This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to "The Power of One More" by Ed Mylett. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading.
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What makes someone an exceptional leader? How can you inspire and empower others to reach their highest potential?
Ed Mylett’s leadership philosophy centers on helping others surpass their perceived limitations. His approach combines practical strategies with the understanding that anyone can develop leadership skills through dedication and practice.
Read on to discover five ways to transform your leadership style and create lasting change in your organization and the lives of those you lead.
Ed Mylett on Leadership
According to Ed Mylett, leadership is about helping others achieve more than they could achieve on their own. He writes that, while some people have a natural gift for leadership, anyone can become a great leader with practice.
(Shortform note: The type of leader Mylett encourages you to become is what John C. Maxwell refers to as a Level 4 leader. In The 5 Levels of Leadership, Maxwell defines the fourth level of leadership as People Development. There are various key practices that effective Level 4 leaders do, but the overarching theme is to have a genuine interest in your people’s growth, both professionally and personally. Once you become a Level 4 leader, you can prepare to advance to Level 5, where you develop other Level 4 leaders and create a lasting legacy in your organization.)
Mylett discusses several things empowering leaders do.
1. Rally people to an inspiring mission. Empowering leaders create a mission that encompasses the hopes and dreams of those you lead and communicate how being part of this mission will positively transform their lives. To create an inspiring mission, define what you stand for and against. For example, you might start a food bank with a mission to fight against hunger in your community.
(Shortform note: In The Vision Driven Leader, Michael Hyatt says a company must have both a mission and a vision to be successful. A mission is your current purpose while a vision is what you want to do next. So, consider creating a vision alongside your inspiring mission. Hyatt defines a compelling vision as one that’s extreme and challenging, but not reckless. It should be extreme in the sense that it’s a completely new and ambitious idea. However, it shouldn’t be so reckless that it’s likely to fail or alienate your team or stakeholders.)
2. Reinforce your mission and values. Repeat simple, memorable messages about your values and expectations until they become part of your organization’s culture. This ensures everyone knows their roles clearly and aligns with shared goals. Mylett adds that you must consistently model the mindsets and actions you expect from others. If your conduct doesn’t match the standards you set for your people, they’ll quickly notice the inconsistency and see no reason to meet those standards.
(Shortform note: Boost the impact of your repeated messaging by communicating them across a wide variety of media. In The Four Obsessions of an Extraordinary Executive, Patrick Lencioni explains that communicating across different media helps team members absorb your messages because people have different learning and communication styles. To accommodate these differences, use both traditional communication methods like in-person meetings and modern ones enabled by new technologies like company-wide email bulletins.)
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Here's what you'll find in our full The Power of One More summary:
- The power of an extra-mile mindset and how to adopt one
- Tips for building an inner circle of people who support your goals
- How to develop a tolerance for doing hard things
