The Law of Explosive Growth

Law #20 of John Maxwell's The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership is:

The Law of Explosive Growth: To Add Growth, Lead Followers; To Multiply, Add Leaders

Leaders’ Math- “Becoming a leader who develops leaders requires an entirely different focus and attitude from simply attracting and leading followers. It takes a different mindset.” Maxwell talks about a tension a leader can feel between him/herself and followers- derived from the difference between where the followers are and where they should be [something the leader sees before everyone else]. He notes that the way to relieve the tension is to acknowledge the Law of Explosive Growth:

• If you develop yourself, you à personal success
• If you develop your team, your organization à growth
• If you develop leaders, your organization à explosive growth

A Different Focus- Maxwell lists some differences between leaders who attract followers and those who develop leaders

• Leaders who attract Followers… Need to be needed
• Leaders who develop Leaders… Want to be succeeded

Although having followers can make you feel needed and important, this is a shallow reason to lead, and is based on insecurity. Leading for the sake of the followers and for what you can leave behind as your legacy, what good leaders do, stems from a position of confidence and strength.

• Leaders who attract Followers… Develop the bottom 20%
• Leaders who develop Leaders… Develop the top 20%

The weaker people are usually those asking for the most help. If you ‘need to be needed,’ then you sill spend your time addressing those issues of the bottom 20%. If you seek out the top 20%, on the other hand, and pour into them, they will be able to handle the rest, and then some.

• Leaders who attract Followers… Focus on weaknesses
• Leaders who develop Leaders… Focus on strengths

If you are spending you time dealing with the bottom 20%, you are usually dealing with their weaknesses [since they require tour time and attention to help them do their job. If you are developing the top 20%- you are able to focus on and develop strengths.

• Leaders who attract Followers… Treat everyone the same
• Leaders who develop Leaders… Treat individuals differently

“Leaders who develop leaders give rewards, resources and responsibility based on results. The greater the impact of the leaders, the more opportunities they receive.” It is not so much about everyone getting equal opportunities.”

• Leaders who attract Followers… Spend time with others
• Leaders who develop Leaders… Invest time in others

True- this takes more time and energy in many ways, but it pays huge dividends.

• Leaders who attract Followers… Grow by addition
• Leaders who develop Leaders… Grow by multiplication

See picture

The Challenge Of Leading Leaders

1. Leaders are hard to find- “most people are followers; some are producers; few are leaders…leaders are like eagles, they don’t flock.”
2. Leaders are hard to gather- Leaders want to find their own way…make their own rules. If you want to gather leaders, you have to provide an environment for them to be able to thrive.
3. Leaders are hard to keep- It is even harder to keep them than it is to find and gather them. “The only way to keep leaders is to become a better leader yourself,” so that you can keep adding value to them.

“Leadership development compounds. The more you invest in people and the longer you do it, the greater the growth and the higher the return.”

Applying the Law of Explosive Growth to Your Life

1. Identify your current stage of leadership development

• Stage 1- Developing yourself
• Stage 2- Developing your team
• Stage 3- Developing leaders

To help you decide- note specific actions you have taken for each step. If you are not developing leaders, why not? What steps can you take to start?

2. What are you doing to find and gather leaders? What places do you go, events you attend, networks you access to accomplish this? How do you then follow through to the next step of realizing this?

3. What are you doing to gather and hold leaders? In other words, what are you doing to become a better leader yourself? How are you adding value to and helping to grow them?

Reference:

Maxwell, John. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Chapter 20- The Law of Explosive Growth. Thomas Nelson, Nashville, TN; 2007

The Living Word

I am now making my words in your mouth a fire and this people wood, and the fire shall devour them. -Jeremiah 5:14

How powerful is the Word. It is alive and it speaks to us. It convicts us and loves us. It corrects us and encourages. What an amazing thing that God has given us this blueprint. But not just a bunch of words on paper, limited to one place, one time, one people. This is Him, on our shoulder, in our mind…carried to our heart by the Holy Spirit. We have a way!

Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides the soul from the spirit, joints from the marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account. -Hebrews 4:12

You Are A Leader If-

If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.

John Quincy Adams

Law #19 of John Maxwell's The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership is:

The Law of Timing: When To Lead Is As Important As What To Do And Where To Go

Maxwell notes that, “Timing is Everything… When to lead is as important as where to go.”

Every time a leader makes a move, there are really only 4 outcomes:

1. The wrong action at the wrong time à DISASTER.

2. The right action at the wrong time à RESISTANCE. “If a leader repeatedly shows poor judgment, even in the little things, people start to think that having him as the leader is the real mistake.” Good leadership timing requires:

• Understanding- Do you have a firm grasp on the situation?
• Maturity- Are your motives right?
• Confidence- Do you believe in what you are doing?
• Decisiveness- Can you initiate action with confidence and win people’s trust?
• Experience- Have you drawn upon wisdom from others to inform your strategy?
• Intuition- Have you taken into account intangibles such as momentum and morale?
• Preparation- Have you done everything you must to set up your team for success?

