Preface

INTENDED AUDIENCE.
Fire Apparatus Operator: Pumper, third edition, is a
straightforward, reader-friendly text designed for
firefighters who are aspiring to meet the professional
qualifications for vehicle driver/pump operator. It is
intended to be used for training in fire departments,
academies, and college fire programs. Although the
basic flow of the text is the same as in previous editions, the material in the third edition has been updated and expanded. In addition, a new full-color
design and several new features serve to enhance
the learning experience for the student. The most important aspect of this edition is that it addresses all of
the requirements identified in NFPA 1002, Chapters
4 and 5, 2009 edition, for driver/pump operator. In
addition, the text addresses the objectives listed in
the Fire Protection Hydraulics and Water Supply
model curriculum course established at the National
Fire Academy’s Fire and Emergency Services Higher
Education (FESHE) conferences.
A Correlation Guide to the 2009 edition of NFPA
Standard 1002 and FESHE course outcomes follows
this Preface.
DEVELOPMENT OF THIS BOOK.
This book was written for several reasons. First, and
perhaps most important, it was written because I enjoy the subject matter. Of all the positions I have
held in the fire service, the most memorable and
enjoyable were those as a pump operator. Second,
it was written because the majority of books on the
subject are outdated. I have been teaching from the
same textbooks that I learned from when I took
classes at a community college some 15 years ago.
I’m not implying that these older texts are of poor
quality, rather that they are simply outdated. In fact,
their extended existence pays tribute to those who
wrote them. Granted, some concepts of pump operations have remained relatively unchanged over the
years, but pump operations, related standards, and
terminology have not been stagnant. Finally, it was
written because I wanted a single resource for relevant information on pump operations. When teaching pump operations, I found the“perfect”textbook
to be several existing texts combined with information I picked up during my career in the fire service.
So, this book attempts to place all of the information
needed to operate a pump efficiently and effectively
within the same cover.
—Dr. Thomas B. Sturtevant
OUR REVIEW AND VALIDATION
COMMITTEES.
Through the dedication of our authors, content and
technical reviewers, as well as our Fire Advisory
Board members and validation committee, the third
edition of Fire Apparatus Operator: Pumper continues
to remain up to date with the changing landscape of the
fire service world. As part of the development process,
each chapter is carefully reviewed by a select number
of practicing individuals in the fire service who offer
their expertise and insight as we revise the content.
Additionally, technical reviewers thoroughly check
the manuscript in detail for clarity and accuracy.
We are excited to announce that for the third edition of this book, we have created a validation committee to ensure that the content meets 100% of the
NFPA Standard 1002, Chapters 4 and 5. Learning objectives, which have been validated by this committee of subject-matter experts, are included at the
beginning of each chapter. The learning objectives
tie all components of the learning solution (e.g., text,
curriculum, test bank, supplements) to the NFPA standard, providing instructors and students a pathway to
meet the intent of the job performance requirements
outlined in the NFPA standard.
The Validation Process
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
professional qualifications standards identify the
minimum job performance requirements (JPRs) for
fire service positions. A JPR states the behaviors required to perform a specific skill(s) on the job. The
JPR statements must be converted into instructional
objectives with behaviors, conditions, and standards
that can be measured within the teaching/learning
environment.
Our process includes the development of the
learning objectives from the JPR by a subjectmatter expert. The learning objectives are then
reviewed and validated by a committee. The committee reviews the learning objectives to ensure that the
JPR was correctly interpreted and also makes recommendations for additional learning objectives within
our materials. Our authors are provided with the validated learning objectives to develop the materials.
This ensures that 100% of the standard is met within
our materials.
The learning objectives are used throughout the
entire development process. This includes the development of the book, curriculum, and the certification
test question banks. This process ensures consistency
among all materials and offers the best possible materials available on the market.
For a complete list of our review and validation
committee members, as well as other contributors to
this book, please refer to the Acknowledgments section of this Preface.
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK.
The basic goal of this text is to provide one location
for the knowledge required to carry out the duties of
a pump operator efficiently and effectively. Therefore, the textbook includes all of the requirements
of NFPA 1002, Fire Apparatus Driver/Operator Professional Qualifications, 2009 edition, for drivers/
pump operators. Other relevant NFPA standards are
also introduced and discussed. In addition, the
textbook covers the objectives contained in the
FESHE’s Fire Protection Hydraulics and Water Supply model core curriculum course. Because of this, the
textbook can be used for state or local pump operator
training and certification as well as in college-level
courses.
The position of pump operator is vital to the mission of the fire service. It is a position that requires
knowledge and skills gained from classroom lecture,
practical hands-on training, and experience. To that
end, the location of the training/education, whether it
be a fire department, state training agency, college, or
vocational school, doesn’t matter as much as the quality of information provided. Apparatus equipped with
pumps are expensive pieces of equipment that require
extensive knowledge and skills to operate them safely.
