Page 23 - October2017

When I work with growing agencies and companies, In my 15 years of insurance production, I don’t know
there is always one common theme. Successful agencies of one client who did business with me because of a
and companies understand and live the principle that positional title that was given to me or given by myself. As
everything rises and falls on leadership. They work Stanley Huffty stated, “It’s not the position that makes the
every day on becoming better leaders. There is no magic leaders; it’s the leader that makes the position.” The same
leadership pill or potion. You must be intentional about it true of agency leaders I have worked for. Some of the
developing your leadership ability. most influential people I have worked for did not have the
highest position, but they did have the most influence.
Whether you feel that your current leadership effectiveness
is a two out of 10 or a six out of 10, your effectiveness as So how do you know if you have influence? The best
leader will never rise beyond that number until you are indication is in your followers. There is an old proverb
willing to invest in your own leadership development. that says, “He who thinks he leads but has no followers, is
Since I do truly believe that everything rises and falls on only taking a walk.” Who is following you? Are they going
leadership, there isn’t a better investment you can make where you want them to go or are they wandering off in
than in your leadership development. their own direction?
II. Leadership is Influence, Nothing More, Nothing Less Regardless of your current title, position, or experience,
how can you gain more influence as a leader? There
I recently had a meeting with an insurance agency are several ways to gain influence, but I want to focus
leadership team. After the meeting, I had a private specifically on two that I will discuss in my next two pillars
conversation with one of the team members. In our of insurance leadership.
discussion, I heard something that really struck me. She
said, “I don’t have the highest title, ownership, or even the III. The Highest Calling of Leadership is Self-Leadership
most experience at this agency, but if I left the agency, I
know that most of the agency staff would want to follow Before you can lead anyone else, you must first be able to
me because I have the most influence.” lead yourself. That’s why I believe that the highest calling
of leadership is self-leadership.
The leader just exemplified what true leadership is all
about. Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. When I conduct a live training on self-leadership I often
demonstrate the power of self-leadership with a couple of
As I said in the open of the article, leadership is often drinking glasses. In the first example, I try to pour an empty
misunderstood. While you can have title and influence, it’s glass into another empty glass. Too often leaders try to
not the title that gives you true influence. serve others without filling their own cup. It simply doesn’t
by Brent Kelly work.
As John Maxwell states in The 21 Irrefutable Laws
of Leadership, “True leadership cannot be awarded, In the second example, I pour water into the first drinking
appointed, or assigned. It comes only from influence, and glass. The water represents self-leadership through personal
that cannot be mandated. It must be earned.” and professional growth. When you begin to grow yourself,
you can then more effectively grow those around you. The
Sometimes the words leadership and management get great thing about self-leadership is that it is never ending.
thrown together as if they are the same thing. While You can always reach for more water to fill your cup......
both leadership and management are important for all but you must be thirsty.
organizations, they are very different skills.
One of the top characteristics I see from the best leaders is
Management is focused on maintaining systems and that they are lifelong learners. No matter what they know
processes, whereas leadership is about influencing people. and what they have learned, the most successful leaders
Again, both attributes are important, but they are not one in are always hungry to learn and grow more.
the same.
Influential leaders understand that leadership is a process,
Former Chrysler chairman and CEO Lee Iacocca once not an event. They don’t attend one workshop or take one
commented, “Sometimes even the best manager is like the class and suddenly think they have arrived at the final
little boy with the big dog, waiting to see where the dog destination. In fact, the more top leaders learn, the more
wants to go so that he can take him there.” True leadership they realize how much more there is to learn. Just like
is about inspiring positive change. interest in your bank account, leadership skill compounds.

I also used to think that leadership was about the position In 2003, I hit the lowest point of my personal and
you held. For most of my business career, I was an professional life. I was deeply in debt, unmotivated, and
insurance producer. Although the title of “producer” or unsure of where to turn. That year I was introduced to
“agent” doesn’t sound like a leadership position, nothing my first personal growth mentor, Jim Rohn. I listened to
could be further from the truth. Why do you think that most an audio recording of Jim teach and realized that all my
insurance agencies ask producers to sign a non-compete problems were caused by one person...me. I started to
agreement? Yes, there are financial considerations, but make small changes in my attitude and habits and thus
think a bit deeper. Who has the greatest influence on began the process of my own personal and professional
the most important relationships.... the clients…in every growth. Many years later, I am still working on growing
organization? and developing every day as a leader.

continued...
october 2017 insight 23