John C. Maxwell – Developing the Leaders Around You – Hanson

Welcome,

The connection between the Organization and the Personnel

The success and potential of a group are directly related to its personnel. Leadership qualities in individuals help build the autonomy and development of the organization as a whole. In organizations such as the TALONS program, individual leadership qualities are necessary for everyone to maintain the program’s success. Now, since leadership is so valuable, how do we produce more leaders? As John C. Maxwell said it best, The Law of Explosive Growth helps a leader reproduce more leaders in an organization. The law describes “To add success, lead followers… To multiply success, Lead Leaders”. This simple principle describes that a leader should aim to lead and grow other leaders, and in turn, the leaders they grow may one day grow leaders of their own. This ripple effect can create more leaders, preserve leadership qualities throughout generations, and may even spread leadership into other organizations. To me, producing other leaders improves the TALONS program and improves myself as a leader. In the upcoming adventure trips, I firmly believe the responsibility of the 10s should be on developing the 9s into individual leaders better than themselves. This means enough space should be provided for the grade 9s to take voluntary initiative, make difficult decisions, and even face failure, but more importantly, overcome them with the people around them. In return, this action of developing new leaders will help carry the leadership ripple throughout generations in the program and into many other places. As proved by the history of the program, it is almost tradition for the 10s to develop the 9s into better leaders than themselves.

 

Develop yourself before you develop others

My second nugget is about developing the self as a leader, a message to both grade 9s and 10s. I would like to begin by sharing a few ideas by John C. Maxwell, in which he says:

  • If I have done what I am about to ask others to do, then I have credibility.
  • If I am doing what I am about to ask others to do, then I have leadership.
  • If I am willing to do again, what I am about to ask others to do, then I have connection.
  • Lastly, if I can do well what I am about to ask others to do, I have respect.

The result of all four do’s results in the motivation of the people you are leading.

In the eyes of the people you are leading, they see that their leader has not only done what they are about to do, but they are doing what they are about to do, and even better, they are willing to do it again and they can do it well. Wouldn’t you be excited to jump in alongside your leader? The lesson is that one should be developing oneself before developing others. This is valuable to me because I often forget this simple rule in many of my lessons. Amid a deadline, I sometimes digest topics into smaller pieces and feed them into another person’s ears. After a few days, I may even forget what I have been taught. And that is because I have not truly understood what I have been teaching. I cannot lead other people towards somewhere I have not been. For future TALONS lessons, everyone should have established their 4 do’s before leading anyone else in the trips. Establishing this earlier can help prevent potential cavities in the future.

 

The mentor and the apprentice

My last nugget is about the relationship between the mentor and the apprentice. It seems we have developed a routine, so we will start by sharing a snippet from the man John C. Maxwell himself. John suggests at the beginning of any healthy relationship the mentor and the apprentice are compatible and have respect for each other. What does this mean? The apprentice should demonstrate the great capacity of what is required and commitment to what is being shared and taught by the mentor. This dedication and drive are valued greatly by any mentor. And in the eyes of the apprentice, the mentor should demonstrate experience, most likely through time, and excellence in their expertise. It is also important to recognize that the earlier these questions are asked in a relationship the better, as it helps establish a clear understanding and greater appreciation for each other. For me, this principle is highly valuable as I rely on asking myself very similar questions when in such relationships. I find these questions to be key guidelines for how I can identify an individual which I can either teach, learn from or both in a long-term relationship. In the upcoming TALONS adventure trips, there would be loads of opportunities for the 10s to mentor and learn from the 9s. Asking oneself these questions can first, help you appreciate the other person, and second, help give meaning to the relationship early on. I hope to interact with a lot of grade 9s and both mentor them and learn from all the wonderful experiences they have had.

I wish you can consider how you may make the upcoming adventure trips more valuable to both yourself and the people around you. I hope these three nuggets of wisdom from John C. Maxwell have provided you with some insight into what you may try in the trips.

 

Thought Questions Form

 

And in case I don’t see ya, good morning, good 12:00 pm, good afternoon, good evening and good night.

 

Citations APA:

Maxwell, J. C. (2014). Developing the Leaders Around You Participant Guide. The John Maxwell Company.