“Leaders find a way for the team to win.”
–John Maxwell
Leaders make things better for the team. Team members are excited to play the game, whatever that is in your organization, because the team knows that the leader has done everything that they can to enable the team to win.
Where I have seen this in the non-profit that I lead is with fundraising. Our team has become so successful in achieving what looked impossible that fundraising is easy. Our team of financial partners believes that we will accomplish the goal for which we asked for funds. Everybody wants to be a part of a team that’s winning.
We are resilient and tenacious, characteristics needed to win. I say “we” because my team has chosen to rise to every occasion to be victorious in their own jobs. If they meet with an obstacle, they go around it, over it, under it or through it to get where they want to go. Sometimes, because of the size of the obstacle, they’ve even come up with a better way to achieve the goal. Winning has become part of our DNA.
Our team has the three components that John Maxwell says contribute to a team’s dedication to victory.
1. We are unified behind our vision. We all have the same agenda to save and transform the lives of our clients. Every idea planted in our minds is held up to our mission statement to see if it matches.
2. We have a diversity of skills. Thinking about each team member makes me smile. We do butt heads occasionally because we are all very different. But, knowing each others strengths and skills helps us defer to the opinions and ideas of those that are strong in the area where we aren’t in agreement. I am not an organizer and it’s obvious when you enter my office. When it comes to office coordination or storage, I always defer to Melanie. Organizing is one of her strong points. We celebrate our uniqueness.
3. The leader is dedicated to victory and raising players to their potential. As their leader, I am not only dedicated to achieving our mission and vision, but I am dedicated to growing our team up to be all that they can be. They know that I am committed to winning, not just for our organization but for each one of them. We read professional development books and discuss them. Many have said that the learning from our readings is spilling over into their personal lives, as well.
Do these three components make victory easy? I wish I could answer that with “yes.” When the pressure is on, though, great leaders are often at their best. Whatever is inside them bubbles to the surface. It’s during tough times, a leader can impart a vision of victory to the team that gives them hope. When times are tough and winning seems impossible, deliverance of hope can be the energy drink that propels the team to victory.
We can practice the law of victory anywhere. Napolean Bonaparte quotes “Leaders are dealers in hope.” We can be that dealer of hope and winning to those in our lives who are feeling defeated. We can deliver courage and optimism to those in need around us. Who in your life needs to be encouraged on to victory and what can you do about it?
When you help others win, you win, too.
Living victoriously,
Jan
Jan McDonald
The John Maxwell Team
(still CEO of Life Options)
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