodyinrelationshiptoitswingspreadmakesflyingaerodynamicallyimpossible.Butthebumblebee,beingignorantofscientifictheory,fliesanywayandmakeshoneyeveryday.

This no-limit mind-set allows a person to start each day with a positivedisposition,asdidanelevatoroperatorIoncereadabout.OneMondaymorning,inafullelevator,themanbeganhummingatune.Onepassenger,irritatedbytheman’smood,snapped,“Whatareyousohappyabout?”“Well,sir,”repliedtheoperatorhappily,“Iain’tneverlivedthisdaybefore.”Notonlydoesthefuturelookbrightwhen the attitude is right, but the present ismuchmore enjoyabletoo. The positive person understands that the journey is as enjoyable as thedestination.

Thinkoftheattitudelikethis:

Itistheadvancemanofourtrueselves.Itsrootsareinward,butitsfruitisoutward.Itisourbestfriendorourworstenemy.Itismorehonestandmoreconsistentthanourwords.Itisanoutwardlookbasedonpastexperiences.Itisathingwhichdrawspeopletousorrepelsthem.Itisnevercontentuntilitisexpressed.Itisthelibrarianofourpast.Itisthespeakerofourpresent.

Itistheprophetofourfuture.1

Attitudesets the tone,notonlyfor the leaderwith theattitude,butalsoforthepeoplefollowinghim.

EXCELLENTPEOPLESKILLS

A leaderwithout people skills soon has no followers.AndrewCarnegie, afantasticleader,isreportedtohavepaidCharlesSchwabasalaryof$1millionayear simply because of his excellent people skills. Carnegie had other leaderswho understood the job better andwhose experience and trainingwere bettersuitedtothework.Buttheylackedtheessentialhumanqualityofbeingabletogetotherstohelpthem,andSchwabcouldgetthebestoutofhisfellowworkers.

Peoplemayadmireapersonwhohasonlytalentandability,buttheywillnotfollowhim—notforlong.

Excellent people skills involve a genuine concern for others, the ability tounderstandpeople, and the decision tomakepositive interactionwith others aprimaryconcern.Ourbehavior towardothersdetermines theirbehavior towardus.Asuccessfulleaderknowsthis.

EVIDENTGIFTS

EverypersonGodcreateshasgifts.Oneofourjobsasleadersistomakeanassessmentofthosegiftswhenconsideringapersonforemployment.Ithinkofeveryjobcandidateasa“wannabe”leader.Myobservationisthattherearefourtypesofwanna-bes:

Never be. Somepeople simply lack the ability to do a particular job.As Imentioned before, all people are gifted. However, not all are gifted for theparticulartaskathand.Aneverbewhoisdirectedintoanareawhereheisnotgifted becomes frustrated, often blames others for his lack of success, andeventuallyburnsout.Redirected,hehasachanceofreachinghispotential.

Couldbe.Acouldbeisapersonwiththerightgiftsandabilitiesbutlackingself-discipline.Hemayevenbeapersonwithsuperstarabilitieswhojustcan’t

gethimselftoperform.Thispersonneedstodeveloptheself-disciplineto“justdoit.”

Shouldbe.Ashouldbeissomeonewithrawtalent(gifts)butfewskillsforharnessing thatability.Heneeds training.Oncehe isgivenhelp indevelopingthoseskills,hewillbegintobecomethepersonhewascreatedtobe.

Must be. The only things amust be lacks is opportunity.He has the rightgifts,therightskills,andtherightattitude.Hehasthedrivetobethepersonhewascreatedtobe.Itisuptoyoutobetheleaderwhogiveshimthatopportunity.Ifyoudon’thewillfindsomeoneelsewhowill.

Godcreatesallpeoplewithnaturalgifts.Buthealsomakesthemwithtwoends,onetositonandonetothinkwith.Successinlifeisdependentonwhichoneoftheseendsisusedthemost,andit’satossup:headsyouwin,andtailsyoulose!

PROVENTRACKRECORD

PoetArchibaldMacLeishoncesaid,“There isonlyone thingmorepainfulthan learning from experience, and that is not learning from experience.”Leaders who learn this truth develop successful track records over time.Everyonewhobreaksnewground,whostrivestodosomething,makesmistakes.Peoplewithoutproven trackrecordseitherhaven’t learnedfromtheirmistakesorhaven’ttried.

I’veworkedwithmanytalentedpeoplewho’veestablishedtremendoustrackrecords.WhenIfirststartedmyorganization,twomeninparticularstoodoutasfirst-rate leaderscapableof thehighestqualityof leadership (they score in thetopcategoryontheAssessmentofCurrentLeadershipQualities).DickPeterson,whoworkedwithIBMforyears,quicklydemonstratedthatexperiencehadnotbeenwastedonhim.DickalreadyhadaproventrackrecordwhenIaskedhimtoteamwithmein1985tostartoneofmycompanies,INJOY.Inthebeginning,wewere longonpotentialandshortonresources.Dick’shardwork,planning,and insight turned a shoestring business operating out of his garage into anenterprise producing materials and influencing tens of thousands of leadersnationally and internationally every year. For fifteen yearsDick served as thepresidentofINJOYandhelpedgetthecompanyofftheground.

DanReilandhasquiteadifferentstory.Danwastotallyaproductofthefarm

team.He started as a churchmember at Skyline— the church I led as seniorpastorforfourteenyears.Afterattendingseminary,hereturnedtothechurchasanintern.

Aprovenleaderalwayshasaproven

trackrecord.Hewas not the best internwe ever had. In fact, at one point I thought he

wasn’tgoingtomakeit.Butthroughhishardworkandmentoringonmypart,hesoonbecameoneofthefinestpastorsonstaffanddevelopedanoutstandingtrackrecord.BecauseofthatrecordIaskedhimtobecometheexecutivepastorof thechurchandcontinued to trainhim.When I left thepastorate in1995 tolead INJOY full time,Dan camewithme to serve as a vice president, andhebecame a nationally recognized church consultant. Recently Dan returned tofull-time ministry as the executive pastor of Crossroads Community Church.And nomatterwhereDan is leading he excels in his ability to develop otherleaders.

Management expert Robert Townsend notes, “Leaders come in all sizes,ages, shapes, and conditions. Some are poor administrators, some not overlybright. But there is one clue for spotting them. Sincemost people per se aremediocre, the true leader can be recognized because somehow or other, hispeopleconsistentlyturninsuperiorperformances.”Alwayscheckacandidate’spastperformance.Aprovenleaderalwayshasaproventrackrecord.

CONFIDENCE

Peoplewillnotfollowaleaderwhodoesnothaveconfidenceinhimself.Infact, people are naturally attracted to people who convey confidence. AnexcellentexamplecanbeseeninanincidentinRussiaduringanattemptedcoup.Army tanks had surrounded the government building housing President BorisYeltsin and his pro-democracy supporters. High-level military leaders hadordered the tank commander to open fire and killYeltsin.As the army rolledintoposition,Yeltsinstrodefromthebuilding,climbeduponatank,lookedthecommander in the eye, and thanked him for coming over to the side ofdemocracy.Laterthecommanderadmittedthattheyhadnotintendedtogoovertohisside.Yeltsinhadappearedsoconfidentandcommandingthatthesoldiers

talkedafterheleftanddecidedtojoinhim.Confidenceischaracteristicofapositiveattitude.Thegreatestachieversand

leadersremainconfidentregardlessofcircumstances.There’sawonderfulstoryaboutbaseballgreatTyCobb’sconfidence:WhenCobbwasseventyyearsold,areporterasked,“Whatdoyouthinkyou’dhit ifyouwereplayingthesedays?”Cobb,alifetime.367hitter,said,“About.290,maybe.300.”Thereportersaid,“That’sbecauseofthetravel,thenightgames,theartificialturf,andallthenewpitches like the slider, right?” “No,” said Cobb, “it’s because I’m seventy.”Strongconfidentleadersrecognizeandappreciateconfidenceinothers.

Confidence is not simply for show. Confidence empowers. A good leaderhastheabilitytoinstillwithinhispeopleconfidenceinhimself.Agreat leaderhastheabilitytoinstillwithinhispeopleconfidenceinthemselves.

SELF-DISCIPLINE

Greatleadersalwayshaveself-discipline—withoutexception.Unfortunately,oursocietyseeksinstantgratificationratherthanself-discipline.Wewantinstantbreakfast,fastfood,moviesondemand,andquickcashfromATMs.Butsuccessdoesn’tcomeinstantly.Neitherdoes theability to lead.AsGeneralDwightD.Eisenhowersaid,“Therearenovictoriesatbargainprices.”

Because we live in a society of instant gratification, we cannot take forgranted that the potential leaderswe interviewwill have self-discipline— thattheywillbewillingtopaythepriceofgreatleadership.Whenitcomestoself-discipline,peoplechooseoneoftwothings:thepainofdisciplinewhichcomesfromsacrificeandgrowthorthepainofregretwhichcomesfromtheeasyroadand missed opportunities. Each person in life chooses. In Adventures inAchievement, E. James Rohn says that the pain of discipline weighs ounces.Regretweighstons.

Agreatleaderhastheabilitytoinstillwithinhispeopleconfidenceinthemselves.

Therearetwoareasofself-disciplinewemustlookforinpotentialleaders.The first is in the emotions. Effective leaders recognize that their emotionalreactionsare theirownresponsibility.A leaderwhodecidesnot toallowotherpeople’sactionstodictatehisreactionsexperiencesanempoweringfreedom.AstheGreekphilosopherEpictetus said, “Noperson is freewho is notmasterofhimself.”

Thesecondareaconcernstime.Everypersonontheplanetisgiventhesameallotmentofminutesinaday.Buteachperson’slevelofself-disciplinedictateshoweffectivelythoseminutesareused.Disciplinedpeoplearealwaysgrowing,alwaysstrivingforimprovement,andtheymaximizetheuseoftheirtime.Ihavefoundthreethingsthatcharacterizedisciplinedleaders:

•Theyhaveidentifiedspecificlong-andshort-termgoalsforthemselves.•Theyhaveaplanforachievingthosegoals.•Theyhaveadesirethatmotivatesthemtocontinueworkingtoaccomplishthosegoals.

Progresscomesataprice.Whenyouinterviewapotentialleader,determinewhetherheorsheiswillingtopaytheprice.TheauthorofthepopularcartooncomicstripZiggyrecognizedthiswhenhedrewthefollowingscene:

AsourfriendZiggy,inhislittleautomobile,drovedownaroad,hesawtwosigns.Thefirststatedinboldletters,THEROADTOSUCCESS.Fartherdowntheroadstoodthesecondsign.Itread,PREPARETOSTOPFORTOLLS.

EFFECTIVECOMMUNICATIONSKILLS

Never underestimate the importance of communication. It consumesenormous amounts of our time. One study, reported by D. K. Burlow inTheProcessofCommunication,statesthattheaverageAmericanspends70percentof his active hours each day communicating verbally. Without the ability tocommunicate, a leader cannot effectivelycasthisvisionandcallhispeople to

act on that vision. President Gerald Ford once said, “Nothing in life is moreimportant than theability tocommunicateeffectively.”Aleader isnotcapableofreachinghispotentialwithouteffectivecommunicationskills.

A leader’s ability to convey confidence and his ability to communicateeffectivelyaresimilar.Bothrequireactiononhispartandaresponsefromthefollower.Communication ispositive interaction.Whencommunication isone-sided, itcanbecomical.Youmayhaveheard thestoryof the frustrated judgepreparingtohearadivorcecase:

Likingpeopleisthebeginningoftheabilitytocommunicate.

“Whydoyouwantadivorce?”thejudgeasked.“Onwhatgrounds?”“Allover.Wehaveanacreandahalf,”respondedthewoman.“No,no,”saidthejudge.“Doyouhaveagrudge?”“Yes,sir.Fitstwocars.”“Ineedareasonforthedivorce,”saidthejudgeimpatiently.“Doeshebeatyouup?”“Oh,no.I’mupatsixeverydaytodomyexercises.Hegetsuplater.”“Please,” said the exasperated judge. “What is the reason you want adivorce?”

“Oh,”shereplied.“Wecan’tseemtocommunicatewitheachother.”When I look at a potential leader’s communication skills, I look for the

following.A genuine concern for the person he’s talking to.When people sense that

youhaveaconcernforthem,theyarewillingtolistentowhatyouhavetosay.Likingpeopleisthebeginningoftheabilitytocommunicate.

Theability to focus on the responder. Poor communicators are focusedonthemselvesandtheirownopinions.Goodcommunicatorsfocusontheresponseofthepersonthey’retalkingto.Goodcommunicatorsalsoreadbodylanguage.WhenIinterviewapotentialemployee,andhecan’treadinmybodylanguagethatI’mreadytomoveontoanothersubject,itsendsuparedflag.

Theability tocommunicatewithallkindsofpeople.Agoodcommunicatorhas the ability to set a person at ease. He can find a way to relate to nearlyanyoneofanybackground.

Eye contact with the person he’s speaking to.Most peoplewho are beingstraight with you are willing to look you in the eye. Personal integrity andconvictionmakecommunicationcredible.

A warm smile. The fastest way to open the lines of communication is tosmile. A smile overcomes innumerable communication barriers, crossing theboundariesofculture,race,age,class,gender,education,andeconomicstatus.

If I expect a person to lead, I must also expect him to be able tocommunicate.

DISCONTENTWITHTHESTATUSQUO

I’ve toldmy staff before that status quo is Latin for “themesswe’re in.”Leaders seewhat is, butmore important, they have vision forwhat could be.Theyarenevercontentwiththingsastheyare.Tobeleading,bydefinition,istobe in front, breakingnewground, conqueringnewworlds,moving away fromthe status quo. Donna Harrison states, “Great leaders are never satisfied withcurrentlevelsofperformance.Theyconstantlystriveforhigherandhigherlevelsofachievement.”Theymovebeyondthestatusquothemselves,andtheyaskthesameofthosearoundthem.

Aleaderwholovesthestatusquosoonbecomesafollower.

Dissatisfaction with the status quo does not mean a negative attitude orgrumbling.Ithastodowithwillingnesstobedifferentandtakerisks.Apersonwhorefusestoriskchangefailstogrow.Aleaderwholovesthestatusquosoonbecomes a follower. Raymond Smith, former CEO and Chairman of the BellAtlanticCorporation,onceremarked,“Takingthesaferoad,doingyourjob,andnotmakinganywavesmaynotgetyou fired (right away, at least),but it surewon’tdomuchforyourcareeroryourcompanyoverthelonghaul.We’renotdumb.Weknowthatadministratorsareeasytofindandcheaptokeep.Leaders—risktakers—areinveryshortsupply.Andoneswithvisionarepuregold.”

Risk seemsdangerous to peoplemore comfortablewith old problems thannewsolutions.Thedifferencebetweentheenergyandtimethatittakestoputupwith the old problems and the energy and time it takes to come upwith newsolutionsissurprisinglysmall.Thedifferenceisattitude.Whenseekingpotential

leaders,seekpeoplewhoseeksolutions.Seekpeoplewhoseeksolutions.

Goodleadersdeliberatelyseekoutandfindpotential leaders.Great leadersnotonlyfindthem,butalsotransformthemintoothergreatleaders.Anabilitytorecognizeabilityandastrategyforfindingleadersmakeithappen.Whatisyourplanforlocatingandidentifyingpotentialleaders?

M

FOURTHELEADER’SCRUCIALTASK:NURTURINGPOTENTIAL

LEADERSanyorganizationstodayfailtotapintotheirpotential.Why?Becausetheonly reward they give their employees is a paycheck. The relationship

betweenemployerandemployeeneverdevelopsbeyond thatpoint.Successfulorganizationstakeadifferentapproach.Inexchangefortheworkapersongives,hereceivesnotonlyhispaycheck,butalsonurturingfromthepeopleforwhomheworks.Andnurturinghastheabilitytotransformpeople’slives.

Once you have identified potential leaders, you need to begin thework ofbuildingthemintotheleaderstheycanbecome.Todothisyouneedastrategy.IusetheBESTacronymasareminderofwhatpeopleneedwhentheygetstartedwithmyorganization.Theyneedmeto:

Believeinthem.Encouragethem.Sharewiththem.Trustthem.

TheBEST techniqueisthebeginningofthenextelementofdevelopingtheleadersaroundyou:nurturingpotentialleaders.

Nurturinghastheabilitytotransform

people’slives.Nurturing benefits everyone.Whowouldn’t bemore secure andmotivated

when his leaderbelieves in him, encourages him, shareswith him, and trustshim?Peoplearemoreproductivewhennurtured.

Evenmoreimportant,nurturingcreatesastrongemotionalandprofessionalfoundationwithinworkerswhohave leadershippotential.Later,using traininganddevelopment,aleadercanbebuiltonthatfoundation.

The nurturing process involves more than just encouragement. It also

includes modeling. In fact, the leader’s major responsibility in the nurturingprocessismodeling...leadership,astrongworkethic,responsibility,character,openness,consistency,communication,andabeliefinpeople.Evenwhenheisin the process of giving to the people around him, he is also modeling. Themodeling process is at its best when a leader chooses amodel of his own toemulateandthenbecomesamodeltohisteammembers.Aseighteenth-centurywriterOliverGoldsmithoncesaid,“Peopleseldomimprovewhentheyhavenoother model but themselves to copy.” We leaders must provide ourselves asmodelstocopy.

MarkTwain once joked, “To do right iswonderful. To teach others to dorightisevenmorewonderful—andmucheasier.”IhaveacorollarytoTwain’sidea:“Toleadotherstodorightiswonderful.Todorightandthenleadthemismorewonderful—andharder.”LikeTwain,Irecognizethattheself-disciplinesofdoingrightandthenteachingotherstodorightaremadedifficultbyhumannature. Everyone can find excuses for not giving to those around them.Greatleadersknow thedifficultiesandnurture theirpeopleanyway.Theyknow thattherearepeoplewhowill respondpositively towhat theygive,andtheyfocusonthosepositiveresults.

Here are the things I have found a leadermust do to nurture the potentialleadersaroundhim.

CHOOSEALEADERSHIPMODELFORYOURSELF

Asleaders,youandIarefirstresponsibleforfindinggoodmodelsforourselves.Give careful thought to which leaders you will follow because they willdetermine your course. I have developed six questions to ask myself beforepickingamodeltofollow:

DOESMYMODEL’SLIFEDESERVEAFOLLOWING?

Thisquestionrelatestoqualityofcharacter.Iftheanswerisnotaclearyes,Ihavetobeverycareful.IwillbecomelikethepeopleIfollow,andIdon’twantmodelswithflawedcharacter.

DOESMYMODEL’SLIFEHAVEAFOLLOWING?

Thisquestionlooksatcredibility.Itispossibletobetheveryfirstpersontodiscoveraleaderworthfollowing,butitdoesn’thappenveryoften.Ifthepersonhasnofollowing,heorshemaynotbeworthfollowing.

Ifmyanswertoeitherofthefirsttwoquestionsisno,Idon’thavetobotherwiththeotherfour.Ineedtolookforanothermodel.

WHATISTHEMAINSTRENGTHTHATINFLUENCESOTHERSTOFOLLOWMYMODEL?

What does the model have to offer me?What is his best? Also note thatstrong leaders have weaknesses as well as strengths. I don’t want toinadvertentlyemulatetheweaknesses.

DOESMYMODELPRODUCEOTHERLEADERS?

The answer to this question will tell me whether the model’s leadershipprioritiesmatchmineinregardtodevelopingnewleaders.

ISMYMODEL’SSTRENGTHREPRODUCIBLEINMYLIFE?

IfIcan’treproducehisstrengthinmylife,hismodelingwillnotbenefitme.Forinstance,ifyouadmireShaquilleO’Neil’sabilityasabasketballcenter,butyou’reonly5feet,9inchestallandweigh170pounds,youarenotgoingtobeable to reproduce his strengths. Find appropriate models . . . but strive forimprovement.Don’tbetooquicktosaythatastrengthisnotreproducible.Mostare.Don’tlimityourpotential.

IFMYMODEL’SSTRENGTHISREPRODUCIBLEINMYLIFE,WHATSTEPSMUSTITAKETODEVELOPANDDEMONSTRATETHATSTRENGTH?

Youmust develop a plan of action. If you only answer the questions andnever implement a plan to develop those strengths in yourself, you are onlyperforminganintellectualexercise.

Themodelswechoosemayormaynotbeaccessibletousinapersonalway.Somemaybenationalfigures,suchasapresident.Ortheymaybepeoplefromhistory.Theycancertainlybenefityou,butnotthewayapersonalmentorcan.

GUIDELINESFORMENTORINGRELATIONSHIPSWhenyoufindsomeonewhocanpersonallymentoryou,usetheseguidelinestohelpdevelopapositivementoringrelationshipwiththatperson:

ASKTHERIGHTQUESTIONS

Give thought toquestionsyouwill askbeforeyoumeetwithyourmentor.Makethemstrategicforyourowngrowth.

CLARIFYYOURLEVELOFEXPECTATIONS

Generally,thegoalofmentoringisimprovement,notperfection.Perhapsonlyafewpeoplecanbetrulyexcellent—butallofuscanbecome

better.

ACCEPTASUBORDINATE,LEARNINGPOSITION

Don’tletegogetinthewayoflearning.Tryingtoimpressthementorwithyour knowledge or ability will set up a mental barrier between you. It willpreventyoufromreceivingwhatheisgiving.

RESPECTTHEMENTOR,BUTDON’TIDOLIZEHIM

Respect allows us to accept what the mentor is teaching. But making thementor an idol removes the ability to be objective and critical—faculties weneedforadaptingamentor’sknowledgeandexperiencetoourselves.

IMMEDIATELYPUTINTOEFFECTWHATYOUARELEARNING

Inthebestmentoringrelationships,whatislearnedcomesquicklyintofocus.Learn,practice,andassimilate.

BEDISCIPLINEDINRELATINGTOTHEMENTOR

Arrangeforampleandconsistenttime,selectthesubjectmatterinadvance,anddoyourhomeworktomakethesessionsprofitable.

REWARDYOURMENTORWITHYOUROWNPROGRESS

If you show appreciation but make no progress, the mentor experiencesfailure. Your progress is his highest reward. Strive for growth, thencommunicateyourprogress.

DON’TTHREATENTOGIVEUP

Letyourmentorknowyouhavemadeadecisionforprogressandthatyouare a persistent person—a determined winner. Then he will know he is notwastinghistime.

Thereisnosubstituteforyourownpersonalgrowth.Ifyouarenotreceivingandgrowing,youwillnotbeabletogivetothepeopleyounurtureanddevelop.

BUILDTRUST

Ihavelearnedthattrustisthesinglemostimportantfactorinbuildingpersonaland professional relationships. Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus call trust “theglue that binds followers and leaders together.” Trust implies accountability,predictability,andreliability.Morethananythingelse,followerswanttobelieveinand trust their leaders.Theywant tobeable tosay,“SomedayIwant tobelike him or her.” If they don’t trust you, they cannot say it. People firstmustbelieveinyoubeforetheywillfollowyourleadership.

Trustmustbebuiltdaybyday.Itcallsforconsistency.Someofthewaysaleader can betray trust include: breaking promises, gossiping, withholdinginformation,andbeingtwo-faced.Theseactionsdestroytheenvironmentoftrustnecessaryforthegrowthofpotentialleaders.Andwhenaleaderbreakstrust,hemustworktwiceashardtoregainit.AsChristianleaderCherylBiehloncesaid,“Oneof therealitiesof life is that ifyoucan’t trustapersonatallpoints,youcan’ttrulytrusthimorheratanypoint.”

Every fall I look forward to seeing poorCharlieBrown try to placekick afootball.HealwaysendsuponhisfaceorbackbecauseLucy,hisholder,jerks

theballawayatthelastmoment.Aftershepullstheballaway,LucyoftentellsCharliesheistryingtoteachhimnottobesotrusting.Buthekeepsontryingtokickthefootballanyway,yearafteryear.Why?Charliereallydoeswanttotrustpeople.Lucyisnotaleader,andsheneverwillbe.Leadershipcanonlyfunctiononthebasisoftrust;Lucyisuntrustworthy.

Leadershipcanonlyfunctiononthebasisoftrust.

People will not follow a leader they do not trust. It is the leader’sresponsibilitytoactivelydevelopthattrustinhimfromthepeoplearoundhim.Trustisbuiltonmanythings: Time. Taketimetolistenandgivefeedbackonperformance.Respect. Givethepotentialleaderrespectandhewillreturnitwithtrust.UnconditionalPositiveRegard. Showacceptanceoftheperson.Sensitivity. Anticipatethefeelingsandneedsofthepotentialleader.Touch. Giveencouragement-ahandshake,highfive,orpatontheback.

Once people trust their leader as a person, they become able to trust hisleadership.

SHOWTRANSPARENCYAllleadersmakemistakes.Theyareapartoflife.Successfulleadersrecognizetheir errors, learn from them, andwork to correct their faults.A study of 105executives determined many of the characteristics shared by successfulexecutives. One particular trait was identified as the most valuable: Theyadmitted their mistakes and accepted the consequences rather than trying toblameothers.

We liveamongpeoplewho try tomakesomeoneelse responsible for theiractions or circumstances. People don’twant to reap the consequences of theiractions.Youcansee thisattitudeeverywhere.Televisionadvertisements inviteusdailytosue“evenifyouwereatfaultinanaccident”or“declarebankruptcy”toavoidcreditors.Aleaderwhoiswillingtotakeresponsibilityforhisactionsand be honest and transparent with his people is someone they will admire,respect,andtrust.Thatleaderisalsosomeonetheycanlearnfrom.

OFFERTIME

OFFERTIME

Peoplecannotbenurturedfromadistanceorby infrequent, shortspurtsofattention.Theyneedyoutospendtimewiththem—plannedtime,notjustafewwords on theway to ameeting. Imake it a priority to stay in touchwith theleaders inmyorganization.Iplanandperformtrainingsessionsformystaff, Ischedule one-on-one time formentoring, and I schedulemeetingswhere teammembers can share information. Often I’ll take a potential leader to lunch. Ifrequently check with my people to see how their area of responsibility isprogressingandgiveassistanceifneeded.

Timespentwithapotentialleaderisaninvestment.

We live in a fast-paced, demandingworld, and time is a difficult thing togive. It isa leader’smostvaluablecommodity.PeterDruckerwrote,“Nothingelse,perhaps,distinguisheseffectiveexecutivesasmuchas their tender lovingcare of time.” Time is valuable, but time spent with a potential leader is aninvestment.Whenyougiveofyourself,itbenefitsyou,theorganization,andthereceiver. Nurturing leaders must maintain a giving attitude. Norman VincentPeale expressed it well when he said that themanwho lives for himself is afailure;themanwholivesforothershasachievedtruesuccess.

BELIEVEINPEOPLE

Whenyoubelieveinpeople,youmotivatethemandreleasetheirpotential.Andpeoplecansenseintuitivelywhenapersonreallybelievesinthem.Anyonecan see people as they are. It takes a leader to see what they can become,encouragethemtogrowinthatdirection,andbelievethattheywilldoit.Peoplealwaysgrowtowardaleader’sexpectations,nothiscriticismandexaminations.Examinationsmerelygauge progress.Expectationspromote progress.Youcanhirepeopletoworkforyou,butyoumustwintheirheartsbybelievingintheminordertohavethemworkwithyou.

Whenyoubelieveinpeople,youmotivatethemandrelease

theirpotential.

GIVEENCOURAGEMENTToomanyleadersexpecttheirpeopletoencouragethemselves.Butmostpeoplerequireoutsideencouragementtopropelthemforward.Itisvitaltotheirgrowth.Physician George Adams found encouragement to be so vital to a person’sexistencethathecalledit“oxygentothesoul.”

New leaders need to be encouraged.When they arrive in a new situation,they encounter many changes and undergo many changes themselves.Encouragement helps them reach their potential; it empowers them by givingthemenergytocontinuewhentheymakemistakes.

Use lotsofpositive reinforcementwithyourpeople.Don’t takeacceptablework for granted; thank people for it. Praise a person every time you seeimprovement. And personalize your encouragement any time you can.Remember,whatmotivatesonepersonmayleaveanothercoldorevenirritated.Findoutwhatworkswitheachofyourpeopleanduseit.

UCLA basketball coach JohnWooden told players who scored to give asmile,wink,ornodtotheplayerwhogavethemagoodpass.“Whatifhe’snotlooking?” asked a team member. Wooden replied, “I guarantee he’ll look.”Everyonevaluesencouragementandlooksforit—especiallywhenhisleaderisaconsistentencourager.

EXHIBITCONSISTENCY

Consistency is a crucial part of nurturing potential leaders, just as it is in anyother kind of nurturing.Whenwe are consistent, our people learn to trust us.Theyareabletogrowanddevelopbecausetheyknowwhattoexpectfromus.They can answer the question, “What wouldmy leader do in this situation?”whentheyfacedifficultdecisions.Theybecomesecurebecausetheyknowwhatourresponsetothemwillbe,regardlessofcircumstances.

Perhaps you’ve heard the story about the farmer who had experiencedseveralbadyears.Hewenttoseethemanagerofhisbank:

“I’vegotsomegoodnewsandsomebadnewstotellyou.Whichwouldyouliketohearfirst?”thefarmerasked.

“Whydon’tyoutellmethebadnewsfirstandgetitoverwith?”thebankerreplied.

“Whydon’tyoutellmethebadnewsfirstandgetitoverwith?”thebankerreplied.

“Okay.Withthebaddroughtandinflationandall,Iwon’tbeabletopayanythingonmymortgagethisyear,eitherontheprincipalortheinterest.”

“Well,thatisprettybad.”

“Itgetsworse.Ialsowon’tbeabletopayanythingontheloanforallthatmachineryIbought,notontheprincipalorinterest.”

“Wow,isthateverbad!”

“It’sworsethanthat.YourememberIalsoborrowedtobuyseedandfertilizerandothersupplies.Well,Ican’tpayanythingonthateither—principalorinterest.”

“That’sawfulandthat’senough!Tellmewhatthegoodnewsis.”

“Thegoodnews,”repliedthefarmerwithasmile,“isthatIintendtokeepondoingbusinesswithyou.”1

Fortunately, most of our potential leaders do better than our friend thefarmer.Unlikehim,theywon’tneedconsistentsupportforquitesolongbeforethey are able to turn things around.Whenwebelieve in our potential leaders,and we consistently support and encourage them, we give them the addedstrengththeyneedtohanginthereandperformwellforus.

HOLDHOPEHIGH

Hope isoneof thegreatestgifts leaderscangive to thosearound them. Itspower should never be underestimated. It takes a great leader to give hope topeoplewhentheycan’tfinditwithinthemselves.WinstonChurchillrecognizedthevalueofhope.HewasprimeministerofEnglandduringsomeofthedarkesthours ofWorldWar II. He was once asked by a reporter what his country’sgreatestweaponhadbeen againstHitler’sNazi regime.Without pausing for amoment he said: “It was what England’s greatest weapon has always been—hope.”

Itistheleader’sjobtoholdhopehigh.

Peoplewillcontinueworking,struggling,andtryingiftheyhavehope.Hopelifts morale. It improves self-image. It reenergizes people. It raises theirexpectations.Itistheleader’sjobtoholdhopehigh,toinstillitinthepeopleheleads.Ourpeoplewillhavehopeonlyifwegiveit tothem.Andwewillhavehopetogiveifwemaintaintherightattitude.ClareBootheLuce,inEuropeintheSpring,quotesBattleofVerdunheroMarshalFochassaying,“Thereareno

hopelesssituations:thereareonlymenwhohavegrownhopelessaboutthem.”Maintaining hope comes from seeing the potential in every situation and

stayingpositivedespitecircumstances.Dr.G.CampbellMorgan tells thestoryofamanwhoseshopburnedtothegroundinthegreatChicagofire.Hearrivedat the ruins the nextmorning carrying a table and set it up amid the charreddebris.Above the tableheplaced this optimistic sign: “Everything lost exceptwife,children,andhope.Businesswillresumeasusualtomorrowmorning.”

ADDSIGNIFICANCENoonewantstospendhistimedoingworkthatisunimportant.Peoplewanttodowork thatmatters.Workers often say things like, “Iwant to feel that I’veachieved,thatI’veaccomplished,thatI’vemadeadifference.Iwantexcellence.IwantwhatIdotobeimportantwork.Iwanttomakeanimpact.”Peoplewantsignificance.

It is the leader’s jobtoaddsignificanceto the livesof thepeopleheleads:Oneofthewayswecandothisistomakethemapartofsomethingworthwhile.Too many people simply fall into a comfortable niche in life and stay thererather thanpursuegoalsofsignificance.Leaderscan’tafford todo that.Everyleadermustaskhimself,“DoIwantsurvival,success,orsignificance?”Thebestleadersdesiresignificanceandexpendtheir timeandenergyinpursuitof theirdreams. As formerWashington Post CEO Katharine Graham said, “To lovewhatyoudoandfeelthatitmatters—howcouldanythingbemorefun?”

Moishe Rosen teaches a one-sentence mental exercise that is an effectivetoolinhelpingapersonidentifyhisdream.Heasksapersontofillintheblanks:

IfIhad__________________________________________________

Iwould__________________________________________________

The idea is that if you had anything you wanted—unlimited time, unlimitedmoney, unlimited information, unlimited staff (all the resourcesyou could askfor)—whatwouldyoudo?Youranswertothatquestionisyourdream.

Acting on your dream adds significance to your life. There is a classicexampleof this fromhistory.Everyonehasheard the storyof IsaacNewton’sdiscoveryof the lawof gravity after observing the fall of an apple.What fewpeople know is that EdmundHalley, the astronomerwho discoveredHalley’sComet, is almost single-handedly responsible forNewton’s theories becoming

known. Halley challenged Newton to think through his original notions. Hecorrected Newton’s mathematical errors and prepared geometrical figures tosupport hiswork.Not only did he encourageNewton towrite his greatwork,Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy, but he edited the work,supervised its publication, and financed its printing, even thoughNewtonwaswealthierandcouldeasilyaffordtheprintingcosts.

HalleyencouragedNewtontoactonhisdream,anditaddedimmeasurablesignificancetoNewton’slife.Newtonbegantoreaptherewardsofprominencealmostimmediately.Halleyreceivedlittlecredit,buthemusthavegainedgreatsatisfactioninknowinghehadinspiredrevolutionaryideasintheadvancementofscientificthought.

Identify and pursue your dream.Make it personal, attainable, measurable,visible, and expandable.The desire for significance can stretch us to our verybest.Andbeingapartof theachievementofourdreamcanenrichthelivesofthosearoundus.

Another way to add significance to the lives of the people you lead is toshow them thebigpictureand let themknowhow theycontribute to it.Manypeople get so caught up in the task of the moment that they cannot see theimportanceofwhattheydo.

Amemberofmystaffwhowasoncedeanofavocationalcollege toldmeabout a day hewas showing around a new employee. As he introduced eachpersonanddescribedeachperson’sposition,thereceptionistoverheardhimsaythatherswasavery importantposition.The receptionistcommented,“I’mnotimportant.ThemostimportantthingIdoeachdayisfilloutareport.”

“Without you,” the dean replied, “this school wouldn’t exist. Every newstudentwhocomesheretalkstoyoufirst.Iftheydon’tlikeyou,theywon’tliketheschool.Iftheydon’tliketheschool,theywon’tcometoschoolhere,andwewouldsoonrunoutofstudents.Wewouldhavetocloseourdoors.”

“Wow! Inever thoughtof it thatway,” she replied.Thedean immediatelysaw her appear more confident, and she sat up taller behind her desk as sheansweredthephone.Theleaderofherdepartmenthadneverexplainedtoherthesignificanceofherjob.Hehadneverexplainedhervaluetotheorganization.Byseeingthebigpicture,shehadsignificanceaddedtoherlife.

PROVIDESECURITY

NormanCousinssaid,“Peoplearenevermoreinsecurethanwhentheybecomeobsessedwiththeirfearsat theexpenseoftheirdreams.”Peoplewhofocusontheir fears don’t grow. They become paralyzed. Leaders are in a position toprovidefollowerswithanenvironmentofsecurityinwhichtheycangrowanddevelop.Apotential leaderwhofeelssecure ismorelikelyto takerisks, try toexcel,breaknewground, and succeed.Great leadersmake their followers feelbiggerthantheyare.Soonthefollowersbegintothink,act,andproducebiggerthantheyare.Finally,theybecomewhattheythinktheyare.

HenryFordoncesaid,“Oneofthegreatdiscoveriesamanmakes,oneofhisgreat surprises, is to find he can do what he was afraid he couldn’t do.” Anurturing leader provides the security a potential leader needs to make thatdiscovery.

REWARDPRODUCTIONPeoplerisetoourlevelofexpectations.Theytrytogiveuswhatwereward.Ifyouwantyourpeopletoproduce,thenyoumustrewardproduction.

Thomas J. Watson, Sr., the founder of IBM, was famous for carrying acheckbookashewalkedthroughofficesandplants.Wheneverhesawsomebodydoinganexceptionaljob,hewroteoutachecktothatperson.Itmayhavebeenfor$5,$10,or$25.Theamountsweresmall,but the impactofhisactionwastremendous.Inmanycases,peoplenevercashedthechecks.Theyframedthemandputthemontheirwalls.Theyfoundtheirrewardnotinthemoney,butinthepersonal recognition of their production. That’s what gives significance andleadsapersontogivehispersonalbest.

Even a person who is industrious and hardworking will finally getdemoralized if production is discouraged rather than rewarded. You probablyremember the children’s story of the little red hen, the one whowanted helpbakingbread.Hereisamodernversion:

Onceuponatimetherewasalittleredhenwhoscratchedaboutthebarnyarduntilsheuncoveredsomegrainsofwheat.Shecalledherneighborsandsaid,“Ifweplantthiswheat,weshallhavebreadtoeat.Whowillhelpmeplantit?”

“NotI,”saidthecow.“NotI,”saidtheduck.“NotI,”saidthepig.“NotI,”saidthegoose.

“ThenIwill,”saidthelittleredhen,andshedid.Thewheatgrewtallandripenedintogolden

“ThenIwill,”saidthelittleredhen,andshedid.Thewheatgrewtallandripenedintogoldengrain.“Whowillhelpmereapmywheat?”askedthelittleredhen.

“NotI,”saidtheduck.“That’soutofmyclassification,”saidthepig.“I’dlosemyseniority,”saidthecow.“I’dlosemyunemploymentcompensation,”saidthegoose.“ThenIwill,”saidthelittleredhen,andshedid.Atlast,itcametimetobakethebread.“Whowillhelpmebakethebread?”askedthelittle

redhen.“Thatwouldbeovertimeforme,”saidthecow.“I’dlosemywelfarebenefits,”saidtheduck.“IfI’mtobetheonlyhelper,thatwouldbediscrimination,”saidthegoose.

“ThenIwill,”saidthelittleredhen.Shebakedfiveloavesandheldthemupforherneighborstosee.Theyallwantedsome.Infact,theydemandedashare.Butthelittleredhensaid,“No,Icaneatthefiveloavesmyself.”

“Excessprofits!”yelledthecow.“Capitalistleech!”criedtheduck.“Idemandequalrights!”shoutedthegoose.

Thepigjustgrunted.Thentheothershurriedlypaintedpicketsignsandmarchedaround,shoutingobscenities.

Thegovernmentagentcameandsaidtothelittleredhen,“Youmustnotbegreedy.”

“ButIearnedthebread,”saidthelittleredhen.

“Exactly,”saidtheagent.“Thatisthewonderfulfreeenterprisesystem.Anyoneinthebarnyardcanearnasmuchashewants.But,undergovernmentregulations,theproductiveworkersmustdividetheirproductwiththeidle.”

Theyalllivedhappilyeverafter.Butthelittleredhen’sneighborswonderedwhysheneveragainbakedbread.2

Weleadersmustbecertainthatourpeopledon’tfeellikethelittleredhen.We must never be like the government agent. We must give positiveacknowledgment andencouragement to theproducers, andwemustbecarefulnot to reward the idle. Take a hard look at your organization.What are yourewarding?

ESTABLISHASUPPORTSYSTEM

Developasupportsystemforemployees.Nothinghurtsmoralemorethanaskingpeopletodosomethingandnotgivingthemresourcestoaccomplishit.Ibelieveeverypotentialleaderneedssupportinfiveareas:

EMOTIONALSUPPORT

Providea“yesyoucan”atmosphere.Evenwhensupportislackinginotherareas, a person can forge ahead when given emotional support. This supportcoststheleastandyieldsanincrediblereturn.

SKILLSTRAINING

Oneofthefastestwaystobuildpeopleupistotrainthem.Peoplereceivingtraining perceive that the organization believes in them. And they are moreproductivebecausetheyaremorehighlyskilled.

MONEY

Stingy leaders produce stingyworkers. It is difficult for people to give ofthemselves when their leader does not give of himself. If you pay peanuts,expect to get monkeys. Invest money in people; it always yields the highestreturnonyourinvestment.

Investmoneyinpeople;italwaysyieldsthehighestreturnonyourinvestment.

EQUIPMENT

Todothejobright,youneedtherighttools.Toooftenapoorleaderlooksatthingsfromashort-termperspective.Investingintherightequipmentwillgiveyourpeoplethetimetobemoreproductive,anditwillkeepuptheirmorale.

PERSONNEL

Provide the people needed to get the job done.And provide good people.Personnelproblemscaneatupthetimeandenergyofapotentialleader,leavinglittletimeforproduction.

Createasupportsystemforallthepeoplearoundyou.Butincreaseitforanyindividualonlyashegrowsand is successful. Ihave found the familiar80/20principle that Idiscussedat length inDeveloping theLeaderWithinYouholdsespecially true here.The top 20 percent of the people in the organizationwillperform80percentof theorganization’sproduction.Sowhenstructuringyoursupportsystem,providethetop20percentproducerswith80percentofthetotalsupport.

People who have a support system have the environment and the tools tosucceed. They are a part of a cooperative environment. A business trainingexercise, described in a speech by Tom Geddie of Central and SouthwestServices, is a wonderful illustration of what can happen in a cooperativeenvironment:

Drawanimaginarylineonthefloor,andputonepersononeachside.Thepurpose is to get oneperson to convince theother,without force, to cross theline. U.S. players almost never convince one another, but their Japanesecounterparts simply say, “If you’ll cross the line, so will I.” They exchangeplacesandtheybothwin.

TheJapaneserecognizetheimportantofcooperationandmutualsupport.Ithas been a key to their success in the last fifty years. It can be a key to yoursuccessandtothatoftheleadersaroundyou.

DISCERNANDPERSONALIZETHEPOTENTIALLEADER’SJOURNEY

Teddy Roosevelt once had a little dog that was always getting in fights andalways getting licked. Somebody said, “Colonel, he’s notmuch of a fighter.”Teddyreplied,“Oh,he’sagoodfighter.He’sjustapoorjudgeofdogs.”

Leadersmustbegoodatjudgingothers.LeadershipexpertPeterDruckerhasoftensaid,“Itisimportanttodisciplealife,notteachalesson.”Discipleshipof

another person involves discerningwhere that person is, knowingwhere he issupposedtogo,andgivinghimwhatheneedstogetthere.Thepersonandtheassignments he is given must match. As Drucker says, people are much likeflowers.One, like a rose, needs fertilizer.Another,more like a rhododendron,doesn’t.Ifyoudon’tgiveflowersthecaretheyneed,they’llneverbloom.Theleadermustbeabletotellwhichiswhich.

Inthepreviouschapter,wediscussedtheidentificationofpotential leaders.Everyoneyourecruitforyourorganizationshouldbeapotentialleader,butyoushouldnottrytopersonallymentoreveryoneinyourorganization.

Spend80percentofyourtimeon

themostpromising20percentof

thepotentialleadersaroundyou.

Lead and nurture everyonewithin your influence, but spend 80 percent ofyourtimeonthemostpromising20percentofthepotentialleadersaroundyou.Herearesomeguidelinesforselectingtherightpeopletomentoranddevelop:

SELECTPEOPLEWHOSEPHILOSOPHYOFLIFEISSIMILARTOYOURS

Itwillbedifficult todevelopsomeonewhosevaluesare toodifferent fromyours.

CHOOSEPEOPLEWITHPOTENTIALYOUGENUINELYBELIEVEIN

Ifyoudon’tbelieveinthem,youwon’tgivethemthetimetheyneed.Andtheywilldiscernyourlackofconfidenceinthem.Beliefintheirpotential,ontheother hand, will empower them. Some of the nation’s greatest professional

athletes have come from tiny colleges that receive no publicity.All those ballplayers needed was for pro scouts to recognize the potential that the rightopportunity could bring out. The secret ofmentoring in any field is to help apersongetwhereheorsheiswillingtogo.

DETERMINEWHATTHEYNEED

Determiningwhatpotential leadersneed involves lookingat their strengthsandweaknessesobjectively.Theirstrengthsindicatethedirectionstheyneedtogo,whattheycanbecome.Theirweaknessesshowuswhatweneedtohelpthemimprove.Encouragingthemintheirstrengthsandhelpingthemovercometheirweaknesseswillmovethemclosertoreachingtheirpotential.

EVALUATETHEIRPROGRESSCONSTANTLY

People need feedback, especially early in their development.Ben Franklinsaid,“Theeyeofthemasterwilldomoreworkthanbothhishands.”Heknewthataleader’sabilitytoevaluateishisgreateststrength.Anhonestmentorwillbeobjective.Ifnecessary,heorshewillencouragethepersontostayoncourse,to seek another direction, or even to enter into a relationship with anothermentor.

BECOMMITTED,SERIOUS,ANDAVAILABLETOTHEPEOPLEYOUMENTOR

The development of the potential leaders will be a reflection of yourcommitment to them: poor commitment equals poor development; greatcommitmentequalsgreatdevelopment.

Danny Thomas said, “All of us are born for a reason, but all of us don’tdiscoverwhy. Success in life has nothing to dowithwhat you gain in life or

accomplish for yourself. It’s what you do for others.” By personalizing eachperson’sjourney,youarehelpinghimtomaximizehispotential.Youaregivinghimachancetodiscoverhispurpose.

Youalsomaximizehiscontributiontoyouandyourorganization.Mostpeopleagreethatnurturingisimportanttothedevelopmentofchildren.

However, they often fail to see its importance in theworkplace.They assumethatpotentialleaderswillnurturethemselves.Ifweasleadersdonotnurturethepotentialleadersaroundus,theywillneverdevelopintothetypesofleaderswedesire. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “It is one of the most beautifulcompensationsofthislifethatnomancansincerelytrytohelpanotherwithouthelpinghimself.”Whenyounurturethepeoplearoundyou,everyonewins.

A

FIVETHELEADER’SDAILYREQUIREMENT:

EQUIPPINGPOTENTIALLEADERS

t this point you know how to identify potential leaders, how to create aclimate inwhich theycanbenurtured,andhow tonurture theminsome

basic ways. It is time to look more specifically at how to prepare them forleadershipwithintheorganization.Thatpreparationprocessiscalledequipping.

Equippingissimilartotraining.ButIprefertheterm“equipping”becauseitmore accurately describes the process potential leaders must go through.Training is generally focused on specific job tasks; for instance, you train apersontouseacopymachineortoansweraphoneinaparticularway.Trainingisonlyapartoftheequippingprocessthatpreparesapersonforleadership.

When I think of equipping a potential leader, I think of preparing anunskilled person to scale a tall mountain peak. His preparation is a process.Certainlyheneedstobeoutfittedwithequipment,suchascold-weatherclothing,ropes,picks,andspikes.Healsoneedstobetrainedhowtousethatequipment.

Amountainclimber’spreparation,though,involvesmuchmorethansimplyhaving the correct equipment andknowinghow touse it.Thepersonmust beconditionedphysicallytopreparehimforthedifficultclimb.Hemustbetrainedtobeapartofateam.Mostimportant,hemustbetaughttothinklikeamountainclimber.Heneedstobeabletolookatapeakandseehowitistobeconquered.Withoutgoingthroughthecompleteequippingprocess,henotonlywon’tmakeittothetopofthemountain,buthealsomightfindhimselfstrandedonthesideofthemountain,freezingtodeath.

Equipping,likenurturing,isanongoingprocess.Youdon’tequipapersonina few hours or a day. And it can’t be done using a formula or a videotape.Equippingmustbetailoredtoeachpotentialleader.

Equipping,likenurturing,isanongoingprocess.

The ideal equipper is a person who can impart the vision of the work,evaluate the potential leader, give him the tools he needs, and then help himalongthewayatthebeginningofhisjourney.

The equipper is amodel—a leaderwho does the job, does itwell, does itright,anddoesitwithconsistency.

Theequipperisamentor—anadvisorwhohasthevisionoftheorganizationandcancommunicateittoothers.Heorshehasexperiencetodrawupon.

Equippingmustbetailoredtoeach

potentialleader.Theequipper is anempowerer—onewhocan instill in thepotential leader

thedesireandabilitytodothework.Heorsheisabletolead,teach,andassesstheprogressofthepersonbeingequipped.

Toseehowyourdiscernmentskillsmeasureup,takealookatthischartofpotential leader characteristics adapted from author and leadership consultantBobbBiehl:1

PERFORMANCEFACTORS

FAREXCEEDSJOB

REQUIREMENTS

EXCEEDSJOBREQUIREMENTS

MEETSJOBREQUIREMENTS

NEEDSSOMEIMPROVEMENT

DOESNOTMEETMINIMUMREQUIREMENTS

QualityLeapstall

buildingswithasinglebound

Musttakerunningstarttoleapovertallbuildings

Canonlyleapoverashortbuildingormediumwithnospires

Crashesintobuildingswhenattemptingtojumpoverthem

Cannotrecognizebuildingatall,muchlessjump

Timeliness Isfasterthanaspeedingbullet

Isasfastasaspeedingbullet

Notquiteasfastasaspeedingbullet

Wouldyoubelieveaslowbullet?

Woundsselfwithbulletwhenattemptingtoshootgun

Initiative Isstrongerthanalocomotive

Isstrongerthananelephant

Isstrongerthanabull Shootsthebull Smellslikeabull

Adaptability Walksonwaterconsistently

Walksonwaterinemergencies Washeswithwater Drinkswater Passeswaterin

emergencies

Communication TalkswithGod Talkswiththeangels Talkstoself Argueswithself Losesthose

arguments

EQUIPPINGQUESTIONSEffectiveequippingbeginswithaskingquestions.Weaskthemtodeterminethe

direction our equipping effortsmust take. Ifwe don’t,wemay find ourselvesteachingthewrongpeoplethewrongthingsforthewrongpurpose.Ibegintheprocesswithanalysisof theorganization,myself,and thepotential leaders.TogettheinformationIneed,Iaskthreesetsofquestions:

QUESTIONSABOUTTHEORGANIZATION

These questions will determine what equipping needs to be done and thedirectionitshouldtaketobestservetheorganization:

Whatisthestatementofpurposefortheorganization?Thedevelopmentofleaders in an organization must begin with a review of the organization’spurpose.(Presumably,thepurposeofyourorganizationisalreadyinwriting.Ifnot,writeitdown.Orasksomeoneinauthoritytoprovideyouwithastatementofpurpose.)Don’tevenconsiderperformingequippingortrainingthatdoesnotcontributetothefulfillmentoftheorganization’spurpose.

What is the primary need of the organization? If you know what theorganizationneedsmostinordertofulfillitspurpose,thenyouknowitsprimaryequippingneed.Definethatneedasspecificallyaspossible.

Is there a trainingprogram in place tomeet that need? If there isn’t, youknowwheretostart.Ifthereis,thenusetheideasinthischaptertoimproveit.

What areas within the organization have the greatest growth potential?Whenyoutrainandequiptoprepareforgrowth,youplaytoyourstrengths.Youarebeingproactiveratherthanreactive.Youareputtingyourselfinapositiontomeet the future totally prepared. Do those potential growth areas have theneeded leaders to accomplish the task?Without leaders ready tomake thingshappen,theareaofgrowthpotentialwillnevermovefrom“potential”toreality.Iftheleadersdon’talreadyexist,theywillhavetobeequippedanddeveloped.

QUESTIONSABOUTMYSELF

The questions concerning the organization indicate the direction theequipping must take. This next set of questions will make clear how theequippingwillbedone.Astheleader,Isetthetonefortheequippingprocess.

AmIwillingtopourmylifeintoothers?Givingtopotentialleadersisawayoflifeforthebestleaders.Theydoitdaily.Thedevelopmentoftheirpeopleismore important than the development of their own status. They arewilling tosharethecreditwhenthingsgoright.Equippinginvolvessacrifice.

Am I committed to an equipping organization? Equipping requirescommitment.Ittakestimeandeffortonthepartofanorganization’sleadership.Everyoneknowsit’squickerandeasierforaleadertodoajobhimselfthanitisfor him to teach other people to do it. But doing it yourself is a short-termsolution.Thelonger,harderroadofequippingotherspaysinthelongrun,butitrequirescommitmentfromeveryoneintheorganization.

Am I effective in the areas I need to equip? This is a tough question thatrequiresanhonestanswer.Iftheansweris“no,”theleadermustlocateaperson,insideoroutsidetheorganization,effectiveinthoseareaswhocandosomeofthetraining.Eitherthat,orhehadbettergooutandgethimselfequipped.

Have I developed a prospect list of potential leaders? As I mentioned inChapterThree,agoodleaderisalwayslookingforpotentialleaders.Youalwaysbeginwiththebestpeopleyoucan.Asyounurturethem,agroupofpeoplewiththe most potential will emerge. From that group, draw up a prospect list ofpotentialleaderstobeconsideredforequippinganddevelopment.

WhatassumptionshaveImadethatneedtobechanged?Peopleoftengetafalse first impression of other people. Many times leaders build theirexpectations of the people theywill develop on assumptions from those falsefirst impressions.Whenyouareaware thatyouhavemade someassumptions,youcangobeyondthesuperficialandmovetoanewlevelinyourrelationshipswith your potential leaders. It allowsyou to better understandwhere they are,whattheyneed,andwhatyoucanprovidethem.

QUESTIONSABOUTTHEPOTENTIALLEADER

Once you have identified the organization’s equipping needs, examinedyourself,anddevelopedaprospectlist,youarereadytoselectthepeopletobeequipped.Thegoalnowistonarrowthefieldofprospectiveleadersdowntothefew people with the most potential. Ask yourself these questions about eachpersontofindtheoneswiththehighestpotential:

Is this person compatible philosophically with the organization and my

leadership?Iftheanswerisno,don’tevenconsiderequippingormentoringthisperson.Theremustbecompatibilityfirst;otherwise,noamountoftrainingintheworldwillmakethispersonthetypeofleaderyouwantandneed.

Doesthispersonshowapotentialforgrowth?Potentialforgrowthdoesnotguarantee growth, but a lack of growth potential guarantees no growth willoccur.If thepersondoesnotappear tohavethedesireandtheability togrow,lookforanothercandidate.

Are there lingering questions I have about this person? The time to havelingeringquestionsansweredisbeforethepersonisselectedforequipping.Taketime to interview, thendo follow-up interviews to answer other questions thatoccur to you later. You may want to have someone you respect in yourorganizationdoan interviewaswell.Heorshewill sometimessee thingsyoumissed. If you can positively answer 95 percent of your questions about thisperson, then the person is probably a good candidate. The one exception ischaracter. If you have any lingering questions concerning his character, don’tchoosehimfordevelopment.

