The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell

Week 6: Law 5 — The Law of Addition

Read Chapter 5 of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. Key concept: leaders add value by serving others.

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The Law of Addition reframes leadership from a position of power to an act of service — and it asks a quietly uncomfortable question: are you adding value to the people around you, or subtracting it?

Discussion Questions

6 questions

1.Maxwell argues that the best leaders are motivated by a "servant mindset" — they ask not "What can others do for me?" but "What can I do for others?" How does this contrast with the dominant view of leadership in most organizations you've been part of?

2.Maxwell uses the story of Bob Iger and the transformation of Disney to illustrate how leaders who add value create loyalty, energy, and results. What specific practices did Iger model that exemplified the Law of Addition?

3.Maxwell says that leaders add value when they "truly value others, make themselves more valuable, and know and relate to what others value." Which of these three components is most underdeveloped in your current leadership? Why?

a.What is one person on your team whose specific needs and values you don't yet understand well enough?

b.What would you need to do to learn them?

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