Developing the Leaders Around You

Session 1: The Law of the Chain

The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork describes The Law of the Chain as “The Strength of the Team is Impacted by its Weakest Link.” This quote means that the productivity and abilities of a group of people can be deterred by just one person. One person that acts as a weak link can have a negative impact on the team because the others end up having to assist the weak link, and the group as a whole becomes less effective.

I chose this principle because it is a very relevant concept that can be applied to many aspects of life such as sports teams, friend groups, coworkers, and team members in general. Team members could mean your peers, partners for group projects, and committees for leadership in TALONS. I personally relate to these aspects as a student, a member of the TALONS program, and a soccer teammate.

I will be applying this principle in future leadership activities, trips, and events, by being more aware of weak links. I will look for certain qualities in team members such as not showing development in their tasks, not working to improve themselves, falling behind, and not pulling through with their responsibilities. Weak links don’t necessarily always mean that they aren’t trying. I will make sure that as a leader, I recognize these members, provide them with assistance if they are truly trying, and call them out on their laziness if they’re actively choosing to be the weak link.

 

Session 2: Types of People Who Affect Momentum

There are four types of people who affect momentum in every team. Momentum breakers stop the momentum flow. Momentum takers sap or drain the momentum. Momentum fakers stage momentum meaning they may try to hype up the energy of the group when there really isn’t much there. Momentum makers, which we all should strive to be, start the momentum of the team. Momentum occurs when someone takes the initiative to speak up and kickstart the rest of the group. The main idea to take away is that momentum starts with you.

I chose this principle because I found it very eye-opening and interesting. After hearing John C. Maxwell speak about how different types of people affect momentum and reviewing the concept myself, I realized that I have experienced all four types of people. Momentum breakers, takers, and fakers are more common than you’d think, and recognizing it is the first step to eliminating negative impacts on the momentum within a team. This principle taught me that I want to strive to consistently possess and project the attitude of being a momentum maker.

I will apply this concept through observation and evaluation during leadership activities, and events. I think that recognizing when someone may be saying or presenting actions that negatively impact the flow of the momentum is important because as a team, we always want to make momentum happen. A team member may not be actively attempting to stop momentum flow but even if it’s not on purpose, I think giving them a reminder that we are striving to keep the momentum going is considerate and helpful. Evaluating myself and the leaders around me will allow for further understanding of the group dynamic. Additionally, I will put my best efforts to keep myself in the category of momentum makers in any future leadership work and just in general.

 

Session 3: People Do What People See

This principle is fairly self-explanatory. A leader’s actions directly impact the efforts of the leaders they are developing. An example given by John C. Maxwell is “Pint = Gallon: A Pint of example is equal to a Gallon of advice.” Our observations of other people direct our paths and knowledge. The way we learn is 89% visual, 10% audio, and 1% other senses. Looking at these percentages, we can see that what we see is a very prominent factor that correlates to what we do.

I chose this idea for Session 3 because it spoke to me. I came to the realization that we are always influenced by the actions of others. Although we don’t always notice it, that’s how humans naturally work. For example, seeing someone that displays great communication skills inspires and sparks us to replicate their behavior. Straying away from the leadership aspect, we also see this principle in our daily lives. We see others immersed in the latest fashion trends, video games, hobbies, etc, and a majority of us typically involve ourselves in what others are doing to fit in. This clearly does not apply to all but it is a real-life example that we can see happening on a daily basis.

I will take this principle and apply it to leadership activities, trips, and events by being a role model and the best mentor I can be towards my team members but especially the 9s I will be working with. It’s so important to exemplify appropriate leadership behavior because whether you like it or not, people are watching, and they may start to pick up on and exhibit similar behaviors. It would be very disappointing if you as a leader, negatively influenced the development of leaders around you because you were demonstrating poor leadership abilities.

 

Session 4: The Equipping Process

Equipping is a three-step process. The first step is equipper to the leader which is someone who already has all the necessary tools and skills assisting the person being equipped which is a leader. The second step is the person being equipped to help the developing leader. The third and final step is the equipped person (developing leader) equipping others around them. This whole process exemplifies what it takes to be a real and high-level leader. Not only does the equipping process produce an equipped person but it also teaches the equipped person how to assist others.

I chose this principle because it stood out to me from the rest of the concepts. I always have believed that the best way to learn is to teach the knowledge you have gained to somebody else. If you can teach someone else the material you have been taught, it shows that you truly understand the topic. This concept holds significance to me because a goal I have is to equip others and make sure the person I equip can equip others and the equipping process lays out all the information nicely.

I will be applying this process directly to future leadership activities, trips, and events. I won’t always be the equipper or the leader because sometimes your position is the person being developed or the person being equipped by an equipped person. Nonetheless, no matter which position I am in the equipping process, I will invest time in developing potential leaders and raising others beyond my own level of leadership. There is no room for jealously in teams or organizations, and rather than being envious of my own team members, I will be proud of them, encouraging, and strive to push myself and my potential as a leader.