AmI selecting thispersonbecauseofobviousstrengthsorbecause Idon’tseeanyglaringweaknesses?Whenyoulookatapotentialleaderanddon’tseeevenonegreatstrength,don’tchoosehimforequippinganddevelopment—evenifyouseenogreatweaknesses.Astemptingasitmaybetoselectthatperson,don’tdoit.Why?Becauseifyoudo,youareaskingformediocrity.

ManagementexpertPeterDrucker,inTheEffectiveExecutive,explainsthatAbraham Lincoln made this mistake early in his presidency when selectinggenerals.He soughtmenwithout glaringweak-developingnesses.As a result,thewell-equippedUnion army fared poorly against the Confederates. LincolnonceremarkedirritablythatifGeneralMcClellendidn’tplantousethearmy,hewouldliketoborrowitforawhile.

The Confederate army was staffed with generals who, although they hadobviousweaknesses,were picked for their great and obvious strengths. Thesestrengths, properly developed and applied, gave them victory after victory.Lincoln finally learned this lesson and selected as leader of the Union armyUlysses Grant, a great general, but also an alcoholic. When you look forpotential leaders, select people with obvious strengths even if you seeweaknesses.

What is thepotential leader’s fit?Thereare twokindsof“fit” toconsider.First, a person’s gifts and abilitiesmust fit the job he is to perform.Considersuch gifts and abilities as temperament, background, job experiences, skills,

personality, andpassion.Peopleneed tobe trainedanddevelopedprimarily intheirareasofstrength.Andmostoftheworktheyareaskedtodoshouldbeinthoseareas.Ioftentalkaboutthe80/20principle,anditapplieshereaswell.Apersonshouldbe spending80percentofhis timedoing things that requirehisgreatestgiftsandabilities.Thiswillhelpkeephimfulfilled.

Thesecondhastodowithhowwellhewillfitintotheteam.Nomatterhowgreattheplayer,ifhecan’tplaywiththeteam,hewon’thelptheorganization.Theadditionofanewteammemberalwayschangesthechemistryoftheteam.

Apersonshouldbespending80percentofhistimedoingthingsthatrequirehisgreatestgiftsandabilities.

It’s obvious in sports: A good team is made up of people with differenttalentsplayingdifferentpositions toaccomplishonegoal. (Canyou imagineawholebasketballteamofseven-footcenterswhospecializeinblockingshots—noshootingguards,noshootingorreboundingforwards,andnoplaymakers—justcenters?Whatadisaster.)

Teamsoutsideofsportsneedtobecreatedstrategicallytoo.Theymusthavethe rightchemistry.Wheneachplayerbringshisparticular styleand talents totheteam,andtheycometogetherwithrespectandappreciationforoneanother,itcancreateawonderfulandpowerfulteam.

If you haven’t already stopped to answer these questions, I want toencourageyoutodosorightnow.Writedownyouranswers.Ifyouhaveyourown organization, you cannot afford to let any more time go by withoutpreparing for your organization’s future. Even if you are not the CEO of theorganization,youcanstillapplytheseprinciples.Doitnow!

HOWTOEQUIPFOREXCELLENCENowthatyouknowwhoyouaregoingtoequipandforwhatyouaregoingtoequip them, you are ready to get started. The steps that followwill take youthrough the whole process. They begin with building relationships with yourpotential leaders. From that foundation, you can build programs for theirdevelopment,supervisetheirprogress,empowerthemtodothejobs,andfinally

getthemtopassonthelegacy.

DEVELOPAPERSONALRELATIONSHIPWITHTHEPEOPLEYOUEQUIP

Allgoodmentoringrelationshipsbeginwithapersonalrelationship.Asyourpeoplegettoknowandlikeyou,theirdesiretofollowyourdirectionandlearnfromyouwill increase.If theydon’tlikeyou,theywillnotwanttolearnfromyou,andtheequippingprocessslowsdownorevenstops.

To build relationships, begin by listening to people’s life stories, theirjourneys so far.Yourgenuine interest in themwillmeana lot to them. Itwillalsohelpyoutoknowtheirpersonalstrengthsandweaknesses.Askthemabouttheirgoalsandwhatmotivatesthem.Findoutwhatkindoftemperamentstheyhave.You certainly don’twant to equip and develop a personwhose greatestlove is numbers and financial statements for a position where he would bespending80percentofhistimedealingwithdisgruntledcustomers.

Allgoodmentoringrelationshipsbeginwithapersonalrelationship.

One of the bestways to get to know people is to see them outside of thebusinessworld.Peopleareusuallyontheirguardatwork.Theytrytobewhatotherswantthemtobe.Bygettingtoknowtheminothersettings,youcangettoknowwhotheyreallyare.Trytolearnasmuchasyoucanaboutthepeopleanddoyourbest towintheirhearts.Ifyoufirstfindtheirhearts, they’llbegladtogiveyoutheirhands.

SHAREYOURDREAM

Whilegettingtoknowyourpeople,shareyourdream.Ithelpsthemtoknowyou and where you’re going. There’s no act that will better show them your

heartandyourmotivation.WoodrowWilsononcesaid,Wegrowbydreams.Allbigindividualsaredreamers.Theyseethingsinthesofthazeofaspringday,orintheredfireonalongwinter’sevening.Someofusletthosegreatdreamsdie,butothersnourishandprotectthem;nourishthemthroughbaddaysuntiltheybringthemtothesunshineandlightwhichcomesalwaystothosewhosincerelyhopethattheirdreamswillcometrue.

Ihaveoftenwondered,“Doesthepersonmakethedreamordoesthedreammaketheperson?”Myconclusionisbothareequallytrue.

All good leaders have a dream. All great leaders share their dream withotherswhocanhelp themmake it a reality.AsFlorenceLittauer suggests,wemust: Daretodream: Havethedesiretodosomethingbiggerthanyourself.Preparethedream: Doyourhomework;bereadywhentheopportunitycomes.Wearthedream: Doit.Sharethedream: Makeothersapartofthedream,anditwillbecomeevengreaterthanyouhadhoped.

ASKFORCOMMITMENT

In his book The One Minute Manager, Ken Blanchard says, “There’s adifferencebetweeninterestandcommitment.Whenyouareinterestedindoingsomething, you do it onlywhen it is convenient.When you are committed tosomething, you accept no excuses.” Don’t equip people who are merelyinterested.Equiptheoneswhoarecommitted.

Commitment is the one quality above all others that enables a potentialleader to become a successful leader. Without commitment, there can be nosuccess. Football coach Lou Holtz recognized the difference between beingmerelyinvolvedandbeingtrulycommitted.Hepointedout,“Thekamikazepilotthatwasabletofly50missionswasinvolved—butnevercommitted.”

Todeterminewhetheryourpeoplearecommitted,firstyoumustmakesuretheyknowwhatitwillcostthemtobecomeleaders.Thatmeansthatyoumustbe sure not to undersell the job—let themknowwhat it’s going to take.Onlythenwilltheyknowwhattheyarecommittingto.Iftheywon’tcommit,don’tgoanyfurtherintheequippingprocess.Don’twasteyourtime.

SETGOALSFORGROWTH

Peopleneedclearobjectivessetbeforethemiftheyaretoachieveanythingofvalue.Successnevercomesinstantaneously.Itcomesfromtakingmanysmallsteps.A set of goals becomes amap a potential leader can follow in order togrow.AsShadHelmsetterstatesinYouCanExcelinTimeofChange,“Itisthegoal thatshapes theplan; it is theplan thatsets theaction; it is theaction thatachievestheresult;anditistheresultthatbringsthesuccess.Anditallbeginswiththesimplewordgoal.”We,asequippingleaders,mustintroduceourpeopletothepracticeofsettingandachievinggoals.

LilyTomlinoncesaid,“Ialwayswantedtobesomebody,butIshouldhavebeenmorespecific.”Manypeopletodayfindthemselvesinthesamesituation.They have some vague idea of what success is, and they know they want toachieve it. But they haven’tworked out any kind of plan to get there. I havefoundthatthegreatestachieversinlifearepeoplewhosetgoalsforthemselvesand thenworkhard to reach them.What theyget by reaching thegoals isnotnearlyasimportantaswhattheybecomebyreachingthem.

Whenyouhelpyourpeoplesetgoals,usethefollowingguidelines:Makethegoalsappropriate.Alwayskeepinmindthejobyouwantthepeopletodoandthedesiredresult:thedevelopmentofyourpeopleintoeffectiveleaders.Identifygoalsthatwillcontributetothatlargergoal.

Makethegoalsattainable.Nothingwillmakepeoplewanttoquitfasterthanfacingunachievablegoals.IlikethecommentmadebyIanMacGregor,formerAMAXCorporation chairman of the board: “Iwork on the same principle aspeoplewho trainhorses.Youstartwith lowfences,easilyachievedgoals,andworkup.It’simportantinmanagementnevertoaskpeopletotrytoaccomplishgoalstheycan’taccept.”

Make the goalsmeasurable.Your potential leaderswill never knowwhenthey have achieved their goals if they aren’t measurable. When they aremeasurable, theknowledgethat theyhavebeenattainedwillgivethemasenseof accomplishment. Itwill also free them to set newgoals in place of the oldones.

Clearly state the goals. When goals have no clear focus, neither will theactionsofthepeopletryingtoachievethem.

Makethegoalsrequirea“stretch.”AsImentionedbefore,goalshavetobeachievable.On the other hand,when goals don’t require a stretch, the people

achieving themwon’t grow.The leadermust knowhis peoplewell enough toidentifyattainablegoalsthatrequireastretch.

Theleadermustknowhispeoplewellenoughtoidentifyattainablegoalsthatrequireastretch.

Putthegoalsinwriting.Whenpeoplewritedowntheirgoals,itmakesthemmoreaccountableforthosegoals.AstudyofaYaleUniversitygraduatingclassshowedthatthesmallpercentageofgraduateswhohadwrittendowntheirgoalsaccomplishedmore than all of the other graduates combined. Putting goals inwritingworks.

Itisalsoimportanttoencourageyourpotentialleaderstoreviewtheirgoalsand progress frequently.Ben Franklin set aside time every day to review twoquestions.Inthemorningheaskedhimself,“WhatgoodshallIdotoday?”Intheeveningheasked,“WhatgoodhaveIdonetoday?”

COMMUNICATETHEFUNDAMENTALS

Forpeopletobeproductiveandsatisfiedprofessionally,theyhavetoknowwhat their fundamental responsibilities are. It sounds so simple, but PeterDruckersaysoneofthecriticalproblemsintheworkplacetodayisthatthereisalack of understanding between the employer and employee as to what theemployee is to do. Often employees are made to feel they are vaguelyresponsibleforeverything.Itparalyzesthem.Instead,weneedtomakecleartothemwhattheyareandarenotresponsiblefor.Thentheywillbeabletofocustheireffortsonwhatwewant,andtheywillsucceed.

Lookagainathowabasketball teamworks.Eachof thefiveplayershasaparticularjob.Thereisashootingguardwhosejobistoscorepoints.Theotherguard is a point guard. His job is to pass the ball to people who can score.Anotherplayerisapowerforwardwhoisexpectedtogetrebounds.Thesmallforward’s job is to score.The center is supposed to rebound, block shots, andscore. Each person on the team knows what his job is, what his uniquecontribution to the team must be. When each concentrates on his particularresponsibilities,theteamcanwin.

Oneof thebestwaystoclarifyexpectations is toprovideyourpeoplewithjobdescriptions.Inthedescription,identifythefourtosixprimaryfunctionsyouwant theperson toperform.Avoid long laundry lists of responsibilities. If thejobdescriptioncan’tbesummarized, thejobisprobablytoobroad.Alsotrytomakeclearwhatauthoritytheyhave, theworkingparametersforeachfunctiontheyaretoperform,andwhatthechainofauthorityiswithintheorganization.

Another essential that has tobe communicated tonew leaders is how theyare toprioritize. I tellpeople thateverythingtheydoiseitheran“A”ora“B”priority.Theconcepthelpsthemunderstandwhatismostimportant.

“A” priorities are ones that move the organization, department, or jobfunction forward. They break ground, open doors to new opportunities, ordevelopnewmarkets.Theypromotegrowthwithinpeopleor theorganization.“B”prioritiesareconcernedwithmaintenance.

They are required for things to continue running smoothly, such asansweringlettersorphonecalls,andtakingcareofdetails.Theyarethingsthatcannotbeneglected,buttheydon’taddvaluetotheorganization.Ihavefoundthatpeopleoftenexpendtheirbeston“B”prioritiesbecausetheyseemurgent,andtheygive“A”prioritieswhat’s leftover.Ialwaysencouragemypeopletogive80percentoftheirtimeandenergytothe“A”prioritiesandtheremaining20percenttothe“B”group.

Finally,aleadermustcommunicatetohisorherpeoplethattheirworkhasvalue to the organization and to the individual leader. To the employee, thisoftenisthemostimportantfundamentalofall.

PERFORMTHEFIVE-STEPPROCESSOFTRAININGPEOPLE

Partoftheequippingprocessincludestrainingpeopletoperformthespecifictasksof the jobs theyare todo.Theapproach the leader takes to trainingwilllargely determine his people’s success or failure. If he takes a dry, academicapproach,thepotentialleaderswillrememberlittleofwhat’staught.Ifhesimplythrows the people into the job without any direction, they may feel like thisemployeeofHagartheHorrible:

The best type of training takes advantage of the way people learn.Researcherstellusthatweremember10percentofwhatwehear,50percentofwhatwesee,70percentofwhatwesay,and90percentofwhatwehear,see,say,anddo.Knowingthat,wehavetodevelopanapproachtohowwewilltrain.Ihavefoundthebesttrainingmethodtobeafive-stepprocess:

Step1:Imodel.Theprocessbeginswithmydoingthetaskswhilethepersonbeingtrainedwatches.WhenIdothis,Itrytogivethepersonanopportunitytoseemegothroughthewholeprocess.Toooftenwhenleaderstrain,theybegininthe middle of the task and confuse the people they’re trying to teach.Whenpeopleseethetaskperformedcorrectlyandcompletely,itgivesthemsomethingtotrytoduplicate.

Step2: Imentor.During thisnext step, I continue toperform the task,butthistimethepersonI’mtrainingcomesalongsidemeandassistsintheprocess.Ialsotaketimetoexplainnotonlythehowbutalsothewhyofeachstep.

Step3: Imonitor.Weexchangeplaces this time.The traineeperforms thetask and I assist and correct. It’s especially important during this phase to bepositive and encouraging to the trainee. It keeps him trying and itmakes himwant to improve rather than give up. Work with him until he developsconsistency.Oncehe’sgottendowntheprocess,askhimtoexplainittoyou.Itwillhelphimtounderstandandremember.

Step 4: I motivate. I take myself out of the task at this point and let thetraineego.Mytaskistomakesureheknowshowtodoitwithouthelpandtokeepencouraginghimsohewillcontinuetoimprove.Itisimportantformetostaywith him until he senses success. It’s a greatmotivator. At this time thetraineemaywanttomakeimprovementstotheprocess.Encouragehimtodoit,andatthesametimelearnfromhim.

Step5: Imultiply.This ismy favoritepartof thewholeprocess.Once thenewleadersdothejobwell,itbecomestheirturntoteachothershowtodoit.Asteachersknow,thebestwaytolearnsomethingistoteachit.Andthebeautyofthisisitfreesmetodootherimportantdevelopmentaltaskswhileotherscarryonthetraining.

GIVETHE“BIGTHREE”

All the training in theworldwill provide limited success if youdon’t turnyourpeopleloosetodothejob.IbelievethatifIgetthebestpeople,givethemmyvision,traintheminthebasics,andthenletgo,Iwillgetahighreturnfromthem.AsGeneralGeorgeS.Pattononceremarked,“Nevertellpeoplehowtodothings.Tellthemwhattodoandtheywillsurpriseyouwiththeiringenuity.”

Youcan’tturnpeopleloosewithoutstructure,butyoualsowanttogivethemenoughfreedomtobecreative.Thewaytodothatistogivethemthebigthree:responsibility,authority,andaccountability.

For some people, responsibility is the easiest of the three to give.We allwantthepeoplearoundustoberesponsible.Weknowhowimportantit is.Asauthor/editorMichaelKordasaid,“Successonanymajorscalerequiresyou toacceptresponsibility....Inthefinalanalysis,theonequalitythatallsuccessfulpeoplehave...istheabilitytotakeonresponsibility.”

Whatismoredifficultforsomeleadersisallowingtheirpeopletokeeptheresponsibilityafterit’sbeengiven.Poormanagerswanttocontroleverydetailoftheirpeople’swork.Whenthathappens,thepotentialleaderswhoworkforthembecome frustratedanddon’tdevelop.Rather thandesiringmore responsibility,they become indifferent or avoid responsibility altogether. If you want yourpeopletotakeresponsibility,trulygiveittothem.

With responsibilitymust go authority. Progress does not comeunless theyaregiventogether.WinstonChurchill,whileaddressingtheHouseofCommonsduring theSecondWorldWar,said,“Iamyourservant.Youhave theright todismissmewhenyouplease.Whatyouhaveno right todo is askme tobearresponsibilitywithout the power of action.”When responsibility and authoritycometogether,peoplebecomegenuinelyempowered.

There’sanimportantaspectofauthoritythatneedstobenoted.When we first give authority to new leaders, we are actually giving them

permission to have authority rather than giving them authority itself. Trueauthority has to be earned. George Davis, in Magic Shortcuts to ExecutiveSuccess,notes:

Authorityisnotsomethingwebuy,arebornwith,orevenhavedelegatedtousbyoursuperiors.Itissomethingweearn—andweearnitfromoursubordinates.Nomanagerhasanyrealauthorityoverhispeopleuntilhehasprovedhimselfworthyofit—intheeyesofhispeople—nothisown,northoseofhissuperiors.

We must give our people permission to develop authority. That is our

responsibility.They,inturn,musttakeresponsibilityforearningit.Ihavefoundtherearedifferentlevelsofauthority:

Position.Themostbasickindofauthoritycomesfromaperson’spositiononthe organizational chart. This type of authority does not extend beyond theparametersofthejobdescription.Thisiswhereallnewleadersstart.Fromheretheymayeitherearngreaterauthority,ortheycanminimizewhatlittleauthoritytheyhavebeengiven.It’suptothem.

Competence. This type of authority is based on a person’s professionalcapabilities, theability todoa job.Followersgivecompetent leadersauthoritywithintheleader’sareaofexpertise.

Personality. Followers will also give authority to people based on theirpersonal characteristics, such as personality, appearance, and charisma.Authority based on personality is a little broader than competence-basedauthority,butitisnotreallymoreadvancedbecauseittendstobesuperficial.

Integrity. Authority based on integrity comes from a person’s core. It isbased on character.When new leaders gain authority based on their integrity,theyhavecrossedintoanewstageoftheirdevelopment.

Spirituality.Insecularcircles,peoplerarelyconsiderthepowerofspiritual-based authority. It comes from people’s individual experiences with God andfromHispowerworkingthroughthem.Itisthehighestformofauthority.

Leadersmustearnauthoritywitheachnewgroupofpeople.However,Ihavefoundthatonceleadershavegainedauthorityonaparticularlevel,ittakesverylittle time for them to establish that level of authority with another group ofpeople.Thehigherthelevelofauthority,themorequicklyithappens.

Once responsibility and authority have been given to people, they areempoweredtomakethingshappen.Butwealsohavetobesuretheyaremakingtherightthingshappen.That’swhereaccountabilitycomesintothepicture.Trueresponsibility on the part of new leaders includes a willingness to be heldaccountable.Ifweareprovidingthemtherightclimate(asdescribedinChapterTwo),ourpeoplewillnotfearaccountability.Theywilladmitmistakesandseethemasapartofthelearningprocess.

The leader’s part of accountability involves taking the time to review thenewleader’sworkandgivehonest,constructivecriticism. It iscrucial that theleader be supportive but honest. It’s been said that when Harry Truman wasthrust into the presidency upon the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt,SpeakeroftheHouseSamRayburngavehimsomefatherlyadvice:“Fromhere

onoutyou’regoingtohavelotsofpeoplearoundyou.They’lltrytoputawallaroundyou and cut youoff fromany ideasbut theirs.They’ll tell youwhat agreatman you are,Harry.But you and I both know you ain’t.”RayburnwasholdingPresidentTrumanaccountable.

GIVETHEMTHETOOLSTHEYNEED

Givingresponsibilitywithoutresourcesisridiculous;itisincrediblylimiting.AbrahamMaslowsaid,“Iftheonlytoolyouhaveisahammer,youtendtoseeeveryproblemasanail.”Ifwewantourpeopletobecreativeandresourceful,weneedtoprovideresources.

Obviously, themost basic tools are pieces of equipment, such as copyingmachines,computers,andwhateverelsesimplifiessomeone’swork.Wemustbesure not only to provide everything necessary for a job to be done, but alsoequipment that will allow jobs, especially “B” priorities, to be done morequicklyandefficiently.Alwaysworktowardfreeingpeople’stimeforimportantthings.

Tools, however, include much more than equipment. It is important toprovidedevelopmental tools.Spend timementoringpeople inspecificareasofneed. Be willing to spend money on things like books, tapes, seminars, andprofessionalconferences.There isawealthofgood informationout there, andfresh ideas from outside an organization can stimulate growth. Be creative inprovidingtools.Itwillkeepyourpeoplegrowingandequipthemtodothejobwell.

CHECKONTHEMSYSTEMATICALLY

I believe in touching base with people frequently. I like to give mini-evaluationsallthetime.Leaderswhowaittogivefeedbackonlyduringannualformal evaluations are asking for trouble. People need the encouragement ofbeingtoldthey’redoingwellonaregularbasis.Theyalsoneedtohearassoonaspossiblewhentheyarenotdoingwell.Itpreventsalotofproblemswiththeorganization,anditimprovestheleader.

HowoftenIcheckonpeopleisdeterminedbyanumberoffactors:Theimportanceofthetask.Whensomethingiscriticaltothesuccessofthe

organization,Itouchbaseoften.The demands of the work. I find that if the work is very demanding, the

person performing it needs encouragement more often. He may also needquestionsansweredorneedhelpsolvingdifficultproblems.Occasionally,whenthe job is really tough, I tell theperson to takeabreak—demandingworkcanleadapersontoburnout.

Thenewnessofthework.Someleadershavenoproblemtacklinganewtask,nomatter howdifferent it is frompreviouswork.Others have great difficultyadapting.Icheckoftenonthepeoplewhoarelessflexibleorcreative.

Thenewnessoftheworker.Iwanttogivenewleaderseverypossiblechancetosucceed.SoIcheckonnewerpeoplemoreoften.ThatwayIcanhelp themanticipateproblemsandmakesurethattheyhaveaseriesofsuccesses.Bythattheygainconfidence.

Theresponsibilityoftheworker.WhenIknowIcangiveapersonataskanditwillalwaysgetdone,Imaynotcheckonthatpersonuntilthetaskiscomplete.Withlessresponsiblepeople,Ican’taffordtodothat.

Myapproach tocheckingonpeoplealsovaries fromperson toperson.Forinstance,rookiesandveteransshouldbetreateddifferently.Butnomatterhowlongpeoplehavebeenwithme,therearesomethingsIalwaysdo:

Discussfeelings.Ialwaysgivemypeopleanopportunitytotellmehowtheyfeel.IalsotellthemhowI’mfeeling.Itclearstheairandmakesitpossibleforustogetdowntobusiness.

Measureprogress.Together,wetrytodeterminetheirprogress.Ioftenaskquestions to find out what I need to know. If people are hitting obstacles, IremovetheonesIcan.

Givefeedback.Thisisacriticalpartoftheprocess.Ialwaysgivethemsomekind of evaluation. I’m honest, and I do my homework to make sure I’maccurate.Igiveconstructivecriticism.This lets themknowhowthey’redoing,correctsproblems,encouragesimprovements,andspeedsthework.

Giveencouragement.Whether theperson isdoingwellorpoorly, Ialwaysgiveencouragement.Iencouragepoorperformerstodobetter.Iencouragepeakperformers. I praise milestones. I try to give hope and encouragement whenpeopleareexperiencingpersonalissues.Encouragementkeepspeoplegoing.

Though it doesn’t happen very often, I occasionally have a person whoseprogressisrepeatedlypoor.Whenthathappens,Itrytodeterminewhat’sgonewrong. Usually poor performance is a result of one of three things: (1) amismatchbetweenthejobandtheperson;(2)inadequatetrainingorleadership;or(3)deficienciesinthepersonperformingthework.BeforeItakeanyaction,Ialwaystrytodeterminewhat theissuesare.I lineupmyfacts tobesuretherereallyisadeficiencyinperformanceandnotjustaproblemwithmyperception.Next I define as precisely as possiblewhat the deficiency is. Finally, I checkwiththepersonwhoisnotperformingtogettheothersideofthestory.

OnceI’vedonemyhomework,Itrytodeterminewherethedeficiencyis.Ifit’samismatch, Iexplain theproblemto theperson,movehim toaplace thatfits,andreassurehimofmyconfidenceinhim.Iftheprobleminvolvestrainingor leadership issues, I back up and redowhatever step hasn’t been performedproperly.Onceagain,Iletthepersonknowwhattheproblemwasandgivehimplentyofencouragement.Iftheproblemiswiththeperson,Isitdownwithhimand let himknow about it. Imake it clearwhere his failures are andwhat hemustdotoovercomethem.ThenIgivehimanotherchance.ButIalsobeginthedocumentationprocess incaseIhave tofirehim. Iwanthimtosucceed,but Iwillwastenotimelettinghimgoifhedoesn’tdowhatittakestoimprove.

CONDUCTPERIODICEQUIPPINGMEETINGS

Even after you’ve completed most of your people’s training and arepreparingtotakethemintotheirnextgrowthphase—development—continuetoconductperiodicequippingmeetings. Ithelpsyourpeople stayon track,helpsthem keep growing, and encourages them to begin taking responsibility forequippingthemselves.

WhenIprepareanequippingmeeting,Iincludethefollowing:Goodnews.Ialwaysstartonapositivenote.Ireviewthegoodthingsthatarehappeningintheorganization and pay particular attention to their areas of interest andresponsibility.

Vision.Peoplecangetsocaughtup in theirday-to-dayresponsibilities thattheylosesightofthevisionthatdrivestheorganization.Usetheopportunityofanequippingmeetingtorecastthatvision.Itwillalsogivethemtheappropriatecontextforthetrainingyouareabouttogive.

Content.Contentwilldependontheirneeds.Trytofocustrainingonareasthat will help them in the “A” priority areas, and orient the training on thepeople,notthelesson.

Administration.Coveranyorganizationalitemsthatgivethepeopleasenseofsecurityandencouragetheirleadership.

Empowerment.Taketimetoconnectwiththepeopleyouequip.Encouragethempersonally.Andshowthemhowtheequippingsessionempowersthemtoperformtheirjobsbetter.Theywillleavethemeetingfeelingpositiveandreadytowork.

The entire equipping process takes a lot of time and attention. It requiresmoretimeanddedicationfromtheequippingleaderthanmeretraining.Butitsfocusislongterm,notshortterm.Ratherthancreatingfollowersorevenaddingnewleaders,itmultipliesleaders.AsIexplainedinthesectiononthefive-stepprocess of equipping, it is not complete until the equipper and the new leaderselect someone for the new leader to train. It is only then that the equippingprocesshascomefullcircle.Withoutasuccessor,therecanbenosuccess.

