"But do you know what two things are responsible for making leadership rise?"

A thought by John C. Maxwell & Rob Hoskins in their book, Change Your World (p. 108). HarperCollins Leadership. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

And that is a very good question.

John says, "I’m known for stating that everything rises and falls on leadership. But do you know what two things are responsible for making leadership rise? The first is competence. No one wants to follow an incompetent leader. The second is values. Values are principles that guide your decisions and behaviors. When those values are good, they bring only benefits—never harm—to yourself and others. When leaders have good values, which are reflected in their behaviors, people are willing to trust and to follow them. Good values allow leaders and everyone else to help others."

He later says, "Many years ago James Dobson analyzed the disillusionment many people experience between the ages of thirty-five and fifty. It’s often called a midlife crisis. Dobson’s observation was that people become disillusioned when they discover they have been living by the wrong value system. He described it this way: 'All of a sudden you realize the ladder you’ve been climbing is leaning against the wrong wall.' If we want to change our world, we can’t just climb the ladder of success. We need to climb the ladder of good values."

He continues, "I think most people would agree that good values are important, but at the same time they’d rather move on to discuss strategy for changing the world. It’s almost as though they take values for granted, assuming that people will learn and embrace good values on their own. But being has to precede doing if you want to change your world... Nothing impacts your life every day more than your values."

He goes on, "No matter where or when you were born, no matter how much or how little talent or intelligence you possess, no matter the circumstances of your upbringing, you can learn, embrace, and practice good values. It’s your choice.

"When the John Maxwell Leadership Foundation starts a transformation initiative in a country, one of the first things representatives from the foundation do is ask people from the eight streams of influence in that country (government, business, arts, education, faith, media, sports, and health care) to choose the values they most want to see taught to people. To simplify the process, we provide a list from which they can choose: Attitude Gratitude Listening Responsibility Commitment Hope Love Self-Regulation Communication Humility Perseverance Self-Worth Courage Initiative Personal Growth Servanthood Fairness Integrity Priorities Teachability Forgiveness Kindness Relationships Teamwork Generosity Leadership Respect Work Ethic"

He then says, "Take a moment and look at these values. Which of them you would like to apply to your life to improve it? The good news is that all of them are within your reach. Why? Because each value is attainable if you choose to work on it. Regardless of your education, intelligence, gifting, or skills, you can live any or all of those values. You can choose to do it. Choice is the difference maker when it comes to values. Choosing makes change possible."

And that is so true. Yes, yes! #continuethought