The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader:  Becoming the Person Others Will Want to Follow

By John C. Maxwell

Thomas Nelson Business Publishers, 1999

As the title implies, Maxwell outlines twenty-one individual characteristics that he believes are essential “to be a truly effective leader, the kind people want to follow.”  The purpose of the book is to develop these qualities one at a time.  Each chapter covers one quality and has the same structure.  The leadership quality is introduced via a case study, followed by a definition and description of what is meant by that quality in a section entitled Fleshing It Out.  There are also thought questions and behavioral activities for each competency.  Because Maxwell designed the book so that one day would be spent on each chapter, the chapter on each quality ends with a Daily Take-Away, which is usually a second, shorter case study exemplifying the quality discussed in that chapter.

The 21 qualities Maxwell identifies are:

¨      Character

¨      Charisma

¨      Commitment

¨      Communication

¨      Competence

¨      Courage

¨      Discernment

¨      Focus

¨      Generosity

¨      Initiative

¨      Listening

¨      Passion

¨      Positive Attitude

¨      Problem Solving

¨      Relationships

¨      Responsibility

¨      Security

¨      Self-Discipline

¨      Servanthood

¨      Teachability

¨      Vision

Competencies Addressed:

            Maxwell’s concept of character ties in to the competencies of work-place ethics, financial ethics and work ethic:  “The respect that leadership must have requires that one’s ethics be without question.  A leader not only stays above the line between right and wrong, he stays well clear of the ‘gray areas.’”

            The concept of charisma relates to optimism.  In order to have charisma, one must avoid the “roadblock” of cynicism.  Additionally, social orientation and service orientation are similar to Maxwell’s suggestion of putting a “10 on every person’s head.”  Essentially, this refers to enjoying working with others and seeing the best in every person.

            Commitment is associated with follow through.  It takes more than stated intentions to truly exhibit commitment.  The true test of commitment is whether or not these intentions are followed by action to accomplish them.

            Communication is clearly related to communicating with coworkers, active listening, communicating outside the organization, communicating with the community, and facilitating discussion.  To master these competencies, one must focus on the person the conversation is occurring with, not just the information conveyed.  In addition, a key to successful communication is checking that others understand the message you are trying to send, which is related to the competency of interpreting the meaning of information for others.

            According to Maxwell, competent leaders engage in continuous learning.  They also are active in inspiring and empowering their subordinates.  In addition, one cannot be viewed as a competent leader if one does not engage in all of the competencies within our work habits and work attitudes facets of self management (work ethic, follow through, goal orientation, time management, organization skills, initiative, persistence, effort, energy, and optimism).

            For those interested in developing courage of convictions, the quality of courage as discussed by Maxwell may be a useful starting point.  What distinguishes a good leader from a great leader is the willingness to “take a stand when needed.”  The quality of courage discussed in this book is also related to intelligent risk-taking, inspiring, initiative and managing the future.  Those who take risks and those who do not experience similar amounts of fear; the difference is in the types of things they worry about, Maxwell argues.

            The story of Marie Curie exemplifies Maxwell’s quality of discernment, which is related to persistence and self confidence.  Discernment is most similar to the competency of problem identification; it is “the ability to find the root of the matter.”  Other competencies related to discernment are: generating ideas, suspending judgment, mental focus, and analytic thinking.

            Maxwell argues that leaders need to focus 70% of their attention on their strengths, 25% on new things, and 5% on weaknesses.  The competencies of self awareness, humility, and mental focus all relate to the need to this quality.  For example, knowledge of one’s strengths and weaknesses (self awareness) must precede focusing one’s attention accordingly.

            Coaching, developing, and instructing others are a form of generosity.  By mentoring someone, you are donating your time to help that person improve, which may be more generous than mere financial donations.  Initiative is characterized by self-motivating oneself and deliberately reaching outside of your comfort zone. 

            Maxwell’s quality of listening is related to social orientation and social perceptiveness, as well as all of the competencies under the communicating facet of leading others (active listening, communicating with coworkers, facilitating discussion, public speaking, developing external contacts, and communicating outside the organization).  The key is to listen for the person and not just the facts and to try and find something in common with everyone.

            Optimism is clearly related to Maxwell’s concept of positive attitude.  Using some simplified attitude research, Maxwell discusses that attitudes are chosen by the individuals who hold them and attitudes affect behavior, your own and that of others around you.  Goal orientation is also related to positive attitude; one way Maxwell suggests to improve one’s positive attitude is to set achievable daily goals, creating a positive pattern of personal accomplishment.

            The section on problem solving will be useful to anyone working on the competencies of problem identification, evaluating long-term consequences, synthesis/reorganization and creative problem solving. 

            The quality of relationships is most similar to the nurturing relationships competency.  It is also related to psychological knowledge, civic action, and social action.  Those interested in ensuring ethical behavior of subordinates, responsibility for others, persistence and/or being accountable may find the information in the section on responsibility helpful.  Among other things, it involves being “willing to do whatever it takes to complete the work needed by the organization.”

            Maxwell’s quality of security refers to security with one’s self.   As such, it relates well to many of the competencies under self management, especially those under the self insight facet (self reliance, self confidence, self awareness, humility, and suspending judgment).  In addition, the idea of “giving away the credit” is similar to the competency of empowering.  The quality of self-discipline broadly relates to all of the self management competencies.

            Those wishing some practical suggestions on ways to improve their servant leadership competency should consult the chapter on servanthood.  Servant leaders as described by Maxwell also exemplify empowering and self confidence.  Some examples of the guidelines offered by Maxwell include taking the focus away from rank, position, and self-promotion, and “walking slowly through the crowd.”

            Teachability is most related to the competencies of the learning facet of self management (continuous learning, learning strategies, intellectual curiosity, and seeking feedback).  Challenging the status quo is also part of Maxwell’s teachability quality; it is essential to avoid “the danger of contentment” with the way things have traditionally been done. 

Those wishing a resource for developing the visioning competency would be well served to check out Maxwell’s chapter on vision.

Summary of Related Competencies:

~ Contributed by Kirsten Gobeski

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