The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership From John Maxwell Summarised

John C. Maxwell is a best-selling author, coach, and speaker who has sold over 24 million books in fifty languages. Maxwell, dubbed "America's #1 Leadership Authority," was named the world's most popular leadership expert by Inc. magazine in 2014, and he has been named the top leadership professional for the past six years.

Here are his 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership:

The Law of the Lid

It argues that our potential has a ceiling or limit that is defined by our capacity to lead. As our leadership skills improve, so does our ability to make a difference in the world. If our capacity to lead remains stagnant, so does our ability to have a greater effect.

The Law of Influence.

Influence is defined as the ability or power to bring about the desired outcome. This law is mentioned several times throughout the book by Maxwell. Simply put, it states that impact is the ultimate measure of leadership—nothing more, nothing less. Influence is what allows a leader to achieve his or her objectives and aspirations, yet without it, a leader lacks the weapons to get there.

The Law of Process

Leaders are lifelong learners, and their ability to grow and enhance their abilities sets them apart from their followers. Learning is a continuous process that requires self-discipline and effort. “If I need to be encouraged to make moves ahead, I'll attend an event,” says Maxwell. If I need to improve, I'll start with a plan and stick to it.” “What is one small thing you can do more of that would have a good influence on your life or your business?” Maxwell asks. Is there anything you could quit doing that would have the same effect?” Both are critical as we seek to improve a little more each day.

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The Law of Navigation

Anyone can sail a ship, but it takes a leader to meticulously plan the course, determining where they want to go and the most efficient route to get there. This is true for both individuals and groups of leaders. “If the leader can't steer the people through difficult waters, he is likely to wreck the ship,” says Maxwell.

The Law of Addition

The law of addition is concerned with helping others, not with helping ourselves. Leadership is a form of service to others, and a good leader is concerned with adding value to others. Where we can provide the most value to others is the ideal location to serve. Leaders offer value to others through appreciating and responding to the values of others. True leaders ponder the question, "How can I serve?" It's less about "What's in it for me" since they're focused on service.

The Law of Solid Ground

A solid character is built on a foundation of integrity, sincerity, and discipline. Leadership is built on the basis of trust. It is either earned or not. Trust is built on the foundation of character. We develop character by being really honest, even when it is painful. To be genuine, we must be ourselves with everyone, rather than attempting to be someone we aren't. Discipline comes from doing what needs to be done, regardless of how much we like it.

The Law of Respect

Individuals naturally follow people with leadership abilities and qualities stronger than their own, therefore we must be strong and deserving of respect if we want people to respect us, have a good opinion of us, and be eager to follow our lead. It is not by chance that one chooses those to follow. People follow those who have leadership qualities they like and respect, and who they believe are more deserving of respect than they are.

The Law of Intuition

Great leaders have intuition, or the feeling that they should choose a specific path. The ability to perceive the actual character of a person or circumstance is known as intuition. Intuition, like every other leadership characteristic, can be cultivated. Leadership intuition is that inner idea or insight that allows you to make a specific change in your company or know what to do in a particularly difficult situation. To have faith in oneself, one's intuition, and one's instincts.

The Law of Magnetism. Maxwell describes leaders as magnets. They are constantly attracting followers and often attracting new leaders to themselves. It is because of this that organizations experience growth. However, we attract people like ourselves, so if we want to attract great people, we must ourselves be great.

The Law of Connection

To connect is to bring or link two things together, to get along, to be on the same page. In leadership, making a relationship with another person is critical. A CEO who fails to emotionally connect with his employees is doomed to fail, since we can't expect others to follow us until we connect with them first. “Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand,” says Maxwell.

The Law of the Inner Circle

It claims that our leadership capacity is determined by people closest to us. They should be individuals who care about our well-being, want us to achieve, and can hold us accountable. Our ability to lead is based on a combination of what we know and what we don't know. It also depends on our inner circle's abilities and how tightly they are related to one another. Mother Teresa gave us an illustration of the rule of the inner circle when she remarked, "You can do what I can't do." What you can't do, I can. We can achieve amazing things if we work together.

The Law of Empowerment

Many of us are constrained by our inability to give up anything, whether it's a desire to hoard information and skills to assure job stability, a fear of change, or a lack of self-worth or poor self-esteem. Giving people the means, power, or opportunity to achieve something is referred to as empowerment. To empower others, we must first trust ourselves, and then trust others to follow through with managing procedures and duties.

