The Law of Explosive Growth (#20) – The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell

The Law of Explosive Growth is the 20th of the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell and it states that: “to add growth, lead followers; to multiply growth, lead leaders.”

According to John C. Maxwell, you can grow by leading followers. But if you want to maximize your leadership and help your organization reach its potential, you need to develop leaders. There is no other way to experience explosive growth.

Leaders who attract followers, but never develop leaders, get tired. Being able to impact only those who you can touch personally is very limiting.

In contrast, leaders who develop leaders impact people far beyond their personal reach. Every time you develop leaders and help them increase their leadership ability, you make them capable of influencing an even greater number of people.

Many leaders are impatient because they want to achieve their vision. However, other people in the organization aren’t always on the same page. How do they close the gap between where they want their team to be and where they are?

Maxwell believes that the answer lies in the Law of Explosive Growth. He writes that there are three critical stages in the leadership journey: leaders can develop themselves and experience personal success; they can grow a team, and their organization will experience growth; or they can develop leaders, so that their organization can achieve explosive growth.

BREAKING DOWN THE LAW OF EXPLOSIVE GROWTH

Becoming a great leader is about more than attracting followers. Leaders need to spend time developing other leaders and encouraging strong employees in your company to grow.

In his chapter on the Law of Explosive Growth, John Maxwell writes, “Good leaders lead for the sake of their followers and for what they can leave behind after their time of leadership is completed.” While it’s nice to feel personally needed, leaders limit the potential of their company if they don’t train other leaders in your organization.

If they spend time developing other influential leaders to carry the weight, their company will last longer.

HOW TO USE THE LAW OF EXPLOSIVE GROWTH

Maxwell explains in The Law of Explosive Growth that usually are the weakest members of the organization that require the most time and attention. If leaders focus on that bottom 20%, they’ll spend 80% of their time trying to help them. However, if they use that time to develop their top 20% of employees instead, their leadership can help carry the weaker employees so that everyone improves overall.

To go to the highest level, you have to develop leaders of leaders…”some leaders want to make followers. I want to make leaders. Not only do I want to make leaders, but I want to make leaders of leaders. And then leaders of leaders of leaders.” Once you are able to follow that pattern, there is almost no limit to the growth of your organization. That’s why I say to add growth, lead followers, but to multiply growth, lead leaders. That’s the Law of Explosive Growth. 

A DIFFERENT FOCUS 

BECOMING A LEADER WHO DEVELOPS LEADERS REQUIRES AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT FOCUS AND ATTITUDE FROM THOSE OF A DEVELOPER OF FOLLOWERS. CONSIDER SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES: 

LEADERS WHO DEVELOP FOLLOWERS 

• Need to be needed 
• Focus on weaknesses 
• Develop the bottom 20 percent 
• Treat their people the same for “fairness” 
• Hoard power 
• Spend time with others 
• Grow by addition 
• Impact only people they touch personally 

LEADERS WHO DEVELOP LEADERS 

• Want to be succeeded 
• Focus on strengths 
• Develop the top 20 percent 
• Treat their leaders as individuals for impact 
• Give power away 
• Invest time in others 
• Grow by multiplication 
• Impact people far beyond their own reach 

Developing leaders is difficult because potential leaders are harder to find and attract. They’re also harder to hold on to once you find them because they are energetic and want to grow. Developing leaders is hard work but it’s vital for an organization.  

THE 21 IRREFUTABLE LAWS OF LEADERSHIP BY JOHN C. MAXWELL

The book is divided in 21 main chapters, one for each of the 21 leadership laws. Below are the links to the individual chapters.

1. THE LAW OF THE LID
2. THE LAW OF INFLUENCE
3. THE LAW OF PROCESS
4. THE LAW OF NAVIGATION
5. THE LAW OF E.F.HUTTON
6. THE LAW OF SOLID GROUND
7. THE LAW OF RESPECT
8. THE LAW OF INTUITION
9. THE LAW OF MAGNETISM
10. THE LAW OF CONNECTION
11. THE LAW OF THE INNER CIRCLE
12. THE LAW OF EMPOWERMENT
13. THE LAW OF REPRODUCTION
14. THE LAW OF BUY-IN
15. THE LAW OF VICTORY
16. THE LAW OF THE BIG MO
17. THE LAW OF PRIORITIES
18. THE LAW OF SACRIFICE
19. THE LAW OF TIMING
20. THE LAW OF EXPLOSIVE GROWTH
21. THE LAW OF LEGACY

ON AMAZON: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership