Most Critical Law to Leadership
John Maxwell engages readers in a discussion of 21 laws of leadership that he considered as being of great importance in defining a leader’s overall capacity to deliver on set objectives. After an in-depth analysis of Maxwell’s laws of leadership, the law that I think is most critical to leadership is the law of influence, which is the second law. Maxwell (1998) indicates that “The True Measure of Leadership is Influence – Nothing More, Nothing Less” (p.3). A leader's ability to influence his/her followers may serve as a benefit for him/her considering that this would serve as a key determinant of overall abilities to achieve set objectives. Maxwell views influence as a key element in leadership that creates a front through which leaders can determine the strategic direction that their followers consider. Additionally, influence also ensures that followers work towards a common goal with the expectation being that the leader would guarantee success.
On the other hand, Maxwell (1998) believes that the law of influence may be of great value in the motivation of followers to complete important tasks in a timely manner. This means that a leader is most likely to use his/her influence over his/her followers to ensure tasks are completed without any notable issues or challenges. The level of productivity among workers influenced by their leader is much higher compared to the productivity of those that define their path towards the achievement of set goals. The law of influence relates to the leadership style that a leader is most likely to adopt as part of objective achievement with the view being that the law will serve as a key determinant of energy, enthusiasm. and optimism in leadership. Therefore, this leads to the conclusion that indeed the law of influence is the most critical of the laws attributed to its overall implications in leadership.
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Application of the Law
In a team environment, the law of influence, as has been identified, can be applied in several ways. Firstly, this law can be applied through the cultivation of reliability through consistency. Shahab & Nisa (2014) indicate that the overall level of influence that a leader exerts in his/her workplace depends significantly on consistency towards goals or objectives. The basic idea is that a leader would exert influence on followers by ensuring that they maximize their reliability. Secondly, a leader can apply the law of influence by being assertive rather than being aggressive. A leader's ability to remain to assert irrespective of the challenges encountered works as one of the key factors that would determine the influence that he/she has as part of the team. Being assertive reflects on the idea of having to build confidence among other team members with the view is that this would help in the achievement of success.
Thirdly, a leader can apply the law of influence by focusing on actions over arguments or disagreements. Conflicts and disagreements are common in teams, especially in cases where individual members of the team intend to pass along their views and opinions. As a leader, it is important to focus on the achievements of the team members rather than focusing on the conflicts (Re, Dzhelyova, Holzleitner, Tigue, Feinberg, & Perrett, 2012). An effective leader should also be ready to offer guidance where necessary, which would help in conflict resolution and advance his/her influence. Lastly, a leader can apply the law of influence by listening to others. The basic expectation of an influential leader is that he/she needs to create an environment where followers can present their views and opinions openly. Creating such environments would mean that a leader would be in a much better position to influence followers towards a common goal.
Personal Benefits from the Law
From the analysis, it is clear that the law of influence is a key part of strategic leadership, as it creates a new front through which one can connect with his/her followers. I could benefit from the law because it paves the way for self-awareness and self-management among followers. Lack of self-awareness is a key factor that may contribute to an individual’s failure considering that one may not be in any position to determine how to make use of strengths to achieve set objectives. As a follower, I am most likely to benefit from a leader’s influence, which will serve as a guide for me to build on self-awareness. The influence that a leader may have on my position as a follower may determine the extent to which I understand my strengths and weaknesses. The view is that I will build on my strengths and work towards minimizing my weaknesses to advance my effectiveness.
I would also benefit from the law because it would help build on my ability to achieve independent thinking, which I believe is important as I work on building my career towards a leadership position. Working under an influential leader is of great importance, as it means that I would learn how the leader is using different factors to make a decision. That would guide my decision making processes with the view that I would be expected to make independent decisions once I am in a leadership position. The law would also be of great benefit for me considering that it helps me understand the importance of commitment in everything that I do. Based on the influence that I am exposed to, it becomes much easier for me to learn the value of working towards a specific goal; thus, building my commitment to success.
References
Maxwell, J. C. (1998). The 21 irrefutable laws of leadership: Follow them and people will follow you . Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Re, D. E., Dzhelyova, M., Holzleitner, I. J., Tigue, C. C., Feinberg, D. R., & Perrett, D. I. (2012). Apparent height and body mass index influence perceived leadership ability in three-dimensional faces. Perception , 41 (12), 1477-1485.
Shahab, M. A., & Nisa, I. (2014). The influence of leadership and work attitudes toward job satisfaction and performance of employee. International Journal of Managerial Studies and Research , 2 (5), 69-77.