Leaderswhoareequippingothershavethegreatestpossibilityofsuccess,nomatterwhat typeoforganization they’re in.Whena leader is dedicated to theequippingprocess,thewholelevelofperformancewithintheorganizationrisesdramatically.Everyoneisbetterpreparedtogettheworkdone.Moreimportant,thebest-equippedpeoplewillbereadyforthefinalgrowthstagethatcreatesthevery best leaders— development. As Fred A.Manske, Jr. said, “The greatestleader is willing to train people and develop them to the point that theyeventuallysurpasshimorherinknowledgeandability.”Thefollowingchapterwillshowyouhowtotakethatstep.

I

SIXTHELEADER’SLIFELONGCOMMITMENT:

DEVELOPINGPOTENTIALLEADERS

fyouhavedoneall thethingsI’vediscussedsofar in thisbook—createdagreatenvironment,nurturedyourpeople,andequippedthebestpeoplearound

you—your achievements have already surpassed those of the majority ofmanagers in the work force today. You can consider yourself a better-than-average leader. If you go no further, though, you will never become a greatleader.Nomatterhowhardorhowsmartyouwork,youwillneverbecomeoneof thebestof thebest.Why?Because theverybest leaders, the top1percent,take their people the next step and develop them so they can reach theirpotential. The growth and development of people is the highest calling ofleadership.

You’reprobablywonderingwhymostleadersdon’ttakethisfinalstep.Theydon’tbecauseit’shardwork.Ionceheardthestoryofapreacherwhoquittheministryafter twentyyearsandbecameafuneraldirector.Whenaskedwhyhemadethechange,hereplied,“Well, Ispent threeyears trying tostraightenoutFred,andFredisstillanalcoholic.AndIspentsixmonthstryingtostraightenoutSusan’smarriage,andshefiledfordivorce.ThenIspentovertwo-and-a-halfyearstryingtostraightenoutBob’sdrugproblem,andhe’sstillanaddict.Nowatthefuneralhome,whenIstraightenthemout—theystaystraight.”

Thegrowthanddevelopmentof

peopleisthehighestcallingofleadership.

Living, breathing human beings require continual attention. Anddevelopment isdemandingwork. It takesmoreattentionandcommitment thaneither nurturingor equipping.To see the differences in emphasis in nurturing,equipping,anddeveloping,lookatthefollowingtable: NURTURING EQUIPPING DEVELOPING

NURTURING EQUIPPING DEVELOPING

Care TrainingforWork TrainingforPersonalGrowthFocusIsonNeed FocusIsonTask FocusIsonPersonRelational Transactional TransformationalService Management LeadershipMaintainsLeadership AddsLeadership MultipliesLeadershipEstablishing Releasing EmpoweringHelping Teaching MentoringNeedOriented SkillOriented CharacterOrientedWhatTheyWant WhattheOrganizationNeeds WhatTheyNeedADesire AScience AnArtLittleorNoGrowth Short-TermGrowth Long-TermGrowthAll Many Few

Take a look at the qualities associated with developing leaders. They arebased on what the potential leaders need, on their growth. The process isdesigned to build into them, to bring out their best qualities, to develop theircharacter,andtohelpthemdiscoverandreachtheirpotential.

Because the development of leaders requires time, attention, andcommitment,adevelopercanonlyworkwithafewpeopleatatime,asthelastentry in the table indicates. Nurture all of your people, and equipmany. Butdeveloponlyafew—thefewwhoarereadyandwilling.

There is another important difference between equipping and developingpeople. Equipping is essentially a step-by-step process. You can take peoplethrough specific steps to equip them. That is the science of equipping.Leadershipdevelopmentismoreofanart.Itisnotaseriesofspecificstepsthatyou take people through. Instead, there are aspects that must be addressedthroughoutthewholeprocess.

Hereare the twelveactionsa leadermust take todeveloppotential leadersintothebesttheycanbe.

ASKTHETHREEMOTIVATIONQUESTIONS

All growth begins with motivation. You as the developer must find yourpotential leaders’ motivations and harness them. Begin by asking thesequestions:

WHATDOTHEYWANT?

Everyone wants something. Even the person who appears not to bemotivatedhasdesires.Youneedtofindoutwhatyourpeoplewant.Sometimestheywilltellyou.Othertimesyouneedtousediscernment.Sinceyouwillhavealreadybuiltrelationshipswiththem,useinformationthatyou’velearnedduringyourpersonalinteractionswiththem.Nomatterhow,youneedtofindoutwhatwillmotivatethemtodevelop.

DOTHEYHAVEAWAYOFGETTINGWHATTHEYWANT?

Wheneverpeoplewantsomethingbutseenowaytogetit,theywillnotbemotivated. One of your jobs as the leader is to determine how your potentialleaderscanachievewhattheydesireandshowthemawaytodoit.Becauseyouhavealreadytraveledtheroadofachievement,youmaybeabletoseethewaymore clearly and can help point the way. Sometimes youmay even have thepowertocreateawayforthemtoachievewhattheywantonapersonallevel.

WILLTHEYBEREWARDEDIFSUCCESSFUL?

Sometimesevenpeoplewhohavegoalsandseewaysofachievingthemlackmotivation. Why? Because they don’t believe the rewards will outweigh thework required to achieve them.As their leader, you can share fromyour ownexperience that the rewards areworth the effort.You are also in a position toshow them how their personal goals and desires coincide with those of theorganization.Whenbothhavethesamegoals,therewardsaremultiplied.

Forexample,ifthegoalofoneofyourpeopleistobecomeanoutstandingsalesperson, that goal also benefits the organization, and the organizationwillrewardit(incommissionorsalary).Asaresult,ifthatpersonachievesthatgoal,hewillreceivethepersonalbenefitstohimselfaswellasthemonetaryrewardsfromtheorganization.Therewardsaremultiplied.

Goodleadersaregoodlisteners.

Ask the questions to find your people’smotivation, and then harness thatmotivationtohelpthemdevelop.

BEAGOODLISTENERGood leaders are good listeners. Listening to your people will add to yoursuccessand to theirdevelopment.Whenyou listen to their ideasandopinions,especiallybeforeyoumakedecisions,yougivethemachancetoincreasetheircontribution.Eachtimeyouusetheir ideasandgivethemcredit, theywillfeelvalued,andtheywillbeencouragedtokeepcontributing.Thisisoneofthebestways toget them tostart thinkingcreatively.Theywillalsodevelop judgmentandbegintounderstandthereasonswhyyouusesomeoftheirideasandchoosenottouseothers.Theywilllearntoseethingsmoreclearlyandmoreintermsofthebigpicture.

Everyideaisagoodideauntilyou’vesettledonthebestidea.

Thecriticalaspectofthisprocessisthatyougenuinelyseektheiradviceandthenlistentotheirviewsactivelyandpositively.Ifyouaresimplygoingthroughthe motions, your people will know it. Likewise, never criticize the personmakingasuggestion,evenifit’sapoorone.Peoplewhofeelbelittledwillsoonstopmakingsuggestions,andyoumaymissoutontheirnextgreatideabecauseyou’vediscouragedthemfromcontributing.Trytoadoptthisattitude:everyideaisagoodideauntilyou’vesettledonthebestidea.

DEVELOPAPLANFORPERSONALGROWTH

One of the things I enjoy most is doing conferences around the country. Iespecially love the five or six leadership conferences sponsored each yearthroughourorganizationINJOY.OneofthemostimportantthingsItalkabout

at those conferences is personal growth. I often invite anyone in the audiencewhohasalreadycreatedapersonalplanforgrowthtocomeupduringthebreaktotellmeaboutit.DoyouknowthatinalltheyearsIhavebeendoingthat,notoncehasanyonecomeuptome.Why?Becausenotonehadcreatedapersonalgrowthplanforhimself.

Peoplethinkpersonalgrowthisanaturalresultofbeingalive.Wellit’snot.Growth is not automatic; it does not necessarily come with experience, norsimplyasaresultofgatheringinformation.Personalgrowthmustbedeliberate,planned,andconsistent.

Oneofthebestthingsyoucandoforthepeopleyouaredeveloping,besidesmodelingpersonalgrowthyourself, is tohelpthemdeveloptheirownpersonalplansforgrowth.Iwanttoemphasizethatgrowthrequiresaplan.AsmyfriendZigZiglar says, “Youwereborn tobe awinner, but tobe awinneryoumustplantowinandpreparetowin.”Growingisthesame.Youhavetocreateaplanandfollowit.

Ihavedevotedthegreaterpartofmylifetomyownpersonaldevelopmentand the creation of materials for the personal development of others. I havecreatedleadershipdevelopmentlessonseverymonthsince1985,andsentthemouttopeopleacrossthecountrythroughINJOYandMaximumImpact,becausemy greatest desire is to help others reach their potential. That is why I holdleadership conferences. Let me outline for you a plan for growth that I givepeopleattheseconferences.Helpyourpeopleadaptittotheirneeds.Anduseityourselfifyouaren’talreadyusinganotherplanthatworksforyou.

PRACTICALSTEPSFORPERSONALGROWTH

SETASIDETIMEDAILYFORGROWTH

Therearetwoimportantconceptsinthisstep.First,timeforgrowthmustbeplanned. Getting sidetracked is one of the easiest things in the world to do.Growth time that is not strategically planned into the day soon disappearsbecause our lives are busy. Peoplemust find a time that works for them andscheduleitintotheircalendar.Thentheymustguardthattimeastheywouldany

other appointment. Second, the time set asidemust be set aside daily—for nofewerthanfivedaysaweek.Educatorsreportthatpeoplelearnmoreeffectivelyin shorter regular sessions than long, infrequent blocks of time. A dailydiscipline pays dividends. Here is the weekly plan that I recommend at myconferences: Monday: OnehourwithGodTuesday: Onehourlisteningtoaleadershiptape

Wednesday: Anotherhourwiththesametape(includingtimefilingnotesonhighlightsandreflectingonwhathasbeenlearned)Thursday: Onehourreadingaleadershipbook

Friday: Anotherhourwiththesamebook(includingtimefilingnotesonhighlightsandreflectingonwhathasbeenlearned)

Besides the daily plan, I also recommend going through materials duringtimesthatotherpeoplenormallyconsiderwastedtime.Forinstance,wheneverItravel,Itakealongbooksandmagazinesthatmaynotbeasmeatyasmydailyreadingbut thathavegoodmaterial. If I’mwaiting inanairportorflyingonaplane,I’malsoreviewingmaterialandclippingoutusefularticlesandquotes.

FILEQUICKLYWHATYOULEARN

Everygoodpieceof information aperson findsneeds tobeprocessed andfiled. I have used this system formore than thirty-five years. As I find goodarticlesorquotes,Iclipandfilethem.Thishastwoadvantages.First,wheneverI need materials for a talk or seminar, I have thirty-five years of collectedresources todrawupon.Second,each time I reduceanarticledown to itsonemost relevant sentence or paragraph, I have processed through all theinformation,digestedit,summarizedit,andlearnedit.

APPLYQUICKLYWHATYOULEARN

Simplyknowingathingwillnotmakeitapartofyou.Todothat,youmustapplyit.Eachtimeyoulearnsomethingnew,it’sgoodtoaskyourself,“Where,when,andhowcanIusethis?”Iprefertodomorethansimplymakeamental

connectionwiththethingsIlearn,soIusethissystem:•SelectonethingeachweekthatI’velearned.•Putitona3x5card.(Ikeepitinfrontofmeforaweek.)•Shareitwithmywife.•Shareitwithsomeoneelsewithintwenty-fourhours.•Teachittosomeoneelse.(Iputitinalesson.)

GROWWITHSOMEONE

IhaveanumberofpeoplearoundmewhosharethingswithmeandwhomIdeliberately share things with. When you share what you are learning withothers,itincreasesyourinsight,buildsyourrelationshipwiththem,givesyouacommon vision, and holds you accountable. It also creates worthwhileconversation.

PLANYOURGROWTHANDFOLLOWITFORAYEAR

The five-day plan outlined previously was designed to be followedthroughouttheyear.Usingthatplan,youcaneasilyreadtwelvebooksandlistento fifty-two tapes per year. At the end of a year, you will have tremendousresourcestodrawonandwillhavegrowntremendously.Ifyouwanttobecomeanexpert ina subject, according toEarlNightengale, spendanhouraday forfiveyearsfocusingonthatsubject.

There’sonemorethingImustsayaboutdevelopingaplanforyourpeople’sgrowth:Startthemtoday!Peoplemaytellyouthattheyaretoooldtostartnow,thatthey’retoobusytostartnow,orthatthetimingisn’tright.Personalgrowthislikeinvesting.It’snotyourtiming.It’syourtimein.Getthemgoingnow.

Personalgrowthislikeinvesting.It’snotyourtiming.It’syour

timein.

KEEPTHEGROWTHGOING

Weliveinacompetitivesocietythatfocusesonmakingit.Baseballplayersliveforthedaytheymakeittothebigleagues.BusinesspeopleclimbthecorporateladderwiththehopeofsomedaybeingtheCEOorchairmanoftheboard.Afewofthebusinessesthatusenetwork-marketingtechniquesproposetheideathatifapersonbuildsabigenoughorganization,heorshecansitbackandletothersdothework.Theindividualwillhavemadeit;hewillhavearrived.Buttheideaofarrivingisanillusion.Oursocietyisfilledwithpeoplewhoarrivesomewhereonlytofindthemselvesasdiscontentedastheywerebeforetheysucceeded.Thepointofthejourneyisnotarriving.Thepointiswhatyoulearnandwhomyoubecome along theway.Having goals is positive. Thinking that our journey isoveronceweachievesomeofthemisadangerweallface.

JohnWooden, one of the most successful basketball coaches of all time,focusedonthegrowingprocess.InSixTimelessMarketingBlunders,WilliamL.ShanklinwritesaboutWooden’sapproachtocoaching.ShanklintellsthatwhileWoodencoachedUCLA,hedidnotstresswinning.Heemphasizedpreparation,teamwork,awillingnesstochange,andthedesireforeachpersontoperformatpeakpotential.Hisfocuswasontheprocess,nottheendproduct.

Thesamethingistrueinindustry.Fromaquality-controlexpertIheard,“Inqualitycontrol,wearenotconcernedabouttheproduct.Weareconcernedabouttheprocess.Iftheprocessisright,theproductisguaranteed.”Thesameistruewhenitcomestopersonalgrowth.

As the developers of leaders,wemust keepour people growing.Wemustmodel growth, encourage it, and reward it.Wemust showour people how tokeepgrowingforthelonghaul.Theyaretobeliketreeswhichgrowtheirentirelives.Thereisnosuchthingasafull-growntree.Thedayatreestopsgrowingisthedayitdies.

USETHEFOUR-STAGEPROCESSOFADAPTATION

Ittakesmostpeopletimetoadoptnewideasandadapttonewsituations.Theyusuallyhavetogothroughfourstagesbeforenewconceptsbecometheirown.I

havefoundthattheyusuallyacceptthingsinthisorder:

VISUALLY

Mostpeoplearevisual.Theyusuallyhavetoseesomethingnewinordertounderstandit.

EMOTIONALLY

Afterpeople see somethingnew, then they respond to it emotionally.Givethemtimetoworkthroughtheiremotionsbeforegoingontothenextphase.

EXPERIENTIALLY

Once people understand something and have accepted it emotionally, theyarereadytogiveitatry.Experienceenablesthemtoreachthefinalphase.

CONVICTIONALLY

After people see something, accept it emotionally, and experience itpositively,itbecomestrulyapartoftheirthinking,theirbeliefsystems.

Ifyouareawareof thesephases,youwillbeable tobringpeoplealong intheirdevelopmentwithoutasmanyobstacles.

FOLLOWTHEIDEAGRIDEventhoughyouwillbehelpingyourpeoplecreateapersonalgrowthplanandencouragingthemtodoasmuchgrowingaspossibleontheirown,youwillalso

need to teach them yourself. Ideally, you will share with them what you arelearninginyourowndevelopment.Icontinuetodothiswiththepeopleinmyorganization. The best method I have found is represented in the followingacronym:

Instruction

Demonstration

Exposure

Accountability

First I instructmypeople in a life-related context.Any ideaor theory thatcannotbeappliedtoreallifeisuseless.Besides,ifitcan’tbeappliedtoreallife,Iwouldn’tbeable todemonstrate it,which ismynextstep.Byactually livingand demonstrating any idea before I present it to others, I am able to test it,betterabletolearnit,andbetterqualifiedtoteachit.NextIexposemypeopletoactual experience. Once they have heard and seen it, they are ready to try itthemselves.Finally,Imakesurethereisaccountabilityforthem,eitherwithmeorwitheachother.Ifyoudon’tsetsomekindofaccountability,yourpeoplemaythinktheideasaregreat,buttheymayforgettousethem.Andwhenpeopleareheldaccountableforusingthem,theideasbecomeapartofthem.

GIVETHEMVARIEDEXPERIENCESPeople resist change. If given a chance todo something comfortable and easythat they’vedonebeforeversus the chance todo somethingdifficult andnew,mostpeoplewill take the safe, easy route.As leaders,wecan’t let ourpeoplebecomecomplacent.

Varied experiences add incredibly to people’s development. It keeps themgrowing,stretching,andlearning.Thebroaderpeople’sbaseofexperience,thebetter they will be at handling new challenges, solving problems, andovercomingdifficult situations. Inmyorganization,wehave a three-year rule.Our leaders must change a significant number of their major duties andresponsibilities every three years. It forces them to gain new skills. It givesnewerleaderstheopportunitytodevelopbyhavingthemstepintonewareasofresponsibility.Itallowsolderleaderstotacklenewchallenges.Anditenhanceseveryone’screativity.

Itisoftentemptingforustoleavesuccessfulpeoplewheretheyare—tokeeptheminthesamejobs.Butwemustkeepinmindthatwearedoingmorethanjustgettingthejobdonewell.Wearebuildingleaders,andthattakesextraeffortandtime.AngusJ.

MacQueen tells a story about JamesGarfield that illustrates this point.HesaysthatpriortobecomingPresidentoftheUnitesStates,GarfieldwasprincipalofHiramCollegeinOhio.Whenafatheraskedifthecourseofstudycouldn’tbesimplified so his sonmight finish school sooner, Garfield replied, “Certainly.Butitalldependsuponwhatyouwanttomakeofyourboy.WhenGodwantstomakeanoaktree,Hetakesahundredyears.WhenHewantstomakeasquash,Herequiresonlytwomonths.”Giveyourleadersdeep,broadrootsbygrowingthemslowlyandvaryingtheirexperiences.

STRIVEFOREXCELLENCEVinceLombardi, agreat leader andoneof thebest ever to coachprofessionalfootball,oncesaid,“Thequalityofaperson’slifeisindirectproportiontotheircommitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.”Lombardirecognizedtheimportanceofstrivingforexcellence.Andhewasabletoinstillthatdesireinthepeoplehecoached.

Whenyoustriveforexcellence,youpromptyourpeopletoshootforthetop.Whenaleader’sgoalisacceptabilityratherthanexcellence, theneventhebestpeopleintheorganizationwillproducewhatismerelyacceptable.Therestmaynotevenproduce theminimum.Whenexcellence is thestandard, thebestwillhitthemark,andtheotherswillatleasthittheboard.

Anotheradvantageoffocusingonexcellenceis that itshowsyourpeople’scharacter.Thesuccessofanyorganizationwillnotreachbeyondthecharacterofits leaders. Excellence breeds character, and character breeds excellence.Demand excellence from your people, and theywill develop into peoplewhoalsodemandexcellenceofthemselvesandthepeopletheylead.

Excellencebreedscharacter,andcharacterbreeds

excellence.

IMPLEMENTTHELAWOFEFFECT

IMPLEMENTTHELAWOFEFFECT

Educational psychologist E. L. Thorndyke did work in behavior modificationaroundtheturnofthecentury.ItledhimtodiscoverwhathecalledtheLawofEffect. Simply stated, it is this: “Behaviors immediately rewarded increase infrequency;behaviorsimmediatelypunisheddecreaseinfrequency.”

Wemustaskourselveswhatisbeingrewardedinourorganizations.Dowerewardpersonalgrowthanddevelopment?Ifso,ourpeoplewillbegrowing.

SeveralyearsagoIdevelopedalistofbehaviorsandqualitiesthatIexpectfromthepeopleinmyorganization,andIdeterminedtorewardthosebehaviors.IcallittheRISEprogram:

Rewards

Indicating

Staff

Expectations

InotherwordsIdecidedtogiverewardstostaffmemberstoindicatetheyweremeetingorexceedingexpectations.ThequalitiesIvaluemosthighlyandrewardare a positive attitude, loyalty, personal growth, leadership reproduction, andcreativity.Noticethatpersonalgrowthisonthelist.Iwanttoencourageyoutodecidewhatyouvalue,determinetorewarditinyourpeople,andputpersonalgrowthonyourlist.Youwillfindthatonceyousetupapositiverewardsystemforachievingtherightgoals,yourpeoplewillbecometheirownbestmanagers,andtheywilldevelopasleaders.

CAREENOUGHTOCONFRONT

Rewarding the positive takes effort, but it is pretty easy to do. Confrontingnegativebehavioristougher.Manypeopleavoidconfrontation.Somefearbeingdislikedandrejected.Othersareafraidconfrontationwillmakethingsworsebycreatingangerandresentmentinthepersontheyconfront.Butwhenaperson’sbehaviorisinappropriate,avoidingconfrontationalwaysworsensthesituation.

First, the organization suffers because the person is not acting in its bestinterest. Second, you suffer because the person’s deficiencies reduce youreffectiveness.Andfinally,whenapersonisactinginappropriatelyandisn’ttold,

you have robbed him of an important opportunity to learn and grow in hisdevelopmentprocess.Any timea leader avoids a confrontation, he should askhimself whether he is holding back for his own good or for the good of theorganization.Ifitisforhimself,heisactingunderselfishmotives.

Confrontation, in its best form, is a win-win situation. In this country wehavebeenconditioned tobelieve thatconflictalwaysproducesawinnerandaloser. But that does not have to be true. To produce a win-win, we mustapproach confrontation with the right attitude. Think of confrontation as achancetohelpanddevelopyourpeople.Andneverconfrontinangeroroutofadesiretoshowpower.Doitwithrespectandtheotherperson’sbest interestatheart.HerearetenguidelinesIusetomakesureI’mdoingjustthat:

CONFRONTASAP

The longer Iwait, the less likely I am to dowhatmust be done.AnotherbenefittoconfrontingimmediatelyisthatIamnotlikelytohavetoarguewiththepersonoverdetails.

SEPARATETHEPERSONFROMTHEWRONGACTION

Iamtoaddressmyself to theactionandconfront it,not theperson.Imustcontinuetosupportandencouragetheperson.

CONFRONTONLYWHATTHEPERSONCANCHANGE

IfIaskapersontochangesomethinghecan’t,hewillbecomefrustratedanditwillstrainourrelationship.

GIVETHEPERSONTHEBENEFITOFTHEDOUBT

Ialwaystrytostartfromtheassumptionthatpeople’smotivesarerightandworkfromthere.IfIcangivethemthebenefitofthedoubt,Ido—especiallyinareasthatareopentointerpretationorareunclear.

BESPECIFIC

ThepersonI’mconfrontingcanonlyaddressandchangewhatisspecificallyidentified.IfIcan’tidentifyspecifics,Imaybemakingsomefalseassumptions.

AVOIDSARCASM

Sarcasmindicatesangerwithpeople,nottheiractions.Whenconfronting,Iavoidsarcasm.

AVOIDWORDSLIKEALWAYSANDNEVER

WhenItellapersonnevertodoacertainbehavior,Iamaskinghimtoclingblindlytoarule,eveninsituationswhenit’snotthebestthingtodo.I’dratherencouragehimtousehisheadandtaketherightcourseofactioninanygivensituation,basedonrightprinciples.

TELLTHEPERSONHOWYOUFEELABOUTWHATWASDONEWRONG

If theperson’s actionshaveoffendedme, I tell him right then and there. Idon’twanttobegoingbackoveroldgroundlaterinordertoventemotions.

GIVETHEPERSONAGAMEPLANTOFIXTHEPROBLEM

Ialwayswanttohelpthepersonsucceed,notfail.IfIcanhelphimfixtheproblem,everybodywins.

AFFIRMHIMORHERASAPERSONANDAFRIEND

I prepare to confront in the same way that I fix a sandwich. I put theconfrontation in the middle like meat. On both sides I put affirmation andencouragement.

Positiveconfrontationisasuresignthatyoucareforapersonandhavehisbest interests at heart. Each time you build up your people and identify theirproblems,yougivethemanopportunitytogrow.

Positiveconfrontationisasuresignthatyoucareforaperson.

MAKETHEHARDDECISIONS

In Chapter Two I pointed out that leaders must be willing to make difficultdecisions in order to create a climate that encourages development. Some ofthose difficult decisions concern letting employees go. But there are harddecisionstobemadeduringyourleaders’developmentprocesstoo.

Peopleresponddifferentlytodevelopment,andIhavefoundfrompersonalexperiencethateachpersonwhodoesgrowwillplateauatoneofsix levelsofdevelopment:

LEVEL1.SOMEGROWTH

Somepeople experiencegrowthat avery slow rate and theirgrowth lacksdirection.Thesepeopleimprovealmostimperceptibly.

Theymaybecompetent,buttheywillnevershineintheirjobs.

LEVEL2.GROWTHTHATMAKESTHEMCAPABLEINTHEIRJOB

Manypeoplemistakenlybelievethatsimplydoingtheirjobwellisthefinalgoalintheirdevelopment.It’snot.Withoutagooddeveloperorastrongdesireforpersonalgrowth,manypeoplestophereinthegrowthprocess.

LEVEL3.GROWTHTHATMAKESTHEMABLETOREPRODUCETHEMSELVESINTHEIRJOB

At this levelofgrowth,peoplearebeginning toadd to theirvaluebecausethey are able to train others in their area of expertise. Some people who aretechnicallystrongbuthavemarginalleadershipskillsareabletodothis.Otherswithstrongleadershipskillscandoitdespitemarginaltechnicalabilities.Peoplewhoarestronginbothareasoftenmoveuptothenextlevel.

LEVEL4.GROWTHTHATTAKESTHEMTOAHIGHER-LEVELJOB

The jump from Level 3 to Level 4 is difficult. It requires that people arewillingtodedicatethemselvestogrowingbothpersonallyandprofessionally.Asthey are able to broaden their thinking and experience, they become morecapableandvaluabletotheirorganizationandleaders.

LEVEL5.GROWTHTHATALLOWSTHEMTOTAKEOTHERSHIGHER

It is at this level that great leaders begin to emerge.These people are truedevelopers of people, and they no longer add value to their leaders andorganization—theymultiplyit.

LEVEL6.GROWTHTHATALLOWSTHEMTOHANDLEANYJOB

Peoplewhodeveloptothislevelarerare.Ifyouhavetheprivilegeofhelpingpeopletothislevel,treatthemwiththegreatestloveandrespect.Thesepeopleareleaderswhocouldmakeitanywhere.Andtheyhaveskillsandabilitiesthattranscend any particular field or industry. In your lifetime ifGod blesses youwithoneormoreofthesepeople,togetheryouwillhavetheabilitytomakeanimpactfarbeyondyourownindividualcapabilities.

Takealookatthefigureonthenextpage.Asyoucansee,thepoolofpeopleateachlevelisrepresentedbyacircle.Thehigherthelevel,thefewerpeopleatthatlevel.Youwillalsonoticethateachsuccessivejumpgetsmoredifficultasthelevelsgethigher.Eachtakesmorecommitment,dedication,andtenacitythantheonebefore.

