21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

CNS 4262

UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership

Published in 2007, author John C. Maxwell provides expert insights on leadership in his New York Times Bestseller book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.  Maxwell categorizes the composition of leadership by offering a detailed analysis of the twenty-one laws that govern a leader’s personal and organizational effectiveness.  With an emphasis on personal development, Maxwell breaks down each unique law into easily understandable sections with exercises on how to apply the laws at the end of each chapter.

Maxwell begins with The Law of the Lid in order to help illustrate the value of leadership.  He claims a person’s effectiveness is directly determined by one’s leadership ability, or the “lid”.  A person with strong leadership skills has a much higher lid of potential effectiveness than a person with inadequate leadership traits. This is because a single person can have only a marginal impact of what could be achieved with good leadership.  The more influence one has gained, the more effective a person can potentially become which will ultimately have a greater impact within their organization.  The value of leadership is huge and The Law of Influence demonstrates how leadership is measured.  Maxwell quite frankly states, “The true measure of leadership is influence−nothing more, nothing less” (16).   This is true because influence is absolutely essential in leadership.  If a person does not have influence, it would be impossible to lead.  Identifying a true leader may be difficult at times but one must only look at the followers to gain an accurate perspective of who the true leader is.

Leadership is not a phenomenon that happens overnight.  Leadership is a process.  It is developed and achieved in our day to day agenda, not some great defining moment.  Maxwell uses the stock market as an analogy of The Law of Process.  For the most part, one does not get rich in the stock market overnight and same goes for leadership.  There are many facets that make up leadership, each of which must be cultivated and developed continually.  Successful leaders are ones who are always willing to learn and progress.  Maxwell writes of certain leadership events and how they can be a successful catalyst, however; one must rely on the process of constant development throughout life to achieve lasting empowerment.  In addition to a leader’s own process, a leader must also map the process of their followers.  “Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course” (35).  The Law of Navigation speaks about a leader’s vision and planning.  Not only do leaders chart the course, but they understand what is needed to get there and foresee any obstacles that may arise along the way.  For large companies especially, a leader must be able to see far ahead because often times it is difficult to change direction when there are so many resources vested in a chosen path.  Much of a successful navigation relies on preparation.  Being well prepared will instill confidence in the followers, greatly increase the chance of success, and enable a leader to navigate almost anywhere.