“Success or failure in this job [as a leader] is essentially a matter of human relationships,” writes Robert Woodruff, former CEO of Coca- Cola Company.
John Maxwell builds on this idea in his book, Winning With People: Discover The People Principles That Work For You Every Time, (Nelson Books, 2004). As he writes, “All of life’s successes come from initiating relationships with the right people and then strengthening those relationships by using good people skills.”
“The most useful person in the world today,” writes Stanley C. Allyn, “is the man or woman who knows how to get along with other people. Human relations is the most important science in living.”
Maxwell notes that the first step to building, maintaining and strengthening relationships is to understand “The Mirror Principle”, namely “The first person we must examine is ourselves.” As he explains: “The first person I must know is myself - self-awareness. The first person I must get along with is myself - self-image. The first person to cause me problems is myself - self-honesty. The first person I must change is myself - self-improvement. The first person that can make a difference is myself - self-responsibility.”
I agree 100% with Maxwell and urge all of us this week to take stock of the person in the mirror. This is the pathway to becoming better people and better leaders.
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