Who Do You Follow?

In times of change, people look to leaders who are stronger than themselves.

John C. Maxwell calls this the Law of Respect. As he says, "People don't follow others by accident. They follow individuals whose leadership they respect."

You can easily spot true leaders in difficult times. They are the people who bravely put forward fresh ideas and dare to move in a new direction. They might act alone at first, but soon others follow.

How to Gain Respect

In "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership", John C. Maxwell identifies ways in which leaders build respect, but the respect comes first from within through self-knowledge. It is an inside job.

To foster respect, focus on developing these qualities within yourself:

1. Leaders respect others. They do not have to force others to follow them. Instead, they show respect for others and respect comes back to them. As author Bryant H. McGill says, "One of the most sincere forms of respect is actually listening to what another has to say."
2. Leaders act with courage. Leaders do what is right. They face the challenges and keep going. When they do, others gain confidence and hope.
3. Leaders have a proven record of success. Respect is earned. Leaders show their ability to create success and others have confidence in them as a result.
4. Leaders are loyal. They are absolutely trustworthy and reliable. In a culture of change, it can be easy to lose sight of the immeasurable value of consistency. Leaders stick with the team until the task is done. They believe in their teams and remain present to support them.
5. Leaders are dedicated to helping others. You can spot a true leader by how quickly they reach out to help people. They look for ways they can add value and dedicate themselves to doing that for the whole team.

The UpCloseTeam

For several years, Jon has been providing lending leadership training across Western Canada. When COVID hit, many requests for this training had to be cancelled because of the restrictions on people gathering together.

Out of respect for others and as a sign of loyalty, Jon put the Community Futures Developmental Lending Leaders Course and the Community Futures Developmental Lending Leaders Mentorship Program he would have delivered in person online. He facilitated the programs online.

People appreciated his courage in reacting to the changed work environment and they had faith in his proven record of success. There has been high interest in attending these online training opportunities. In fact, Jon has often had to put people on a waiting list. Because he is dedicated to helping people learn, Jon limits the class size for the online programs.

Call to Action

1. In the coming weeks, how will you demonstrate respect for others?
2. How will you act with courage?
3. What will you do to show others you are loyal?
4. What will you do to help those around you?

Your Friends,
The UpCloseTeam