Increase Your Personal Intellectual Capital #LeadersAreReaders October 2022

When I was working in management, I use to read monthly articles by the late Peter F. Drucker (1909-2005) in the business magazine. My workplace was near the bookstore. At the age of 90, he was more active than most 25-year-olds. As a consultant and an author known as 'the father of management thinking,' he was continually working on new books, most of which became bestsellers. Yet, midst his massive accomplishment, he still found time to read three to five hours a day on a wide range of subjects - a habit he first cultivated as a young man. Like Charles H. Spurgeon, one of my heroes of faith, you just have to admire them but don't need to emulate them.

"Every few years I pick another major topic and read in it daily for three years," Drucker once said candidly. "It's not enough to make me an expert, but it's long enough to understand what the field is all about. I've done this for 60 years." When I enter the full-time ministry, I somewhat learned this strategy from Drucker (and Spurgeon): read widely, from many different fields NOT just Christian books. Drucker is the epitome of the 'knowledge worker,' a term he coined to describe the most valuable resource in the new economy - intellectual capital. "Your knowledge and your experience are your new wealth. They belong to you, not your company. Leave an organization and you take that wealth with you."

Learning how to learn and increase your intellectual capital with practical skills. Be valuable. One of the best ways (meaning, not the only way) to do this is by READING BOOKS and/or through good literature. It takes curiosity and also discipline. In the Information and Digital Age, like the late Peter Drucker, the discipline of reading will be well rewarded. Wherever you go, you take that wealth with you.

#ServeToLead #PeterFDrucker #LifeTimeLearner #ReadersAreReaders #IntellectualCapital #KnowledgeIsWealth #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain

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Five (5) Rules of Relationships (#GrowingLeader)

Relationships help us define who we are and what we can become. In the area of leadership, relationships are crucial. In fact, John C. Maxwell, who taught me to be R.E.A.L. (Relationship, Equipping, Attitude, Leadership), says, "Relationships are the foundation of leadership." I don't know about you, but I'm naturally not a people person. So these five (5) rules help me a lot:

1) GET ALONG WITH YOURSELF - The one relationship you will have until you die is with yourself. Treat yourself with the respect and love you deserve.

2) VALUE PEOPLE - You cannot make another person feel important if you secretly feel that he or she is a nobody. Recognize that everyone has innate value and treat them accordingly.

3) MAKE THE EFFORT TO FORM RELATIONSHIPS - The result of a person who has never served others? Loneliness (I always see this in WhatsApp statuses). Be proactive! Make the effort. Reach out.

4) UNDERSTAND THE RECIPROCITY RULE - What you put into the lives of others comes back into your own. That's why I love to inspire you through LEGASI.tv. Your growth is my joy.

5) FOLLOW THE GOLDEN RULE - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you (but take considerations of people's real needs, contexts, and personalities).

I'm still learning. What is your best rule/principle/technique? 😊⚡✔ #ServeToLead #RelationshipLeadership #GrowingLeader

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10 Things To Remember

 

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The 48 Laws of Power (1998) by Robert Greene, Book Review

The 48 Laws of Power (1998) by Robert Greene

 Robert Greene is a genius. He wrote books on strategy, seduction, human nature, and power. I have read The 50^Th Law (co-author with Curtin Jackson a.k.a. 50 Cent), halfway through The Laws of Human Nature, listened to a dozen of his interviews, and just finished this book. What can I say? If you want to observe power, to gain power, and to arm yourself against power, this book is a great resource. Unfortunately, too, if you’re crazy for power as a dictator, you will get it if you apply (most of) these laws. These laws are amoral, meaning, they don’t concern either you will use it for good or evil.  Greene said in an interview with The Guardian, “I believe I described a reality that no other book tried to describe. I went to an extreme for literary purposes because I felt all the self-help books out there were so gooey and Pollyanna-ish and nauseating. It was making me angry." Some people like Will Smith and Jay-Z love this book and some consider it as a 'psychopath's bible.’ In Utah State Prison, two of Greene’s books The 48 Laws of Power and The Art of Seduction are banned. The reason? The authority says, “They’re all about manipulation.” Also, cunning and ruthless.

