 
By
Sharon G. Heierman, CAE
I recently had the privilege of attending a leadership seminar taught by leadership guru John Maxwell, along with several of our young advisor volunteer leaders who will be presidents of their local associations next year. During the one-day seminar, Maxwell shared some of his leadership concepts with us, and I would like to share some of those life-changing thoughts and ideas with you.
Maxwell's philosophy is that “everything rises and falls on leadership.” Whether you desire to become a leader in the business world, your association, your community or your family, there are four principles he believes you must understand and practice if you want to be successful:
- R elationships
- E quipping
- A ttitude
- L eadership
Success starts with relationships—your ability to get along with people. When it comes to relationships, everything begins with respect and the desire to place value on other people. Every person you come in contact with should be treated as if they are the most important person in the world.
Next, comes equipping, which is determined by your ability to develop a team. One is too small a number to achieve greatness. It takes teamwork to make the dream work!
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Every person you come in contact with should be treated as if they are the most important person in the world. |
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Attitude is the force that defines your leadership. Your attitude and leadership potential go hand in hand. Your attitude is the primary force that will determine whether you succeed or fail. As Maxwell says, “Attitude is the epicenter of a leader's influence. Much of what we radiate as a leader comes from our basic attitude toward self, or our self perception.”
Maxwell says, “The true measure of leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less.” However, many people make the mistake of thinking that leadership is the result of reaching a position, not the ability to attract followers. They go after a position, and then think they have become leaders. A favorite leadership proverb states, “He who thinks he leads, but has no followers, is only taking a walk.” If you can't influence others, they won't follow you.
If you have a new leadership role or would like to become a leader, you should start right now by making a commitment to grow daily. If you make it your goal to grow a little every day, study the advice of leadership experts such as John Maxwell, Stephen Covey and others; it won't be long before you begin to see positive results in your life and in the lives of those you lead.
Sharon G. Heierman, CAE, is CEO of Florida AIFA. She can be reached at 850-422-2762 or heierman@faifa.org. June 2005
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