Your Leadership Mindset
I started a new book this week entitled, High Road Leadership: Bringing People Together in a World That Divides by John C. Maxwell. “Everything rises and falls on leadership,” says Maxwell. “Today it is causing people to fall—into disputes, frustration, anger, and despair.” Maxwell’s book describes three paths of leadership: the low, middle, and high roads, each differentiated by a leader’s mindset approach to interactions with others. Maxwell exposes the problems of taking the low and middle roads when interacting with others and teaches people how to instead take the high road.
Low road leadership operates on a mindset of survival, scarcity, and winning even at the expense of others. The middle road leader leads from a mindset of fairness, only giving to others equivalent to what is received in return. And the fatal flaw with this leadership mentality is that your ability to be a good person is then dependent upon who is first good to you. Leaders who practice high road leadership value all people, do the right things for the right reasons, take accountability for their actions, and place people above their own agenda. High road leadership is built upon a servant mindset, seeking to make others look, feel, and perform better.
John Maxwell said, “By placing others ahead of yourself, and adding value to them, you will begin to feel fulfilled.”
If you want to feel fulfilled, you must have a purpose for your life. Maxwell’s words recall to mind my personal conviction that a great purpose is one about others. Put very frankly – people quit very easily on themselves. Doing something for yourself doesn’t actually come with enormous amounts of inherent motivation. But when you do something for someone else – your kids, your spouse, your parents, your team – you won’t succumb to giving up quite so easily. Challenge yourself to pursue a life fueled by a purpose of serving others. As you strengthen that purpose, it will expose your passion. And passion is the fuel source that never runs out.
Zig Ziggler said, “You can have everything in life you want if you just help enough other people get what they want.”
If you wake up every day with the intention and dedication to help your team members strive to live their biggest lives individually, you will live a pretty big life yourself. When you lead others via the high road, you focus on the success of others; and their successes enable you to succeed alongside them.
In his second inaugural address, President Abraham Lincoln addressed the American people, “With malice toward none, with charity for all … let us strive on to finish the work we are in to bind up the nation’s wounds …” Even after surviving multiple assassination attempts, enduring ridicule and greater division than this country has ever known, President Lincoln never faltered in his high road leadership. Half of the county hated him so much, in fact, they were literally willing to be killed rather than go along with his ideas. And yet, his moral compass never wavered. He sought to better the lives of every one of his fellow man. He took ownership of his mistakes and even of those made by officers reporting to him. He even invited the opposition into his administration so he could make the most informed decisions after considering the viewpoints of those not in agreement with him. A life and legacy as big as Lincoln’s clearly demonstrate the lasting power of a purposeful life, in service of others.
Now, while I am not suggesting you tackle the issues plaguing our entire country at large, at the very least, I hope this inspires you to begin today with a slight reframing of mindset. Instead of asking yourself, “What am I going to do today?” begin with, “Who am I going to help today?”
Written by Schuyler Williamson
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God Bless!
~ Schuyler Williamson