John C. Maxwell on Leadership #25 Good Leaders Are Good Navigators

Is Jack Sparrow a good leader-navigator?

Nearly anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course. Before leaders take their people on a journey, they become navigators and go through a process in order to give the trip the best chance of being a success:

Navigators Draw on Past Experience: Most natural leaders are activists. They tend to look forward – not backward – make decisions, and move on. But for leaders to become good navigators, they need to take time to reflect and learn from their experiences.

Navigators Examine the Conditions Before Making Commitments: Good navigators count the cost before making commitments for themselves and others. They examine not only measurable factors such as finances, resources, and talents, but also intangibles such as timing, morale, momentum, culture, and so on.

Navigators Listen to What Others Have to Say: No matter how good a leader you are, you yourself will not have all the answers. That’s why top-notch navigators gather information from many sources.

Navigators Make Sure Their Conclusions Represent Both Faith and Fact: Being able to navigate for others requires a leader to possess a positive attitude. You’ve got to have faith that you can take your people all the way. On the other hand, you also have to be able to see the facts realistically. If you don’t go in with your eyes wide open, you’re going to get blindsided.

[Taken from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You (1998) by John C. Maxwell]

Have you taken the time to chart the course

for the people you’re leading?

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.