The Law of the Picture

People do not act on what they hear; instead, they act on what they see. Leaders provide an example for others to follow. As a result, we must embody our beliefs in order to paint a picture of what will motivate others to follow our lead.

The Law of Buy-In

To get support for our ideas, vision, and strategy, others must first believe in us before deciding to support our ideas, vision, and plan. “Leadership is a strong blend of strategy and character,” says General H. Norman Schwarzkopf. If you have to be without one, at least be without strategy.” When people do not buy in to the leader or the leader's vision, the law of the buy-in causes them to do one of the following: look for another leader; look for another leader when they do not buy-in to the leader but do buy-in to the vision; seek to change the vision when they buy-in to the leader but not the vision; or support the leader and the vision when they buy-in to the leader but not the vision.

The Law of Victory

Leaders figure out a method for the team to succeed. True leaders are driven by a desire to succeed. Winston Churchill is one of the best examples of a victorious leader. “Never, Never, Never Give Up!” and “The Harder The Battle, The Sweeter The Victory!” are two of his most famous statements. “Victory At Any Cost, Victory In The Face Of All Terror, Victory No Matter How Long Or Hard The Road Is: For Without Victory There Is No Survival.” According to Abe Lincoln, one of his generals' leadership grabbed victory from the jaws of loss by not having a hunger for success.

The Law of Big Mo

We're in danger if we don't get things rolling, even if we have all the enthusiasm, equipment, and people we need. Momentum is a close companion of effective leaders, and Big Mo is "Momentum." When we lack momentum, even the simplest activities appear daunting, and minor issues appear to be massive barriers. When we have momentum on our side, though, the future appears bright, obstacles appear little, and problems appear insignificant. Creating momentum need a visionary who can build a strong team and encourage others. Momentum begins with the ability to produce and celebrate tiny victories in order to demonstrate constant progress, which is a powerful motivator.

The Law of Priorities

Many people are so preoccupied that they are unable to complete vital tasks. They are unable to concentrate, which can only lead to failure. Being busy is ineffective compared to focusing on what is most essential. Even when the task at hand is challenging or even painful, becoming laser-focused on a clear objective leads to more success, faster. The 80/20 rule is well-known. It states that 80% of our efforts will result in 20% of our outcomes and that 20% of our activities will result in 80% of our results. The objective is to find the 20% of our operations that provide us with the best return on investment and eliminate or delegate the rest.

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The Law of Sacrifice

Freedom is exchanged for responsibility by leaders. In any group of more than one person, the larger the group becomes and the higher we rise, the more willing we must be to give up. To advance, a leader must give up. “It is simpler to move from failure to success than it is to get from excuses to success,” argues Maxwell. This is something I'd never considered before, but it makes a lot of sense. There is no progress without sacrifice. “Am I creating excuses or am I hesitant to make the sacrifices that will bring me from where I am to where I want to be?” is a question that comes up for me.

The Law of Timing

It's just as vital to know when to lead as it is to know what to do and where to go. Effective leaders understand when to grasp the moment, when to go forward and when to back off, what to change and how drastic those improvements should be, because not all situations are made equal. Higher-level leaders frequently see opportunities and hazards before others, see them more clearly and completely than others, and see them further than others. This enables people to begin planning earlier, see more alternatives, and plan and prioritize for the future, both short and long term.

The Law of Explosive Growth

A good leader understands that creating leaders around him or her will exponentially increase the number of leaders in the organization. Leaders who draw followers expand by addition, but leaders who produce leaders grow by multiplication, according to the Law of Explosive Growth. This is referred to as "Leader's Math" by Maxwell. Leaders are hard to come by, and many people prefer to fly solo. Leaders, for the most part, enjoy change, which is one of the reasons why so many businesses struggle to retain their top executives. When top leaders continue to improve, more junior leaders have the opportunity to do so as well.

The law of Legacy

Because they decided to have an influence on the world, leaders who leave a lasting legacy leave an everlasting mark on our hearts. Leaders that follow the rule of legacy, according to Maxwell, are few. Those who follow the law of legacy, on the other hand, leave a legacy of success in their companies, families, friends, and the world at large. What causes this to happen? These individuals lead with the future in mind. They cultivate a leadership culture within their organizations. They pay a price to ensure long-term success. And they understand that a leader's lasting value can only be measured by how well the organization performed after the leader has passed away.

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