"ADD VALUE"
5 Questions for John Maxwell

HOW DO YOU RECOGNIZE FUTURE LEADERS?
Everywhere I've served, I've prayed for God to send me leaders
to build his church. For fourteen years, at least once every
month or so, I'd meet someone visiting our church for the
first time. We'd introduce ourselves. Then God would speak to
me and say, "John, there's one." That was the most humbling
thing in life because I didn't do one thing to bring that
person in.

After I resigned, I was with about seventy-five church leaders
one night for a farewell dinner. I got up and said, "All my
life I've prayed for leaders. Let me tell how God answered
those prayers with you." Then I went around the room, telling
each one about the time I met them, when God revealed,
"There's one." By the time I was done, we were all bawling.
Someone said, "How could you remember meeting everyone in a
church this size?"

I replied, "I don't remember meeting every person. I remember
meeting you because you were one of those people I prayed God
would lead into my life."

If you pray for leaders; if you have a heart to develop, lead,
and empower people; if you've got a God-given vision, God will
give according to your heart's desires.

HOW DO YOU APPROACH A POTENTIAL LEADER?
I've always asked them to become my prayer partner for at
least a year. That gives us time to get to know each other's
hearts. In addition, our church board members were asked to
mentor a potential leader, their replacement, during the last
of their three years in office.

On the front end of these relationships, we asked, "Are you
willing to reproduce other leaders if I invest in developing
you?" This perpetuates the culture of leadership development
and weeds out people who probably wouldn't have developed
anyway.

HOW DO YOU DEVELOP A PERSON WHO HAS A HEART FOR GOD BUT NO
LEADERSHIP SKILLS?
Provide on-the-job training. If people have the character
qualifications, they just need to learn how to maximize their
efforts. We worry too much about position and titles. I teach:
"Wherever you're working, whatever organization you serve,
start adding value to people and begin to gain their respect.
They will champion you."

When you understand that leadership is influence instead of
position, that changes everything. You don't strive to be a
leader; you strive to add value to people, and they'll let you
be the leader.

IS THAT HOW YOU ENCOURAGE LOYALTY AMONG LEADERS?
I prefer to talk about respect instead of loyalty, because you
won't be loyal to a person if you don't respect her or him. In
my dad's day, the pastor got loyalty because he was the
pastor. These days, people will not be loyal to anyone unless
they respect the person and know the leader respects them.

People give loyalty when they can say, "I'm a better person
because of that leader." As a leader, I'm always asking, "How
can I add value to the person I lead?" I advise pastors not to
go to a new church and ask, "Who's going to help me?" Instead,
look around, find out who the leaders are, and ask, "How can I
add value to them?"

HOW, SPECIFICALLY, DO YOU ADD VALUE TO SOMEONE'S LIFE?
Adding value comes from listening to people. If I know their
heart, then I know exactly where to add value. I develop the
part of themselves they want to see developed, not what I
happen to need at the time. This prevents me from using
people.

We all believe that people are our greatest asset when we
first meet them; it's a little tougher to believe after we
have worked with them a while and have seen their weaknesses.
I ask, "What is their unique contribution?" Then I equip
people according to their gifts and desires.

And part of it comes from asking people to be part of a great
vision. Having a cause worth dying for is the greatest reason
to live.