3. The wrong action at the right time à MISTAKE. People who are natural entrepreneurial usually have a good sense of timing. However, they must also know which is the best move to make is at that time.

4. The right action at the right time à SUCCESS. “When the right leader and the right timing come together, incredible things happen.”

“When the stakes are high, the consequences of the Law of Timing are dramatic and immediate…Reading a situation and knowing what to do are not enough to make you succeed in leadership…you must pay attention to timing.”

Applying the Law of Timing to Your Life

1. Does timing play an important role in your strategy as a leader? Review the major actions you have initiated in the recent past and assess how much attention you have given to timing.

2. Spend time analyzing recent failed initiatives for your team/organization to determine if they were secondary to wrong action or wrong timing. To guide you, answer the following questions:

• What was the goal of the initiative?
• Who was responsible for leading it?
• What factors were considered during planning?
• Whose experience did the strategy draw upon?
• What was the condition or temperature of the organization at time of launch?
• What were the market conditions?
• What “leverage” was available and being used?
• What factors were working against it?
• Might the initiative have been more successful if launched earlier or later?
• Why did the initiative ultimately fail?

3. As you consider future plans, consider the list of factors to prepare for the timing [#2 in above section].

“Only the right action at the right time will bring success to your team.”

Reference:

Maxwell, John. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Chapter 19- The Law of Timing. Thomas Nelson, Nashville, TN; 2007

Flamingo Needs Your Pet Photos!

They say that pets often resemble their owners. Do you have a cat, bird, or dog? Pastor Troy's new teaching series, "The Wild", will be launching on September 11th and 12th. We are collecting photos of pets and their owners. These photos will be shown before and after our church service on the large screens at all our campuses. We want to get as many photos from our leaders as possible. Accentuate the similarities of you and your pet! Funny pet photo? Send those too. Please email your photos as soon as possible to Photos@flamingoroad.org. Your photos may be used as part of this new teaching series or in a promo video. Invite your Connect Group members to email their photos as well, but we must send these quickly. Thanks for your help! Can't wait to see your photos!

As You Go To The Place Of Prayer

Acts 16 describes the account of Paul and Silas being publically flogged and arrested and thrown into prison. As Pastor Troy pointed out last week, the first verse telling the story notes what they were doing when they met their misfortune…

“One day, as we were going to the place of prayer…”

Acts 16:16

And this is usually the rule…not the exception.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy

John 10:10

Whenever we are moving toward God, Satan wants to trip us up. He knows that Jesus gives us abundant life [John 10:10]. Thus, anytime we even take a baby-step in Jesus’ direction, Satan will somehow try to publically flog and jail us. Attacks will come. We need to be prepared…with the armor of God [Ephesians 6:11].

So, as you go to the place of prayer, as you go anywhere,

put on the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness,

the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit.

Ephesians 6:13-17

-In Him

If…Then…

If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,

if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,

then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.

The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong;

and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.

Isaiah 58:9b-11 [emphasis added]

Do you remember learning about “if…then…” statements in school? It is a statement of condition and consequence. The ‘then’ will happen- but only after the ‘if’ is done.

When Jesus commands that we “love one another as I have loved you” [John 15:12], what does that mean? He paid the ultimate price for us. He gave up Himself…for us. HE loved us by putting us before Himself. In turn, we should love others in that way…putting others before ourselves.

IF it is God that we want…THEN we will obey His commandments. [John 14:15]

IF we keep His commandments… THEN we will abide in His love. [John 15:10]

IF we are abiding in His love… THEN we are loving others as He loved us. [John 15:12]

IF we are loving in that way… THEN we shall be like a watered garden. [Isaiah 58:6-12]

-In Him

The Law of Sacrifice

Law #18 of John Maxwell's The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership is:

The Law of Sacrifice: A Leader Must Give Up To Go Up

Maxwell notes that, while every person may have a different ‘why’ which motivates him/her to step forward and lead others, one thing every leader will have to do is make sacrifices. He notes a common misconception that people ‘at the top’ just get to enjoy all the power and perks that come with the position, but they don’t consider what those people had to give up to get there…and what they continually give up to stay there.

“If you desire to become the best leader you can be, then you need to be willing to make sacrifices in order to lead well.”

Some things to know about the Law of Sacrifice

1. There is no success without sacrifice. “Every person who has achieved anything in life has made sacrifices to do so…regardless of profession.” Ralph Waldo Emerson: “For everything you have missed, you have gained something else; and for everything you gain, you lose something.” This includes sacrificing many good things.

