The Power of Leadership

According to John Maxwell, "People don't at first follow worthy causes. They follow worthy leaders who promote causes they can believe in."

All of our accomplishments as human beings begin with connection. This is especially true of leadership. Particularly in times of challenge, people look for leaders they can believe in. John Maxwell calls this principle the Law of Buy-In. You can read more about it in "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership."

Leadership Response

Over the last two years, we've seen this law play out in powerful ways and we have been humbled to be part of it. In 2018, we were asked to help support and, in some cases, lead small business redevelopment efforts in Fort McMurray (Wood Buffalo Region). In our work with the Region through Community Futures Wood Buffalo, our first goal was to show we understood the results entrepreneurs and the small business community wanted. They wanted full business recovery from the impact of the 2016 wildfires and lengthy evacuation.

We arrived with an attitude that we wanted to add value. We cited proven results throughout our lifetime of community and small-business leadership work. The whole community came together to make it happen because that is what buy-in does. It brings people together.

Shared Vision

As John Maxwell said it would, it began with leaders willing to show they are worthy. We did not visit the community; we became part of it. We lived there and shopped there and formed relationships with the people. Through many touch points with community and business leaders, we were able to collectively agree upon a common purpose and vision of what would be achieved. We committed ourselves through countless hours of service to the community, entrepreneurs and small businesses.

We gained their buy-in and continue to sustain their buy-in even now that we no longer live in the area. Our fourth Live2Lead Wood Buffalo event will be held in Fort McMurray on November 6, 2019. This event brings together like-minded people with world-class leadership experts. It is just one way we will continue to build relationships and make a difference in the Wood Buffalo area.

Earning Credibility

Buy-in is not a one-time event. It requires continual effort. Have you given the people who rely on your leadership enough reasons to buy into you? Here are some ways you can earn credibility as leader:

1. Develop a good relationship with each person. As a leader, you often share ideas with groups, but it's the individual relationships that hold everything together. Our involvement in the daily life of the community fostered buy-in from the people in Wood Buffalo.
2. Be authentic and develop trust. Worthy leaders gain buy-in because of who they are and how they act. They show up with an attitude of adding value always. Our first step in Fort McMurray was to listen to community and business leaders.
3. Hold yourself to high standards and set a good example. All great leaders know they can't lead others until they are able to effectively lead themselves. Within the Wood Buffalo community, we leveraged our global contacts and experiences to deliver leadership training. By providing access to encouragement and motivation from other world-class business leaders, we held ourselves and all of the leaders in the community to the highest standards.
4. Give people tools to do their job better. As part of the Wood Buffalo community, we developed and delivered tools and training to help entrepreneurs manage the key elements of their business.
5. Help people achieve their goals. Rebuilding a community after a crisis like the wildfires in Fort McMurray comes down to individuals and their goals. We worked with entrepreneurs and business leaders to help them achieve their goals, which was good for the community as a whole.
6. Develop other leaders. All of our efforts in Fort McMurray were about leadership, but the Live2Lead event was particularly powerful. Participants left with new perspectives, practical tools, and key takeaways that equipped them to dream bigger and reach higher.

 "If you are entrusted with bringing about change, you likely possess the knowledge needed to advance the organization, and you might have a plan—but knowledge is not enough. You have to bring yourself to each interaction in a deeply authentic way. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." – Doug Conant

Call to Action:

In the coming week, consider how well you earn credibility as a leader:

1. What can you do to hold yourself to even higher standards than you do now?
2. Are you giving people the tools they need to do their job better? If you're not sure, ask them.
3. What are you doing to develop other leaders in your organization?

The best is yet to come. It starts with you.

Your friends,
UpCloseTeam

Want to learn more about reaching your true potential and growing as a leader? Check out our most popular blogs below!

Pursuing the Greatness Within

How Leaders Navigate an Uncertain World

Criticism and the Great Leader