 I say, this book is DANGEROUS – and dangerous doesn’t mean it's all bad. First, the laws are generally true (I think instead of calling these ‘laws’, ‘rules’ are better). For example, Law #1 Never Outshine the Master, Law #3 Conceal Your Intentions, and Law #20 Do Not Commit to Anyone. To some extent, in the beginning, these laws are true but unsustainable in the long run. Secondly, the laws are thought to be ‘realistic.’ “I’m not evil – I’m a realist,” explained Greene. My problem with this is that it is very subjective. For example, Law #2 Never Put Too Much Truth In Friends. Use Your Enemies, it not realistic at all. In the war, perhaps; in the movies, maybe; in my workplace, nonsense. Thirdly, most of the laws are opposite of my Christian values. This is a matter of faith, so if you’re not a Christian, ignore this one. Law #14 Pose As A Friend Work As A Spy, Law #15 Crush Your Enemy Totally, and Law #32 Play to People’s Fantasies, for example, are very intentionally divisive, deceiving and manipulative. Fourthly, (this is the good part) I use the laws to identify how people might use the laws against me, as protection. In a sense, if I use it as identifiers, then, I also acknowledge that some of these laws are realistic, right? So, you see, it is a DANGEROUS book. Partly true, partly realistic, partly evil 💪👌👐 #ServeToLead #1Book1Week #LetsMakeReadingCoolAgain #LeadersAreReaders #GrowingLeader #RobertGreene #TheLawsOfPower

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Biblical Manhood #9 Not An Alcoholic Man

A leader or a man "must not be a heavy drinker" (1 Timothy 3:3). Some translations put it as "not drink too much wine"; "not addicted to wine"; "not given to wine." All of this is to say that a real man is not an alcoholic or a drunkard. I used to be one, so I know what people in my culture might think: "If you're a real man, drink!" No more! ✋Biblical manhood doesn't depend on people's expectations but based on Kingdom values 😉⚡💪 #ServeToLead #BiblicalManhood

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1 Action Is More Valuable Than A 1,000 Good Intentions

An ant is better than one human being who has good intentions but doesn't take action. Proverbs 6:6-8, "Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they LABOR HARD all summers, gathering food for the winter" Wow! 🐜🐜🐜 #ServeToLead #ActionNotJustIntention #TakeAction #LearnFromAnts

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Angelus' Quote: Faithful Friend Is Very Valuable

Rosalie Carter, wrote a great poet on friendship 😉🔥👇:

I think that God will never send,

A gift is so precious as a friend.

A friend who always understands,

And fills each need as it demands.

Whose royalty will stand the test,

When skies are bright or overcast.

Who sees the faults that merit blame,

But keeps on loving just the same.

Who does far more than creeds could do,

To make us good, to make us true.

Earth's gifts a sweet contentment lend,

But only God can give a friend!
_______________________________________

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Eight (8) Benefits of a Team

"One person seeking glory doesn't accomplish much," writes John C. Maxwell. "Success is the result of people pulling together to meet common goals." One leader can do only so much. To be more impactful and grow bigger, you need a team ⚡

No task is too great, no accomplishment too grand, no dream too far-fetched for a team. It takes teamwork to make the dream work. Here are Eight (8) Benefits of a Team:

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Leaders, Don't Quit on Your Calling (Angelus Leadership Video)

Bishop T.D. Jakes once said, "I prefer leaders who have been in the trenches. I tend to prefer people who know what it means to rise through the ranks and see the organization from a variety of angles and positions. Because I am admittedly a pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps person who worked his way up, always crawling before walking, I value people who have enjoyed wide and diverse experiences, people who have failed and learned something from what went wrong, people who shrugged it off and kept going."

