I love leadership and being around leaders. I will be posting each Tuesday on the subject of “Leadership”.
John Maxwell is one of the most influential voices in leadership today. I love reading his material. Today’s post comes directly out of one of his books, “The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork.” You see, a leader is not a leader if no one is following. Every great leader has a great team behind him or her. I would encourage you to pick up this book if you are interested in building & surrounding yourself with an effective team.
Taken from Chapter 2 “The Law Of The Big Picture”,
Page 20-21.
Page 20-21.
“ If you think you are the entire picture, you will never see the big picture.”
What’s Up With Big Picture Teams?
So how do people start to become a more unified team? How do individuals make the shift from independent people to team players who exemplify the Law of the Big Picture? It’s not something that happens overnight. It takes time. Here is my best take on how to get the process started.
1. Look Up at the Big Picture.
Everything starts with vision. You need to have a goal. Without one you cannot have a real team. Hall of fame catcher Yogi Berra joked, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up somewhere else.” An individual without a goal may end up anywhere. A group of individuals without a goal can go nowhere. On the other hand, if everyone in a group embraces the vision for achieving the big picture, then the people have the potential to become an effective team.
Leaders usually have the role of capturing and communicating vision. They must see it first and then help everyone else to see it. That was what Winston Churchill did when he spoke to the coal miners during the war. That was what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did as he spoke to people about his dream from the steps of the Lincoln Monument in Washington, D.C. That was what GE CEO Jack Welch did when he let his people know that a division of GE that couldn’t be first or second in its market wouldn’t be a part of GE. The people on a team will sacrifice and work together only if they can see what they’re working toward.
If you are the leader of your team, your role is to do what only you can do: Paint the big picture for your people. Without the vision they will not find the desire to achieve the goal.
That’s it for now. I hope this inspires you to start leading with vision.
Blessings!
~ Pastor Matt
Blessings!
~ Pastor Matt
