Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Leadership is influence — nothing more, nothing less. The more I speak to leaders of all stripes, the more I’m reminded of the truth of this statement. No matter who you are, no matter where you serve, if you have influence with people, you can lead them.…

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What kind of legacy do you want to leave? Here in the United States, Father’s Day is almost here. And at this time of year, there’s always a lot of talk about the kind of legacy a father should leave for his children. But I believe the subject of legacy should apply to more than…

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What’s your highest calling as a leader? Well, I believe it’s being a servant leader. I often teach that leaders ask the question, “Will I help people?” But servant leaders ask, “HOW will I help people?” When you’re a servant leader, you do so much more than just make people a priority. You look for…

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Last time I wrote about the realities that we all must face before we can learn from loss: Life is difficult… for everyone… and for some more than others. Acceptance of those truths allows us to take the first steps toward dealing with and possibly changing our reality. Unfortunately, many of us make life more…

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To respect someone means to consider that person worthy of high regard or esteem. For a leader, respect is an absolutely crucial component of influence. Leading without respect is a little like trying to run in knee-deep mud…you tire quickly and go nowhere. Like most people, you have probably observed a boss or supervisor whose…

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“Reaching our potential sets an environment for others to reach theirs.”1 As leaders climb the ladder of the 5 Levels of Leadership, they pave the way for others to reach their potential. The process of building a new level upon the previous one showcases the steps by which others can follow. As high-level leaders reach…

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“True leadership cannot be awarded, appointed, or assigned. It comes only from influence, and that cannot be mandated. It must be earned. The only thing a title can buy is a little time-either to increase your level of influence with others or to undermine it.”1 Leadership is influence. Just because someone has a title, doesn’t…

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Leaders can only succeed if they are able to influence people at various levels in relation to them; above, below and side-by-side.  Leadership is influence and every leader has the opportunity to influence people at every level of a business, corporation or organization. At The John Maxwell Company, we call this leading from the middle…

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