Who's The Boss?

Ever had a time when you lead a group of people, only to find someone else is leading them?

No, I don't mean that as in a coup d'etat. I mean, you are the appointed leader, but in the end when you bring it down to the people in your committee someone else is doing the delegating - NOT you. YOU may be the appointed leader, but in the end that someone holds the power. Strange, but true. This is known as the Law of E.F. Hutton. (As preached in John C. Maxwell's marvelous work "The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership")

Who's this E.F. Hutton, you ask? Well, E.F. Hutton is actually the name of a financial service company in America. They used to have ads on TV, where in a busy and crowded public place two friends would be talking about financial matters. After the first person spoke of what his broker advised him to do, the second person then says: "Well, my broker is E.F. Hutton, and E.F. Hutton says..." At that point everyone around the two would stop in their trackd, turn, and listen to what the man was about to say. Funny as it sounds, it's in the case of the Law: when the REAL leader speaks, everyone listens.

John faced this problem as a pastor of a church in Indiana after he graduated, and he learned well from it. It was at his first board meeting that he noticed the Law in action. He had come to the meeting ready to lead, with no set agenda and the assumption everyone would listen to him since he was the leader. He was proven wrong thanks to one of the senior members by the name of Claude. When Claude spoke, everyone listened.

And John learned of how powerful the Law can be. So instead of forcing Claude down, he used Claude's influence among the church members to accomplish anything that needs attention. In his own words, "I could always count on him to bring those things before the people, and whenever Claude spoke, people listened." Once you understand the concept behind the Law, you can easily see how everyone reacts to the REAL leader.

Take Tihn Chern as an example. When he speaks everyone listens. It's plain to see he's the real leader, not just because of his title as Head Prefect, but by his influence among the Prefects and the students. In all situations, when a question is asked the people always look to the real leader.

Real leaders aren't hard to spot. They are the ones who speak later, unlike positional leaders who speak first. Just like John and Claude, Claude was the real leader because he became the voice of the church once John had spoken. Real leaders need only their own influence to get things done, while positional leaders need the real leader to get things moving. Also, real leaders influence everyone in the room while positional leaders influence other positional leaders. In essence, those who lead the people are the real leaders, not the ones who lead the meeting.

People always claim they are born leaders. But how do you lead when no one listens to you? The best way to see who's the real leader is to see how the people react to him/her. Real leaders need to possess seven traits, which will come to them in time:

CHARACTER: Who they are makes a difference in the lives of others, no matter how small.
RELATIONSHIPS: Who they know can change everything. The deeper their relationships with others, the stronger their potential for leadership. And with the right people they can achieve much more.
KNOWLEDGE: Knowledge is power, for without it they can't be leaders. They need to know their facts, the factors involved, and have a vision before they can lead.
INTUITION: What they feel can mean the difference between success and failure. Their instincts may just give them the edge against all others.
EXPERIENCE: All that they have gone through in the past will help them gain more followers, for it encourages them to prove the leader's worth.
PAST SUCCESS: What they've done speaks volumes  - and grants the people a good reason to be led by them.
ABILITY: What they can do will decide if their followers stay or leave them.

This Law shows that leadership isnt just about credentials and fame. It also requires the respect of the people. Take Mother Teresa, for example. She may seem like any ordinary person, but she was truly a real leader. She succeeded in building up her organization, the Missionaries of Charity, till it numbered more than four thousand members during her lifetime. And that's not including the total number of volunteers!

Even when she spoke about certain sensitive topics, no one rallied against her. No one booed, or jeered, or showed their defiance, nor did any of them act in violence. Everyone shut up and listened, even if they were strongly against what she said. She was the most respected person in the entire world. And when she spoke, EVERYONE in the WHOLE WORLD listened to her. It's just like how people rallied to the cause of leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr and Mahatma Gandhi. They spoke, and they were heard.

If you thought you were really the leader, then maybe it's time you reexamine your priorities and your approach, as well as how your people listen to you. Use the Law of E.F. Hutton to great effect. Be the one people listen to.

Cheers!