Give Up to Go Up
Law of Sacrifice
By John C. Maxwell
Philippine Daily Inquirer
If you desire to become the best leader you can be, then you need to be willing to make sacrifices in order to lead well. If that is your desire, then here are some things you need to know:
1. There Is No Success Without Sacrifice: Leaders must give up to go up. Talk to leaders, and you will find that they have made repeated sacrifices. Effective leaders sacrifice much that is good in order to dedicate themselves to what is best.
2. Leaders Are Often Asked to Give Up More Than Others: The heart of leadership is putting others ahead of yourself. It’s doing what is best for the team. For that reason, I believe that leaders have to give up their rights.
3. You Must Keep Giving Up to Stay Up: If leaders have to give up to go up, then they have to give up even more to stay up. What gets a team to the top isn’t what keeps it there. The only way to stay up is to give up even more.
4. The Higher the Level of Leadership, the Greater the Sacrifice: The higher you go, the more it’s going to cost you. And it doesn’t matter what kind of leadership career you pick. You will have to make sacrifices.
You will have to give up to go up.
Are you willing to give up to go up?
* * *
Developing relationships
Leaders often make the common mistake of trying to lead others before developing relationships with them. As you prepare to develop other people, take time to get to know each other. Ask them to share their story with you -- their journey so far. Find out what makes them tick, their strengths and weaknesses, their temperaments. And spend some time with them outside the environment where you typically see them. If you work together, then play sports together. If you know each other from church, meet with them at their workplace. If you go to school together, then spend some time together at home.
You can even use this principle with your family.
For example, if you spend time with your children outside your everyday environment, you’ll learn a lot more about them. It will develop your relationship in ways it hasn’t before, and it will help you grow.
Get out of your normal environment today with someone you lead.
1. There Is No Success Without Sacrifice: Leaders must give up to go up. Talk to leaders, and you will find that they have made repeated sacrifices. Effective leaders sacrifice much that is good in order to dedicate themselves to what is best.
2. Leaders Are Often Asked to Give Up More Than Others: The heart of leadership is putting others ahead of yourself. It’s doing what is best for the team. For that reason, I believe that leaders have to give up their rights.
3. You Must Keep Giving Up to Stay Up: If leaders have to give up to go up, then they have to give up even more to stay up. What gets a team to the top isn’t what keeps it there. The only way to stay up is to give up even more.
4. The Higher the Level of Leadership, the Greater the Sacrifice: The higher you go, the more it’s going to cost you. And it doesn’t matter what kind of leadership career you pick. You will have to make sacrifices.
You will have to give up to go up.
Are you willing to give up to go up?
* * *
Developing relationships
Leaders often make the common mistake of trying to lead others before developing relationships with them. As you prepare to develop other people, take time to get to know each other. Ask them to share their story with you -- their journey so far. Find out what makes them tick, their strengths and weaknesses, their temperaments. And spend some time with them outside the environment where you typically see them. If you work together, then play sports together. If you know each other from church, meet with them at their workplace. If you go to school together, then spend some time together at home.
You can even use this principle with your family.
For example, if you spend time with your children outside your everyday environment, you’ll learn a lot more about them. It will develop your relationship in ways it hasn’t before, and it will help you grow.
Get out of your normal environment today with someone you lead.
