My First Leadership Book

Friday, after work, I met my wife at Paseo Center and we decided to have dinner at that newly-opened Kentucky Fried Chicken nearby.

I saw a Books for Less outlet beside it so I nagged my wife out until she said “Fine, let’s go there after dinner”.

I was actualy looking for a book on project management. What I found was a lot better.

I first learned about John Maxwell when a supervisor-friend recommended the “7 Habits” book to me. I never really finished the book, admittedly I got bored with it.

Not this time.

Upon scanning The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, I knew this would help me a lot. I immediately bought it, along with the children’s books my wife chose for our son, and went home.

I’ve already went through 2 chapters (so that’s 2 of 21 laws already) and it started to make me think about how I really want to do things in my group. Generally any book that makes me think deeply on a given topic is a good read for me. This one fits that description very well.

I recommend this book to a lot of people, leader or not. It may be able to change my way of thinking to a positive degree, and so it may to others.

A Leader, I Am…

It seems that going from a team player to a team leader is inevitable in someone’s life. In as much as you enjoy being on the front line when going on an all-out battle, time will come that you will have to step back, let others go ahead, and make sure that they do not go wandering about, not knowing what to do and where to go.

Avery Johnson went through that phase — from being the pointguard of the San Antonio Spurs to being the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. Same with Dennis Ritchie, from being a crack programmer to project lead at that well-known Bell Labs.

I may be going through that same thing right now. It may have been knocking at my senses for a long time, only I wasn’t really willing to accept it.

I have been giving much thought about it these past few days.

Now I accept it. I have to and I must, and now I am very much willing to.

It’s my turn to lead, just as somebody did for me for the almost 10 years I’ve been with the company.

Now I could have a chance to do everything the way I see that it should be done.

Now I could make much more of a difference — not only on a part of a whole, but how that whole is to be shaped and what composes that whole.

Not only in my project could I make a difference and extend my influence — but on my team members as well.

Yes, I am a Leader now, and will be. I will be able to reach a lot more success than I did when I was just ‘one of the guys’.