21 Weeks of Leadership: Week 1 Recap and Week 2 Challenge

Last Monday we talked about the Law of the Lid, and vowed to raise our lids, to improve our leadership by learning more.

Week 1 recap: Law of the Lid

What did I do to raise my leadership lid this past week?
This challenge is one way I raised my lid. By putting out a weekly goal, I have to write and read every week. That's one way I raised my lid.

Another way I raised my lid is by working through a program to learn how to improve my communication and storytelling skills, so I can better reach my team. It's a 10 CD set, with a workbook, so I'm not quite done with it yet, but it's very helpful thus far.

That kept me busy this week. What about you? What did you do to raise your leadership lid?

Week 2 challenge: The Law of Influence

Looking at this law, it seems to be a little more observational than practical, but let's dive in anyway.

One of the questions in the checklist in Dr. Maxwell's 21 Irrefutable Law of Leadership Workbook is the question "Is my influence growing?" Some of the other questions in this lesson's checklist include "I make mistakes, but I do not make the same mistake twice," "I feel I am understood as a leader," and "Most of the key leaders in the organization agree with my leadership."

As first thought, it looks like this week's question is one you may not be able to practice, it's just something you'll need to observe and answer for yourself. That doesn't mean you can take a week off, it just means you'll need to pay attention and observe for yourself.

Stay tuned for another lesson next Monday.

Update! Many, many thanks to our JJL art and graphics editor Tim Milburn for the new artwork he developed for our leadership challenge! If you are participating in this project, feel free to post on your own site as well!

Here is a smaller option:

[Phil Gerbyshak is a public speaker and author of the book 10 Ways to Make It Great! Additionally he writes personal empowerment articles most days at Make It Great! and recently started sharing management tips and tricks at Slacker Manager. No doubt this 21 week challenge will stretch Phil, and he's betting it will stretch you too!]

Comments

[Joanna Young]

Phil, I didn't sign up for your challenge but I have been thinking about it.

Not sure if it was consciously lifting my lid or not, but I definitely went an extra mile this week by reaching deeper into my source (as Rosa would put it)to find the right words to connect with and hopefully inspire other people. I've had lots of amazing feedback in different ways which suggests the lid lifting did make a difference. I'll try and keep it up there!

Joanna

[April Groves]

Joanna - If you goal is to inspire, I count count at least one place where you are bust through with great success!!

I work on Lifting my lid by doing one not so simple act - I am making the decision to stop holding it shut! The only ceilings I have are the ones I have created myself. I have banished the phrases that are self defeating
*Well, I am not really sure about this (when I am)
*This is all new to me (when I know what I know works)
*not sure that was really helpful(when I know that it was!)

[Phil Gerbyshak]

Joanna - sounds like you definitely lifted your lid! GREAT for you!

April - you are a lid lifter for sure. You go, and share it with us and take us where you're going!

[Rosa Say]

Well Phil, found myself in Barnes & Noble this afternoon after teaching one of my MWA classes, and they owe whatever profit they made on this book sale from me to you!

To me the essence of this second law is what’s atop page 14: “True leadership cannot be awarded, appointed, or assigned. It comes only from influence, and that can’t be mandated. It must be earned.”

There is usually a lot of “practice” that goes before we effectively earn anything; and Phil, it seems to me that his first example of Princess Diana is about something you are very doggedly committed to – the practice of cultivating relationships which widen your circle of influence. It's similar to what Keith Ferrazzi talks about - build it before you need it. In Princess Diana's case, she cultivated relationships with those who could advance her causes.

Then, in those 5 misconceptions/myths he debunks, we are challenged with the action of throwing off the shackles of any self-imposed beliefs that may limit us - especially those proven to be untrue.

As a side note to all of this, what I noticed in several of the books on Maxwell’s full shelf at the bookstore, was how many of them he has “written” through his writer Charlie Wetzel. Prolific writing can actually mean prolific idea generation, with the actual production being akin to manufacturing and outsourcing … perhaps that’s a way that Maxwell raised his own leadership lid :)

[Phil Gerbyshak]

So glad you picked up a copy of this great book Rosa. There are so many lessons, it's tough to pick just one as a favorite. Raising my lid by surrounding myself with smart people is as close as I get.

And yes, it is amazing how often Dr. Maxwell "writes" with Charlie. It's all about focusing on your strengths, and, like I mention in my book, surrounding yourself with those who can help you as much as possible can help you make it great.

It's one of the reasons I try my hardest to be part of the community here at JJLN.

Many thanks to Tim for your graphical genius! WOW!