The 360 Degree Leader
Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization
by John C. Maxwell
“An insightful and practical guidebook for complete leadership development. Maxwell helps leaders at every level achieve their full potential by mastering the art of leading up, leading across, and leading down.”
If you're in any kind of leadership role, you've probably felt the push-pull of leading up, down, and across the organization. It's a delicate balancing act - managing those above you in the hierarchy, your direct reports below you, as well as peers and others who don't formally report to you.
This is the essence of 360 degree leadership, and it's the central theme of John C. Maxwell's book "The 360 Degree Leader." As a leadership expert and bestselling author, Maxwell draws from his decades of experience to provide a comprehensive guide on leading effectively in all directions.
The book is packed with real-world examples, actionable advice, and Maxwell's signature conversational style. He makes the case that becoming a skilled 360 degree leader is absolutely essential in today's lean, matrixed organizational structures where you have to be able to influence and work well with people over whom you have no direct authority.
Here's a deeper dive into some of the key insights and lessons from this impactful read:
Lead Yourself First
Before you can lead others successfully, you need to be able to lead yourself effectively. This is the critical foundation according to Maxwell. He stresses continual personal growth through habits like setting aside daily learning time, getting leadership coaching/mentoring, and continually raising your personal standards.
Developing a strong character with integrity and modeling the right values is also paramount. Maxwell emphasizes qualities like humility, putting others first, admitting mistakes, and stewarding your influence responsibly.
Having a positive, optimistic attitude is powerful for leaders, even in tough situations. Maxwell's advice includes focusing on opportunities over obstacles, giving authentic praise, and projecting a confident outlook.
Effective self-leadership also requires strong priorities management. Maxwell recommends starting your days with a written game plan, prioritizing important over urgent tasks, and guarding your calendar fiercely.
Value Everyday Leaders
The bulk of leadership doesn't come from those at the top, but from everyday leaders on the front lines who lead without any formal authority, according to Maxwell. He argues these leaders are the real "game changers" in an organization and need to be valued as such.
Maxwell provides strategies for leading peers adeptly, starting with developing strong emotional intelligence to read situations and people accurately. Building genuine relationships and trust is key, which requires consistent character and competence.
Influence skills are critical for the everyday 360 leader. This means negotiating well, understanding others' perspectives and motivations, and learning to diplomatically bring others around to your way of thinking.
Navigate Leading Up
For many, leading up the hierarchy to their manager or other superiors is the trickiest aspect of 360 degree leadership. Maxwell covers best practices like being a supportive team player who works to understand their leader's vision and goals. He advises learning their priorities, strengths, and blind spots.
Knowing when and how to respectfully push back on superiors is an underrated skill. Maxwell recommends asking questions to explore rationale, providing well-researched alternative perspectives, and understanding when to respectfully disagree or disengage.
Clear, proactive communication is essential for leading up effectively. This includes providing solutions not just problems, negotiating resourcefully for what you need, and managing expectations skillfully.
Develop Unstoppable Teams
As a 360 leader, part of your role is developing high-performing teams that collaborate well together, regardless of who is formally in charge. Maxwell lays out his process for doing this.
First, he emphasizes creating a positive team culture built on values like truth-telling, celebrating successes, and showing care for one another. Clearly defining the team's purpose and rallying everyone around it is also key.
Giving teams a real sense of shared ownership and buy-in leads to higher engagement according to Maxwell. He recommends involving teams in goal-setting, problem-solving, and recognizing their ideas get implemented.
To facilitate productive meetings, Maxwell teaches preparing a clear agenda, making them as visual as possible, and rotating leadership duties. He also stresses meeting regularly with each team member 1-on-1.
Finally, Maxwell provides tips for fostering team creativity like running creative idea sessions, cross-training team members, and exposing the team to other perspectives.
Leading Change Adeptly
In today's fast-paced world, being able to lead change well is crucial according to Maxwell. He advises starting by painting a clear picture of the rationale and urgency for change. Explaining the "why" and getting input from others helps cultivate ownership.
During implementation, Maxwell emphasizes celebrating short-term wins to build momentum, while also acknowledging the challenges and losses that naturally come with significant change. He advises remaining realistic yet persistently casting an inspiring vision of the future state.
Perhaps most importantly, Maxwell stresses that the leader must remain unwavering and model the change they want to see. They should continually learn, adapt their approach where needed, and provide the ongoing over-communication that helps sustains change over time.
Overall, this book is an incredibly valuable resource for anyone who has to lead across boundaries, silos, and hierarchies in their organization. Maxwell packages his wisdom in an easy-to-read style with compelling examples that drive home the key principles. So if you're looking to up your game when it comes to leading with influence no matter which direction you need to focus, I'd highly recommend adding this modern classic on leadership to your reading list. The practical insights could end up being game-changers for you and your organization.
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