John C Maxwell, the renowned author and coach on leadership, says "The True Measure of Leadership is Influence –Nothing More, Nothing Less."And in his book, Good Leaders Ask Great Questions, he examines the process that good leaders use to influence others successfully. He cites the Mother Teresa maxim: "I can do what you can't do and you can do what I can't do. Together, we can do great things."
Maxwell's research has taught him that good leaders constantly question: their journey, themselves, their team members, their clients and those outside their circle. And he then poses: What questions do they ask that help them to achieve their professional best?In his latest book, Maxwell lists more than 70 questions. Four of the most frequently asked are:
�2 How can I discover my unique purpose as a leader?
�2 What is the most effective daily habit that any leader should develop?
�2 How do you motivate an unmotivated person?
�2 How will you work with a difficult leader who has no vision?
He concludes that leaders are concerned about understanding themselves.
What is my passion?
What are my gifts?
How can I use these gifts to motivate and influence those who follow me?
When will I achieve my goals?
Where can I get support to conquer challenges that come with leadership?
A picture emerges that god leaders must: know themselves to grow themselves; see value in themselves to add value to themselves; and develop character, which determines the height of their own personal growth and development. As we delve deep within our minds and souls, we are guided by the critical questions of the "Ws" and the "H"–What? Why? Where? When? Who? and How? of leadership...because self-growth enables us to help others grow.
While leadership ability is the lid that determines a person's level of effectiveness, Maxwell purports in his book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership that success is within the reach of everybody–the greater the impact you want to make, the greater your influence needs to be.
Whatever you accomplish is restricted or propelled by your ability to lead. If a person's leadership is strong, then the organisation's lid is high, but if not, the organisation is limited. Personal and organisational effectiveness is proportionate to the strength of leadership.
Come October 10, the John Maxwell answers to all your leadership questions and challenges will be beamed around the world to some 150 global locations, via a simulcast to be hosted at UWI in St Augustine.If you're engaged in any decision-making function–from management level to deep in the trenches–you can access just a few hours of direct and decisive training in how to find the leader in yourself. Simply attend this simulcast.
This is an occasion designed to transform your skills and capabilities so that you can become–and remain–a true member of the leadership class.
In a statement, the organisers said, "We ask you to challenge others to assess your leadership ability by rating your people skills, character, planning and strategic thinking, vision and results. If you feel that you have hit a plateau on your journey to developing your ultimate potential, if you feel that you have lost steam, come and you will get food for thought and an opportunity for quiet introspection.
You still have room for growth and the advice you will get from the simulcast and the book, Good Leaders Ask Great Questions will help you assess your current position and structure an effective plan to achieve your goals."Meanwhile, you can rate your own leadership strength by asking yourself:
�2 When faced with a challenge, what are my first thoughts?
�2 Who can I enlist to help? Or what can I do?
�2 When my team fails to achieve an objective, is my first assumption that it is some kind of leadership issue?
�2 Do I really believe that developing my leadership skills will increase my effectiveness dramatically?
The simulcast will be held at the Lecture Theatre E, The Teaching and Learning Centre, UWI. For more information, contact: http://l2.johnmaxwell.com and Power Team TT at powerteamtt@gmail.com.