In short, leaders who don't quit easily 💪🔥⚡😉

[This short clip is taken from his interview with Steven Furtick at https://youtu.be/QVGk_jwyBXI]

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Good Leaders Ask Great Questions: Your Foundation for Successful Leadership (2014), Book Review

Good Leaders Ask Great Questions: Your Foundation for Successful Leadership (2014)
by John C. Maxwell

John C. Maxwell, my long-distant mentor in leadership, writes, “Good leaders ask great questions that inspire others to dream more, think more, learn more, do more, and become more.” That’s exactly what this book had done to me! This book is filled with great questions and good answers. When this book was published, John was 67-year-old. This is the product – the book that every young leader should read – of his 40 years in leadership. Imagine John’s experiences (so far) as a leader, writer, trainer, speaker and mentor crunch into a solid book that can be read like a textbook on leadership. I can’t finish reading a book like this and say, “I get it,” because it is not wisdom until I put it into practice. Surely, I will come back to this book when I have questions in leadership…. which I will refer to a lot in the future, I foresee. Og Mandino reminds us, “Take the attitude of a student, never be too big to ask questions, never know too much to learn something new.”

“If you want to be successful and reach your leadership potential,” writes John, “you need to embrace asking questions as a lifestyle.” Why? John Maxwell outlines Eight (8) Values of Questions:

#1 You Only Get Answers to the Questions You Ask

#2 Questions Unlock and Open Doors that Otherwise Remain Closed

#3 Questions Are the Most Effective Means of Connecting with People

#4 Questions Cultivate Humility

#5 Questions Help You to Engage Others in Conversation

#6 Questions Allow Us to Build Better Ideas

#7 Questions Give Us a Different Perspective

#8 Questions Challenge Mind-Sets and Get You Out of Ruts

I love asking questions. Because of my inner curiosity, on average, I read one book and listen to one audiobook per week, watch a documentary or talk/seminar at least once per month, listen to podcasts on various topics, and more, and continue to do so because I love to gain knowledge. The fact that I never stop learning is because I never stop asking questions. I know some friends, colleagues, and students who pretend to know-it-all doesn’t ask questions when they need to. As a result, they left behind in their thinking and leadership. Anthony Robbins observed, “Quality questions create a quality life. Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers.” So true! John said that questions have changed his life. In Part 1, he outlines questions others asked him, questions that he asked that changed his life, questions that he asked himself as a leader, and questions that he asked his team members. This part is worth reading all over again! John summarises, “Questions have power when I look back at the progression of my life, I can see that questions have marked the way for my growth, prompted positive changes of direction, and let to many successes. Though many of us try to make ourselves look smart by giving clever answers, we would be much better off if we focused our attention on asking questions… Good questions inform; great questions transform.”

In Part 2, important and practical sections, John answers questions that leaders asked him. Questions such as what must leaders do to lead themselves successfully? How does leadership work? How does leaders-gonna-be get started in leadership?  How leaders resolve conflict and lead challenging people? How can leaders succeed in working under poor leadership? How can leaders successfully navigate leadership transitions? How can leaders develop other leaders? Within these questions, there are sub-questions that John deals with. I love the second last questions that John answers with this opening statement: “There’s only one way to lead leaders. Become a better leader yourself. Good leaders do not follow poor ones. People naturally follow leaders stronger than themselves.” For each question, John basically says: start with yourself and to be a leader is to serve people. Superb! It’s true: Everything rises and falls on leadership. So the great question and request that everyone (believers) should ask is: “God, how should I lead?”

Good Leaders Ask Great Questions.

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John C. Maxwell on Leadership #27 A Leader Is An Enlarger

Team members always love and admire a player who is able to help them go to another level, someone who enlarges them and empowers them to be successful. Players who enlarge their teammates have several things in common:

#1 Enlargers Values their Teammates: Your teammates can tell whether you believe in them. People’s performances usually reflect the expectations of those they respect.

#2 Enlargers Value What their Teammates Value: Players who enlarge others listen to discover what their teammates talk about and watch to see what they spend their money on. That kind of knowledge, along with a desire to relate to their fellow players, creates a strong connection.

