Leadership is not a popularity contest. It’s about being able to lead and inspire others, regardless of who they are or what they believe.
John Maxwell’s book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, is the culmination of more than 30 years of research into what makes a great leader. In this article, you’ll see a brief look at the 21 Laws of Leadership that thousands of leaders have tested for decades. You’ll learn how to enhance your positive impact on your people, whether you’re leading a small team or an entire corporation.
1. The Law of the Lid
“Leadership ability determines a person’s level of effectiveness.”
It’s essential to continue developing yourself as a leader not just because it’s exciting but because it allows you to make a more significant difference in the lives of others. The more you learn about leadership and how it works, the more you become effective. Opportunities will open up for you to lead people in ways that can truly change them and their communities for the better.
2. The Law of Influence
“The true measure of leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less.”
Influence is the ability that makes influential leaders capable of achieving their goals. It’s about convincing people to believe in you. For your followers to be motivated, they must believe in what you’re doing and why it matters. If they don’t believe in your vision and purpose, there is no point in following you.
Have that influence because that’s what moves organizations forward.
3. The Law of Process
“Leadership develops daily, not in a day.”
This law is one of the essential principles in leadership development. Leaders are made by the choices they make each day. I have seen leaders born like Abraham Lincoln, one of the greatest presidents of the United States.
But I have also seen many people become great leaders over time. It means that no matter how good of a leader you are, there will always be more to learn and more to improve upon. And yes, it takes time to master your leadership skills.
You can use your skills to help others grow and develop as a leader. You can increase productivity and morale in your team or organization by providing motivation and guidance.
You can make decisions that benefit everyone involved with your company or organization, not just those who report directly to you. You can positively impact those around you by being an example of what it looks like when someone puts others first.
4. The Law of Navigation
“Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to start a course.”
I believe the ability to navigate people through rough waters and difficulties is essential. I have seen leaders who know how to navigate people through rough waters and are very successful.
As great leaders, you should be able to guide everyone in the right direction so that the team won’t sink or no one gets lost or hurt along the way.
5. The Law of Addition
“Leaders add value by serving others.”
The most outstanding leaders are not those who are appointed to lead. But instead, they are those who are appointed to serve. A real leader creates value and improves the lives of those around them through their actions and words.
Whether you are a parent or spouse who leads the family, a manager who oversees the staff member, or a coach who pushes athletes to reach new heights, you have to serve as a catalyst for growth in some way or another because servant leadership is the best form of leadership.
6. The Law of Solid Ground
“Trust is the foundation of leadership.”
Trust motivates people to follow leadership, ensuring they’ll do so with enthusiasm and confidence.
Trust isn’t something that can be demanded or forced. It is earned over time by consistently demonstrating your trustworthiness through actions.
If people don’t believe you have their best interests at heart, they won’t listen to anything else you say.
And the only way to build trust is by showing up every day with your best self, not only in what you do but also in how you treat others. That means being honest, open, transparent, and having a strong sense of integrity.
7. The Law of Respect
“People naturally follow leaders stronger than themselves.”
To lead, we must be strong. Strong enough to keep our heads up when everyone else is looking down. Strong enough to inspire others and make them want to follow you, even if it means going against their instincts.
And that kind of strength doesn’t just come from within. It comes from knowing who you are, what you want, and what’s important to you.
Respect is earned when you consistently portray yourself with indispensable qualities of a leader, with good character, clear visions, and admitting wrong actions.
8. The Law of Intuition
“Leaders evaluate everything with a leadership bias.”
Leaders are not only equipped to make quick decisions, but they’re also uniquely positioned to make the right ones. Leaders are constantly looking at situations through the lens of leadership. They know they’re not always right, but they also know that their instincts are usually right. They trust their instincts because they’ve learned to listen to them over their years of leadership experience. To be a better leader, you must cultivate your leadership ability and inner wisdom to make better decisions for yourself and your teams at work.
9. The Law of Connection
“Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand.”
Understand and use this law to build deep relationships with your team members and inspire them to go above and beyond what they thought was possible. Remember, it is not just about developing relationships with people. It’s about understanding how to connect with them on an emotional level so that they’re willing to follow your lead.
10. The Law of Magnetism
“Who you are is who you attract.”
It’s all about how we think, how we feel, and what we do. Each one of us can draw to ourselves the people we want in our lives, the ones who will help us achieve our goals and who have similar beliefs, values, and attitudes.
