Leaders are Multipliers (Ep. 24)

Episode 24: Leaders are Multipliers

 

1. Leaders Listen to Others

Leadership is not about being the smartest person in the room. It doesn’t matter how smart you are, if you don’t have people around you to get the job done. 

“Leaders who don't listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say.” - Andy Stanley

If you want to be a great leader, you have to help people take your lead. 

The first thing that I look for in others is something that they can bring to the team that I don’t have. 

Here’s the real question. Can you keep your mouth shut long enough to let other people give you their ideas? Because I can tell you, there are a lot more ideas than you think in your company. 

It’s not just enough to listen to somebody, you have to be able to hear them as well. There is a difference.

Listen to hear. Don’t listen to respond. 

You have to remember that the only reason that you are the leader is because people have chosen to follow you. Otherwise, you are just a glorified manager. And if you want people to follow you, they need to believe that you understand them. They don’t care how smart you are, or how smart you think you are.

Your job as a leader is to do more than listen, it’s to hear what your people are saying, not filter it through what you want to hear. Get your ego out of the way and start listening to people more.

 

2. Leaders Lift Others Up

"The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership." ~Harvey S. Firestone

Nothing will be more important than developing your people. 

QUESTION 1: Do you feel called to leadership? 

QUESTION 2: When is the last time that you recognize somebody for the great work that they are doing? 

“Catch people doing something right” - Blanchard and Johnson, The One Minute Manager

 

3. Leaders Lean into Others

Your people already know your weaknesses. 

So, if you are not honest about what you are good at and what you are bad at, trust me, I will know very fast by listening to what your people say about you. 

Andy Stanly says that the higher up in the company you are, the further removed from reality you are. 

The best thing that comes out of the self-assessment exercise is that I hope leaders at that point realize that they need to lean on others. 

Remember, leaders who strive to bring out the best in others also need to lean on those people and let them excel at what they do. 

Every obstacle will be seen at new angles when you let others apply their thoughts and resources to those problems. You can only think one way. 

 

MO’s Final Thoughts:

If you want to be a multiplier of everything around you, you have to take the focus off of yourself. Always remember that when you push her focus outward, it leaves little room for you to be selfish. We want the best people. That’s where a leader's pride should be, in his or her people. Because we never want to forget what the great coach John Wooden said, “the star of the team is the team.”

 

Amazon Book Links:

The One Minute Manager, Blanchard and Johnson - https://amzn.to/3oASlsL

The Five Levels of Leadership, John Maxwell - https://amzn.to/2YMuoTs

Mother Teresa: An Authorized Biography, Kathryn Spink - https://amzn.to/3u0jpmB

 

Special thanks to:

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