ThereasonIwriteaboutharddecisions is thatyouwillhave tomakeharddecisionsconcerningeverypersonyoudevelopotherthanthepersonwhomakesittoLevel6.Whenyouareadeveloperofpeople,youmeeteachpersononthelevelwhereyoufindhim,usuallyonLevel1,thenyoubeginajourney.Yourjobistowalkalongsidethatpersonandhelphimforaslongasheiswillingtokeepgoingandgrowing.Whenthatpersonstopsgrowing,that’swhenyouhavetodosomethingdifficult:Youhavetoleavethatpersonbehind.Yourrelationshipcancontinue,butyourdevelopmentofthatpersonwon’t.

Thatisoneofthedifficultthingsaboutbeingadeveloperofpeople.Wegivepeople somuch time, attention, and love that leaving one behind can be likelettinggoofoneofourchildren.Butyoucan’tforceapersontokeepgrowingtothehighestlevel.Youhavetomaketheharddecisionofleavingthatpersononhisownplateau.It’sdifficult,but it’sapriceworthpayinginorder todevelop

people.

BEPERSONALLYSECURE

Tobeagreatdeveloperofpeople,youmustbepersonallysecure,becausetakingyourpeopletotheheightoftheirpotentialmaymeantheywillpassyouby.AsImentioned inChapterOne,AndrewCarnegiewanted to be remembered as “amanwhowaswiseenough tobring intohisservicemenwhoknewmore thanhe.” It takes a very secure person to face that possibility, but without such amind-set,youmaybecompetingwithyourpeopleinsteadofdevelopingthem.

Asyouprepare to leadanddevelop thepeoplearoundyou, I’d likeyou tokeepinmindsomethingHarveyFirestonesaid:“Itisonlyaswedevelopothersthatwepermanentlysucceed.”Allofthecertificatesofrecognitionwereceiveinlifewillfade.Themonumentswebuildwillcrumble.Thetrophieswillcorrode.

Butwhatwedoforotherswillmakealastingimpactonourworld.

A

SEVENTHELEADER’SHIGHESTRETURN:FORMINGADREAMTEAM

OFLEADERSnyone who has ever experienced being on a team—from playing on aprofessional sports team to being a member of the junior high band—

knowsthatbeingapartofasuccessfulteamcanbeoneofthemostrewardingexperiences in life. And on the right team, it can also be one of the mostpowerful.

First,justwhatisateam?Weknowit’smorethansimplyagroupofpeople.Ifthat’sallitwere,thenpeoplewaitingatatrolleystopwouldmakeupateam.But theydon’t. I need to add that tobea team, agroupmusthaveacommongoal, although that’s not enough. Our people at the trolley stop have thecommongoalofwaitingforthetrolleycarthatwilltakethemsomewhere.Evenif theyhad the samedestination, itwouldhelp,but itwouldnotbe enough tomake them a team. There must be cooperation, but once again, that doesn’tcomplete the whole picture. Add communication—there is no team withoutcommunication.

Let’slookagainatourpeoplewaitingforthetrolleytoseehowanordinarygroupmayactcomparedtoateam.It’sahot,humidsummerday.Thegroupatthe stop includes businesspeople in suits,motherswith toddlers and infants instrollers,constructionworkers,andhomelesspeople.Finally,acrowdedtrolleypulls up to the stop. When everyone sees that the cars are packed, they allscramble.Eachpersonrunstogetaspot.Awomanwithastrollerdoesherbesttoherdherfourchildrentothedoorofoneofthecars,butshecan’tfindaplacewithenoughroomtofitherwholefamily.Bythetimeshetriesanothercar,thedoorscloseandthetrolleymovesaway.Shewillhavetowaitthirtyminutesforthenexttrolley.

Thesametrolleypulls into thenextstop.Waiting isa teamof twelvehighschool basketball players on a field tripwith their coach.When they see howcrowded the trolley cars are, they prepare to scramble too.Oneplayer shouts,

“I’llcheckthefirstcar toseeif there’sroom.”Anothersays,“I’ll takethelastone.”The coachholdsopen thedoor to the fullmiddle car becauseheknowsthatthetrolleycan’tleavewhileadoorisopen.Theplayeratthelastcarshouts,“There’sroombackhere”asheholdsthatdooropen.Yetanotherplayergoestofind the teammate whowent forward. As they reassemble in the last car, thecoachcountstomakesureeveryonehasmadeit.

Asimportantasteamworkis,andaspowerfulasitcanbetothesuccessofan organization,many leaders don’t teach their people how towork in teams.ManagementconsultantKennethBlanchardobserved:

AsIworkincompaniesaroundthecountry,Ioftenaskpeoplewhatpercentoftheirtimedotheyspendingroups.Althoughmanagersreport60to90percentoftheirtimeisusuallyspentingroupactivities,theyalsosaytheygetlittleornotraininginskillsneededtoworkefficientlyingroups.Iknowoffewcompaniesthatfocustrainingonthisimportantskill.

Manyleadersthinkthatbuildingateamanddevelopingteamworkisonlyforsports.Theydon’t realize that theycanbuilda teamwithin theirorganization.Nordotheyhaveanyideahowtoapproachthetask.

Developing leaders is wonderful: it’s fulfilling and rewarding. Butdevelopingateamofleaders—that’sincredible.Agoodteamisalwaysgreaterthan the sum of its parts, but teams of leaders increase their effectivenessexponentially.Withtherightleadersteamedtogether,thereisnothingtheycan’taccomplish. Anyone who is developing leaders can also develop them into ateam.Itisthelastdevelopmenttaskthatwillyieldthehighestreturn.

THEQUALITIESOFADREAMTEAM

Inallmyyearsofpeopledevelopmentandteambuilding,Ihavefoundthatallsuccessfulteamssharesomecommoncharacteristics.Ifyou,astheteamleaderorcoach,cancultivatethesequalitiesinyourgroupofleaders,theywillbecomea cohesive team capable of leaping tall buildings or performing any otherrequiredtask.Herearethosecharacteristics:

THETEAMMEMBERSCAREFORONEANOTHER

All great teams begin with this quality. It is the foundation upon which

everythingisbuilt.Teamsthatdon’tbondcan’tbuild.Why?Becausetheyneverbecomeacohesiveunit.

Oneof thebestdescriptionsof thisquality that I’veever comeacrosswasgiven by South Carolina football coach Lou Holtz. He said that he had oncewatchedatelevisionprogramthatexaminedwhymendiedfortheircountry.Intheprogram,whichlookedatUnitedStatesMarines,theFrenchForeignLegion,andtheBritishCommandos,itwasnotedthatmendiedfortheircountrybecauseofthelovetheyhadfortheirfellowman.Intheshow,theyinterviewedasoldierwho had beenwounded in combat andwas recovering in a hospital when heheardhisunitwasgoingbackoutonadangerousmission.

The soldier escaped from the hospital and went with them, only to bewoundedagain.Whenaskedwhyhedidit,hesaidthatafteryouworkandlivewithpeople,yousoonrealizeyoursurvivaldependsononeanother.

Teamsthatdon’tbondcan’tbuild.

Forateamtobesuccessful,theteammateshavetoknowtheywilllookoutforoneanother.Whenateammembercaresaboutnoonebuthimself,thewholeteam suffers.Uncaring people on a team remindme of a couple of guys in astory Ionce read:Twoshipwreckedmensat together atoneendof a lifeboat,doingnothing.Astheywatchedintently,thepeopleattheotherendoftheboatwere bailing furiously.Oneman then said to the other, “ThankGod that holeisn’tinourendoftheboat!”

I have found that one of the best ways to getmembers of a team to careaboutoneanotheris toget themtogetheroutsideofaworkcontext inordertobuild relationships. Every year in our organization we plan retreats and othereventsthatputourpeopletogetherinsocialsettings.Andduringthosetimes,wealsomakesuretheyspendpartoftheirtimewithstaffmemberstheydon’tknowvery well. That way they’re not only building relationships, they’re beingpreventedfromdevelopingcliques.

THETEAMMEMBERSKNOWWHATISIMPORTANT

One of the things I enjoymost about a team experience is how the team

functionsasasingleunit.Allofitspartshaveacommongoalandpurpose.Thisqualityisdevelopedbymakingsureeachteammemberknowswhatisimportanttotheteam.Thisquality,likethepreviousone,isfoundationaltoteambuilding.Withoutitteammemberscannottrulyworktogether.

Inasportsuchasbasketball,theplayersonateamrecognizethatscoringiswhatisimportant.Whenateamismoreeffectiveatscoringthantheopponent,itwins. Because the teammembers know that, they spend their time improvingand perfecting their ability to score. That is their focus. In contrast, in manyorganizationalsettings,theteammembersdon’tknowwhatitmeansto“score.”Theymayhavealistofduties,buttheydon’tknowhowthosedutiesgotogethertomakeascore.Itwouldbetheequivalentofabasketballplayerwhoknewhowtosetapick,dribble,pass,ortossupaball,butwhoneverknewalltheseskillswereusedtogethertoscorebaskets.Withoutthatknowledge,everytimeaplayerwhowasagoodballhandlergottheball,hemightdribbleituntiltheshotclockran out. That player could be the finest dribbler in all theworld, and his ballhandlingcouldgivespectatorsgreatjoy.Buttheteamwouldfailtoscoreeverytimehetouchedtheball,andtheywouldneverwinagame.Ontheotherhand,ifheknewdribblingwasmerelyatoolusedbyaplayersotheteamcouldscore,thenhisattitude,actions,andeffectivenesswouldchangedramatically.Andthewholeteam’ssuccesswouldfollowinthewakeofthosechanges.

You can seewhat happens if just one player on a basketball teamdoesn’tknowwhatisimportanttotheteam.Itmakeshimineffective.Andwhenheisinthe game, it is impossible for the team to succeed. The same is true in anyorganization.Anyonewhodoesn’tknowwhat’simportanttotheteamnotonlyfails to contribute to the team, but actually prevents the team from achievingsuccess.Thatiswhyitissoimportantfortheleaderoftheteamtoidentifywhatis important to the team and to communicate that information to her teammembers.

THETEAMMEMBERSCOMMUNICATEWITHONEANOTHER

Thethirdfoundationalqualityofaneffectiveteamiscommunication.Justasitisimportantfortheteamleadertocommunicatewhatisimportanttotheteam,the individual members of the team must communicate with one another.

Withoutit,theplayersarelikelytoworkagainsteachother.Importanttaskscanbeleftundone,andteammemberscanfindthemselvesduplicatingwork.

Anyonewhohasplayedbasketballisfamiliarwiththesituationinwhichtwoplayersgoupforareboundandfightoneanotherfortheball,onlytofindthatthey are on the same team. On teams where players communicate with oneanother,athirdplayerwillshout,“Sameteam!”tomakesuretheydon’tlosetheballwhiletryingtotakeitawayfromoneanother.Thatiswhatcommunicationontheteamisallabout:lettingeachotherknowwhat’sgoingonsotheteam’sbestinterestisprotected.

The same is true in nonsporting organizations. Clear and formal lines ofcommunicationmustbeestablished.Butevenmoreimportant,anatmosphereofpositive communicationmust be established and encouraged on a daily basis.Peopleontheteammustbemadetofeelthattheyareinanenvironmentwhereitis safe tooffer suggestionsorcriticismwithout feeling threatened, freely tradeinformation in the spirit of cooperation, and discuss ideas without beingnegatively criticized. Open communication among teammates increasesproductivity.

THETEAMMEMBERSGROWTOGETHER

Once themembersof the teamcare foroneanother,haveacommongoal,and communicate with one another, they are ready to start growing. Growthwithin a team is much like growth within a marriage. It is important andnecessary.Withoutit,theteamanditsindividualmembersdonotimprove.Butlike marriage, the growth should include shared experiences and periods ofcommunicationsoteammembersstayconnectedtooneanother.Inamarriage,whengrowth is not continuously interactive, eventually the twopeople’s livesdevelopparallelbutveryseparatecourses.Theyceasetofunctiontogetherasateam.Ifmuchtimepasses,theirtwocoursesmovefartherandfartherapartuntilneither one knows what the other is doing. Finally they won’t care for eachother,theirgoalswillbedifferent,andtheywillstopcommunicating.Theirteamislikelytofallapart.

In an organization, it is the team leader’s responsibility to orchestrate theteam’s growth. He must make sure his people grow both personally andprofessionally. And he must ensure that their growth happens together—as a

team. When I work on growing my team members, I take several differentapproaches.First,wealllearntogetheronaregularbasis,atleastonceamonth.In thisway, Iknow therearesome thingseveryone in theorganizationknows,and they share the common experience of learning these things together,regardlessoftheirpositionorresponsibilities.

Second,Iregularlybuildsmallteamsoflearners.Iperiodicallyhavegroupsofthreeorfourworktogetheronaprojectthatrequiresthemtolearn.Itbuildsstrong relational bondsbetween thosepeople. It’s a good idea, by theway, tovary themembersof these teams so thatdifferentpeople are learning toworktogether. It also gives you an idea about the particular chemistry of differentgroupsastheyworktogether.

Finally, I frequently send different people to conferences, workshops, andseminars.Whentheyreturn,Iaskthemtoteachothersintheorganizationwhatthey’velearned.Itgetseveryoneusedtoteachingandlearningfromeachother.Shared experiences and the give-and-take of communication are the greatestwaystopromoteteamgrowth.

THEREISATEAMFIT

As people who care about each other grow together and work toward acommongoal,theygettoknoweachotherbetter.Theystarttoappreciateeachother’sstrengthsandbecomeawareofeachother’sweaknesses.Theybegintorecognize and appreciate each player’s unique qualities.And that leads to thedevelopmentofateam“fit.”

Thetypeoffitateamhasdependsonmanythings.It ismorethanjust thewayagroupofpeoplewithparticulartalentscometogether.Wehaveprobablyall seen teamsmade up of talented players at each positionwho should havebeen able to playwell together but couldn’t.Despite their talents, they didn’thavetherightchemistry.

Agoodteamfitrequiresanattitudeofpartnership.

Agoodteamfitrequiresanattitudeofpartnership.Everyteammembermustrespect theotherplayers.Theymustdesire tocontribute to the team,and they

must come to expect a contribution from every other person. Above all, theymustlearntotrusteachother.Itistrustthatmakesitpossibleforthemtorelyononeanother. Itallows themtomakeupforeachother’sweaknesses insteadoftryingtoexploitthem.Itenablesoneteammembertosaytotheother,“YougoaheadanddothistaskbecauseyouarebetteratitthanIam,”withoutshameormanipulation.Trustallowsteammemberstobeginworkingasasingleunit, tobeginaccomplishingthethingsthattogethertheyrecognizeasimportant.Oncetheplayersknowandtrustoneanother,anddevelopafit,theteam’spersonalitywillbegintoemerge.

THETEAMMEMBERSPLACETHEIRINDIVIDUALRIGHTSBENEATHTHEBESTINTERESTOFTHETEAM

Onceteammembersbelieveinthegoalsoftheirteamandbegintodevelopgenuine trust in one another, they will be in a position to demonstrate trueteamwork.Theirmutualtrustwillmakeitpossibleforthemtoplacetheirownrightsandprivilegesbeneaththebestinterestoftheteam.

NoticethatImentiontheteammemberswillbeinapositiontodemonstratetrue teamwork.That does not necessarilymean that theywill. For there to beteamwork, several thingsmust happen. First, theymust genuinely believe thatthevalueoftheteam’ssuccessisgreaterthanthevalueoftheirownindividualinterests.Theywillbeabletobelieveitonlyiftheycareaboutoneanotherandiftheirleaderhaseffectivelycastthevisionofwhatisimportant.Thentheywillrecognizethattheirsuccesswillcomewiththeteam’ssuccess.

Individualismwinstrophies,butteamworkwinspennants.

Second,forteammemberstoplacetheirindividualrightsbeneaththeteam’sbestinterest,personalsacrificemustbeencouragedandthenrewarded—bytheteamleaderandtheothermembersoftheteam.Asthishappens,thepeoplewillcome to identify themselvesmore andmorewith the team.At that point theywillrecognizethatindividualismwinstrophies,butteamworkwinspennants.

EACHTEAMMEMBERPLAYSASPECIALROLE

Astheteamfitbecomesstrongerandeachpersoniswillingtoputtheteamfirst,peoplebegintorecognizetheirdifferentrolesontheteam.Theycandothisbecause they know what must be accomplished to win, and they know theirteammates’capabilities.Withthatknowledgeandsomeencouragementfromtheteamleader,peoplewillgladlyassumeappropriateroles.PhilipVanAuken,inTheWell-ManagedMinistry, recognizes this as theNiche Principle. He says,“Peoplewhooccupya specialplaceon the team feel special andperform inaspecialway.Teamnicheshumanizeteamwork.”

In an ideal situation, each person’s role is built on his or her greateststrengths. That way each person’s talents can be maximized. But it doesn’talways work exactly that way. Because the team’s success is what is mostimportant,sometimestheteammembersmustbeflexible.Forexample,anyonewhofollowsprofessionalbasketballhasheardofMagicJohnson.HeplayedfortheLosAngelesLakersduringthe1980s,whentheywereoneofthebestteams.Hisgreatesttalentwashisabilitytomakeplayshappen,especiallyassistsusingincrediblelook-awaypasses.ButJohnsonwasaplayerwhowasalwayswillingtofillwhateverrole the teamneeded.Overseveralseasons,hestarted inNBAchampionship games as a guard, forward, and center. He may be the onlyprofessionalbasketballplayerwhohaseverdonethat.

The important thing is that all the teammembers take a role that fits thegoals and needs of the organization aswell as their own personal talents andabilities.Whenanyrole isnotfilled, thewholeteamsuffers.ThesituationcanbeliketheoneinastorythatmanagementconsultantJamesLukaszewskitoldinoneofhisspeeches:

[Onedayafarmer]wassittingonhisporchnoticingahighwaydepartmenttruckpullingoverontheshoulderoftheroad.Amangotout,dugasizeableholeintheditch,andgotbackintothevehicle.Afewminuteslater,theotheroccupantofthetruckgotout,filledupthehole,tampedthedirt,andgotbackinthetruck.Thentheydroveforwardontheshoulderaboutfiftyyardsandrepeatedtheprocess—digging,waiting,refilling.Afterahalf-dozenrepetitions,thefarmersaunteredovertothem.“Whatareyoudoing?”heasked.

“We’reonahighwaybeautificationproject,”thedriversaid.“Andtheguywhoplantsthetreesishomesicktoday.”

Asteamleaders,wemustrecognizewhatrolesneedtobefilledbyourteammembersfortheteamtoaccomplishitsgoal.Andwhenweseearolenotbeingfilled,wemustmakeadjustmentstotheteamtomakesurethejobgetsdone.

ANEFFECTIVETEAMHASAGOODBENCH

In sports, the benchmaybe themostmisunderstood resource of the team.Many“starting”playersbelievethattheyareimportantwhilethepeopleonthebench are not. They believe they could do without them. Others who spendmuchof their timeon thebenchdon’t recognize theirowncontribution.Somemistakenlybelievetheydon’thavetobotherpreparingthewaythestartersdo,that theydon’t have to be ready to play.But the truth is that a goodbench isindispensable.Withoutagoodbench,ateamwillneversucceed.

The first thing a good bench gives is depth. In sports, many teams canproduceawinningseason.Butwhenthelevelofcompetitiongoesup,suchasinaplay-offoranational tournament,a teamwithoutdepthjustcan’tmakeit. Ifthe team does not have good reserve players, it will not be able to go thedistance.Ihaveyettoseeachampionshipteamthatdidnothaveagoodbench.Infact,developingagoodbenchiswhatmuchofthisbookisabout:selecting,equipping, and developing people to do their best and get the job donewhentheyareneeded.

Having a pool of good players able to play different roles gives the teamleadergreatflexibilityinanysituation.Inbasketball,forinstance,acoachwillstartagamewithonegroupofpeoplewhenplayingagainstanopponentwhoseplayers are particularly tall. He may have another lineup when playing aparticularly quick opponent. Some combinations of players will be greatdefensively. Others may be great at executing a run-and-gun offense. Whichplayers he puts in the gamewill often depend onwho his opponent is. Teamleaders in other organizationswill have the same kinds of optionswhen theyhaveastrongbench.Withdepth,theteamcanhandleavarietyofsituationsanddemandswithgraceandeffectiveness.

Another property of a team’s bench is that it sets the tone for the wholeteam’slevelofplay.Thisistruebecausetheteam’spreparationdependsonthebench.Insports,teamspracticeagainsttheirownplayers.Ifthestarterspracticeonlyagainstweakplayers,theirperformancewillnotimprove.Butagoodbenchcausesthemtodotheirbestallthetime,toconstantlyimprove.Thesameistruein anyorganization. If the level of play in the organization is high every day,thentheteam’sperformancewillbetop-notchwhenitreallycounts.

Finally, a good bench is a requirement for a successful team because itprovidesaplaceforawearyplayertorest.Onsuccessfulteams,whenoneofthe

playerscannotmakeitanyfurtherduetofatigueorinjury,histeammatescarrytheloadandgivehimarest.

This is possibly the finest quality of teamwork—the willingness of oneplayer to stepuphis levelofplayandgo theextramile forhis teammate inatimeofneed.Itistheultimateindicationofaplayer’sdesiretoputtheteamanditsgoalsfirst.

THETEAMMEMBERSKNOWEXACTLYWHERETHETEAMSTANDS

In sports, the ability to know where their team stands at every momentduring a game separates the great players from the adequate players. Thatquality,asmuchastalent,enablesaplayertomovefromonelevelofplayuptothenext,suchasfromcollegetothepros.Coacheshavedifferenttermsforthisquality.Afootballcoach,forinstance,mightcallitfootballsense.Abasketballcoachmight call it court sense or vision. It is the ability to know howmanysecondsareleftontheclock,howmanypointstheyaredown,andwhichplayersare hot or hurt on each team. It is a quality thatmakes players, and thereforeteams,great.

Outsideofsports, thequalitycouldbecalledorganizationalsense. It is theabilitytoknowwhatishappeningwithintheorganization,howtheorganizationstandsinreferencetoitsgoals,howitstacksupagainstthecompetition,howthedifferentplayersaredoing,andhowmuchmoretheycangiveinordertogettheteamwhere it needs to go.Not all teammembers are equally giftedwith thissense. It is the job of the team leader to keep all of the players informed.Hemustgetthemtocheckontheteam’sprogressandlistentotheotherplayerstoknowwheretheteamstands.Ifalltheteammembersareinformedofwheretheteamstands,theyareinabetterpositiontoknowwhatitisgoingtotakefortheteamtosucceed.

Knowingwheretheirteamstandsat

everymomentseparatesthegreat

playersfromtheadequateplayers.

THETEAMMEMBERSAREWILLINGTOPAYTHEPRICE

Time after time, success comes down to sacrifice—willingness to pay theprice.The same is trueof awinning team.Eachmemberof the teammustbewillingtosacrificetimeandenergytopracticeandprepare.Hemustbewillingtobeheldaccountable.Hemustbewillingtosacrificehisowndesires.Hemustbewillingtogiveuppartofhimselffortheteam’ssuccess.

Itallcomesdowntothedesireanddedicationoftheindividualsontheteam.It’sastrueinbusinessasitisinsports.It’seventrueinwar.InaninterviewwithDavidFrost,GeneralNormanSchwarzkopf,commanderoftheAlliedforcesintheGulfWar,wasasked,“What’s thegreatest lessonyou’velearnedoutofallthis?”Hereplied:

Successcomesdowntosacrifice—willingnesstopay

theprice.Ithinkthatthereisonereallyfundamentalmilitarytruth.Andthat’sthatyoucanaddupthecorrelationofforces,youcanlookatthenumberoftanks,youcanlookatthenumberofairplanes,youcanlookatallthesefactorsofmilitarymightandputthemtogether.Butunlessthesoldierontheground,ortheairmanintheair,hasthewilltowin,hasthestrengthofcharactertogointobattle,believesthathiscauseisjust,andhasthesupportofhiscountry...alltherestofthatstuffisirrelevant.

Withouteachperson’sconvictionthatthecauseisworththeprice,thebattlewillneverbewon,andtheteamwillnotsucceed.Theremustbecommitment.

Whenyoubuilda teamwithinyourorganization,youwillbecapableofalevelofsuccessyouneverthoughtpossible.Teamworkforaworthwhilevisionmakesitpossibleforcommonpeopletoattainuncommonresults.Andwhentheteammembersarenotcommonpeople,but leaders, theiraccomplishmentscanmultiply.Alltheteamneedsistherightcoach.Andbecomingthatcoachisthesubjectofthenextchapter.

I

EIGHTTHELEADER’SGREATESTJOY:

COACHINGADREAMTEAMOFLEADERS

n 1992American sports journalists could talk about nothing but theDreamTeam—the United States Olympic basketball team composed of Michael

Jordan,LarryBird,MagicJohnson,CharlesBarkley,andotherbasketballgreats.Someplayerson that teamhavebeencalled thebest ever toplay thegameofbasketball.Whenpeoplewatchedthemplay,thequestionwasnotwhethertheywouldwinor lose.Thequestionwas, “Whatmagnificentplayswill I see, andhowbig amarginwill the teamwin by?”The teamwas such an assembly ofstars that even the players on the opposing teams were asking them for theirautographs.

Allcoachesdreamofhavingateamlikethat—playerswhoknowthegameinsideandout,whohavethetalent,thedesire,andthedisciplinetocompeteandsucceedonthehighestlevel.Mostleadersdreamofthesamething,butmostofthem think itwill never happen to them.And formany that’s true—itwon’t.Why?Becausetheydon’tknowwhatitmeanstobeawinningcoach.

BankerWalterWriston,inHarvardBusinessReview,says,“Thepersonwhofigures out how to harness the collective genius of the people in his or herorganizationisgoingtoblowthecompetitionaway!”Thatiswhatagreatleaderdoes:Heharnessesthecollectivegeniusofhisteammembers.Heknowshowtoselect,motivate,andempowerhispeople.

In over thirty years of leadership, I have been privileged to lead somewonderfulteamsofpeople.Throughthoseyears,Ihavediscoveredthatinordertobecomeadreamteamcoach,aleadermustdeveloptenqualities.

THEQUALITIESOFADREAMTEAMCOACH

AsCharlesFrancesoncesaid,“Youcanbuyaman’stime,youcanevenbuyhis

physical presence at a given place, but you cannot buy enthusiasm . . . youcannotbuyloyalty . . .youcannotbuythedevotionofhearts,minds,orsouls.Youmustearnthese.”Thefollowingtencharacteristicsofadreamteamcoacharequalities thatwillearna team’srespectand loyalty,and theywillmotivateandempowerthepeopletoplaylikeadreamteam.

1.ADREAMTEAMCOACHCHOOSESPLAYERSWELL

Throughout the book, I’ve given a lot of attention to identifying andselectingpotential leaders.Andyoualreadyknowhowtogoaboutdevelopingpeopleintoeffectiveindividualplayers.Choosingtherightpeopleisvital.RedAuerbach, longtimeBostonCeltics president, said, “How you select people ismoreimportantthanhowyoumanagethemoncethey’reonthejob.Ifyoustartwiththerightpeople,youwon’thaveproblemslateron.Ifyouhirethewrongpeople, forwhateverreason,you’re inserious troubleandall therevolutionarymanagement techniques in theworldwon’tbailyouout.”Anothergreatsportsleader,LouHoltz,putitthisway:“You’vegottohavegreatathletestowin....Youcan’twinwithoutgoodathletes,butyoucanlosewiththem.Thisiswherecoachingmakes the difference.” Bothmen recognized that you have to beginwiththerightrawmaterialstocreateawinningteam.

AsBobbBiehlsays in IncreasingYourLeadershipConfidence,alongwithcleardirectionandsoundfinances,havingtherightplayersdetermines60to80percent of the success of any company or organization. If you want to giveyourselfachancetowin,startbypickingwinners.

Havingtherightplayersdetermines60to80percentofthesuccessofanyorganization.

