The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You

by John C. Maxwell

Leadership is influence—nothing more, nothing less.

The main difference between the two is that leadership is about influencing people to follow, while management focuses on maintaining systems and processes.

Information is vital to a leader. You need a grasp of the facts, an understanding of dynamic factors and timing, and a vision for the future. Knowledge alone won’t make someone a leader, but without knowledge, no one can become one. Whenever I was new to an organization, I always spent a lot of time doing homework before I tried to take the lead.

“A leader does not deserve the name unless he is willing occasionally to stand alone.”

If you want to measure how much respect you have as a leader, the first thing you should do is to look at who you attract. Dennis A. Peer remarked, “One measure of leadership is the caliber of people who choose to follow you.” The second thing you should do is to see how your people respond when you ask for commitment or change.