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