2. Leaders are often asked to give up more than others. Leaders must be willing to put others ahead of themselves and give up more than the people they lead. - [see picture above, from Maxwell, p 233]

3. You must keep giving up to stay up. Leaders face a problem whenever they think that they have ‘arrived’ and earned the right to stop sacrificing. It is an ongoing process and sacrifice needs to be continual. If a leader gets complacent and no longer wants to sacrifice, S/he will likely not continue to grow.

4. The higher the level of leadership, the greater the sacrifice. Maxwell gives the analogy of an auction. In the beginning, when the price is lower, everyone is bidding. As the price goes up, fewer and fewer people continue to bid. Ultimately, only 1 person is willing to sacrifice the most [in this case, money] for the item. As leaders, the higher we want to go, the more it will cost us.

Applying the Law of Sacrifice to Your Life

1. Give some thought to whether you are willing to sacrifice for the sake of those you lead and for the sake of your mission. Create 2 lists- one with those things you would be willing to give up and the other with those things you are not. Be sure to note where health, marriage, children, friends, finances, etc fit in.

2. Sacrifice usually involves giving up something of value that you do have for something [potentially] more valuable that you don’t have. What do you have to offer? And what is that more valuable thing you want to sacrifice for?

3. Maxwell describes ‘destination disease’ as a dangerous mind set leaders can have that will set them up for ultimate plateaus, set backs and possible failure. It is the idea that you can just sacrifice for a season and then ‘arrive,’ thinking no further sacrifice is necessary to ‘stay at the top.’ Consider areas where you may be in danger of having ‘destination disease.’ Write them down and create a statement of ongoing growth that you can use to motivate you when you find yourself in that situation. [For example, if you think you no longer need to learn after college, create a statement like, “I will make it my practice to learn and grow in one significant area every year.”

Reference:

Maxwell, John. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Chapter 18- The Law of Sacrifice. Thomas Nelson, Nashville, TN; 2007

They That Wait On The Lord

They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength

They shall mount up with wings like eagles

They shall run and not be weary

They shall walk and never faint.

Isaiah 40:31

How amazing is the eagle!

So royal, above the fray.

Sitting up higher than most, as it spots its prey.

Then, seemingly effortless, it parts its wings up to 7 feet and glides-

smoothly and as light as a feather, it decorates the sky

Its strength and resolve command our admiration.

As its long lifespan represents renewal and longevity, it commands our appreciation.

This is what we become when we wait on Him who renews us.

We glide and we soar.

We are strong and focused.

We have endurance and we persevere.

We are redeemed!

-In Him

The Bread of Adversity

Though the Lord may give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction,

yet your Teacher will not hide himself any more, but your eyes shall see your Teacher.

And when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left,

your ears shall heat a word behind you saying, “This is the way; walk in it.”

– Isaiah 30:20-21

Perhaps, the guidance that we so long for from God comes when we can see and know Him more. Perhaps, it is eating the bread of adversity and drinking the water of affliction that helps us to know Him more. Perhaps we really do need to count it all joy when we face trials, as the Book of James tells us in chapter 1. Trials test our faith, which produces endurance. Through that process, we know our Teacher’s face more and more. The more we know Him, the better we can discern the Holy Spirit- which tells us ‘this is or isn’t the way….go right now…go left.’

Hallelujah!

-In Him

The Law Of Priorities

Law #17 of John Maxwell's The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership is:

The Law of Priorities: Leaders Understand That Activity Is Not Necessarily Accomplishment

Maxwell discusses here that good leaders need to prioritize on an ongoing basis…always. It is easy to be ‘doing something’…to be ‘busy.’ But, “busyness does not equal productivity.” Thus, it is key for a leader to have priorities so that s/he can decide on the necessary things to do. Prioritizing also forces you to think ahead- always considering what is next- which helps to continue moving toward the vision. Lastly, prioritizing causes us to sometimes do things that are uncomfortable. If something is truly a priority, we will even sometimes do what we don’t want or like to do in order to satisfy it.

“Leaders can’s afford to just think inside the box. Sometimes they need to reinvent the box- or blow it up.” “The leader defines the reality” [Max Dupree]. Maxwell notes that he takes 2 weeks each year to reflect and reevaluate his priorities and goals. He notes if you focus on those things that fall in the top 20% in terms of importance, you will have an 80% return on your effort. [eg if you have 10 people under you, you should devote 80% of your time to the top 2.]

The Three Rs

Maxwell uses these as guidelines to evaluate priorities.

1. What is required? This answers the question- ‘What must I do that nobody can or should do for me?’ “If I’m doing something that’s not necessary, I should eliminate it. If I am doing something that’s necessary but not required of me personally, I need to delegate it.”