If you focus on positive things, good things will come to you. So if you want to change the people in your life, the first step is to start changing your mindset and behavior. Remember, our thoughts and feelings about ourselves are the ultimate determinants of how our lives unfold.
11. The Law of the Inner Circle
“A leader’s potential is determined by those closest to him.”
Maxwell asserts that if you want to be an effective leader, you must surround yourself with people who are loyal and capable of helping you reach your goals. You can accomplish anything if you have the right people around you. Indeed, we can’t do everything alone. It’s a lesson that Mother Teresa knew well: “You can do what I can’t do. I can do what you can’t do. Together we can do great things.” It is the philosophy of teamwork in action and is one of the famous quotes in a team. By working together, we can accomplish things we never thought possible.
12. The Law of Empowerment
“Only secure leaders give power to others.”
Secure leaders are the only ones who can empower others because they have enough confidence in themselves and their abilities to dole out responsibility without worrying about losing control over the outcome. Leaders who don’t empower their teams are insecure and often sabotage their team members’ success to keep control of things themselves.
Have you ever wondered what kind of leader you are? Maxwell defines two types of leaders: transactional and transformational. The former is concerned with getting things done by giving orders and expecting results; the latter is concerned with helping others grow into their roles and empowering them to get things done.
13. The Law of the Picture
“People do what people see.”
If you want to get someone to do something, show them what it looks like. It means you need to model the behavior you want from others. If you want your followers to be creative and innovative, you need to be creative and imaginative. Showing people what it looks like to achieve success will increase their likelihood of success, and you can do this by modeling the behaviors that lead toward success yourself.
14. The Law of Buy-in
“People buying to leaders then the vision.”
People buy from the best leaders, and when people buy into a leader’s vision, they are willing to go the extra mile. To motivate your team, it’s important to sell them on the vision. Buy-in isn’t something you can order. You can earn it over time by demonstrating genuine concern for your team members.
15. The Law of Victory
“Leaders find a way for the team to win.”
Leaders must be able to read people and situations to lead them through adversity and into success. The ability to think outside the box is vital to achieving victory. You need to be able to find a way for the team to win, even if it means doing things differently than you’ve always done them before.
16. The Law of the Big Mo
“Momentum is a leader’s best friend.”
Maxwell defines momentum as “the force that causes motion and keeps things moving in the same direction over time.” Momentum will lead to more positive results and better performance in the future.
Use the law of the big mo to your advantage by focusing on small wins. The key to building momentum is having the right mindset, starting small and then building on what you’ve already done, knowing when to take risks and when not to take them, and working hard at what matters most.
17. The Law of Priorities
“Leaders understand that activity is not necessarily accomplishment.”
If your team isn’t productive, it doesn’t mean they aren’t working hard. It could be because their priorities are not in order. It is crucial to focus on the right things at the right time.
According to Maxwell, there are three steps to mastering this law:
1) Make sure you have defined your goal clearly and precisely.
2) Eliminate distractions that could get in your way of accomplishing your goal.
3) Identify what needs to be done first so you can set priorities among different tasks.
18. The Law of Sacrifice
“A leader must give up to go up.”
You have to be willing to give up things that make you comfortable, like your time, energy, and even your self-interests, and put those resources into serving others.
If you want to grow, then you have to be willing to let go of things that are important to you. To get something good, you must give up something good.
19. The Law of Timing
“When to lead is as important as what to do and where to go.”
When you’re leading a team or group of people, it’s not just about your skills and knowledge of the field. It’s also about understanding when the right time is to step up and take charge.
If you’re not leading at the right time, either because you’re too early or too late, then your team may not be able to reach its full potential.
20. The Law of Explosive Growth
“To add growth, lead followers–to multiply, lead leaders.”
It is a powerful principle that can help you multiply your impact. Good leaders should be focused on multiplying their influence rather than adding to it.
Cultivate and guide the growth of your followers. You should focus on helping them become capable of leadership. To multiply your efforts and reach more people, you must lead leaders to see your organization reach its full potential.
21. The Law of Legacy
“A leader’s lasting value is measured by succession.”
Maxwell explains that there are two types of legacies: positive and negative.
A positive legacy motivates others to do good things, while a negative one leaves behind something discouraging people from doing good things.
I’m sure you want to leave the first type of legacy. What are you going to do to realize it? Simple but powerful. You must pass on your knowledge so that others can continue their work and shape them into new leaders who can carry out your vision.
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