STARTING - The First Step Toward Success

Sprinters practice racing out of the starting blocks. Salespeople are coached in the power of a first impression. Orators devote hours to opening statements. Interviewees are taught the importance of their initial handshake with a potential employer.

In leadership, as in many other areas of life, the beginning often determines the end. False starts and weak foundations can be ruinous. Here are five insights to help you start successfully.

HOW TO START SUCCESSFULLY

1. Start With Yourself
As Gandhi famously said, "Be the change you want to be in the world." By starting with yourself, you build the self-confidence needed to attract and inspire others. Leading yourself well is a precursor to accomplishment, and accomplishment earns respect.

In order to make deposits in the lives of followers, you have to have a beginning balance in your leadership account. Start leading by proving your mettle - to yourself and to prospective followers.

2. Start early
Sadly, many leaders squander their early years and spend the rest of their careers trying to make up for lost time. In leadership, as with finances, decisions made early in life accrue the most interest. When we choose poorly or establish bad habits, we put ourselves in debt. Then, we must not only repay our loans, but the interest on them as well. On the flip side, when we invest our time and talent wisely from a young age, we reap the benefits of compounding interest on our leadership.

Specifically, where should leaders start? What areas should take precedence at the beginning? From my experience there are 10 things you should do as a leader prior to reaching age 40:

1. Know yourself
2. Settle your family life
3. Determine your priorities
4. Develop your philosophy of life
5. Get physically fit
6. Learn your trade
7. Pay the price
8. Develop solid relationships
9. Prepare for the future
10. Find purpose for your life

If you're over 40, it's never to late to make improvements. Unfortunately, an old dog doesn't easily learn new tricks. Undoing years of misplaced priorities and poor self-management will take extra effort.

3. Start Small
Don't expect to understand what it takes to get to the top, just take the next step.
Think big, but start small. Doing so encourages you to get started, and keeps you from being frozen by the magnitude of the vision in front of you. When you accomplish a small step, you gain confidence that you can accomplish the next step.

The success found in starting small comes when you diligently apply the lessons you learn. As my friend, Dick Biggs, has said, "The greatest gap is between knowing and doing." Commit to mastering the details under your control, and follow through when experience has given you instruction.

4. Start with the end in view
"Most people spend more time planning their grocery shopping than designing their future."
- Tom James, Personal Development Coach

To start with the end in view, you need energy and direction. Let your passion pull you forward, and let your planning give you guidance. In order for passion to be a driving force in your life, you must identify a purpose for you life. To locate your purpose, consider your strengths, interests, and past successes. What roles do you find most enjoyable? What brings you the greatest sense of satisfaction? Examine the areas that make you feel strong and angle your career toward them. Also, find people who have been successful in the area of your interest. Listen to them and watch their lives.

For planning to give you direction, you need to write down goals. Goals lend structure to your purpose, and they keep you leading "within the lines." They focus your action and move you toward your overall vision.

5. Start Now
We exaggerate yesterday, overestimate tomorrow, and underestimate today. Embrace action daily. Don't wait until it's too late before you begin to pursue the visions implanted in your heart. Make each day your masterpiece; you'll be surprised where you end up after stringing together a few months of superb days.

I'll leave you with one final thought:

"How wonderful it is that we need not wait a single minute before starting to improve ourselves and our world." - Anne Frank

Review - Five Steps to Starting Successfully
1. Start Early
2. Start with Yourself
3. Start Small
4. Start with the End in View
5. Start Now

 

15 Comments »

1. Thanks for this wonderful information John. Im 26 and have ‘successfully created some bad habits’ out of pure ignorance. Im asking myself, “why didn’t John share these guidelines to starting successfully earlier? How selfish of him! ;) Well, now Im on a mission to starting properly this moment.. you rock!

   Comment by robin Ley - Apr 05, 2009 @ 01:28 AM

2. Amazing! Very practical steps to do in the PROCESS of obedience. The start now comments and quote from Anne Frank are for the resource library.

   Comment by Dewitt Robinson - Apr 08, 2009 @ 03:43 AM

3. very encouraging -
   especially “2. Start early
   Sadly, many leaders squander their early years and spend the rest of their careers trying to make up for lost time”
   as a 26 year old leader (at work and at church) sometimes I feel very lonely as not many others my age share my vision and passion for growing/becoming a leader (I myself was a reluctant leader until 6 months ago) - and it’s encouraging to hear that i am on the right track.

   Comment by DeeDee - Apr 15, 2009 @ 10:17 AM

4. While much of the article is invigourating as one expects from John Maxwell, I found the step 2 ‘Start Early’ rather flippant and insensitive in its conclusions about those over 40 who may have ‘squandered’ their early years. 