2. What gives the greatest return? People are most productive and satisfied when they function within their areas of “natural gifting and strength”. “Leaders should get out of their comfort zone, but stay in their strength zone.” Maxwell uses the following benchmark- if what he is doing can be done 85% as well by someone else, he delegates it [which sometimes requires training someone else]. “Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should di it.”

3. What brings the greatest reward? What gives you the most personal satisfaction? “Life is too short not to do some things you love.” That does not mean that you won’t ever do things you don’t love. But, “passion provides the fuel in a person’s life to keep him going.”

The best leaders seem to be able to get the Law of Priorities to work for them by satisfying multiple priorities with each activity. This actually enables them to increase their focus while reducing their number of actions.”

Applying the Law of Priorities to Your Life

1. You need to get out of your comfort zone if you want to live and work according to your priorities. Can you identify anything in your life that is just ‘not working’? It will require a major change in how you have been doing things. Describe how it is not working and why it is not working. Try to think “outside the box” or “make your own box” to figure out how to solve the problem in a way that is aligned with your priorities. If your life is not aligned with your priorities- you will always have conflict.

2. If you have not done so, write out the answers to the three ‘R’ questions [include family and other priorities- not just career].

a. What is required of me?

b. What gives the greatest return?

c. What brings the greatest reward?

Next, make a list of those things you are doing in your life that don’t ‘solidly’ fit into one of the 3 R’s. You need to delegate or eliminate these things.

3. As the leader of your team, you need to take responsibility for prioritizing and thinking ahead in the area you are directing. Carve out regular, specific time to review priorities on an ongoing basis. It is not enough for you, the leader, to be successful. You have to help your team be successful.

Reference:

Maxwell, John. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Chapter 17- The Law of Priorities. Thomas Nelson, Nashville, TN; 2007

Forming the Right Team

Here lies a man who knew how to enlist the service of better men than himself. [Andrew Carnegie’s Tombstone]

Part of effective leadership is placing the right people around us, particularly those who are strong where we are weak.

-In Him

The Law Of The Big Mo

Law #16 of John Maxwell's The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership is:

The Law of The Big Mo: Momentum Is a Leader’s Best Friend

Maxwell explains with this law that, although a leader may have all the right people, passion and tools in place to realize a vision, unless there is actual movement forward in a real way toward that goal, he/she is ‘dead in the water’ as a leader.

“If you can’t get things going, you will not succeed.”

Truths About Momentum

“Why is momentum a leader’s best friend? Many times momentum is the only thing that makes the difference between losing and winning. When you have no momentum, even the simplest tasks seem impossible. Small problems look like insurmountable obstacles. Morale becomes low. ” It is just so hard to get going- like sitting on a swing, completely still- and trying to get started. “On the other hand, when you have momentum on your side, the future looks bright, obstacles appear small, and troubles seem inconsequential.” How easy is it to keep swinging once you are already going nice and high?

1. Momentum is the great exaggerator. When a team is on a roll, everything seems to work out. Every goal seems to be met. Every problem seems easily solved. Conversely, when a team is in a slump, with no momentum, nothing seems to work out. Every obstacle seems huge and difficult to overcome.

2. Momentum makes leaders look better than they are. When leaders have momentum on their side, they seem like geniuses. People are more willing to overlook mistakes and weaknesses. Young leaders often don’t get the credit they deserve…they do not yet have momentum…so, they don’t seem as capable.

3. Momentum helps followers perform better than they are. With strong leadership and momentum, team members will be motivated and inspired to perform at higher levels.

4. Momentum is easier to steer than to start. It is much easier to keep swinging high than it is to start swinging from a still position.

5. Momentum is the most powerful change agent. “Momentum puts victory within reach.” With proper momentum, any kind of change is possible. “People like to get on a winning band wagon.”

6. Momentum is the leader’s responsibility. Creating momentum requires vision, as well as the ability to assemble the right team and motivate others. The leader creates momentum; followers catch it.

7. Momentum begins inside the leader. “You cannot kindle a fire in any other heart until it is burning within your own.” –Eleanor Doan

“Leaders always find a way to make things happen.”

Applying the Law of The Big Mo to Your Life

1. Momemtum begins with the leader. Have you taken responsibility for the momentum in the area of which you are in charge? You must model the attitude and work ethic you would like to see in others.

2. Motivation is key in developing momentum. First, you need to remove any de-motivating factors. Can you identify any environmental/interpersonal issues that may be putting a damper on passion and motivation? Think about how to eliminate or change those into something nurturing.

3. Celebrating accomplishment is also necessary to build momentum. Make it a regular practice to acknowledge and celebrate accomplishments made by your team.

Reference:

Maxwell, John. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Chapter 16- The Law of The Big Mo. Thomas Nelson, Nashville, TN; 2007