#3 Enlargers Add Value to their Teammates: Adding value is really the essence of enlarging others. It’s finding ways to help others improve their abilities and attitudes. An enlarger looks for the gifts, talents, and uniqueness in other people, and then helps them to increase those abilities.

#4 Enlargers Make Themselves More Valuable: Enlargers work to make themselves better, not only because it benefits them personally, but also because it helps them to help others. If you want to increase the ability of a teammate, make yourself better.

How do your teammates see you? Are you an enlarger? Do you make them better than they are alone through your inspiration and contribution? Do you know what your teammates value? Do you capitalize on those things by adding value to them in those areas?

[Taken from The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player: Becoming the Kind of Person Every Team Wants (2007) by John C. Maxwell. Published by Thomas Nelson Inc.]

Becoming a better leader starts with enlarging others regardless of whether

or not you have a position, authority, or a title.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Learn Manhood from David #5 Every Man Needs A Man Friend Like Jonathan

"After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king's son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David"

(1 Samuel 18:1, NLT)

"There are ‘friends' who destroy each other,

But a real friend sticks closer than a brother"

(Proverbs 18:24, NLT)

Doing Bible Studies on the life of David is very interesting. From 1 Samuel chapter 8 onward, David acquired a best friend and a worst enemy at the same time [It just seems to happen that way, right? Jesus had dear Peter but He also had traitor Judas. Paul had faithful Timothy but he also had worldly Demas]. Saul became David's worst enemy, hunting him down like a hunter with a gun looking for a deer. On the other hand, Jonathan, Saul's son, became the friend who "sticks closer than a brother." Jonathan even took a spear from his own father to defend his friend David against Saul. Jonathan was also the friend who challenged David to do the right things, helped him in ways no one else could, and provided a listening ear when David was in despair. Jonathan had witnessed David's victory over Goliath and saw David as someone he admired and wanted to know.

At the same time, Jonathan knew intuitively that David was destined to replace his father on the throne. "You are going to be the king of Israel…" said Jonathan to David (see 1 Samuel 23:17). He knew that he himself would not be the one to rule Israel, yet he didn't wait to start serving the next-king. Like David, Jonathan was bold and he maintained a strong relationship with God (see how Jonathan displayed his courage and bravery in 1 Samuel 14:1-15 just like how David showed his' when he fought Goliath. Both believe and relied on God's strength!). No wonder the Bible tells us that their hearts were chained together (see 1 Samuel 20:42)!

The friendship between Jonathan and David is one of the strongest man-to-man relationships recorded in the Bible. The bond between them was rooted in their faith and commitment to God. It grew stronger when tested, and it could not be broken by circumstances or even the threat of death. Until the end of his life, David honored his covenant with Jonathan. You see, even though David was a man after God's own heart (Acts 13:22), God still wanted him to have friendships with others. God is enough, He is all. But He still chooses to use others to speak to us, comfort us, and guide us. In a sense, God revealed Himself to David through his friend, Jonathan. Did David really need Jonathan? Absolutely! Tough times require close friends close by.

Since this article is for men and to encourage men to be men, I want to share this truth: Down deep at the core, every man needs a man friend and a brother to lock arms with. Michael E. McGill observed, "To say that men have no intimate friends seems on the surface too harsh, and it raises quick objections from most men. But the data indicates that it is not far from the truth. Even the most intimate of friendships (of which there are few) rarely approach the depth of disclosure a woman commonly has with other women… men, who neither bare themselves nor bear one another, are buddies in name only." Patrick Morley, author of The Man in the Mirror said that while most men have so-called friends, "hardly anyone has a friend he can call at 2.00 A.M." So, how can we find a friend like David? What makes your soul knit to the soul Jonathan? Stu Weber, author of Tender Warrior, list out four (4) principles of masculine friendship:

#1 Share Values. "You have many friends in the course of your life, but you will never have a soul mate who does not walk with your God… David and Jonathan were committed to the same God. They loved the same kingdom. They marched to the same tune… They didn't necessarily have the same skills or values or talents or bends. But they had the same values. That's at the core of all meaningful friendships, particularly man-to-man. At the core level, at the passion level, at the vision level, they were the same."

