The Game Changing Attorney Podcast with Michael Mogill

62. John Maxwell — Leadership is a Verb, Not a Noun

Jun 15, 2021

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"Growth's not automatic. You don't automatically get better. If you're going to get better, you're going to have to be intentional." - John Maxwell

What is John's greatest leadership challenge?
How do you uncover your blind spots?
What separates the top 2% of leaders from all the rest?
How can you reach your full potential?
Why wasn't John good at hiring?
What is John's cycle of success?

A Leader in Leadership

John C. Maxwell lives and breathes leadership. A #1 New York Times best-selling author, John has written over 50 books on the subject, which have sold more than 26 million copies worldwide. John was named the #1 leader in business by the American Management Association and topped the list of most influential leadership experts in Inc. Magazine.

Through his companies and The John Maxwell Leadership Foundation, John teaches people how to unlock their potential. Having educated millions of people from every corner of the globe, John's advice is valued across the public and private sectors. All this growth has come from his steady hand at the helm. As he says, "Everything rises and falls on leadership."

Question and Answer

One thing John warns against is leading by assumption. You can't assume that all your employees are motivated by the same thing. Some may be driven by providing for their family, while others might want to work toward the greater good. Some might need words of encouragement, and some might need deadlines.

The way to find out what your employees need is simple: ask them. John says if you ask your team what they need, they'll give you a blueprint on how to lead them.

Let It Go

A leader wouldn't be a leader without a team. John says it's imperative to trust your team and delegate responsibility. If you're managing everything, then your company will be limited by your capacity.

To build bigger, you need other leaders who you trust to do their part. Those leaders will never grow if you're doing their work for them. A great leader empowers and equips his team so that they can become leaders as well. "The only way to grow your company is to grow leaders."

Key takeaways:

Failure and success aren't separate. They're part of the same process. John's cycle of success goes: test, fail, learn, improve, re-enter. Failure is essential to the system.
Lead everybody differently. Ask your workers what they need and provide it.
Setting expectations creates anticipation. People can't score if they don't know where the goalposts are, and they can't grow if you don't push them to do better.

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