January 2014 Leadership Connect

Gain Respect From Everyone Around You. Up, Down, And Sideways

"The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between, the leader is a servant." ~Max de Pree

"Influence is the ability to change other people's thoughts, beliefs, and actions." ~Chris Widener's

"The key to successful leadership is influence, not authority." ~Kenneth H. Blanchard

"The secret of my influence has always been that it remained secret." ~Salvador Dalí

"A parent gives life. A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops." ~Henry Adams

"The seeds you sow determine the harvest that you reap." ~John Maxwell

"I believe each of us is born with a life purpose. Identifying, acknowledging, and honoring this purpose is perhaps the most important action successful people take." ~Jack Canfield

How would you like to be the guy or gal in the room that when you speak people listen? What difference would it make in your life to have the respect in your office or classroom, and from your work associates that you feel you deserve?

Influence is a matter of disposition not position. Leadership is a choice you make not a place that you sit. In other words, just as effective communication is more a learned skill than natural talent, so is leadership more a choice than it is a position. Yet those who are inexperienced in leadership think that it is in fact a position, rather than a decision in how we choose to treat people. Therefore even a position or title does not guarantee that you will have influence with your people and certainly will not protect you. John Maxwell teaches that "Leadership is Influence, nothing more and nothing less."

The question is, if leadership is influence then how do you and I increase our influence and respect with those that we lead or teach, and even those over us? The answer is to add value to them. Add value to your boss, add value to your work associates, add value to those whom you lead, if you are a teacher in a classroom add value to your students. Desire to understand their needs and connect through understanding needs. This adding value behavior along with hard work is a choice that you make and will certainly distinguish you from all the rest and will give you more confidence and credibility which are both keys to better relationships.

For more on this, I highly recommend 360 Degree Leader by John Maxwell available at under products.