   I find this language really offensive:  ‘Unfortunately, an old dog doesn’t easily learn new tricks. Undoing years of misplaced priorities and poor self-management will take extra effort.’ Frankly, I’m astonished that these are the words of John Maxwell.

   There are many reasons why people - particularly women would have striven to do better or achieve more, but had limited success.  How about some more constructive advice for the over 40s please??  Besides, I know serveral people who changed professions altogether in their 40s - one at 50, and started businesses that are thriving and an inspiration to gathering the courage to leap off the rat race and follow one’s dreams!

   Comment by Michelle - Apr 15, 2009 @ 11:57 AM

5. John: always a blessing.
   Thanks
   Emanuel Seropián writting from Uruguay.

   Comment by Emanuel Seropián - Apr 15, 2009 @ 05:41 PM

6. Simple steps to but will have a deep impact if followed.. your such a mentor to me.. every thoughts you shared give me an inspiration to really pursue what’s in my heart and be wise in choosing the right path. The problem right now I think is that many of us want to pursue many things in life without God in your first thoughts, everything will not fall into it’s proper places. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and thoughts about this. God Bless you!!

   Comment by Bryan Nucum - Apr 15, 2009 @ 06:22 PM

7. Very good Article,

   Hi Michelle,
   Don’t feel offended by point #2, one of the things that leaders need to learn is that you can’t let words affect you, no matter who they come from, the only voice you need to hear is God’s voice.  I’m sure John did not intend to offend anyone with this.

   Remember this that is just an expression and does not applies to you.  You were created in God’s image.  God called some people to do great things and they were way beyond 40.  What made the difference was their obedience, not their age.

   Comment by Manrique - Apr 15, 2009 @ 10:18 PM

8. Thanks Manrique,

   I reflected on this a bit last night and remembered men like Moses, Caleb, Joshua, for example, all of whom came out of obscurity and entered their true calling after 40. 

   You are absolutely right.  God is not limited by a person’s age.

   God bless you,
   Michelle

   Comment by Michelle - Apr 16, 2009 @ 07:12 AM

9. @ Manrique, you are completely right and I will just add some little more. At times the truth is always very hard on us especially if we have faltered in the past. Dr Maxwell wasn’t trying to abuse anybody, he was just conveying the reality of the situation. Everybody will definitely agree to the truth that it is simply DIFFICULT if not IMPOSSIBLE to start after 40.

   But the good news is “With God nothing shall be impossible!” The Scripture says, “a living dog is better than a dead lion.”  It is not about the circumstances that surrounds that really matter - like age, resources, it is what domains in you and what you are ready to sacrifice that gives the final judgement.

   Dr John Maxwell is my ‘Numero Uno’ speaker and I can only start to apply the nuggets NOW!

   Comment by John Okewole - Apr 16, 2009 @ 02:53 PM

10. The moment I heard Sir John Maxwell in the Philippines, I have been looking forward to reading his articles whatever form of literature it may be.  Indeed, God has bestowed him such wonderful and profound gifts.  Muchos gracias, Senor John!  God bless.

    Comment by Rowena Bolledo - Apr 16, 2009 @ 10:24 PM

11. Thanks John for being a blessing to our generation.

    Comment by chris nwaneri - Apr 17, 2009 @ 03:32 AM

12. I have to agree with comment #4 that to call people over 40 an “old dog” or to assume that because a person is not successful in the world’s standards that they have “years of misplaced priorities and poor self-management”.
        You must remember the scriptures that teach: “What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?”  and the teaching that man judges the outward appearance, but God can see your heart.  A man makes plans, but God determines the outcome. 
      Another thing to consider, which this article did not reflect the wisdom of experience of this, is that even if you do achieve the success that you wanted in your career, circumstances can knock you down later in life. You may climb the ladder of success and end up at the bottom anyway.  You are not in control, God is.  Humility in all situations is required and success is not measured by the size of your bank account in God’s eyes.

    Comment by Linda - Apr 17, 2009 @ 01:26 PM

13. This article came right in time when I am considering STARTING. Though starting late, I beleive I will succeed following the steps listed herein.

    Comment by Paul - Apr 18, 2009 @ 11:02 AM

14. Start with yourself, be better, improve your portfolio, build your success, win friends and influence people, whatever.  It’s tired and I’m over it.

    What about “The First Step Toward Selflessness and Self-sacrifice” or “The First Step Toward Losing Your Life?”  They just don’t sell very well.

    Comment by Shamrock - Apr 20, 2009 @ 12:14 PM

15. I must confess i love this site. John Maxwell has been of a tremendous blessing to me and my family. A lead a network of young business minds and leaders of over 500 people in Nigeria. Leadership is what i teach everyday.

    My utmost desire is to have John Maxwell in my T.V talk show soon or on my Inspired Leadership-Business Summit. I love you sir and God bless you.

    Comment by Kingsley Akuete - May 02, 2009 @ 07:08 AM

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