#2 Unselfish Love. "I want you to notice something else in this David-Jonathan friendship. Something that isn't there. It's conspicuous by its absence. Jonathan stripped himself of his royal robe and gave it to David along with his sword, bow, and belt. What's missing from this picture? What's not there? Jealousy. There is none. There is absolutely no competition or comparison between the two men… Friends stand by unselfishly, and we draw strength from that."

#3 Deep Royalty. "Jonathan's loyalty was so deep he was even willing to defend his friend when face-to-face with his father, the king. Loyalty is absolutely essential to a friendship… A man-to-man friendship says I'll never walk out on you. Barring unrepentant sin against the Lord God, you'll never be able to do anything that will repulse me or break our fellowship."

#4 Real Transparency. "David and Jonathan were not ashamed to embrace and weep together. They were that genuine with one another. They were that unconcerned with their ‘image.' They expressed their emotions with utter and total transparency… What defines our friendship is the telling of ourselves… Boys do need to learn to be men. But being a man does not mean concealing your emotions. Part of being a man is real transparency."

Share Values

Unselfish Love

Deep Royalty

Real Transparency

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Self-Leadership #15 The Power of Mission Statement

What is your organization or business or group about? Why is your product or service worth buying? Who cares about your organization, and why? What do your group believe in? What's indispensable? Where are your team going?

To answer these kinds of core questions, you need to look at your mission. A mission is your organization's reason to exit. It's who you are, what you do, and why you do it. It's what makes you unique. It's why you've all agreed to work together in a common cause. Without a mission, you have no basis upon which to formulate your vision. “A mission statement is not something you write overnight,” write Stephen R. Covey, “but fundamentally, your mission statement becomes your constitution, the solid expression of your vision and values. It becomes the criterion by which you measure everything else in your life [or organization, business or group]”

All of your organization's practices and decisions should correspond to the mission. If a proposed tactic or strategy (or in the case of Bible Study group, which is in my mind now, if the activity and teaching) is not in keeping with the mission, you don't do it – period. The mission is the standard against which everyone's actions are or should be measured. Therefore, the mission must be clearly stated and that everyone in the organization must be prepared and willing to live by the mission. Ryuho Okawa observed, “The bigger your mission becomes, the greater inspiration you will be given." Here are some examples of mission-statement from FES Malaysia, a non-profit Christian organization that I work in; DUG DOWN DEEP, my weekly Bible Study group; and Richard Angelus' Thought, my blog:

Organization/Group	Mission
FES Malaysia	Changing Students for Life that they will impact society, church, family, and campuses
DUG DOWN DEEP	To read and study the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation – and to apply the truths in our lives
Richard Angelus' Thought	To inspired readers to THINK BIG, START SMALL, and GO DEEP

Sometimes the mission can be threatening to a leader. Total commitment to the mission means that there are real limits on the leader's authority. If the leader issues orders or planned a project that bypasses or conflicted with the mission, the members of the organization or group are obligated to protect the mission against the leader (of course, this is easier said than done…).

Don't underestimate the power of mission statement. Mahatma Gandhi eloquently puts it this way: "A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of human history." So, what is your mission?

Here are three (3) ways to use your mission:

#1 Create a Shared Vision: Good leaders share the vision-creating task to broaden the base of ownership, to generate commitment, and to reduce the level of threat inherent in the planned change.

#2 Link Goals to Purpose: In a healthy organization, all key decisions are put through the screen of the mission. If a proposed goal doesn't support the mission, change course.

#3 Align Your Values: The leader's challenge is to bring stated and practiced values into alignment. The failure to do so leads to organizational cynicism “We say it, but we sure don't do it!” and undercuts the leader's moral authority and credibility.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Self-Leadership #11 Lead With Integrity

"The supreme quality for a leader is unquestionably integrity," exclaimed Dwight D. Eisenhower. "Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, on a football field, in an army, or in an office. If a man's associates find him guilty of phoniness, if they find that he lacks forthright integrity, he will fail. His teachings and actions must agree with each other." Integrity is the manifestation of an unshakeable set of principles – principles that you will not violate under any circumstances.

