Hello Friend,
In his classic bestseller, “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership,” John Maxwell lays out 21 powerful principles regarding leadership that can help anyone become a person of influence. Whether you own a business, manage a team, lead your family, or operate a machine -- these principles can change your life.
Of these 21 laws, one of my favorites is the Law of Addition, which states, “Leaders add value by serving others.”
How often have you thought of leadership as serving others? Many people I know and work with automatically associate leadership with power, position, and titles. They think of leaders as the people who give out the orders and are typically the ones BEING served rather than the ones who are doing the serving.
But great leaders, the best leaders - and people of true influence, see themselves as servants of those they have been privileged to lead first and foremost.
The question becomes, how can this practically be lived out in a leadership role? And further, how can one effectively work to meet the needs of those around him or her?
One powerful and practical strategy for applying this law is John Maxwell’s 5 Minute Rule. The 5 Minute Rule simply states that at the end of each day you take 5 minutes to think through any meetings or key interactions you will be having with people the next day. As you do this, ask yourself a very simple and important question: What could I do for them, say to them, or give to them that would add value to their life in some meaningful way?
By following this simple strategy, you will become more intentional about how you show up in relationships. You will also become cognizant to enter every interaction as someone who seeks to serve and add value to others before anything else.
Taking these five intentional minutes each day will make a shift in your leadership from being a leader who leads by needing and wanting into becoming a leader who leads through serving and giving. Which type of leader would you rather follow?
I promise that if you apply this one simple strategy and begin taking just 5 minutes out of your day to do this, it will absolutely transform your life, your relationships, and your influence.
Give it a shot! What do you have to lose? :-)
Applying this one simple strategy will transform your relationships and increase your influence ☝
