Lead this...

A week ago today, John Maxwell was a featured speaker at the Chick-fil-A Leadercast. This is a one-day leadership event featuring a premier speaker lineup of the world's best leaders. Broadcast LIVE from Atlanta to hundreds of locations throughout the country and world, the Chick-fil-A Leadercast is a catalyst for new ideas and better leadership practice.

Check out the website www.chick-fil-aleadercast.com where you can download free audio and video content.

This week I have enjoyed reading John Maxwell's book "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership-Follow Them and People Will Follow You" and personally learning from his experiences at age 22 right after he graduated college and took his first job. Maxwell states, Leadership is influence-nothing more, nothing less." In my search for my first job job, I am working to PLAN AHEAD using Maxwell's acrostic below as great guide.

Predetermine a course of action
Lay out your goals
Adjust your priorities
Notify key personnel

Allow time for acceptance
Head into action
Expect problems
Always point to successes
Daily review your plan

Maxwell further discusses that the barriers to successful planning are fear of change, ignorance, uncertainty about the future and lack of imagination. "It's not the position that makes the leader, its the leader that makes the position." -Stanley Huffty

My college soccer coach, Juan Pablo Favero used a lot of Maxwell's leadership laws as he instructed our team for the past 2 years. I recognize so much of our team leadership process in this book, and I see the value that it has brought me in my own life. Maxwell points out 7 key areas that reveal themselves in leaders lives to step forward as leaders. These include: Character, Relationships, Knowledge, Intuition, Experience, Past Success and Ability. Leadership is a privilege, and I am thankful that I have the opportunity to lead and learn from others like Maxwell about how to be a better leader. I know this will benefit not only myself, but my followers and future employer.