Breakthrough Using the 3 Principles of the Law of Addition

The Law of Addition from John C. Maxwell’s The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership says, “Leaders Add Value by Serving Others.” As a coach, I work to help others increase their awareness, and give them a different perspective when needed. Each coaching relationship is unique, and the coaching process can lead to a breakthrough for a client in regards to an opportunity.

A few years ago I was coaching Tim. He was seeking new employment from a specific company. He was not interested in offers from other companies. Tim was fixated on this specific company, and it was his dream job.

Tim felt with his expertise he would have a very positive effect on the profitability of the company. He knew their products and processes, and had a huge desire to work for them. He struggled because after repeated attempts the company did not respond with any offers for employment. He had interviews, and discussions, but they seemed reluctant to take any action.

During one of our coaching sessions, we were discussing The Law of Addition. We began to explore how it applied to his situation. Tim was convinced he was doing everything possible to show his value, his skills, and his expertise to this company.

Tim’s breakthrough came when he discovered how his value could be perceived from a 360 degree perspective. Tim defined how he would provide value from the companies perspective, and then from his own perspective. We pushed further, and Tim described how he would be able to add value to peers, colleagues, subordinates, clients, and suppliers.

After that session, Tim created a new proposal and resume for the company. He included examples and case studies that demonstrated how he would create value for the company from all these different perspectives. Almost immediately the company responded, and made Tim the offer for which he was patiently waiting.

Tim is still with that company today, and has been very successful in delivering the value he promised. The coaching sessions allowed him to expand his awareness of the hiring situation and his expertise. It was the discussion of The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership that lead to this success.

There are three areas we examined within The Law of Addition from John’s book.

1. To add value to others, you must truly value others. In Tim’s case, his initial focus was on what he could bring to the company. He talked about improvements he could make. In his successful approach, he had to learn and communicate that he understood what the company was doing right. Changes that would lead to improvements would have to follow afterwards.

2. To add value to others, we must make ourselves more valuable to others. In Tim’s case, he decided he needed to improve his knowledge of the company. He met and talked with other employees of the company. He did more research about their products, and their customers.

3. To add value to others, you must know and relate to what others value. This is where Tim benefited from applying a 360 degree perspective. He translated his value into what others within the company would value. He was able to communicate this value on their terms and connect with their needs.

The coaching process was able to help Tim break the barriers that were restricting his success. As you know, increased awareness cannot be created solely from within. When you are trying to reach a new level of success, reach out to a coach to give yourself the edge you need.

About the Author

Mark Brown is a founding partner with the John Maxwell Team, and the co-owner of New Roads Leadership. He has over 35 years of corporate experience and 10 years as a corporate executive. Mark is now dedicated to provide coaching, 360 degree assessments, and mastermind facilitation to help business professionals accelerate their success and expand their potential.

Contact Mark at : http://www.johncmaxwellgroup.com/markbrown/