Raise Your Level of Leadership With the 3 I's: Initiate, Invest, and Influence
I enjoy reading and listening to John C. Maxwell, bestselling author of a handful of leadership books such as The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, Developing the Leader Within You, and Leadership 101.
Most people think they aren't qualified to be a leader because of their position or title.
Leadership isn’t just for the few "in control" - senior-level management, directors, coaches, and team captains.
Everyone has the potential to lead.
Why should you want to increase your level of leadership?
Your ability to lead others drives your personal effectiveness and impact.
Maxwell refers to the Law of the Lid- your leadership ability is the lid that determines your level of effectiveness.
Essentially, if you want to be more effective, you should raise your personal ability to lead others.
Developing the 3 I's- learning how to initiate, invest, and influence - can raise your leadership "lid".
1. Initiate
Leaders tend to initiate whereas followers react.
Spend more time planning and building momentum by taking consistent, daily action vs. living day-to-day only doing what's explicitly asked of you.
Contact others first rather than waiting and hoping to be pointed in the right direction.
2. Invest
Effective leaders recognize the power of investing time vs. spending it.
Make continual investments in honing skills involved in leadership development - I don't want to hear that leadership isn't something you "possess ". The ability to lead is a collection of skills that can be learned and improved. Make continual investments in honing skills involved in leadership development such as discipline, respect, confidence, communication, people skills, etc.
Invest time into your people. Commit to their personal development and help them learn how to lead themselves and others.
3. Influence
Leadership is influence. Can you be an influential person?
Being appointed to a senior-level management position doesn't automatically make you a leader.
Your position doesn't give you permission to lead... the people you lead do.
Leaders have people who will gladly and confidently follow them.
You have the power to influence others daily. My Dad often asks me if I practiced DIRT today - Did I "Do and Inspire the Right Thing"?
Remember, just like Rome, leaders are not built in a day. They are developed daily through an ongoing process requiring self-discipline, perseverance, and learning. No matter who you are or what stage of life you're in, you have the power to lead and lead well.