Currently, I'm reading Coach Wooden's Leadership Game Plan for Success. One reason late Wooden was able to extract an extraordinary effort from his players was that they understand that he was making an even greater effort for them. True, he wasn't experiencing the bruises and muscle strains that the players were experiencing daily on the practice field but he pushed himself to the limit just as he pushed them. He came early, left late and almost never took a day off. All nights he thinks of game strategies and how to improve the team and individuals personally. He was leading with integrity – demonstrating the same commitment he demanded from his players.

Leaders have to impress who and what they are – on the people around them. This means you do what is right. You do what you say. You conform to the values that you expect of others. William D. Lawrence puts it like this: "Integrity is the integration of one's life around his core values." In some sense, your behavior is predictable because you are consistent in your decisions and your actions.

Integrity has a cost. I've learned from my lack of integrity in the past that: You must weigh the depth of your commitment before you undertake to lead with integrity. You will be tested – by cynics, by critics, by those interested more in style and image than in meaning and substance, and even by your own past failures and mistakes. So you need to make sure that you have deep enough reserves to act – consistently – as a person of integrity. People will be watching what you do more than listening to what you say. To be a leader is to lead others. And how should a leader lead? With integrity.

Consider the following tactics to help you lead with integrity:

Live What You Teach: Great leaders win the hearts of their followers. They do so by being involved with the team and making that commitment clear. The more they see integrity in their leaders, the more their trust in them.

Let Them See You Sweat: Why should other people kill themselves for the organization or team if you, the leader, not the first one to jump?

Build Accountability: Act your integrity. Take responsibility when you screw up and take credit when you meet with success. And make sure this applies to everyone else.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

John C. Maxwell on Leadership #18 The Value of Listening

Edgar Watson Howe once joked, “No man would listen to you talk if he didn’t know it was his turn next.” Unfortunately, that accurately describes the way too many people approach communication – they’re too busy waiting for their turn to really listen to others. But people of influence understand the incredible value of becoming a good listener. For example, when Lyndon B. Johnson was a junior senator from Texas, he kept a sign on his office wall that read: “You ain’t learnin’ nothin’ when you’re doing all the talkin’.” And Woodrow Wilson, the 28^th American president, once said, “The ear of the leader must ring with the voices of the people.”

The ability to skillfully listen is one key to gaining influence with others. Consider these benefits to listening that we’ve found:

Listening shows respect

Listening builds relationship

Listening increases knowledge

Listening generates ideas

Listening builds loyalty

Roger G. Imhoff urged, “Let others confide in you. It may not help you, but it surely will help them.” At first glance, listening to others may appear to benefit only them. But when you become a good listener, you put yourself in position to help yourself too. You have the ability to develop strong relationships, gather valuable information, and increase your understanding of yourself and others.

Focus on Listening to Others Today

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

The Secret: What Great Leaders Know And Do (2009) Book Review

The Secret: What Great Leaders Know And Do (2nd Edition 2004, 2009)

by Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller

Am I a serving leader or a self-serving leader? For Ken and Mark, to lead is to serve. The Secret is a well-known international bestseller for a leadership book, and I'm excited to read and review it. Why? The format of this book is easy to read. They presenting major leadership topics in a way that is enjoyable, easy to understand, and applicable. I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone – especially young people – who aspire to be a great leader. Bottom line: If you want to be a great leader, get this book, read it, and apply it!