I can identify what a winner looks like for my organization. I can tellwhetherapersonhasthepotentialtobeanall-starcontributor.Iwantthepeopleclosetometo: Knowmyheart: Thistakestimeforbothofusanddesireontheirpart.

Beloyaltome: Theyareanextensionofmeandmywork.Betrustworthy: Theymustnotabuseauthority,power,orconfidences.Bediscerning: Theymakedecisionsforme.Haveaservant’sheart: Theycarryaheavyloadbecauseofmyhighdemands.Beagoodthinker: Ourtwoheadsarebetterthanmyone.Beafinisher: Theytakeauthorityandcarryoutthevision.HaveaheartforGod: MyheartforGodismydrivingforceinlife.

Whenapersondisplaysthosequalities,Iknowheorshehasthepotentialtoplayonmydreamteam.

2.ADREAMTEAMCOACHCONSTANTLYCOMMUNICATESTHEGAMEPLAN

EverygoodcoachI’veeverseenhasworkedfromagameplan.He’sgotaplan not only for each individual game, but also for the development of thewholeteamoverthecourseofthecurrentandupcomingseasons.Oncethegameplan has been drawn up, he then communicates it to his team on an almostcontinualbasis.

Bear Bryant, the late University of Alabama football coach, effectivelycommunicatedhisgameplan tohisplayers.Herecognized therewerespecificthingshisplayersneededtoknow.Fivepointsexplainwhathebelievedacoachshoulddo:

Tellthemwhatyouexpectofthem.Thistellsthemhowtheyaretofitintothegameplansotheyknowwhattheyshouldtrytodo.

Givethemanopportunitytoperform.Thisgivesthemachancetobeapartofthegameplan,tocarryoutthevision.

Letthemknowhowthey’regettingalong.Thisletsthemhaveanopportunitytolearn,improve,andincreasetheircontribution.

Instructandempowerthemwhentheyneedit.Thisgivesthemthemeanstolearn,improve,andincreasetheircontribution.

Rewardthemaccordingtotheircontribution.Thisgivesthemincentivefortheireffort.

Theprocessmustbeginwithcommunicatingthegameplan.Thatisthekeyto productivity. But itmust continuewith the exchange of information.Or as

SydneyJ.Harrissaid,informationisgivingout,whilecommunicationisgettingthrough.Whenthereisinteractivecommunicationbetweentheteamleaderandhispeople,itempowersthemtosucceed.

3.ADREAMTEAMCOACHTAKESTHETIMETOHUDDLE

Another important part of the communicationprocess is huddling.Whenateamhuddles, it recalls thegameplanandhowit is tobe implemented.Whenplayersdon’ttaketimetohuddle,theresultscanbedisastrous—orevencomical.

Thestoryistoldofagentlemanwhowaswalkingdownaresidentialstreetwhenhenoticedamanstrugglingwithawashingmachineatthedoorwayofhishouse.Whenhevolunteeredtohelp,thehomeownerwasoverjoyed,andthetwomentogetherbegantoworkandstrugglewiththebulkyappliance.Afterseveralminutesoffruitlesseffort, the twostoppedandjust lookedateachother.Theywereonthevergeoftotalexhaustion.Finally,whentheycaughttheirbreath,thefirst man said to the homeowner: “We’ll never get this washing machine inthere!”Towhichthehomeownerreplied:“In?I’mtryingtomoveitout!”

I find that things are never too busy or urgent to take the time to huddle.Herearefivethingsthatahuddleprovides:

Focus.Nomatterhowoftenorwellacoachcommunicatesthegameplan,itneverhurtstousehuddletimetogetpeopletorefocusonwhat’simportant.Inbasketball, successful coaches take time-outs to huddle the players, especiallywhen the opposing team is causing them to get out of their gameplan.Whentheyhuddle,theygooverthefundamentalstogetbackontrack.

Even inpolitics focus is important. In1992 followingwhatanalysts calledflatcampaigningbyall thecandidates,BillClintonwaselectedpresident.OnereasonwashewasabletokeepthecampaignagendafocusedontheareaswheretheAmericanpeoplemostwantedchange.

An opportunity to listen.When the team gets together, all the players andcoacheshaveachancetoexchangeinformation.Communicationmustflowbothways.Whenthecoachisreceivingtheright information, ithelpshimsendoutthe right information. New information can also prompt a coach to makeadjustments.

An opportunity to make personnel changes. Sometimes the adjustments

coaches need tomake are changes in personnel or their responsibilities.Oftenthebestwaytosolveaproblemistoallowadifferentplayertotackleit.Agoodcoachcanseethatandiswillingtomakeachange.

Anopportunitytomakeplaychanges.Othertimes,theplayersarefine.Whatneedstobechangedaretheplaysbeingrun.Flexibilityisavaluablequalityinacoach.Thebestcoachesaregoodatmakingnecessaryadjustments.

Anopportunity torest.Sometimesplayersjustneedanopportunitytostop,takeabreather,andregroup.Awell-timedhuddlecanhelptheteamrevitalizesotheycancarryonandsucceed.

4.ADREAMTEAMCOACHKNOWSWHATHISORHERPLAYERSPREFER

Bringingoutthebestinteammembersrequiresthattheircoachknowthemand what is important to them. Padgett Thompson, a Kansas-based trainingorganization, asked employees to rank their workplace wants in order ofimportance. They published those findings in Training and DevelopmentJournal.Ofthemanyitemstheylisted,thethreethingsemployeesmostvaluedwere:

•Appreciationforajobwelldone•Afeelingthatthey’re“in”onthings•ManagementunderstandingoftheirpersonalproblemsPadgettThompson then compared these resultswith the things supervisors

thought employeeswould value. By comparison, the supervisors ranked thesethreeitemseighth,tenth,andninth.

Thesupervisors’lackofknowledgeconcerningtheiremployeesmayaccountfor another survey statistic reported by John D. Hatfield and Richard C.HusemaninManagingtheEquityFactor.Itstatesthat85percentoftheworkersacrosstheUnitedStatessaidtheycouldworkharderonthejob.Morethanhalfclaimedtheycoulddoubletheireffectiveness“iftheywantedto.”

The truth of the matter is that people don’t produce because they aren’tmotivatedorappreciated.Theirleadersdon’tknowwhattheywant.Peopleoftenchangejobsforpersonalreasons,notforprofessionalones.Andtheiremotions

playthegreatestpartintheirmotivation.Goodcoachesknowwhattheirpeopleprefer, and they use that knowledge to attain the team’s and the individualplayer’sgoals.

5.ADREAMTEAMCOACHEXCELSINPROBLEMSOLVING

“Agreatleaderdoesn’ttreatproblemsasspecial,”saidAlDavis,successfulowner of the Los Angeles Raiders. “He treats them as normal.” Successfulcoachesneverhave“perfection”astheirgoal.Iftheydid,theywouldfaileverytime.Weliveinanimperfectworldwhereproblemsalwaysoccur.Certainly,aleadershouldstriveforexcellence,butheshouldexpectproblemstooccur.Andbelieve it or not, he should welcome them. Problems almost always createopportunities—tolearn,grow,andimprove.

Problemsalmostalwayscreate

opportunities—tolearn,grow,and

improve.Allleaderscanbecomegoodproblemsolvers.Todoso, theymustdofour

things:Theymustanticipateproblemsbeforetheyoccur.Theymustmaintainapositive attitudewhile they occur. They must use all their resources to solvethemasquicklyaspossiblesotheyceasetooccur.Andfinally,theymustlearnfromthemsothesameproblemsdonotoccuragain.

Mostissuesrequiringacoach’sproblem-solvingskillsfallintooneofthreecategories.Theyareeitherplayer,preparation,orgameissues:

Problem-solving issues with players. Issues with players require goodcommunication skills as well as good problem-solving skills. One commonproblemis that theplayersdon’twork togetherasa team. (SeeChapterSevenforwaystoresolvethisproblem.)Anotherproblemmayinvolveplayerswhoarefacing personal issues that require a coach’s assistance and patientunderstanding.Possiblythemostfrustratingproblemoccurswhenaplayerisnotreaching his potential. A good coach must work with the player to help himidentifyhisgoalsandthenmotivatehimsothathebeginstogrowagain.

Problem-solving issues with preparation. Probably the most commonproblemassociatedwithpreparation is theboredomfactor.Manyof thebasicsthat must be taken care of in the preparation process can be boring. Goodcoachesprovide a climate thatminimizesboredomand remindsplayersof thepositiveresultsthatpreparationbrings.

Related to the problem of boredom is morale.Whenmorale is low, so isproduction.Goodcoacheskeeptheirplayers’attitudespositive.

Goodcoachesapproacheachopponentfromafreshperspective.

Thelastproblemisafailuretopreparedifferentlyfordifferentopponents(orprojects).Good coaches approach eachopponent froma fresh perspective andwith creativity. If each new opponent is regarded as unique, success is morelikelytocometotheteam.

Problem-solvingissueswiththegame.AsIdiscussedbefore,goodcoachesalways approach the game with a game plan. That is a proactive approach.However, because problems do occur, good coaches also recognize that theymay need to make reactionary decisions— decisions that should be madequicklythencommunicatedclearlyandimmediately.

IoncereadthatGeneralUlyssesS.Grantkeptarathersimplemindedsoldierclose to him at all times. When he prepared to give an order to one of hisgenerals,hefirstgavethecommandtothecommonsoldiertobesurehecouldunderstandit.Inthatway,hewassureallofhiscommunicationwasclearandunderstandable.

Finally, all coaches recognize that their decisions will be criticized. Nomatterhowtheproblemissolved,someonewillsayitwasthewrongdecision.Acoachmustlearntofollowhisconvictionsdespitetheroarofthecrowds.

As you prepare for problems, keep in mind these words by Tom Landry,formerheadcoachoftheDallasCowboys.Hesaid,“Asuccessfulleaderhastobeinnovative.Ifyou’renotonestepaheadofthecrowd,you’llsoonbeastepbehindeveryoneelse.”Approachproblemsolvingcreatively.Anduseallyourpeopleasresources.That’soneof thereasonsyou’veworkedsohardtoselectanddevelopthem.

6.ADREAMTEAMCOACHPROVIDESTHESUPPORTNEEDEDFORSUCCESS

The greatest environment of support is createdwhen coaches decide to befacilitators rather than dictators. The more the players and other coaches areinvolved,themoresuccessfultheteam.Totalcontrolbythecoach,evenifheissomehowabletoachieveit, isneveraseffectiveasagroupeffort.Lookatthedifferencebetweenhowdictatorsandfacilitatorsoperate:

DICTATORS:

1.Hoarddecisions.2.Makedecisionsaloneorrestrictthemtoanelitegroup.3.Viewtruthandwisdomastheirdomainsincetheyaretheleaders.4.Surprisetheirworkerswithedictsfromabove.5.Guardtheirowninterests.6.Takeforthemselves.

FACILITATORS:

1.Pushdecisionsdownline.2.Involveothersasmuchaspossibleinkeydecisionsandgivepeoplespacetomakethosedecisions.

3. View truth andwisdom as being accessible to everyone throughout theorganization.

4.Letthoseresponsibledecidehowthejobswillbedone.5.Serveeveryone’sinterestbydevelopingpeople.6.Givetotheorganization.In addition to providing an atmosphere of support in which everyone’s

participation is encouraged, great coaches also give their people plenty ofaffirmation.Thereisn’taplayerintheworldwhodoesn’trespondtoit.

Another way the best coaches support their players is by simplifying theplayers’lives.Canyouthinkofanyonewhorespondspositivelytobureaucraticredtape?Ibelievethat:

Forms,Forms,Forms+Rules,Rules,Rules=Frustration,Frustration,Frustration

IfIcansimplify,Ido.Iwanttogivemymostcreativeandinnovativepeopleanopenfieldtorunin,nothoopstojumpthrough.

Finally, one of the best ways to provide lasting support is by creating awinning tradition for the organization. Rookie professional players drafted byteamssuchastheBostonCelticsorDallasCowboysoftenspeakadmiringlyofthe team’s traditionofwinning.That traditioncreatesapositiveatmosphere. Itcreatesaninvaluablemomentum.

Whenateamgetsafewwinsunderitsbelt,itcreatesapositiveattitudeandmomentum.Whenitgetsafewseasonsofwinsunderitsbelt,ithasatradition.Then instead of the coach having to go out and find winners, winners comelookingforhim.

7.ADREAMTEAMCOACHCOMMANDSTHERESPECTOFTHEPLAYERS

Withoutrespect,acoachwillneverbeabletogethisplayerstodowhatheasks. InThe SevenHabits ofHighlyEffectivePeople, StephenCovey states itthisway:

IfItrytousehumaninfluencestrategiesandtacticsofhowtogetotherpeopletodowhatIwant,toworkbetter,tobemoremotivated,tolikemeandeachother—whilemycharacterisfundamentallyflawed,markedbyduplicityorinsincerity—then,inthelongrun,Icannotbesuccessful.Myduplicitywillbreeddistrust,andeverythingIdo—evenusingso-calledgoodhumanrelationstechniques—willbeperceivedasmanipulative.

Itsimplymakesnodifferencehowgoodtherhetoricisorevenhowgoodtheintentionsare; if thereis littleornotrust, thereisnofoundationforpermanentsuccess.Onlybasicgoodnessgiveslifetotechnique.

Respect must be earned over time. There are no shortcuts. It is earned

throughtheconsistentembodimentofthreeattributes:Respectmust

beearnedovertime.Therearenoshortcuts.

Trustworthiness.Peopleneverrespectapersontheycannottrust.Never.Thebestcoachesknowthisandworkimmediatelyonlettingtheirplayersknowtheycanbetrusted.MikeKrzyzewski,headbasketballcoachofDukeUniversity,putitthisway:“Ifyousetupanatmosphereofcommunicationandtrust,itbecomesatradition.Olderteammemberswillestablishyourcredibilitywithnewerones.Eveniftheydon’tlikeeverythingaboutyou,they’llstillsay,‘He’strustworthy,committedtousasateam.’”

A caring attitude. In allmyyears of leading people, Imust have said thismorethanathousandtimes:“Peopledon’tcarehowmuchyouknowuntiltheyknowhowmuchyoucare.”It’strue.Ifplayerssensethatyoureallycareaboutthem, that youhave their interests at heart, theywill listen to you and respectyou.As formerUniversity ofMichigan head football coachBoSchembechlersaid, “Deep down, your players must know you care about them. This is themostimportantthing.IcouldnevergetawaywithwhatIdoiftheplayersfeltIdidn’tcare.Theyknow,inthelongrun,I’mintheircorner.”

The ability to make hard decisions. Players cannot respect a coach whocannotmaketheharddecisionsnecessaryforateamtosucceed.Whenacoachiswilling tomake thosedecisions, theplayersknowhe isacting in the team’sbest interest. They feel secure, and they in turn are more likely to act in theteam’sbestinterestthemselves.TomLandrysaid,“Perhapsthetoughestcallfora coach isweighingwhat isbest for an individual againstwhat isbest for theteam.KeepingaplayerontherosterjustbecauseIlikedhimpersonally,orevenbecauseofhisgreatcontributions to the teamin thepast,whenI feltsomeoneelsecoulddomorefortheteamwouldbeadisservicetotheteam’sgoals.”Hewouldalsolosehisplayers’respect.

8.ADREAMTEAMCOACHDOESNOTTREATEVERYONETHESAME

Oneofthebiggestmistakesacoachcanmakeistobelievehemusttreatallofhisplayersthesame.Coachesarehiredtowin—nottomakeeveryonehappyorgiveeveryoneequal time,money,or resources.Everyplayermustbegivensupportandencouragement.Buttobelievethateveryonemustreceivethesametreatmentisnotonlyunrealisticbutdestructive.Whenallplayersaretreatedandcompensated the same, poor or mediocre performance is being rewarded thesameasoutstandingcontributionsbythebestplayers.

Great coaches give opportunities, resources, and playing time according toplayers’ past performance. The greater the performer, the greater theopportunity.WhenyouhaveaplayerlikeMichaelJordan,formerChicagoBullsgreat,youwanttoputtheballinhishandsasoftenaspossible.

Giveopportunities,resources,andplayingtimeaccordingtoplayers’pastperformance.

There will be times you aren’t sure about a player’s performance levelbecauseyouhaven’thadtimetoobservehim.Thisisespeciallytruewhenyouhave a rookie player. When that happens, give him frequent but smallopportunities,and try tovary theopportunitiesasmuchaspossible. Ifyoudo,youwillsoonbeabletodeterminehiscaliberofplay.Andthatwillshowyouhowtorespond.

9.ADREAMTEAMCOACHCONTINUESTOWIN

There is only one challenge more difficult than winning that a successfulcoach faces: continuing to win. As tennis pro, golf pro, and former OlympicchampionAltheaGibson said, “In sports, you simply aren’t considered a realchampionuntilyouhavedefendedyour titlesuccessfully.Winning itoncecanbeafluke;winningittwiceprovesyouarethebest.”Nearlyanyonecanpointtoa single victory they’ve had. But it takesmore than onewin tomake a greatcoach.Ittakescontinuedpositiveperformance.

Putting together successive winning seasons is so difficult in sports thatteamsbringinconsultantssuchaspsychologistBruceOgilvietohelpthemlearn

howtodoit.IntheJuly/August,1988issueofSuccessmagazine,journalistDanGutman writes that Ogilvie suggests the following major points to ensuresuccess:

Workonspecificskills.Nomatterhowmanysuccessesateamhashad,thereisroomforimprovement.Therearepeopleontheteamwhohavenotyetcomeclose to fulfilling their potential. Work with each team member to fosterimprovementandgrowth.Focuseachplayeronanewgoalfortheseason.

Make a change. Every winner’s temptation is to continue doing thingsexactlyasbefore.Butthatisaflawedapproachtosuccess.Youandyourteamwill end up standing still, and another teamwill blow right past you.Use themomentumyou’vegainedfrompastsuccessestocontinuetochangeandgrow.

Rewardtheunrewarded.Everyteamhasunsungheroes—peoplewhowereunderappreciatedfortheircontributiontotheteam’ssuccess.Findthosepeopleandrewardthemwithpraise,money,andfurtheropportunities.

Transfertheburden.AsI’vesaidbefore,successalwayscomesataprice.Ifyourteamhassucceeded,itisbecausesomemembersoftheteamhavecarriedtheburdenbymaking sacrifices.Theyhavegivenup timewith their families,worked longhours,put theirprimarygoals after the team’s.Somepeoplewillhavemade such extensive sacrifices that they cannot continue tomake them.Givethemabreakandtransfertheburdentootherswhoarewillingandable.

Above all, don’t dwell on yesterday’s victory. If your focus is on what’sbehindyourather thanwhat’sahead,youwillcrash. It’s like thestory Iheardaboutsalesmanduring themonthofJune. In thesalesmeetingheldonJuly1,themangersaid,“Iwant tocongratulateKentona jobwelldone.Hehassoldmorecarsinamonththananyothersalesman.”Everyoneapplauded.“Butthatwas last month. Now let’s focus on July.” Celebrate victories, enjoy thembriefly,andthenlookforward.

Anotherwaytohelpplayerscontinuetowinistohelpthemavoidburnout.Thebestwaytodothatistoseeitcomingandavoidit.WorkplacepsychologistBeverlyPotterbelievesburnoutcanbepreventedwhenitiscaughtintime.Shesuggeststhatapersonlookforlackofenergy,sleeplessness, lackofcreativity,inability to make decisions, chronic anger, bitter or sarcastic language, orphysical symptoms such as exhaustion, tension headaches, body aches, andnausea.

JohnMadden,sportsanalystandformerchampionshipcoachoftheOaklandRaiders,wasavictimofburnout.Hewasonceaskedwhatthefirstsignsofhis

burnoutwere.Hesaid,“Youwon’thavetheenergybecauseyouwon’thavetheinterest. Suddenly, you don’t care about the draft. You’re not interested inminicamp.Youdon’tcarewhothebestcollegelinebackeris.Youdon’tcareifthey’ve signedanyofyourveteranplayers to contracts.Whenyoudon’t care,it’stimetogo. . .you’rehistory. . .you’redone.”Becauseheburnedout,hewasnotabletocontinuecoaching.Thesamecanhappentoyouoryourplayers.Tocontinuewinning,you’vegottoavoidburnout.

10.ADREAMTEAMCOACHUNDERSTANDSTHELEVELSOFTHEPLAYERS

Oneofthemostcommonmistakesacoachcanmakeistomisjudgethelevelofoneofhisplayers. If the leaderdoesn’tworkwitheachplayeraccording towhereheisinhisdevelopment,theplayerwon’tproduce,succeed,anddevelop.AccordingtomanagementconsultantKenBlanchard,allteammembersfitintooneoffourcategorieswithregardtothetypeofleadershiptheyneed.

Playerswhoneeddirection: Playerswhoneeddirectiondon’t really knowwhat to do or how to do it. At this stage in their development, you need toinstructthemeverystepoftheway.Anythingtheserookieplayersproducewillbeessentiallywhatyoudothroughthembecausetheyaren’tcapableofworkingindependently.

Playerswhoneedcoaching:Atsomepoint,arookiestartsbeingabletodomoreofthejobonhisown.Hebecomesmoreindependentbutstillreliesonyoufordirectionandfeedback.Thetwoofyouwillbeworkinginpartnership.

Playerswhoneedsupport:At this level, theplayer isable toworkwithoutyourdirection.Buthewillstillrequireyoursupportandencouragement.

Playerstowhomyoudelegate:Atthisstagetheplayercanbegivenatask,andyoucanbeconfidentthatitwillbedone.Thisplayeronlyneedsyoutolead.Providevisiononthefrontendandaccount-developingabilityonthebackend,andthepersonwillmultiplyyoureffortstowardsuccess.

DELEGATION:THEDREAMTEAMCOACH’SMOSTPOWERFULTOOL

MOSTPOWERFULTOOL

Aleadermaypossessalltenofthepreviouslymentionedcharacteristics,butif he does not learn the art of delegation, then he will never find himselfcoaching a dream team.Delegation is themost powerful tool leaders have; itincreases their individual productivity as well as the productivity of theirdepartment or organization. Leaders who can’t or won’t delegate create abottlenecktoproductivity.

Theotherbenefitofdelegationisthatitincreasestheinitiativeofthepeoplewithin the organization because it gives them a chance to grow and accustomthemselvestosucceeding.

Delegationisthemost

powerfultoolleadershave.

Ifdelegationissoimportanttoaleader’ssuccess,whydosomeleadersfailtodelegateeffectively?Therearemanyreasons:

INSECURITY

Someleadersareafraidthatifthey’renotincontrolofeverything,itmeansthey’renotdoingtheirjob.Theyfearthatotherswillcriticizethemforshirkingtheirresponsibilities.Thebottomlineistheyareafraidthattheywilllosetheirjob.

LACKOFCONFIDENCEINOTHERS

Some leaders believe their employees are not competent enough to do thejob,so theyneverdelegateanything.Theyfail torealize thatpeoplegrowintodelegationbybeinggivenachance toperform,makemistakes,andlearnfromthem. To be successful, all leaders must eventually take the crucial step ofallowing others to take part of the load. Leaders will make mistakes in

delegation,andthepeopletowhomtheydelegatewillmakemistakes.Butthatiswhenlearningtakesplace.

LACKOFABILITYTOTRAINOTHERS

Successful delegators cannot simply dump tasks on their people withoutpreparing themfor the tasks. If theydo, theirpeoplewill failandresent them.Instead,theymusttraintheirpeoplebothbeforedelegatingandafterwardwhenmistakes have been made.When leaders learn to train others, they are betterequippedtodelegate.

PERSONALENJOYMENTOFTHETASK

Itisdifficultforpeopletogiveuptaskstheylovetoperform.Butsometimesgivingupanenjoyabletaskisthebestthingleaderscando.Thequestionleadersmustaskthemselvesiswhetherthetaskcanbedonebysomeoneelse.Ifso, itshouldprobablybedelegated.The leader should focusonperforming tasksnooneelsecando,notsimplyondoingtasksheorsheenjoys.

HABIT

Similar to enjoyment of a task is habit. Just because peoplemaster a taskdoesn’t necessarilymean they should continuedoing it.Whena taskbecomessimpleandstraightforward,theleadersdoingitshoulddelegateitandmoveontosomethingmorecomplex.

INABILITYTOFINDSOMEONEELSETODOIT

MarkTwainoncesaid,“Neverlearntodoanything.Ifyoudon’tlearn,you

will always find someone else to do it for you.”Although hewasn’t serious,there is a kernel of truth in his statement. That truth is you must always belookingforpeopletowhomyoucangivetasks.Thetimesthatpeoplewilltrackyoudowntoaskyouforsomethingtodowillberare.Aleaderwhocan’tfindpeopletodelegatetomaynotbelookinghardenough.

RECAUSEDBYPASTFAILURES

AsImentioned,whenleaders’earlyeffortstodelegatefail,theysometimesbecomereluctanttodelegate.AsKenAllenstatesinTheEffectiveExecutive,weshouldnot try to rely solely onourselves as a result of delegation failure, norshould we blame the people to whom we have given the task. “Rarely isdelegation failure the subordinate’s fault,” he notes. “Maybe you picked thewrongpersonforthejob,didn’ttrain,developormotivatesufficiently.”Ifyouhavehadtroublewithdelegationinthepast,don’tgiveup.Trytodeterminewhytheproblemoccurred,learnfromit,andgivedelegationanothertry.

LACKOFTIME

Nothavingenoughtimetoteachanotherpersontodoajobisprobablythemost common reason people give for not delegating. And not delegating isprobably themostcommonreasonpeopledon’thaveenough time. Inability todelegateduetolackoftimeisshort-termthinking.Timelostindelegatingonthefrontendisrecoveredatthebackend.

For example, let’s say a leader takes an hour to perform a certainweeklytask.Hedetermines that to teachsomeoneelse todothat task, itwill takehimfive hours initially, then an hour a week for the following three weeks. Thattotalseighthoursofhis time—onewholeday thathewill loseoutofhisbusyschedule.Hecouldcontinuetodothetaskhimselffor thenext twomonthsbydevotingthesameamountoftime.

However,ifhethinkslongterm,herealizesthatbytheendoftheyear,theeight-hourinvestmenthemakeswillgivehimanadditionalforty-fourhoursoftimetodoothertasks.That’sonewholeweekoftimehehasgained!Andthere

is also the added advantage that the employee he has delegated to is betterequippedtotakeonothertasksforhiminthefuture.Tobreaktheviciouslack-of-timecycle,aleaderneedstherightpersontodelegatetoandawillingnesstoputintheinitialtrainingtime.

AN“IDOITBEST”MIND-SET

Leaderswho believe that to have something done right they have to do itthemselves will end up accomplishing very little. The greatest problem newleadershaveistheirreluctancetomovefromdoingthejobtomanagingthejob.EdgarSpeer,chairmanofU.S.Steel, said,“Youdon’teven try tocontrolhowpeople do their jobs. There’s no way to do that, furthermore, no purpose.Everyonedoesthejobadifferentway,andtheyallwanttoshowhowwelltheycandoittheirway.Thefunctionofasupervisoristoanalyzeresultsratherthantrytocontrolhowthejobisdone.”Ifyouwanttodoafewsmallthingsright,dothemyourself. If youwant todogreat things andmake abig impact, learn todelegate.

If you recognize yourself in any of the descriptions above, you probablyaren’t doing enough delegating. If you begin to miss deadlines, and crisesbecome increasingly frequent, thesemay also be indications that you need todelegatetasks.Andbeonthelookoutforemployeesunderyouwhoarereadytoconquernewworlds—thisisaprimetimetodelegatejobstothem.

