I was reading John Maxwell’s The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership to prepare for a coaching session with a client last week and I got reinvigorated by his Law of Addition. He said we add value to others when we 1) truly value others, 2) make ourselves more valuable to others, 3) know and relate to what others value, and 4) do things that God values.
Maxwell is a proponent of servant leadership. People follow you when they believe in you. Why should someone believe in you? One reason is that you believe in them. You have to give it to get it. People need to feel they are valued by you and if you don’t do this first step, you won’t get a chance to do the other three.
I think we have an opportunity today to help people help themselves by showing them we value their ability. As another client told me last week, we usually have everything we need to do what is right, but we need someone to believe in us and ask us the right questions so we have confidence in ourselves. Helping someone be the best they can be should be our highest priority as leaders as well as individuals. Whether it be our children, our spouses, our friends, our coworkers, or our bosses. By adding value to others, we make ourselves more valuable as well. Leaders with exceptional followers are always in demand.
