What Gives a Man or Woman the Right to Lead?

[cbscreative]

I received an email with an excerpt from John Maxwell's book, The Right to Lead, and thought I would pass it on here. I'm not a reader of this blog, but it did conveniently have the excerpt that I needed for sharing purposes. Here it is:

Real Estate Blog - The 7 Keys to Effective Leadership (http://activerain.com/blogsview/1332229/the-7-keys-to-effective-leadership)

One of the things I have been really growing in this year is the last point, passing leadership on. By nature, I'm a control freak, but us control freaks never grow beyond our own limitations. I'm sure many other small business owners suffer from the same thinking. We're perfectionists to the point we stifle our own potential. Leaders help others develop their potential, and there's so much to be gained that way.

Which part stood out to you, or which one are you working on improving in yourself?

[vangogh]

Interesting. I'm just as you described. I try to be a perfectionist and can definitely be a control freak when it comes to my business. Not so much in the rest of my life, but certainly around my business.

The last point about giving power away is hard for me. Point 2 about being a good follower probably isn't me either. I've always tended to go my own way, though I can and will follow people I respect, especially if I think they're leading me in the right direction.

Coincidentally an email arrived in my inbox not too long ago about how to outsource (http://www.massoutsource.com/). The email was trying to get me to sign up for another mailing list and presumably buy something. The page I linked to has 10 videos on outsourcing. I haven't watched any yet. I literally received the email a few minutes before seeing this thread. The videos seem on topic to the discussion so I figured I'd pass on the link.

Steve I think about this a lot in regards to growing my business. On the one hand giving up control would be very hard for me. On the other it would be nice to have others handle certain aspects of my business. Like most of us I have more ideas I want to implement than time to implement them. I think about whether or not I want to deal with employees (Not the employees themselves, but the red tape in having them) or whether to outsource. I ask myself how my clients would feel about that.

Still no decision, though I have a hunch in time I'll hand off some things I do to other people and include them in the business in some way.

[Spider]

It's all a matter of choice, gentlemen. No-one is born a perfectionist and no-one is born a leader. You acquire these traits as you develop as a person, maybe in childhood, maybe later. Thus, you can train yourself out of them, if you CHOOSE to develop other traits. You can become less a perfectionist and more a leader, if you want.

I don't want to blow my own trumpet (Aw, shucks! Why not?!) but hiring a business coach is one way to speed up that transformation. A business coach will help you decide to what extent and in what areas you will become less perfectionist, where and how you can and will retain high standards and have employees maintain those standards through effective leadership.

Recognize that there are plenty of good reasons to remain a one-person business. On the other hand, if one feels the personal need to expand one's business, hiring a coach is a great way to bring in the sort of insight and encouragement that will draw out your instincts. A good business coach will challenge you to find the path you truly want to follow.

Make a note, though. If you go this route, a coach will not DO anything in your business - it will be all you. When was the last time you saw a football coach run down the field and score a touchdown? But a football team has no hope of winning without an effective coach.

I wonder why that is?!!!!

[KristineS]

The one that always sticks out for me is letting go of your own ego. The best boss and leader I ever had, and a mentor of mine, had absolutely no ego. It was never about him or his accomplishments, it was about what we could all do together. He spent so much time helping all of those who worked for him grow and expand. I wouldn't be where I am today if it were not for him, and I always try to remember how he helped me when I'm working with the people who work for me.

[Spider]

You call him the best boss and leader you ever had, Kristine -- he seems to have been a good coach because you didn't describe a boss or a leader, you described a coach!

[KristineS]

I think you might be right about that Frederick. He was a great coach, and I was lucky to work with and for him as long as I did.

[cbscreative]

I always thought of a coach as a leader. Not everyone who holds the title of boss is really a leader. What you described above, Kristine, sounds like a true leader regardless of what the title was.

I do agree, Frederick, that we all have choices and can become whatever we set our minds to. For me, recognizing that I was a control freak was half the battle. The places I intend to be in 20 years would never happen if I don't let go of some of my old thought patterns. Getting rid of those thought patterns has opened up a whole new world of ideas and opportunities.