Page 290 - 4- Leading_from_Within

commitment and incremental leadership experience. 312 If someone has the
desire and willpower, he or she can become an effective leader. However,
one will not grow as a leader unless he/she commits to getting out of
his/her comfort zone and tries to be a better leader than he/she is

currently. Good leaders develop through a never ending process of self-
study, education, training, and experience. Effective leaders are
continually working and studying to improve their leadership skills; they
are NOT resting on their laurels.

No one unfortunately can fully master each and every one of the attributes

of an effective leader. Therefore, an individual needs to begin the
leadership development process by coming to grips with the kind of leader
he/she wants to be. This begins by asking such questions as:
• Who am I?

• What are my values?
• What leadership competencies and skills do I want to acquire?
• How should I proceed to move forward?

People who resist efforts to develop as leaders may be perceived as
unwilling to change and to adapt to new situations. They are likely to be

viewed as thinking that they are sufficient unto themselves and that
adjusting to others is a sign of weakness. Those within the organization
that are committed to personal growth and using that growth to advance
themselves, their coworkers, and their organization is the sign of leaders
who are ready to use their skills to create a more excellent organization.

Of course, the willingness to grow as a leader depends, in part, on one’s
willingness to honestly assess oneself. This need for and approach to self-
assessment was discussed in an earlier chapter. This can be facilitated by
the Johari Window (named after the first names of its inventors, Joseph
Luft and Harry Ingham), which is a way of describing what each of us is

like, as we are known both by others and by ourselves. The four-paned
"window," divides personal awareness into four different types, as
represented by its four quadrants: open, blind, hidden, and unknown.

312
John C. Maxwell, The 5 Levels of Leadership, New York: Center Street, 2011.
David Kolzow 290