Fraternity & Sorority Leadership / The Development and Growth as a Leader

The higher the leadership, the greater the effectiveness

Law of the Lid

Leadership ability is the lid that determines a person’s level of effectiveness. The lower an individual’s ability to lead, the lower the lid of his or her potential. The higher the leadership, the greater the effectiveness.  To give you an example, if your leadership rates at an 8, then your effectiveness can never be greater than a 7. If your leadership is only a 4, then your effectiveness will be no higher than a 3. You leadership ability, for better or for worse, always determines your effectiveness and the potential impact of your organization.

To reach the highest level of effectiveness, you have to raise the lid of leadership ability.

The way you do that is…

Leadership develops daily, not in a day. You have to work at it, learn, and invest in your leadership development. Leadership is complicated. It has many facets:  respect, experience, emotional strength, people skills, discipline, vision, momentum, timing, and the list goes on. That’s why it requires you to continually grow and develop.

Four phases of leadership growth…

Phase 1- I don’t know what I don’t know

People fail to recognize the value of leadership. The feel it’s only for a few and therefore don’t grow and develop as a leader. Leadership, however, is about influence and everyone has influence.

Phase 2- I know what I don’t know

Placed in a leadership position where no one is following. Realize we need to learn how to lead. So the process starts. English Prime Minister Benjamin Disreali wisely commented, “To be conscious that you are ignorant of the facts is the greatest step to knowledge.”

Successful leaders are learners. And the learning process is on-going, a result of self-discipline and perseverance.

Phase 3- I grow and know and it starts to show

When you recognize your lack of skill and begin the daily discipline of personal growth in leadership, exciting things start to happen. Lifelong learner of leadership.

Phase 4- I simply go because of what I know

Phase 3, pretty effective but you have to think about every move you make. Ability to lead becomes automatic

Leadership ability is not static. Everyone has the potential but it requires perseverance.

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