As a devoted fan of John Maxwell’s leadership books, I feel that his work has shaped me for over ten years. I don’t remember how I found out about his leadership books, but finding them has had as big an impact on my professional and personal development as almost anything else I’ve done.
The company I have worked for since 1999 has announced that John Maxwell will speak at our 20th Annual International Convention. Our president established a book club in anticipation of the big names at this year’s Convention. As a result, I have read – no, do that devoured – Maxwell’s newest book, The five levels of leadership. I feel like my world of leadership has once again tilted on its axis.
The following is my interpretation of Maxwell’s description of the three types of membership in a professional organization: takers, creators, Y switches. He gets credit for the distinction. The description is based on my thoughts and feelings after reading his comments. Since I am a network marketing professional, team building is essential to the profitability and stability of an organization. This is why Maxwell’s work is so important.
Are you a doer, a taker or a breaker?
1. Makers- They look for it. They have their eye on the prize. They live to be inspiring and influential on behalf of others. They love to grow, so they are often open to the opportunity to expand. They live outside of their comfort zone, generally have a very positive energy, and build by attracting others who are like them. They capitalize on “like attracts like.” They take the initiative and do not limit themselves to what they are told to do. They love to work hard and often see no difference between work and play. They have a clear objective and they always keep it in mind. They thrive in a challenging situation because they know that means more growth, more opportunities, and more chances to make a difference for others. They enjoy obstacles, knowing that they will improve by overcoming them. They love to go after the results that measure their success. The creators on my team get going every day, and they usually start on their own. Creators love to help other people because they see this as a win-win situation. They are built to take responsibility for their own productivity.
2. Takers- I received an email recently from someone who wanted to be my mentor. It feels like a long list of questions from him, requesting fifteen minutes of my time. I looked at this email and realized that she was basically asking me to help her review her entire business and I suggested that she book a free counseling session with me, and I would love to spend an hour or thirty minutes going over it. concerns with her. She said, “No thanks anyway. I just wanted you to tell me what to do.” Buyers don’t really understand the law of reciprocity. They don’t understand giving first, or the value of making a contribution. Beware of buyers because they may take up a lot of your time, but they are not as focused on adding value. If you’re a team leader, know that takers can potentially take a lot of time and energy to train, but they don’t necessarily create results from what they learn. Receivers may have the best of intentions, but having worked with a few, you may be wondering where the training went since there’s little to show for their efforts. Since recipients focus on what’s in it for them, they may not necessarily be motivated to give back to others. Receivers may be talkative, they may or may not be good listeners, but whether or not they want to make a difference to others, they tend to get blocked. They are easily derailed by obstacles and need a lot of help to overcome them.
3. Breakers- These are people who tend towards negative energy. Instead of a “can do” attitude, they create barricades around themselves. These barricades live between them and their supposed targets. Even if they aren’t particularly negative, they just seem to get in their own way. And sometimes they block the progress of a team or an organization. They sometimes blame others, tend to find fault, and are not eager or willing to take responsibility. They look outside themselves for why things are not going well and not inside themselves. They are potentially toxic to an organization. They spend too much energy being critical of others or themselves instead of finding ways to make contributions. They tend to see the world as a glass half empty. And even if the breakups don’t have negative energy or criticism towards others, they tend to be their own worst enemies. Much of their effort and energy is absorbed by a tendency to disbelieve in themselves. Again, like receivers, they may have the best of intentions, but they have blocks that are difficult to get past.
In building a networking organization, you will find all kinds of people. Some you work with will be a mixture of these three groups. For example, I’ve worked with creators who needed a lot of help before they really took off on their own. I am very happy to have invested in people like this. You don’t always know, and Maxwell will be the first to tell you that he can’t always be sure of getting back his investment in people. This is why leadership is so important. It is also why his decision to be a creator and overcome those inevitable obstacles and challenges that pave the way to success ensures that, by extension, you will be the catalyst for as many people as possible who come to work with you.
“A leader is one who knows the way, follows the way and shows the way.”
John C Maxwell
