The Law of the Lid is a principle introduced by John Maxwell in his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. If you haven’t read this book, stop what you are doing and buy it now!
What is the law of the lid? Glad you asked 🙂
Answer: Leadership ability determines a person’s level of effectiveness.
- The lower an individual’s ability to lead, the lower the lid on his potential.
- The higher an individual’s ability to lead, the higher the lid on his potential.
As the leader of a local church, I’m always trying to raise “my leadership lid”. Here are some John Maxwell quotes to inspire, encourage and help you reach your next level of effective leadership for God’s Kingdom.
Here are some of my favorite John Maxwell quotes:
- “All true leaders have learned to say no to the good in order to say yes to the best.”
2. “A leader is great, not because of his or her power, but because of his or her ability to empower others.”
3. “The best leaders are humble enough to realize their victories depend upon their people.”
4. “If you want to be the best leader you can possibly be, no matter how much or how little natural leadership talent you possess, you need to become a serving leader.”
5. “The bottom line in leadership isn’t how far we advance ourselves but how far we advance others.”
Five more quotes from John Maxwell:
6. “The challenge of leadership is to create change and facilitate growth.”
7. “Managers work with processes-leaders work with people.”
8. “The higher you want to climb, the more you need leadership. The greater the impact you want to make, the greater your influence needs to be.”
9. “The leader’s Attitude is like a thermostat for the place she works. If her attitude is good, the atmosphere is pleasant, and the environment is easy to work in. But if her attitude is bad, the temperature is insufferable.”
10. “Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.”
May we take some time and accurately gauge our level of effectiveness.
Here are 2 practical ways to raise your “lid”.
1. Read!
Remember, leaders are readers! Find some books that will inspire you and challenge. Also, consider reading books that get your imagination stimulated. Lord knows we need some fresh ideas.
2. Listen to Podcasts.
These are perfect for your drive time. Many podcasts are 20 minutes or less which makes them great for the average commute. Carey Nieuwhof and Craig Groeschel have great leadership podcasts. Shameless plug alert: Steve Sjogren and I have a podcast for church planters and pastors called Church Planting Today.
