Navigation, Attraction, and Four Titles

The Law of Navigation: Anyone Can Steer the Ship, but It Takes a Leader to Chart the Course

This chapter of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership contains one of the great success stories of a leader, Roald Amundsen; it also contains the story of his contemporary failure, Robert Falcon Scott. Both men were trying to get to the South Pole; one team made it in and out with hardly any problems and the other team died in their attempt. What was the difference? Maxwell calls it the Law of Navigation: Amundsen looked to past experience, examined conditions before making commitments, listened to what other experts had to say, and had both faith and facts supporting his conclusion. In contrast, Scott seems to have had little other than the "Spirit of pluck and the power to endure." Amundsen's team beat him to the South Pole by over a month.

"Every past success and failure you've experienced can be a valuable source of information and wisdom -- if you allow it to be. Successes teach you what you're capable of doing and give you confidence. However, your failures often teach greater lessons. They reveal wrong assumptions, character flaws, errors in judgement, and poor working methods. Ironically, many people hate their failures so much that they quickly cover them up instead of analyzing them and learning from them."

The Law of Addition: Leaders Add Value by Serving Others

For this chapter, Maxwell gives an overview of one of the most unique CEOs around right now: Jim Sinegal, the CEO of Costco. Given the huge salaries and contracts most CEOs have, it's amazing that Jim takes just $350K in salary, and his contract is only one page long. After reading the introduction to this chapter that talks about Jim and Costco, I'm even more inclined to continue shopping there -- they treat their customers and employees right, and it shows!

"The whole idea of adding value to other people depends on the idea that you have something of value to add. You can't give what you do not possess. If you have skills, you gained them through study and practice. If you have opportunities to give, you acquired them through hard work. If you possess wisdom, you gained it by intentionally evaluating the experiences you've had. The more intentional you have been in growing personally, the more you have to offer. The more you continue to pursue personal growth, the more you will continue to have to offer."

Four Titles, by President Uchtdorf

My scriptural study today continues with the General Conference talks, and this time with President Uchtdorf's Priesthood Session talk. I love President Uchtdorf, probably in part because my mom is German and has instilled a love for the Germans into my heart, but also because he radiates joy, love, and happiness. He also has an awesome accent! In his talk, he gives four titles that we all should wear -- and while he applies these specifically to priesthood bearers, they can easily cover anyone that wants to be serve and find happiness in so doing. The titles: Son/Daughter of Heavenly Father, Disciple of Jesus Christ, Healer of Souls, Heir of Eternal Life.

"In the great Composer’s symphony, you have your own particular part to play -- your own notes to sing. Fail to perform them, and with certainty the symphony will go on. But if you rise up and join the chorus and allow the power of God to work through you, you will see “the windows of heaven” open, and He will 'pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.' Rise up to your true potential as a [child] of God, and you can be a force for good in your family, your home, your community, your nation, and indeed in the world."