Developing the Leader Within You - Priorities : Part 1

We will continue our leadership journey, learning new skills and refreshing old ones, with John C. Maxwell's book Developing the Leader Within You.

The Key to Leadership: Priorities : Part 1

There are two things that are most difficult to get people to do: to think and to do things in order of importance.

Success can be defined as the progressive realization of a predetermined goal. This definition tells us that the discipline to prioritize and the ability to work toward a stated goal are essential to a leader's success. In fact, Maxwell believes they are the key to leadership.

The Pareto Principle

20% of your priorities will give you 80% of your production.

IF

you spend your time, energy, money, and personnel on the top 20% of your priorities.

 

The solid lines on the 20/80 Principle represent a person or organization that invests time, energy, money, and personnel on the most important priorities. The result is a four-fold return in productivity. The dotted lines represent a person or organization that spends time, energy, money, and personnel on the lesser priorities. The result is a very small return.

Every leader needs to understand the Pareto Principle in the area of people oversight and leadership. For example, 20% of the people will be responsible for 80% of the company's success.

The following strategy will enable a leader to increase the productivity of an organization.

1. Determine which people are the top 20% producers.
2. Invest 80% of your "people time" with the top 20%.
3. Invest 80% of your personnel development dollars on the top 20%.
4. Determine what 20% of the work gives 80% of the return and train an assistant to do the 80% less effective work. This "frees up" the producer to do what he/she does best.
5. Ask the top 20% to do on-the-job training for the next 20%.

Remember, we teach what we know; we reproduce what we are.

Donald G Rosenbarger
Senior Vice President
Delta Companies Inc