In this 21 part series, based on John Maxwell’s book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, I’m taking you on a journey towards better leadership. I share with you my own leadership lessons and insights. As a John Maxwell Team Member I’ll be happy to deliver transformational leadership training for your team or organization. See the details below.
Part 18 of 21: The Law of Sacrifice
The Law of Sacrifice: The leader must give up to go up. ~ John C. Maxwell
We all have different reasons why we choose to lead people. Some do it out of necessity. Others to make money. And those who are like me, do it to make a difference and make world a better place.
When I was a teen, I remember looking around and seeing things that weren’t working, listening to people’s complaints, thinking what can I do to make a difference. I was passionate about bringing solutions to the situations. This is exactly how my nonprofit organization was founded. I decided to pay a price to make things happen.
- I got a university degree to learn how to influence people and make things happen.
- I volunteered in multiple projects and organizations to get necessary experience.
- I took on some major leadership opportunities to enhance my skills in team building and team motivation.
I did all of the above WITHOUT knowing that one day I will start a nonprofit organization that will transform the lives on hundreds of children and families in my community and way before I knew that one day I will have a business which will empower individuals and teams around the globe to lead with their strengths. I paid the price – I invested in myself, studied, applied, sacrificed time with family and friends, improved, overcame and the results were inevitable.
If you want to become a great leader, you must be willing to make sacrifices. Here’s what you need to keep in mind:
1. There is no success without sacrifice
Every person who has achieved any success in life has made sacrifices to do so. On a daily basis I meet people who wish they had more, but unwilling to make sacrifices necessary. You can’t have a successful online business if you aren’t willing to build a website, connect to people on social media, build your network or stay in tact with latest technology.
There is no #success without sacrifice. Click To Tweet
2. Leaders are often asked to give up more than others
Leaders have to give up their rights. Leaders need to learn how to put others ahead of themselves. It’s not easy, but you need to give up more than the people you lead.
Leaders need to learn how to put others ahead of themselves. Click To Tweet
3. You must keep giving up to stay up
John Maxwell takes the Law of Sacrifice even further when he states that ‘If leaders have to give up to go up, then they have to give up even more to stay up’. Today’s success is the greatest thread to tomorrow’s success. There’s always a cost involved in moving forward. The day you stop being willing to pay the price is the day when you stop creating the results you desire.
4. The higher the level of leadership, the greater the sacrifice
You’ve probably noticed that the higher the position, the fewer the number of people able to step in. It’s not because there’s lack of capable people. It’s simply because there’s not enough people willing to pay the price.
From my childhood I remember learning about the utopia of communism – they tried to make everybody equal. Everybody should have the same rights and the same pay. The problem with this is the law of sacrifice. There will always be some individuals who arewilling to sacrifice more, while others arenot willing to do anything extra. No philosophy of equality will ever be able to overcome this mindset. It’s the inner job. You must decide for yourself how much time, effort or other sacrifice you’re going to assign to a specific job, project or task.
The Law of Sacrifice states that those who do, will go up. And those who continue doing this, will stay up.
I hope you’ll make the right choice.
If you are ready to improve as a leader, I’d be honored to help you on this journey.
If you’re an individual, you will want to join my Impact Academy, where I work with individuals from around the globe helping them to improve their leadership and results.
If you’re part of a team and want to step on this journey alongside of your team, contact me here to let me know about your team’s needs. I’ll be happy to offer a customized training based on your team’s needs.
This article is part of a 21-part leadership series.
>> Access Complete Leadership Series Here <<<
To your success,
PS: To gain even more insights into leadership, get a complimentary access to my Leadership Breakthrough eCourse below.