STEPSTOWARDDELEGATION

Easingpeopleintodelegationisimportant.AsImentionedearlier,youcan’tsimplydumptasksonpeopleifyouwantthemtosucceed.Idelegateaccordingtothefollowingsteps:

Askthemtobefactfindersonly.Itgivesthemachancetogettheirfeetwetandtobecomeacquaintedwiththeissuesandobjectives.

Ask them tomake suggestions.Thisgets them thinking, and it givesyouachancetounderstandtheirthoughtprocesses.

Askthemtoimplementoneoftheirrecommendations,butonlyafteryougive

yourapproval.Thisisacriticaltime.Setthemupforsuccess,notfailure.Andgivelotsofencouragement.

Askthemtotakeactionontheirown,buttoreporttheresultsimmediately.Thiswill give them confidence, and youwill still be in a position to performdamagecontrolifnecessary.

Givecompleteauthority.This is the final step—whatyou’vebeenworkingtoward.

Itisthejobofacoachtomaketeammembersdowhattheydon’twanttodosotheycanbecomewhatthey’vealwayswantedtobe.Itcanbedonewiththeright tools and the right attitude.Themoreyouworkonyour skills, themoreyouworkonyourowndevelopment;andthemoreyougiveofyourselftoyourplayers,themoresuccessfulyoucanbecomeasacoach.Ifyoutrulygiveitallyou’ve got, you, too, can someday coach a dream team. Itwill be one of thegreatestjoysofyourlife.

Hereare twoquizzes tohelpyougaugesomeofyourcoachingskills.Thefirstoneconcernsdelegation.

MISCONCEPTIONSABOUTDELEGATION

QUESTIONS:

AnswereachquestionaseitherTrue(T)orFalse(F). 1.Alwaysdelegatetothesubordinatewhohasexperiencewithsimilartasks. T F2.Thepersonyoudelegatetoshouldhaveasmuchinformationaboutthetaskaspossible. T F3.Controlsshouldbebuiltintoadelegatedtaskfromthebeginning. T F4.Indelegatedtasks,monitoringthemethodisasimportantasgettingthedesiredresults. T F5.Thecrucialdecisionsinvolvedinadelegatedtaskarestillconsideredtheterritoryofthedelegator. T F

6.Alwaysmakethedelegatedtaskseemlikeachallengeevenifit’sdrudgery. T F7.Delegatingmeansassigningwork. T F8.Don’tofferadvicewhendelegating. T F9.Usethesameproceduresandsystemsofaccountabilitywitheverysubordinatewhendelegatingtoavoidfavoritism. T F

10.Ifasubordinatefailsinadelegatedtask,donotdelegatetohimorheragain. T F

10.Ifasubordinatefailsinadelegatedtask,donotdelegatetohimorheragain. T F

T F

ANSWERS:

1.FALSE:

Ifyourepeatedlydelegatesimilartaskstothesamepeople,theywon’tgetadditionalopportunitiestogrow.Italsoshortchangeslessexperiencedsubordinateswhoneedachancetodevelop.

2.TRUE:

Themorebackgroundinformationyougivethepersonwhoisabouttodothetask,thefasterandeasierthedelegatingprocessworks.Formoreexperiencedsubordinates,youmaybeabletoprovidesomeinformationandthengivethemideasonhowtoobtainadditionalinformationontheirown.

3.TRUE: Controlsnotonlyhelppreventdisaster,theyalsogiveyoutheconfidencetodelegate.

4.FALSE:

Thisisoneofthemostcommonpitfallsofaninexperienceddelegator.Resultsareeverything.Demandingthatotherpeopleuseyourmethodcanstifleinitiativeandcreativityneededforsuccessfuldelegation.

5.FALSE:

Thisisanothercommonmistakepoordelegatorsmake.Withtruedelegationcomestherightandresponsibilitytomakedecisions.

6.FALSE: Deceptivecharacterizationofdelegatedtasksinsultssubordinates.Anditerodestrust.

7.FALSE:

Truedelegationincludeshandingovertherightsandresponsibilitiestodeterminewhatworkmustbedone,howitwillbeapproached,andwhowilldoit.

8.FALSE:

Letpeoplehandletaskstheirownway,butgivethemasmuchadvice(andvision)asyouthinktheyneedbeforetheygetstarted.Makeyourselfavailabletoanswerquestions,butdon’tconstantlypeerovertheirshouldersorsolvetheirproblemsforthem.Learningtosolveproblemsispartofthedevelopmentprocess.

9.FALSE:

Tasksaredifferent,andsoarepeople.Thedifficultyofthetaskaswellastheexperienceandskillofthepersonmustalwaysbetakenintoaccount.Whenyoudelegate,tailorthesystemofaccountabilitytofitthedelegatee.

10.FALSE:

Don’tgiveuponasubordinatebecauseofasinglefailure.Itmightbeduetocircumstancesbeyondtheperson’scontrol.Thefailurecouldevenbearesultofyourmethodofdelegation.Examinewhatwentwrongandwhy.

SCORING:

Giveyourselfonepointforeachcorrectanswer: 9-10 You’reatop-notchdelegator.6-8 Youknowthefundamentals,butkeeplearning.5orless You’veuncoveredaseriousweaknessinyourleadershipskills.

If you are currently responsible for leading or supervising people, you are

responsible for their interaction as a team. This second test will help youdeterminehowwellyouaredoingasacoach:

HOWWELLAREYOUCOACHINGYOURTEAM?

Answerthequestionsusingthefollowingkey;thentotalyourscore.

1-Haven’tthoughtaboutityet2-Justintheearlystages3-Solidlyinprogress4-Nearlyaccomplished5-Fullyaccomplished

1.Ihavechosenmyplayerswell 1 2 3 4 52.IhaveproventomyplayersIcareaboutthem. 1 2 3 4 53.Ihaveencouragedthemtocareaboutoneanother. 1 2 3 4 54.Iknowwhatmyplayersprefer. 1 2 3 4 55.Iactivelyencourageteamgrowth. 1 2 3 4 56.Ihavedevelopedateamthat“fits.” 1 2 3 4 57.Isupportmyplayers. 1 2 3 4 58.Ihavetaughtthemwhatisimportant. 1 2 3 4 59.Ifrequentlyshowthemthegameplan. 1 2 3 4 510.Ihavemodeledpayingthepricetothem. 1 2 3 4 511.Myplayersarewillingtoputtheteambeforethemselves. 1 2 3 4 512.Ihavedevelopedagoodbench. 1 2 3 4 513.Ihaveencouragedeachplayertofindandplayhisrole. 1 2 3 4 514.Ihavemyplayers’respect. 1 2 3 4 515.Irewardmyplayersaccordingtotheirperformance. 1 2 3 4 516.Ihavebuiltawinningtradition. 1 2 3 4 517.Iexpectandprepareforproblems. 1 2 3 4 518.Iknowthelevelofallmyplayers. 1 2 3 4 519.Itakethetimetoteachanddelegate. 1 2 3 4 520.Idoonlythetasksthatcannotbedelegated. 1 2 3 4 5

SCORING:

90-100 Youareagreatcoachwithadreamteam;you’rereadyforthechampionship.

80-89 Youareanexcellentcoach;keepfinetuningyourteamandyourskills.

70-79 Youareasolidcoach;don’t’stopnow;keepupthegoodwork,andstrivefortheexcellencethatiswithinyourreach.

60-69 Yourplayersarebeginningtolooklikeateam;keeplearningandbuilding.Below60

Youhavealotofworkbeforeyou,butdon’tdespair;usetheprinciplesinthischaptertobeginteambuildingandimprovingyourcoachingskillstoday.

A

NINETHELEADER’SFINESTHOUR:

REALIZINGVALUETOANDFROMLEADERS

lexHaley, the author ofRoots, used to keep a picture in his office of aturtlesittingatopafence.Hekeptittheretoremindhimofalessonhehad

learnedyearsbefore:“Ifyouseeaturtleonafencepost,youknowhehadsomehelp.”Haley remarked, “Anytime I start thinking, ‘Wow, isn’t thismarvelouswhatI’vedone!’Ilookatthatpictureandrememberhowthisturtle—me—gotuponthatpost.”

Both developed leaders and the people who developed them are like thatturtle. They’ve gotten a lot of help. Their view from the fence post is madepossiblebyothers.Through thedevelopmentprocess, thenew leaders and thedevelopershavevalueaddedtotheirlives.

Peopledevelopmentislife-changingforeveryoneinvolved.

Adding value to a person is much more than personal promotion ororganizationalimprovement.Itistruethatpeoplewhohavebeendevelopedgetpromoted.And it is equally true that organizations improve and expandwhenthey have leaders devoted to the development of others. But adding value ismuchmore than that. It is the enrichment of people’s quality of life. It is theexpansion of their life purpose and capabilities. People development is life-changing for everyone involved. In Bringing Out the Best in People, AlanMcGinnissaid,“There isnomorenobleoccupation in theworld than toassistanotherhumanbeing.”And as I noted inChapterFour,Emerson said thatwealwaysbenefitourselvesaswellwhenweassistothers.

VALUEADDEDTONEWLEADERS

Several years ago when I was still leading a church as well as a businessorganization,Isurveyedmanyofmyleaderstoillustratetheconceptofaddingandreceivingvalue.Idid thatnotnecessarilybecausemyorganizationofferedthebestexamples,butbecauseIknewthemwell.ToexaminewhatvalueIhaveadded to leaders, I asked about ten people to give me some feedback. Irequested, “Tellmeabout thevalue I add toyouand thevalue I receive fromyousothatwecanteachotherswhatwedo.”

Whatfollowsisasummaryoftheirresponses.Peoplesaidmanykindthings,but that is not the reason I amsharing their responses. I share thembecause Iwanttoofferconcreteexamplesshowingthatthedevelopmentofpeopleyieldstangible results which can be recognized and later passed on to others. (InChapter Ten I will share how some of these people are carrying on thedevelopmentprocesswithothersaroundthem.)Afteryouspendtimedevelopingyourpeople,youwillfindthattheywillrespondinthesamewaythatminedo.

MODELING

Most of the leaders in my organization identified modeling as somethingimportant that I do for them. One person said, “You set the pace of theorganization.Youneveraskformorethanyouarewillingtogiveyourself.This‘watermark’providescontinualmotivationformetogivemybest.”Modelingisan importantmotivatorbecause it showspeoplenotonlywhatyouexpect,butwhatcanbeaccomplished.

OneofthemostimportantthingsthatmypeoplesaidImodelisadedicationto continue growing personally. When they see it in me, they recognize itsimportance.Andtheysoonadoptthatbeliefastheirown.Eveniftheyleavemetomorrow,theywillcontinuetogrowbecausetheynowrecognizethatbeliefastheirown.

VISIONANDDIRECTION

Theleaderofeverysuccessfulorganizationcastsvisionforhisorherpeople.I have alwaysmade sure that the people aroundmeknowmyvision, because

without that focuswecannot accomplishourgoals.A staffmemberobserved,“Hisabilitytokeepfocusedonthebigpicture...keepsmefromhavingtunnelvision.” Said another, “He provides vision and direction.By keeping in touchwithhim,IknowthatIamstayingontargetwithmyprofessionalfocus.”BurtNanus, in Visionary Leadership, wrote, “There is no more powerful enginedriving an organization toward excellence and long-range success than anattractive,worthwhile,andachievablevisionofthefuture,widelyshared.”

Havingand sharingavisiondoes evenmore thandrive anorganization. Italso gives people vision and direction for their individual lives. As theycontribute to the larger goals of the organization, they begin to identifymoreclearlyavisionforthemselves.Asthatvisionbecomesclearerandthatsenseofdirectionstronger,theirlivesbecomemoremeaningful.

ENCOURAGEMENTANDAFFIRMATION

EveryoneIsurveyedsaidthattheyfeltencouragedbyme.ThatdelightsmebecauseIwantmorethananythingelsetoletmypeopleknowthatIlovethemand want the best for them. One person said, “He gives me personalencouragementandaffirmation.He’sthebestIhaveeverseenatthisinmylife.Almosttoafault...SometimesIrunintopeoplewhoarenotdoingsomethingrealwell [but] theiropinion is that John loves them.”Another said, “Hecaresaboutmepersonally,andIbelievehehasmybestinterestsatheart.Hewantsmetowin.His positive attitude and encouragement letmeknow that he is happywhenIsucceed.Hecaresaboutwhatismostimportanttome—myfamily.”

People in our society are underencouraged. They desire encouragementdesperatelybutgetitinfrequently.Therearetwomainreasonswhythepeopleinmyorganizationfeelveryencouraged.First, Ihavespent timegetting toknowthem and developing relationships with them. I know who they are, wherethey’ve come from,who their spouse is, who their children are. I know theirgiftsandtheirgoals.Ireallyknowthem.Second,Ilovethem,andIexpressthatlovetothemonaregularbasis.I’mnottalkingaboutsimplypraisingthemfortheworktheydo.IletthemknowthatIcareaboutthemandlovethemaspeoplefirst. There is no substitute for a relational foundationwith people.Youmusthave that to build upon if you are going to develop people. Even if you donothingmorethangettoknowyourpeopleandloveandacceptthem,youwill

haveaddedvaluetotheirlives.

BELIEFINTHEMSELVES

Most of the people I have spent my time developing are not shrinkingviolets. Even before theymetme, theywere not timid. Yet even peoplewhoalready have confidence can be encouraged to believe more strongly inthemselves.Onestaffmemberwrote,“JohnwilloftendropbymyofficetoseehowIamdoing,toaffirmme,totellmeonceagainhowmuchheappreciatestheloadIcarry.Fromthebeginning,heencouragedmetodoanythingIdreamed.Heencouragedme...totakeonprojectsthatI’venevertackledbefore,andtoalwayskeepgrowing.”

OneoftheideasIexamineindetailinmybookTheWinningAttitudeisthatitisimpossibleforpeopletoperformconsistentlyinamannerinconsistentwiththeway they see themselves. This is true nomatterwhat positive or negativecircumstancespeopleface.Peoplewhobelievethattheycansucceeddosoevenwhen repeatedlydealt adversity.Others canbegiven thebestof everything inlifeandstillfailbecausetheyseethemselvesasfailures.

Believeinpeople,andtheywillrisetofulfillthatbelief.

When I know the leaders in my organization, believe in them, encouragethem,andhelpthemtosucceed,ithelpstostrengthentheirbeliefinthemselves.Itrytohelpthemwinincreasinglylargervictories.Peoplealmostalwaysrisetomeetyourlevelofexpectations.Believeinthem,andtheywillrisetofulfillthatbelief.

WILLINGNESSTOTRYNEWTHINGS

“Hegivesmeconfidencetoriskandtherebyreachnewheights.Andallthewhilehehasasincerepositivebeliefinme,”oneofmyleaderssaid.Oneofthemostimportantresultsofpeople’sbeliefinthemselvesistheirwillingnesstotrynewthings.Whenpeopledoonlywhatiscomfortableforthem,theygetintoa

rut.Theystopgrowing.Butbybeingwillingtotakerisks,peopleperformtaskstheythoughtwereimpossible.Theyachievemorethantheythoughttheycouldandbecomemorethantheythought theywere.Thekindofgrowththatcomeswithriskaddsincrediblevaluetopeople’slives.

PERSONALDEVELOPMENT

Ihavemadeitapracticetosetasidetimetodevelopthosearoundme.Oneleader said, “You have purposefullymentored and coachedme now formorethan a decade.” I give my leaders time for counsel and advice. I help themwrestlewith difficult situations. I also schedule time for equipping them on aregularbasis.SeveralleaderscitedthemonthlyleadershipinstructionthatIgiveas being valuable. Another reminded me of the experiences I’ve shared. Shesaid,“Healwayswantsthepeoplearoundhimtobeabletoexperiencewithhimtheprivilegesandopportunitieshehasbeengiven.”

Lookforopportunitiestoshareyourselfwithpeople.

ItrytogivemypeoplewhatIcan.Sometimesitistimewiththem.AtothertimesIamabletogiveguidance.IfIcanshareavaluableexperience,Ido.Asanexample,thatsamestaffmembermentionedhowwithmyhelpshewasableto have breakfast in Korea with Dr. Cho, pastor of the largest church in theworld.AnotheroneofmystaffmembershadalwaysdreamedofmeetingBillyGrahaminperson.WhenIhadanopportunitytomeetwiththegreatevangelist,I shared that experiencewith that staffmemberby takinghimwithme.Thesetwo incidents were exciting to my staff members, but they were no morevaluable then themore common growing experiences that I try to share withthemday today. I look foropportunities to sharemyselfwithmypeople,andyoushouldtoo.

COMMITMENTTOPERSONALGROWTH

Bynowyouknowhowimportantpersonalgrowthistoaperson’ssuccess.Itiswhataddsthegreatestvaluetoaperson’slife.Hereiswhatoneleaderinmyorganizationsaidaboutit:

Johniscommittedtogrowth,bothpersonallyandcorporately,nomatterwhatthecost.Becausehelivesontheedge,alwaysdesiringgrowthandchallengeinhislife,hegivesmeenergy,motivation,andcouragetomakethetoughdecisionsandnevertobecomesatisfied.Johnhashadtofirepeople,saynotopeople,andprioritizehislifeinordertokeepgrowing.Heiswillingtopaythepriceoflonelinessasaleader!

Assheindicated,I’mnottheonlyoneinmyorganizationpayingthepriceofpersonalgrowth.Allofthetopleadersaroundmearededicatedtoit,dayinanddayout. If Iwere to leave theorganization tomorrow, theywould continue topay the price necessary to keep growing. And asWalter Lippman said, “Thefinaltestofaleaderisthatheleavesbehindinotherpeopletheconvictionsandwilltocarryon.”

EMPOWERMENT

Ihave found thatpeoplebecomeempoweredwhenyouprovide themwiththreethings:opportunity,freedom,andsecurity.Igivemyleadersopportunitiesto do new things for the organization, the freedom to accomplish those thingsusingcreativityandinitiative,andthesecurityofknowingIwillbackthemup,evenwheneverythingdoesn’tgoasplanned.Saidonestaffmember,“Youhaveassuredmethatyouwilldoanythinginyourpowertohelpme,whichprovidesme a sense of security and trust.” I love to see the people inmyorganizationsucceed,andempoweringthemmakesthatpossible.

Peoplebecomeempoweredwhenyouprovidethemwiththreethings:opportunity,freedom,andsecurity.

Empowermentcanbeatrickythingtogive.Youhavetobalanceyourownneedswiththeempoweredleader’sdevelopmentwhilealwayskeepinginmindthe best interests of the organization. One of the leaders in my organization

identifiedthisasthe“ropeprinciple”:Johnisconstantlygivingmeenoughropetoallowmetogetthejobdonemyself,butnotso

muchthatIhangmyself...Healsobalancesthedevelopmentofthepersonwiththegoodoftheorganizationusingthe“ropeprinciple.”Hewillwaitalittlelongerthanhepreferstogetsomethingaccomplishedifthestaffmemberwillbedevelopedintheprocess,buthewillneverlettheropegosolongastohurttheorganizationasawhole.

Oneof the leaders I surveyed identifiedempowermentas thecharacteristicthataddsthegreatestvaluetoleaders.Hesaid:

Motivation,believingin,mentoring,andalltheothertraitstapintowhatisinsidetheperson.Empowermentaddsanewdimensiontothepersonthatdidnotandoftencannotexistorcomeintoexistenceonitsown...Thereisagreatresponsibilitywiththegiftofempowerment.Withthewrongmotivesaleadercanempowerforhis/herowngoodratherthanforthegoodofthepeopleandtheorganization.Johnhasalwaysputtheorganizationandindividualpeoplebeforehimself.

Addingthatnewdimensiontoapersoninyourorganizationwillnotonlymakehimamorepowerful leader, itwillalsoenablehimtoreceive thevalueof thenextitemonthelist.

BEINGAPARTOFSOMETHINGGREATERTHANTHEMSELVES

Toliveaworthwhile,meaningfullife,apersonmustbeapartofsomethinggreaterthanhimself.Ichallengethepeoplearoundmetolivealifethathasnottemporal, but eternal, impact. Iwant eachmember ofmy staff to become thepersonhewascreatedtobe—toreachhispotential.

Toliveaworthwhile,meaningfullife,

apersonmustbeapartofsomething

greaterthanhimself.Oneofthemostencouragingcommentsinthesurveycamefromoneofthe

peopleclosest tomeat INJOY.Hesaid,“Heallowsme toaccomplishgreaterthingswithhimthanIcouldalone.”Thatisoneofthegreatestrewardsofaddingvaluetopeople’slives.Itcomesbacktoyoumultiplied.

VALUEADDEDTOMEBYTHEPEOPLE

VALUEADDEDTOMEBYTHEPEOPLEIHAVEDEVELOPED

IfIwereonlyabletoaddvaluetomypeopleandreceivenothinginreturn,Iwould still do it. But that’s not how it works.Nomatter howmuch I give, Ialwaysreceivemoreinreturn.It’sabsolutelyincredible.

Oneofthegreatestrewardsofaddingvaluetopeopleis

thatitcomesbacktoyoumultiplied.

Inmyyearsasanorganizationalleader,Ihavefoundthatallemployeesareone of two types: salary takers or salary makers. The takers give as little aspossibleandtaketheirsalary.Themakersgiveeverythingthey’vegotandmakea contribution beyond the salary they earn. I have found that peoplewho arewilling to be developed are always salarymakers.You can see the differencebetweenthetwotypesofpeoplebythethingstheysay: SALARYTAKERS SALARYMAKERSWhatwillIreceive? WhatcanIgive?Whatwillittaketogetby? I’lldowhateverittakestogetitright.It’snotmyjob. Whateverthejob,Icanhelpyou.Someoneelseisresponsible. I’mresponsible.HowcanIlookgood? Howcantheteamlookgood?Willitpass? Isitmybest?ThepaycheckisthereasonIwork. Thepaycheckisaby-productofmywork.AmIbetteroffbecauseIworkhere? IstheteambetteroffbecauseIworkhere?Paymenow,I’llproducelater. I’llproducenow.Youcanpaymelater.

Hereare thespecificways the leaders inmyorganizationaddvalue tome.This listconsistsof the itemsofvalue they identified in response toamemoIsentthem.Iadded“BalanceofGifts.”Itisanaddedvalueimportanttomethattheydidnotspecificallyidentify.

LOYALTY

Manyoftheleadersinmyorganizationidentifiedloyalty—tomeandtotheorganization—as a characteristic of the esteem they feel for me. One personjoked,“Imightnotwalkoffacliffforhim,butIwouldcertainlyconsider it!”Othersmentionedtheirdesiretoprotecttheinterestsoftheorganizationbecausetheybelieveinit,or thedesire toprotectmefromminorpressuresthatIdon’tneedtohandlemyself.Iamgratefulforallofthesethings.

Ialsorecognizetheloyaltyofmyleaderscomesfromtheirbeliefinwhattheorganization is doing and their sense of commitment to the team. The peoplearoundmeworkbeautifullytogether.Theyalwaysseemreadytojumpinanddowhatever they can. They put their own personal interests beneath the bestinterestsoftheteam.

ENCOURAGEMENT

Encouraging others makes them want to encourage you too. One of myleaderswrote,“ImakeitapointtocontinuallyencourageJohn.Ibelieveweallneedencouragement fromtime to time.He isagreatmodel in thisarea,and Itakegreatjoyinreciprocity.”

Iamnaturallyaverypositiveperson,soIdon’tgetdowninthedumps.Butmyscheduleisoftenverydemanding,andIdogettired.Whenthathappens,mystaffisalwaysthereforme.Notonlydotheyencourageme,theyalsooffertohelpcarrytheloadinanywaytheycan.

PERSONALCOUNSELANDSUPPORT

Avaluable result of developing leaders is the advice and counsel you canreceivefromthem.Ibenefit fromtheknowledgeandwisdomof the leaders inmyorganization.Oneofthemsaid,“IamabletoconfrontandsharewithJohnwhatIthinkorfeel,evenwhenIknowhemaydisagree.I’mnotayes-person.”Ienjoyhearing theperspectiveofanother leader.AndI respecthonesty. Infact,theopinionofapersonwhodoesn’tagreewithmeoftenteachesmemorethantheperspectiveofsomeonewhoagrees.Anotherleadersaid,“IbelievethatJohnknowsthatIamalwayspreparedtoprovideinputtohiminanyareaherequests

anddesires.Healsohopefullyknows thathecancountonmefor100percentsupport.” I appreciate the support and advice I get from my people. It addsincrediblytomylife.

FOLLOW-THROUGH

I have a great group of people aroundme that I call “door closers.” I callthemthatbecause Icanhandoffa taskorproject to themandknowthat theywillfollowthroughwithittotheveryendandclosethedoorbehindthem.Theyimplementideas,completeprojects,handledetails,andperformproblemsolvingforme.TheyalsocreateandimplementtheirownideaswithinthecontextofthevisionIcast.Theyareconstantlyfurtheringthegoalsoftheorganization.Asoneofthemsaid,“Ifreeyouupformoreimportantwork.Icarrypartoftheload.”

Thework these leadersdo isvery important tomeand theorganization. Itmustbedone,anditissomethingtheycandoeffectively.EachtimeIamfacedwithanewtask,project,oractivity,Ialwaysaskmyself,“Istheresomeoneelseintheorganizationwhocandothiseffectively?”Ifthereis,Idelegateit.Iallowsomeoneelsetodothefollow-through.That,inturn,leadstothenextvaluablethingthatthepeoplearoundmegivetome.

TIME

I havemany highly skilled, effective leaders working inmy organization.Partlydue to the time I have spent developing them, there are few things thattheycan’tdoformeandtheorganization.ThatallowsmemoretimetodothethingsthatonlyIcandoorthatotherscannotdoaswell.Asonepersoninmyorganization said, “I freehimup todowhathedoesbest: teach, lead, preach,motivate,etc.”Timeisanincrediblegifttoreceive.ThepeoplearoundmefreemefrombeingaslavetotheurgentsothatIcanaccomplishtheimportant.

BALANCEOFGIFTS

Like all people, I have strengths and weaknesses. Some of my areas ofweakness I have been able to improve through personal growth anddevelopment.ThereareotherareaswhereIhavemuchroomforimprovement,especiallyinareasthatgoagainstmytemperament.Thepeoplearoundmeaddvaluetomebybalancingoutmydeficiencieswiththeirgifts.

Iwasbornwithasanguinecholerictemperament—emphasisoncholeric.1Ienjoy making things happen. And I’m always moving forward. Stopping toreflectonwhat I’vedone in thepast isnotoneofmystrengths.Forexample,whenIwasapastoratSkylineWesleyanChurchthereweretimeswhenIwouldteachprinciplesinasermonthatIlatercouldteachtoothersoutsidethechurchor include in one of the lessons that I sent out to leaders eachmonth throughINJOY.But once I finished the last Sunday service, Iwouldn’t think about itagain.Thatwasaweakness.

Fortunately, thepeople I’vedevelopedhelpme to roundout thoseareasofweakness.Inthecaseofmysermons,forovertenyearsIhadanassistantwhowould askmequestions eachMonday tomakeme reflect onwhat I’d taught.Thenshemadenotesonmycommentsandfiledthemawayformyfutureuseinotherlessons.

ATTRACTIONOFOTHERS

For an organization to continue building and growing, it must continuallyattractnewpeopleofhighquality.InChapterThreeIsharedwithyouthatitisimportanttohaveleadersidentifyandrecruitpotentialleaders.Asimportantasthatis,Ican’tgiveitasmuchtimeasI’dlike.Buttheleadersinmyorganizationdo.Theyareconstantlyraisingupnewleaders.Unlikemanypeoplewhoheadorganizations,IhavebeenfortunatenevertofindmyselfinaplacewhereIhadpositionsofleadershiptobefilledandnopeopletofillthem.

