Friday 15 May 2009

from Developing the Leader Within You: John Maxwell - 3

Here’s another of my favourite quotes from John Maxwell…

Choose or Lose - The importance of priority setting

‘Every person is either an initiator or a reactor when it comes to planning. An example is our calendar. The question is not, “Will my calendar be full?” but “Who will fill my calendar?” If we are leaders of others, the question is not “Will I see people?” but “Who will I see?” My observation is that leaders tend to initiate and followers tend to react. Note the difference.

Leaders
Initiate
Lead; pick up phone and make contact

Spend time planning; anticipate problems
Invest time with people
Fill the calendar by priorities


Followers
React
Listen; wait for the phone to ring
Spend time living day to day; reacting to problems
Spend time with people
Fill the calendar by requests'

Which list more closely describes you?