The 21 Laws of Leadership: How to Develop the Qualities of a Leader

Chapter 7 Capable, Let Ordinary People Have Extraordinary Achievements
competence
Capability goes beyond the language level. It is the ability of a leader to communicate, plan, and put it into practice, so that people can be convinced that you are qualified for the leadership position and are willing to follow you.

—John C. Maxwell

If society ignores good plumbers because it despises the job of plumbing, and tolerates pompous philosophers because it favors high philosophy, it will lose both good plumbers and good philosophers.The consequence of this is that its water pipes and concepts will inevitably be full of loopholes.

—John Gardner, author

Extraordinary achievements of ordinary people

The outstanding American statesman Benjamin Franklin always considered himself an ordinary man.He is the son of a candle maker and has 16 brothers and sisters in average family conditions.His childhood was very ordinary, he went to school for two years, and when he was 12 years old, he went to his brother's printing factory as an apprentice.

Franklin worked hard and lived a simple life. He bound himself to a set of 13 virtues by which he rated himself daily. At the age of 20, he started a printing factory. If Franklin felt satisfied that he did a good job in business, then he may be just an insignificant petty citizen in the history of Philadelphia.But his life was legendary and brilliant. He was one of the pioneers leading American independence, one of the founding fathers of the United States, and also participated in the drafting of the "Declaration of Independence", "Paris Treaty" and the US Constitution (he is the only Those who participated in the drafting of the above three important documents).During the War of Independence, he was elected to represent the United States to visit Paris, completed difficult and dangerous diplomatic work, and won military and financial support for American independence.

What factors made a small northern businessman stand out from the wealthy and independent southern landowners to exert such great influence?I think this is due to Franklin's extraordinary ability.Franklin was very successful in everything he did during his 70 years. When he started his printing business in 1726, it was not believed that a third printing shop could be opened in Philadelphia at that time.Franklin, however, quickly established a reputation as the most skilled and serviceable printer in Philadelphia.But he was not satisfied with it.

Franklin has always maintained a high degree of curiosity about things and is constantly learning new things to improve himself and others.He then branched out into publishing, producing a number of critically acclaimed bestsellers.He also devoted himself to developing new ways of power supply, coining many technical terms that are still used today.He also had many inventions, including the cylinder stove, urinary catheter, bifocal lenses, and more.As he sailed across the Atlantic, he also mapped the Gulf Current on board.His attitude towards life can be seen from his handmade yearbook desk motto: "Don't hide your talents, they were born to be used. Who would put a sundial in the shadow?"

Franklin's talent is also reflected in many ways.He helped establish the first library in Philadelphia and opened the first fire station in the United States; he was the first to propose the concept of time to save daylight and held service government offices.Few doubted Franklin's ability, but sometimes he still had to put the facts in front of people's eyes to prove his point of view.For example, once he conducted many experiments to improve farming, and found that spreading lime on the cultivated land was helpful for the growth of seedlings, but the neighbors did not believe his discovery.So, when the next spring came, he dug some letter-shaped grooves in the open space beside the road, first sprinkled lime and then sowed grass seeds all over.A few weeks later, when people were walking on the road, they saw crops growing very tall and green in an open field from a long distance away. They formed a few words "lime has been sprinkled here", and only then did people understand There is truth in what Franklin said.

Everyone can become capable
We all admire people who are quite competent professionally, whether they are exquisite artists, world-class athletes, or successful entrepreneurs.But the truth is, you and I don't have to be as great as Michelangelo, Michael Jordan or Bill Gates.As long as you are determined to grow in this area, the following paths will help you.

1. Put all your energy into action
As the saying goes: "Wait and you will get something." It's a pity that sometimes the one who arrives first picks the remaining opportunities.Responsible people always arrive on time, and even more capable people.Not only did they arrive early, but they were also full of energy and eager to try.No matter how they feel personally, what the situation is, or how difficult the challenge at hand is, they are always ready and giving it their all.

2. Keep improving
Like Franklin, all capable people are constantly seeking new knowledge, growing, and improving.They often ask, "Why do you do this?" After all, people who know how can only get jobs, and people who know why do things are bosses.

3. Pursue excellence
A capable person must do things thoroughly.Willa Foster put it this way: "Quality is not formed by accident, but comes from a high degree of determination, hard work, wise choice and flexible operation; it represents the ability to stand out from the crowd. A wise choice.” Long-term adherence to excellence is a choice and a manifestation of willpower.As leaders, we expect our followers to do their best, but they often expect more from their leaders.

4. Always more than expected

Really capable people always walk a mile more than ordinary people.For them, a passing grade is not enough.In Men in Mid-Life Crisis, author Jim Conway describes the powerlessness of middle age: "Some men succumb to a progressive loss of persistence. Mentality, don’t want to make a difference, just want peace of mind. They give up the possibility of hitting a home run, just want not to be struck out.” But leaders can’t be so passive, they must continue to exceed expectations, day after day , persevere.

5. Inspire your partner
Highly able leaders often don't just excel in themselves, they also inspire and motivate their fellow workers.While some people survive only on good relationships, an effective leader combines people skills with job performance to take his organization or team to a higher level with greater impact.

Self-Reflection: Barriers to Competence

How would you rate your performance in completing tasks at work?Are you working hard in everything and rushing to the top without reservation, or do you just pass the job and just feel at ease?In my mind, outstanding and capable talents can basically be divided into three categories:

1. Someone who can foresee needs.

2. Someone who can put needs into action.

3. A person who can successfully complete the task at the critical moment.

In your profession, how often do you perform?Anticipate needs, act on them, or hold on until you win?The better your performance, the greater your potential to make a difference in the group.

"Prescription" to make people capable

In order to improve your ability level, the following recipes may wish to try.

1. Do it with "heart"

If your mind is not at work, find a way to bring it back.First of all, put yourself back into the work and put your unreserved focus into it; secondly, find out the reason for your absent-mindedness, whether it is a need for new challenges, or grievances with colleagues, or no way out for promotion.Find the crux of the problem and try to resolve the situation.

2. Resetting the Standard
If you're not consistently performing at a high level, review your standards.See if you are not doing your best and if you often take shortcuts.If so, hit the re-file button and set more challenging expectations for yourself before heading out emotionally again.

3. Find three ways to improve
Without deliberate management, no one can continue to grow on their own.Research your situation, identify three ways to improve your professional skills, and then commit to investing time and money in practicing it.

you are your own boss
Not long ago, I read this passage in "Texas Business" (Texas Business): "We are really a lost generation, mustering our energy and rushing to the endless highway, looking for the 'money road' signs to guide us from time to time. .It seems to be the only accepted standard for us. We no longer have real beliefs, only relative moral standards.”

Your personal standards are enough to define who you are.Can you recall the last time you were willing to give your all to accomplish a task, no matter the cost, when no one knew?
(End of this chapter)