PEOPLEDEVELOPMENT

Every leader I surveyed listed the development of other people as one oftheir top priorities and as a way they add value to me. They know that the

developmentof leadersaddsmorevalue thananythingelse theydo.Ofpeopledevelopment, one leader wrote, “This is my passion. To select, equip, anddeveloppeopletoloveGod,andtoloveandleadpeople.”Anotherleadersaid,“Igivedepthtohisleadershiporganizationthroughdisciplingothersandpassingon to others what he has done for me, i.e., providing an environment forgrowth.”Andtheirdevelopmentofpeopleisfocusednotjustonothersaroundthem, but also on themselves. They continue to be committed to their ownpersonal growth. As one leader commented, “I work onmaintaining personalintegrityand thedevelopmentofmycharacter for thesakeof theorganizationanditsinfluence.”Andwhathedoesinhisowndevelopmentcontinuestomakeapositiveimpactoneveryoneinhissphereofinfluence,includingme.

INCREASEDINFLUENCE

Truly the bottom line on developing the leaders around you is that itincreases your influence. InDeveloping the LeaderWithin You, I givewhat Iconsidertothebethegreatestdefinitionofleadership:Leadershipisinfluence.One of the leaders I surveyed said, “I represent you to the masses that youcannot touchona regularbasisdue tosheer timeandnumbers.”Forexample,back at Skyline, the church I led, attendance on a busy Sunday was close to4,000people. If Iwanted to toucheachof thosepeoplepersonallybymeetingwiththemforjustthirtyminutes,inadditiontoallofmyotherresponsibilities,Iwouldhavehadtomeetwithmorethantenpeopleeverydayforaboutsixhours,sevendaysaweek,forfifty-twoweekswithoutmissingasinglepersonortakingasingledayoff.Attheendofayear,IwouldhavemetwitheveryonewhohadattendedSkylineononeSunday.Noonecouldkeepupthatkindofpace.

ButeventhoughIcouldn’tpersonallymeetwitheveryoneofthosepeople,Icouldstill influence them—throughmy teamof leaders.Eachof themreachedout and touched hundreds of lives. And each of them developed a team ofleaderswho, in turn, reached out and touched others’ lives.As I continued togrowpersonallyanddevelopothers,myinfluencecontinuedtogrow.Bytheendofmylife,ifGodgrantsmetheproductivelifeIanticipate,Iwillhavepositivelyinfluenced over tenmillion people—not just bymyself alone, but through theleadersIhavedevelopedaroundme.AsoneofthetopleadersinINJOYsaid,“Iaffordhimtheopportunitytoincreasehisinfluencewaybeyondwhathecould

dobyhimselfsingle-handedly.”Whenyoudevelop leaders rather than followers, theywilldo the same for

you.Andtheywillcarryonthetraditionjustassomeofmyleadershave.Thefinal chapter of this book describes how four of the leaders I developed havebecomefirst-ratedevelopersofleadersintheirownright.

I

TENTHELEADER’SLASTINGCONTRIBUTION:REPRODUCINGGENERATIONS

OFLEADERSt is time for a new generation of leadership,” John F. Kennedy said in atelevisionaddressduringhis1960campaignfortheWhiteHouse.Perhapsno

president realized the need for successive generations of leaders more thanKennedy, the first commander-in-chief born in the twentieth century. Heemerged as the nation’s leader on the brink of a decade filled with radicalchanges.

AsIexplaininDevelopingtheLeaderWithinYou,mostpeoplebelievethateach newgeneration of leaders is born rather than developed.They think thatnewleaderscomeoutofthewombasleadersandsimplywaituntiltheyareoldenough to take their rightful places in society. As a result, many leaders arewilling simply toproduce followers, expectingnew leaders to showupon thescenewhen their time comes.Those types of leaders have no idea howmuchtheyarelimitingtheirownpotentialandthepotentialofthepeoplearoundthem.

AsIhavesaidbefore,aleaderwhoproducesfollowerslimitshissuccesstowhat his direct, personal influence touches.His success endswhen he can nolonger lead.On theotherhand,a leaderwhoproducesother leadersmultiplieshisinfluence,andheandhispeoplehaveafuture.Hisorganizationcontinuestobuildandgrowevenifheispersonallyunabletocarryonhisleadershiprole.

Aleaderwhoproducesotherleadersmultiplieshisinfluence.

Asa leaderyoumayhavefollowedall theguidelines in thisbook.You’vecreated the right climate and identified potential leaders. You’ve nurtured,equipped,anddevelopedthem.You’vebuiltagreat teamandlearnedtocoachthem.Atthispoint,youmaythinkyourjobisdone.It’snot.Thereisonemorecrucialelement,anditisthetruetestofsuccessforaleaderwhodevelopsother

leaders. The leaders you’ve developed must carry on the tradition ofdevelopmentandproduceathirdgenerationofleaders.Iftheydon’tthebuildingprocess stops with them. True success comes only when every generationcontinues to develop the next generation, teaching them the value and themethodofdevelopingthenextgroupofleaders.

Ihave spent thegreaterpartofmy lifedeveloping leaderswhoare in turnproducinganothergenerationofleaders.Andbytheway,thenewgenerationofleaders they are developing includes many people chronologically older thanthey. In fact,upuntil a fewyearsago, themajorityofpeople I spentmy timedevelopingwereolderthanIam.IwascalledtobegindedicatingmyselftotheprocessofdevelopingleadersaroundmewhenIwasstillinmytwenties.

Truesuccesscomesonlywhenevery

generationcontinuestodevelopthenext

generation.

TRAITSOFAPOTENTIALLEADERMany leaders make the mistake of believing that they can only develop

people like themselves—in personality, temperament, natural abilities, andsocioeconomic background. But that is not true. Leaders can develop manykinds of people. When I was a pastor at Skyline there were four people Iconsideredtobemygreatestsuccessesinleadershipdevelopment,andwhatwasrequired for their developmentwas very different in each case.Yet theyweredeveloped,andtheyaddedincrediblevaluetomylife—atthattime,morethananyoneelseoutsideofmyfamily.Eachpersonnotonlylightenedmyloadandextendedmy influence, but theywere especially successful at carrying on thetraditionofdevelopingleadersaroundthem.

Eachofthefourpeoplepresentedadifferentchallengetomeasadeveloperof leaders. They had very different levels of experience. Their temperamentswere different from mine and from each others’. Some had well-developedrelationalskills,whileothersdidn’t.Butdespitetheirdifferences,theyallwerecapableofbecomingleadersandofdevelopingotherleaders.Ihavefoundthattherearethreethingsthatarerequiredforapersontobecomealeader:

DESIRE

Theabilitytobecomealeaderbeginswithdesire.Itistheonlythingthatthedeveloper cannot supply. The amount of desire will largely determine thepotential leader’s progress. Great desire can overcome a multitude of naturaldeficienciesinaleader.

RELATIONALSKILLS

In all my life, I have nevermet a great leader who did not possess goodrelational skills. They are the most important abilities in leadership. Withoutthem,apersoncannotleadeffectively.Manypeoplebelievethatrelationalskillsare determined at birth and cannot be learned. But that’s not true. People’stemperamentsinclinethemtorelatetoothersinaparticularway,buttheydonotdictatetheirrelationalabilities.Eventhemostintrospective,melancholicpersoncanlearntodevelopgoodrelationalskills.Fornearlyeveryone,relationalskillscanbelearnedandimproved.

Relationalskillsarethemost

importantabilitiesinleadership.

PRACTICALLEADERSHIPSKILLS

These are the “how tos” of leadership that a person acquires through yourmodeling,equipping,anddeveloping.These,too,arelearned.

When I came intocontactwith eachof the four leaders Iwill introduce toyou,theyallhaddifferentskills,buttheyhadincommongreatdesire.

AFOLLOWERBECOMESALEADER

BarbaraBrumagin,whowasmypersonalassistantforelevenyears,cametome

as a highly competent secretary. She worked hard, and she had a wonderfulservant’s heart, but she did not lead others. It wasn’t a natural part of herpersonality,norwasshewellequippedtolead.Shehadalwaysbeenafollower,butIcouldsee thatshehadgreatpotential.Andevenmoreimportant,shehadgreatdesire.

WhenI firstcame toSkylineChurch, Ibegan lookingforanassistant,andBarbarawasrecommendedtomebyoneofthepastorsonstaff.WhenwemettodiscussthepositionandIbeganaskingherquestions,shewasuncommunicativealmosttothepointofbeingrude.Iquicklychangedtacksandbegandoingthetalking:showinghermygoalsandvisionforthechurch,myself,andher.Afterlistening for a fewminutes, shebegancommunicatingwithme. I immediatelysawthatshewouldbeperfectfortheposition,andIhiredher.Ifoundoutlaterthatshehadcometotheinterviewagainstherwillbecauseshehadenvisionedbeingasecretaryinachurchasboringanddevoidofgrowthopportunities.Shewasmoreinterestedinlearningandgrowing,andgrowshedid.Barbarawaslikeasponge.

With Barbara’s development, I went slowly. It took her about two yearsbefore she felt really confident in her position and began showing signs ofleadership. I modeled leadership, exposed her to teaching, and workedinteractivelywith her. Iwas always careful to spend time explaining not onlywhatthingsIwantedhertodobutalsowhyIwantedhertodothosethings.Sheoncetoldmethatshefeltlikeshewasgettingpersonallydevelopedeveryday.Afterwe hadworked together for a few years, she knewme sowell that shecouldansweranyquestionformeormakenearlyanydecisioninthesamewayIwould.Infact,sheandIoncetookapersonalitytest.Iansweredeachquestion,and then she took the same test and answered the questions as she thought Iwould.Whenwe compared answers, she had onlymissed two questions. ShewasquicktopointoutthatshehadmissedoneofthosebecauseIhadanswereditwrong—andshewasright!Youmayhavepeopleyouarepreparingtodevelopwhoarenon-leaderslikeBarbarawas.Ifyoudo,therearefourthingstokeepinmindasyoudevelopthem:

MAINTAINAPOSITIVEENVIRONMENT

People who do not already possess leadership skills must have an

environment that is positive and conducive to their growth. Without thatenvironment,theywillbeafraidofgrowth.Withit,theywillbewillingtolearnandtrynewthings.Providetheenvironment;thenkeepthemclosetoyousothattheycanbeginlearninghowyouthink.

EXPRESSHIGHBELIEFINTHEM

Peoplewho are not naturally inclined toward leadership andwho have noleadershipexperienceoftengetdiscouragedeasily.Becausetheyhavenotbeenleaders before, they will make mistakes. They may make a lot of them,especiallyinthebeginning.Theirdevelopmentislikelytobealongprocess.Byexpressingahighbelief in them,youencourage themtopersevere,evenwhenthingsgettough.

EMPOWERTHEM

Inthebeginning,followersarereluctanttoassumeleadershiproles,sotheymust be empowered by their leaders. Start bywalking alongside of them andgiving them authority in your name. As time goes by, others will begin toreframetheirviewofthenewleaders,andthenewleaders’viewofthemselveswillalsochange.Eventually,peoplewillbeginrecognizing themfor theirownauthority.

PLAYTOTHEIRSTRENGTHS

It is critical that you begin the development process by playing to theirstrengths. Because they have experienced few successes in leadership before,they need a few wins under their belts. It really accelerates the developmentprocess,andthenewleaderbeginsbuildingmomentum.

When you begin developing a follower into a leader, the time and energyrequiredwillslowdownyourprogress.Youmaybetemptedtostopdeveloping

the person, but don’t. It could be a terrible mistake. In the case of Barbara,developing her took a little bit of time in the beginning, but not only did shemorethanmakeupforitbygivingmeelevenwonderfulyearsofservice,sheisnowpassingonwhatshehaslearnedtoothers.

AMANAGERBECOMESALEADERWhenIfirstmetDanReilandandhiswifePattiataleadershipconferenceIwasholdinginIndiana,hewasstillaseminarystudent.DanhadbeenamemberofSkyline,feltthecalltoministry,andgonetoseminarybeforeIbecameSkyline’sseniorpastor.Hethenreturnedasaninternduringmyfirstyearatthechurch.

Dan’sdevelopmentwasvery interesting.Dan’ssmart,he’sagoodscholar,andhewasagoodstudentinseminary.Hehadoftenbeenputinchargeoftheactivitieshewas involved in, andhehadevenbeen thepresidentofhis class.But despite his good qualities, he wasn’t a leader. He was really more of amanager.

Managers think differently from leaders.Managers tend to focus on tasksandsystems.Theyhavenarrowvision,andtheysometimestendtobedogmatic.Andmostofall, theirfocusisnotrelational.Dantendedtofocusontasksandthework at hand.Hewas a hardworker, but he put tasks ahead of people. Iremember one day several of us were talking in an office hallway, and Danwalkedrightthroughuswithoutsayingaword.ItwasatthatpointthatIknewheandIneededtohaveaseriousconversation,orhewasn’tgoingtomakeitonmyteam.

IwasabletositdownwithDanandconfronthimabouthisrelationalskills,because he knew that I believed in him and genuinely cared about him.Ironically,IfoundoutthatDanreallylovedpeople,andinhisheart,hewantedtorelatetothem.Buthisinternaldesirewasn’tmadeclearbyhisactions.Peopleworkingwithhimhadnoideahowmuchtheymatteredtohim.ItwasthenthatIbeganspendingextratimewithhimdevelopinghisskillstorelatetoothersasaleader does. I taught him to walk slowly through a crowd, interacting withpeople rather than going past them in order to accomplish tasks. Now, as ImentionedinChapterThree,hebecametheexecutivepastorofSkylineandwasinvaluabletome.Hisabilitytorelatetoothershasbecomeoneofhisstrongestqualities,andheconsidersitfoundationaltohisabilitytolead.

Ifyouhavepotentialleaderswhothinklikemanagers,yourgoalsaretohelp

themdevelopbetterrelationalskillsandchangetheirpatternofthinking.Whileyouhavetoslowdowntoteachafollowerhowtolead,youmayhavetocometoacompletestopinordertohelpamanagerbecomealeader.Thereasonisthatyouwill sometimes need to stopwhat you’re doing,walk the person throughyour thought process, and then explain why you’re doing what you’re doing.Youmust constantly show them the big picture until they begin to see it forthemselves.

Howbigwethinkdetermines

thesizeofouraccomplishments.

Ihavefoundthatalltrueleaderssharesomecommoncharacteristicsintheirthinking.

LEADERSTHINKBIG

Theyalwayslookatthebigpicture,andtheyknowthattheirsuccessisonlyasgreat as theirgoals.AsDavidSchwartz said, “Where success is concerned,people are not measured in inches, or pounds, or college degrees, or familybackground;theyaremeasuredbythesizeoftheirthinking.Howbigwethinkdetermines the size of our accomplishments.” If you consistently show thepeopleyouaredevelopingthebigpictureandkeepstressingpossibilitiesratherthanproblems,theywillstartthinkingbig.

LEADERSTHINKINTERMSOFOTHERPEOPLE

Leaders don’t focus on themselves and their own individual success.Theythinkaboutthesuccessoftheorganizationandotherpeople.Theyhaveanother-peoplemind-set.Todevelopothers, youmust teach them to think in termsofhowtheycanpromoteothers,developothers,takealongothers.

LEADERSTHINKCONTINUALLY

Peoplewhoarenotleadersarecontenttositbackandallowotherstodothethinking. Leaders are constantly entertaining new ideas, considering newresources, thinking about improving, contemplating finances, managing theirtime. Thinking continually enables leaders to keep stretching themselves andgrowing their organizations. As you develop leaders, model this kind ofthinking,andpromoteitbyaskingquestions.

LEADERSTHINKBOTTOMLINE

Whileothersgetboggeddowninthedetails,leaderslookforthebottomline.Ifyouoftenaskthepeopleyouaredevelopingtogiveyouthebottomline,theywillsoonbegindeterminingwhatitisbeforeyouaskforit.Eventuallytheywillbeginthinkinginthosetermsunprompted.

LEADERSTHINKWITHOUTLINES

Peoplewhoarenotleadersautomaticallygravitatetowardlines—limitationsset by others. Maybe people are taught this in kindergarten when they areinstructedtostaywithinthelineswhilecoloring.Butleadersaremorecreativethan that.They lookforoptionsandopportunities.Theytry to take things inanewdirection,orbeyondthelimit.Progressandinnovationaremadebypeoplewhothinkwithoutlines.

Progressandinnovationaremadebypeoplewhothink

withoutlines.

LEADERSTHINKINTERMSOFINTANGIBLES

Leadersareabstractthinkers.Theythinkintermsofintangiblesliketiming,morale,attitude,momentum,andatmosphere.Theyreadbetweenthelines.Theyanticipatetheunexpected.

LEADERSTHINKQUICKLY

Leaders size up a situation quickly and then seize it immediately. Tworeasonsleadersareabletodothisarethattheythinkintermsofthebigpicture,and theydo theirhomeworkso that theyhave information touse tohelp themmakedecisionsquickly.

AsDandevelopedasaleader,hetookonatremendousamountoftheloadforme.HeranSkylineforme,directlyledthirteenpastors,andoversawastaffofmorethanforty.ButDandidmorethanthat.Wherehemostexcelsisinthedevelopmentofothermen.Since1987,Danhasselectedahandfulofmeneachyear to personally develop. Already he has worked with and developedmorethanonehundredofthem.

Dan’s development of leaders is systematic and strategic. He constantlylooks for potential leaders to develop, and he sees himself as a lightning rod,abletocaptureandfocustheenergyrequiredtomakemengrow.Forhispart,hesayshe is effectivebecausehe alwayskeeps inmind thevision ofdevelopingleaders, he maintains people development as a lifestyle, and he renews hiscommitment to it regularly. The key to the whole process, though, isrelationships. He says that the men he develops grow as leaders due to theirrelationshipswithoneanother,theequippingthattheyreceive,andthesynergyoftheirinteractionwithhimandoneanother.Whatsustainsthewholeprocess,though,is therelationalpartofit—theareainwhichhehimselfhasgrownthemost.

ALEADERCHANGESLEADERSHIPSTYLEWhen I hired Sheryl Fleisher on my Skyline staff, I knew she was a strongleader. She had vision, was able to make decisions, thought big, and had abottom-linementality.Butshealso tended tobeautocraticandabitdogmatic.

She was a leader, but she did not lead relationally. She described herself ashavingbeen“mission-minded”ratherthan“people-minded.”

TheturningpointinSheryl’sdevelopmentcamewhenshehandledadifficultsituationwith a person less effectively than she could have. She describes theway she did things as “politically naïve and relationally stupid.” Soon after ithappened,IsatdownwithherandtoldherthatIsupportedherandbelievedinher but that she would have to grow and change her leadership style if shewantedtomakeitontheteam.Notonlydidshegrowasaleader,shebecameoneoftheteam’sbestleaders.

WithSheryl,mygoalwasnottochangeherpersonality.Itwastochangehermodeofoperation,herstyleofleadership.Shereliedonstructureandpositiontoestablishherleadership.Iwantedhertobecomearelational/empoweringleader.ThereweretimesthatIhadtostopwhatIwasdoinganddosomebacktrackingtoretrainher,butitwasdefinitelyworththeeffort.Anytimeyouwanttochangealeader’sstyle,youmustdothefollowing:

MODELABETTERLEADERSHIPSTYLE

Theveryfirstthingyoumustdoisshowthemyourbetterleadershipstyle.Iftheydon’tseethatthereisabetterwaytolead,theywillneverchange.

IDENTIFYWHERETHEYERR

Observe them todeterminewhere theymake theirmistakes.Youwon’tbeabletohelpthemchangeifyoudon’tknowwhatmustbechanged.

GETTHEIRPERMISSIONTOHELPTHEMCHANGE

If they arenot committed to theprocessof change and to allowingyou tohelpthem,allyoureffortwillbewasted.Peoplewillgiveyoutheirpermissionwhentheyhurtenoughtoneedchange,learnenoughtowantchange,orreceive

enoughtomakethemabletochange.

SHOWTHEMHOWTOGETFROMHERETOTHERE

Evenwhentheyhavetheknowledgethattheyneedtochangeandthedesiretomakeachange,theymaynotbecapableofmakingachange.Showthemtheway,stepbystep.

GIVEIMMEDIATEFEEDBACK

Because you will be helping them break bad habits, youmust respond totheiractionsimmediately.Learningsomethingforthefirsttimeisalwayseasierthanunlearningsomethingthatwaslearnedwrong.IlearnedthatlessonwhenIhadtounlearnmygolfswing.Whenyouretrainpeopletoleadrelationally,givethemimmediatefeedbackforboththegoodthingsandthebad.

AsSherylgrewandbegan to lead from theheart, shebecameawonderfuldeveloper of leaders.She identifies people development as her passion in life.WhenshebecamethepastorofpersonalgrowthministriesatSkyline,she,likeDan, was always searching for people to develop. She listed the followingqualitiesinthewomenshewastodevelop: Faithful Theymustbeconsistentintheiractions,reliable,andcommitted.Available Theymustbeaccessibletoherpersonallyandwillingtogrow.Initiating Theymustbeinquisitiveandhungrytogrow.Teachable Theymustbereceptivetoherstyleofmentoringandteaching.Honest Theymustbetransparentandhonestlywillingtodevelopothers.

SherylandIoncesatdowntotalkaboutthewayshedevelopspeople.Ithinkshelosttrackofhowmanypeoplesheworkedwith,butsheisveryawareofthepositive effect her mentoring had on Skyline. She told me that her joy is torecognizewhere people are,meet them there, love and accept them, and thenmentor them. Her goal is to get them to develop into the people they werecreated byGod to be.And shewants to get them to carry on the tradition of

leadership development. She succeeds too. She mentioned that one of thewomenshedevelopedpointedoutsixgenerationsof leaders inone roomwhohadbeenmentoredstartingwithSheryl.That’squiteanaccomplishment.TodaySheryl continues to make an impact as a staff member of Willow CreekCommunityChurch.

AGOODLEADERBECOMESAGREATLEADER

DickPetersonwasalreadyafirst-classleaderbeforehemetme.WhenIcametoSkyline, hewas amanager inwhatwasAmerica’s premier corporation at thetime—IBM. In fact,Dickwasoneof the top threemanagers in thecountry inIBM’sadministrativearea.Hadhestayedwith IBM,hisnext stepwouldhavebeen to regionalmanagement, then on to a vice presidency.And I’m sure hewould havemade it.As a leader, hewas probably in the top 5 percent in thecountry.

When I had been at Skyline for about a year, I asked him to become amemberofthechurchboard.Iwantedhimontheteam.Iknewhewouldbeagreat contributor to the church andme, and I believed he would also benefitfrom the experience.You see, I givemore thought, time, and attention to thedevelopmentofthepeopleonmyboardthantoanyoneelse,withtheexceptionofmyfamily.BoardmembersarethetopleadersandinfluencersIhavecontactwith.

IspentthreeyearsdevelopingDickwhilehewasontheboard.Ibuiltagoodpersonal relationship with him, I spent time equipping him, and I constantlychallengedhimtogrow.OncewhenIwaspreparing to fly toDallas to talk tosomepeopleaboutwaystobeginequippingleadersonalargerscale,ItookDickwithme.HewasapartofthediscussionthatgavebirthtoINJOY.Asaleader,hejumpedrightinandhelpedgetitofftheground.Hestartedasavolunteer.HelaterresignedatIBMtorunINJOYfulltimeformorethanadecade.

Oneofthebeautiesofdevelopingapersonwhoisalreadyastrongleaderisthat it gives you momentum. Where a leader must slow down to developfollowers, stop to develop managers, and backtrack to change the style ofmisguidedleaders,hecanactuallyspeedupashestrengthensgoodleaders.Theypracticallyteachthemselves.Theypickthingsupjustbybeingaroundyou,oftenwithlittletonoeffortonyourpart.

Ifyouare fortunateenough tohavestrong leaders inyour influence,begindevelopingthembydoingthefollowing:

PUTTHEMONAPERSONALPLANFORGROWTH

Mostgood leadersaregrowing,but theyfrequentlydonothaveapersonalplanforgrowth.Afteryouhavegottentoknowthem—theirstrengths,weakness,desires, goals, etc.—sit down with them and prepare a personal growth plantailored to them. Then follow up periodically to encourage them, check theirprogress,andhelpthemmakeadjustments.

CREATEOPPORTUNITIESTOSTRETCHTHEM

Itiswhiledoingactivitiesthatwethoughtwerebeyondourcapabilitiesthatourgreatestgrowthoccurs.Itactuallyacceleratesourdevelopment.Italsogivesus additional opportunities to apply the principles we are learning. As youfurtherdevelopleaders,plantoputtheminsituationsthatwillstretchthem.

LEARNFROMTHEM

WheneverIspendtimedevelopingsomeonewhoisalreadyagoodleader,Ilearn too. You will also learn much from leaders as long as you maintain ateachableattitude.Plansharedprojectswiththem.It’sagreatwaytolearnandtogettremendousthingsaccomplishedatthesametime.

Dick’s development has transformed him.Hewas already a strong leader,but now he is a strong builder of leaders. Developing people is now likebreathing to him. Without it, he wouldn’t be who he is. That is the key todevelopingtheleadersaroundyou.Asaleader,youmustmakethedevelopmentof others a lifestyle. When you live it, your success in life is multipliedexponentially. Your influence is expanded incredibly beyond your personalreach.Apositivefutureisassuredforyou.Leaderswhodonotdeveloppeople

will one day find themselves hitting a wall in their success. No matter howefficientandstrategictheyare,eventuallytheyrunoutoftime.

I found that tobe true inmy life. I cannotpersonallycreatemorematerialthan Iamcurrentlycreating. Icannotmentormorepeople than Iampresentlymentoring.IcannottravelanddomoreconferencesthanIdonow.Iamaveryenergeticperson,butIhavereachedmyownphysicallimits.TheonlywayIcannowdomore is by doing it through other people.Any leaderwho learns thatlessonandmakesitalifestylewillneverhitthewallagain.

SoIaskyou,areyoudevelopingtheleadersaroundyou?

NOTES

CHAPTERONE

1.TomWorsham,“AreYouaGoose?”TheArizonaSurveyor,1992.

CHAPTERTWO

1.EdwinMarkham,“ManMaking”

CHAPTERTHREE

1.JohnC.Maxwell,TheWinningAttitude:YourKeytoPersonalSuccess(Nashville,Tennessee:ThomasNelson,1993).

CHAPTERFOUR

1.DavidA.Seamands,HealingGrace(Wheaton,Illinois:VictorBooks,1988).2.SuccessUnlimited(Magazinenolongerinprint).

CHAPTERFIVE

1.BobbBiehl,IncreasingYourLeadershipConfidence(Sisters,Oregon:Questar,1989).

CHAPTERNINE

1.FlorenceLittauer,PersonalityPlus(GrandRapids,Michigan:Revel,1994).

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

JohnC.Maxwellisaninternationallyrecognizedleadershipexpert,speaker,andauthorwhohassoldover16millionbooks.Hisorganizationshavetrainedmorethan 2million leaders worldwide. Dr.Maxwell is the founder of EQUIP andINJOYStewardshipServices.EveryyearhespeakstoFortune500companies,internationalgovernmentleaders,andaudiencesasdiverseastheUnitedStatesMilitaryAcademyatWestPoint,theNationalFootballLeague,andambassadorsat the United Nations. ANew York Times,Wall Street Journal, andBusinessWeekbest-sellingauthor,MaxwellwasnamedtheWorld’sTopLeadershipGurubyLeadershipgurus.net.Hewasalsooneofonly25authorsandartistsnamedtoAmazon.com’s 10th Anniversary Hall of Fame. Three of his books, The 21IrrefutableLawsofLeadership,DevelopingtheLeaderWithinYou,andThe21IndispensableQualitiesofaLeaderhaveeachsoldoveramillioncopies.