Both authors are great teachers and story-tellers. In their fictional character, Debbie Brewster, a young executive, they tell about her journey to become a more effective leader – servant leader. When asked about "What is a leader?" Debbie came out with at least three answers: first, "a leader is the person in charge"; secondly, "a leader is the person in the position that others report to"; third, "a leader is a person who makes things happen." Finally, she settled with this definition: "A leader is a person in a position of authority who is responsible for the results of those under his or her direction." When she met her mentor, Jeff Brown, he explained to her that actually "true leadership has nothing to do with one's level in the organization… great leaders SERVE." A person can serve without leading, but a true leader can't lead well without serving. Throughout many months of mentoring, Jeff explains to Debbie how leader SERVE:

SEE THE FUTURE. "Leadership is about taking people from one place to another. One of the leader's top priorities must be to assure that the team knows where you are headed. Seeing the future is all about creating a compelling vision and is one of the privileges and most serious demands of leaders. It may sometimes be difficult to determine where the enterprise should be heading. But heading somewhere is a must. Envisioning and communicating a future-oriented vision is a huge part of leadership." Keyword is Vision. Vision must be constantly communicated or it will faded in people's minds. What do I want my organization or team or group to accomplish? What would that look like? How would we measure our success? What is our benchmark?

ENGAGE AND DEVELOP OTHERS. "Engage has two distinct components. The first has to do with selection… Getting the right people in the right jobs… [and the second] has to do with the level of buy-in people have for a cause, their work, and a leader. You want to do more than enlist their hands – you want to engage their heads and hearts also… with every pair of hands you hire, you get a free brain." Developing others, on the other hand, is about investing in the development of the people. It involves "creating the expectation for learning and growing; creating training and development opportunities; providing education resources… even mentoring." The keyword is people. What do my people need to be more engaged? How can I help my people grow – as a group and individually?

REINVENT CONTINUOUSLY. "First, great leaders Reinvent Continuously on a personal level. They are always interested in ways to enhance their own knowledge and skills. The very best leaders are learners. They like to read and are always open to training that will help them perform better… if you stop learning, you stop leading"; "The second part of Reinvent Continuously applies with systems and processes. Great leaders are always seeking answers to questions like these: How can we do the work better? How can we do it with fewer errors? How can we do it faster? How can we do it for less?" The keyword is Improvement. Progress is impossible without change.

VALUE RESULTS AND RELATIONSHIPS. Ultimate success always includes both people and performance. "The way to maximize your results as a leader is to have high expectations for both results and relationships. If we can take care of our customers and create a motivating working environment for our people, profits and financial strength are the applause we get for a job well done. You see, success is both results and relationships. It's a proven formula." The keyword is Success. What happens if I overvalue results? What happens if I overvalue relationships? What will be the consequences if I don't broaden my definition of success?

EMBODY THE VALUES. "You must gain the trust of your people. If you don't have their trust, you'll never be a great leader." But what does trust have to do with embodying the values? "All genuine leadership is built on trust. There are many ways to build trust. One way is to live consistently with the values you profess. If I say customers are important, my actions had better support that statement. If I choose to live as if customers are not important, people will have reason to question my trustworthiness. And in the final analysis, if I am deemed untrustworthy by my people, I will not be trusted – or followed as a leader." The keyword is Credibility. What values do I want to drive the behavior of my organization? How can I communicate these values? Which of these values do I need to work on?

Leader SERVE: SEE THE FUTURE, ENGAGE AND DEVELOP OTHERS, REINVENT CONTINUOUSLY, VALUE RESULTS AND RELATIONSHIPS, & EMBODY THE VALUES. As I finished reading this awesome book, I need to ask myself these few reflection questions: What have I learned about leadership from this book? Why does it matter? What do I do with all that I've learned? What am I willing to do today to improve my leadership? What one thing can I put into practice this week? Who can I ask for help? (Mean, who I can ask to mentor me in leadership and personal development?). Last month I've read The Heart of Leadership by Mark Miller, then this book and currently Great Leaders Grow by Ken and Mark. I've learned tremendously from this series. I've use lessons I learned from The Heart of Leadership to trained young leaders, and I wish to use The Secret for the next leadership training. Buy this book!

THE ULTIMATE QUESTION:

AM I A SERVING LEADER OR A SELF-SERVING LEADER?