John Maxwell’s Leadership Law #3: The Law of Process

“Leadership develops daily, not in a day.” That’s how business leader John C. Maxwell begins his chapter on The Law of Process in his bestselling book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. In this book, John, a respected author, speaker, and leadership expert, lays out 21 laws that will make you a better leader and help you grow your business.

I’ve written about John and his Law of Buy-In, but his book contains many more gems of wisdom about leadership that I’d like to share.

The Law of Process

The main idea behind the Law of Process is that the routines and tasks you make time for each day will eventually build the success of both yourself and your business. As John writes, “See what a person is doing every day, day after day, and you’ll know who that person is and what he or she is becoming.”

The learning process is ongoing, and you become better equipped and more experienced every day than before. You need to consistently learn from your successes and failures and modify your routines as you go along to set yourself up for success.

According to the Law of Process, consistency is critical. Repeatedly performing actions contributing to your growth as a leader will engrain them into your core being.

What it Looks Like

The Law of Process focuses primarily on your personal development. As Maxwell says, “Being put in charge is not the same as being a leader.” Merely managing a team is not enough to morph you into a leader that people will follow. It’s an ongoing cycle that requires you to put in the work every single day.

The best way to use the Law of Process is by evaluating your daily routines as they stand. What are you currently doing each day that makes you a better person? Do you use your time wisely? Are you making time for personal development? Are you wasting time on other things?

Maxwell says, “Leadership is learned daily, not in a day.” There is no instant solution that will make you a great leader. It would help if you worked on it daily by making personal development a part of your daily routine.

What does that look like in practice? Here are some excellent Law of Process examples: John recommends listening to at least one CD, audiobook, or podcast related to personal development a week. Your commute is a great time to work on this because what else will you do when you’re stuck in the car?

You should attend at least one conference or workshop annually to help you develop your leadership skills. Becoming a better leader is not a solitary task; outside perspectives will significantly benefit you.

To bring the Law of Process to your business or organization, Maxwell stresses the importance of creating a culture of growth within your company. Invest in your employees by promoting a take-charge leadership mentality. Please provide them with books, training, and mentoring so that they, too, can become great leaders. Your business will be all the better for it.

I’ve built my coaching practice to help small business owners like yourself become better leaders and inspire massive change in their organizations. If you’d like to learn more about making the Law of Process work for you, fill out my contact form, and let’s chat.

Coach Dave