The text is divided into four sections:
■Section I serves as an introduction to the duties
and responsibilities of the pump operator and includes preventive maintenance and driving of
emergency vehicles.
■Section II focuses on the operating principles, theories, and construction of pumps as well as the
systems and components typically used in conjunction with fire pumps.
■Section III presents the three interrelated fire
pump operation tasks or activities of securing a
water supply, operating the pump, and maintaining discharge pressures. This section builds on the
foundation laid in the first two sections of the text
and provides basic, step-by-step procedures for
operating the pump and related components.
■Section IV focuses on water flow calculations, including hydraulic theory, friction loss principles,
and fireground pump discharge pressure calculations. This section brings to light the importance
of understanding the relationship between the
amount of water needed and the amount that is
actually flowing.
The purpose for dividing the text into the four
sections is to present like subjects together. For example, the first section focuses on the driver and
emergency apparatus. The theory, construction, and
operating principles of pumps and related components, for the most part, are all contained within
the second section. The operation of pumps and related components is primarily covered within the
third section of the text. Finally, most calculations
are contained within the fourth section. By structuring the book in this way, the text can easily be rearranged depending on the focus and preference of
the student and instructor.
NEW TO THIS EDITION.
It is our goal to continually strive to meet and exceed
expectations for firefighter training, as well as to remain current with standards, practices, and initiatives
in the fire service. For this reason, this book was
carefully reviewed and updated for the third edition
to include the following:
■Compliant with NPFA Standard 1002, 2009 Edition. Revised to meet the intent of the 2009 edition
of NFPA Standard 1002, including new learning
objectives validated by a committee of experts to
ensure 100% compliance with the standard.
■Additional Emphasis on Safety. Safety is emphasized throughout the book, including a special focus on driving safely during emergency response
in Chapter 3 and separate Safety boxes highlighted
throughout the chapters to instill a constant attention to safety.
■Full-color Design and New Features. With a new
8-1/2 x 11 design, this book features photographs
and line art in full color as well as new features to
enhance learning:
■Street Stories at the beginning of each chapter
relate actual experiences from drivers/operators
across the nation and highlight important lessons learned.
■Skills have been added with photographic stepby-step instructions for performing common
driver/operator tasks.
■StreetSmart tip boxes have been added to provide practical advice and applications for completing tasks in the field.
■
Metric equivalents accompany English/customary
units in mathematical examples and calculations
as well as in reference charts and tables.
■Key Terms are listed at the end of each chapter
and have been expanded to include many new
terms.
■Comprehensive and Current Information on Essential Topics. With this new edition, every effort
was made to ensure that students are thoroughly
introduced to the most current information on
pump operations, including:
■Expanded information on rural water supplies
and operations, including nurse feeding.
■Expanded information on annual performance
tests, including information on new tests now
required by NFPA 1911, such as the interlock
tests and intake relief valve tests.
■Expanded operator maintenance information,
including information on acceptable gauge
readings and recovery procedures for warning
conditions.
■Information on operating with newer vehicle
systems, such as auxiliary braking, anti-lock
braking, automatic traction control, and rollstability and enhanced roll-stability systems.
■Additional driving information, such as rollover
prevention and maneuvering through driver
skills courses.
■Information on newly approved equipment
types, such as air primers, along with tips on
the differences in using oil-less primers.
■Expanded information on priming, with emphasis on how to resolve priming problems quickly
and effectively.
■Expanded information on each of the primary
pump subsystems: intake manifold, discharge
manifold, pump casting, and pump transmission.
■Expanded information on foam systems, including CAFS.
■Expanded information on the NFPA 291 hydrant
coloring system.
■Expanded information on determining hydrant
capacity, including details of the first-digit method,
percentage method, and the squaring-the-lines
method of determining hydrant capacity.
■Expanded information on apparatus positioning, including rationales, so that operators can
make sound decisions in unique situations.
FEATURES OF THIS BOOK.
The following features serve to enhance learning and
help you gain competence and confidence in mastering fire pump operations.
NFPA 1002 and FESHE
Correlation Guides.
These grids provide a correlation between Fire
Apparatus Operator: Pumper and the requirements
for NFPA Standard 1002, 2009 edition, Chapters 4
and 5. A second grid provides the correlation to the
FESHE course curriculum for Fire Protection Hydraulics and Water Supply.
Street Stories.
Each chapter opens with personal experiences contributed by drivers/operators from across the nation.
These personal accounts bring to life the chapter
contents that follow, and highlight important lessons
learned.
Validated Learning Objectives.
Each chapter includes a list of objectives. Satisfy
yourself that you have learned each objective so
that you are assured of gaining the appropriate competency for certification. Information that goes beyond the validation is identified in blue typeface.
Key Terms.
Throughout the text you will find key terms and
notes of particular importance. These important
items will provide you with the knowledge and terminology for effectively communicating with your
superiors, subordinates, and peers.
Note.
This feature highlights and outlines important points
for you to learn and understand. Based on key
concepts, this content is an excellent source for
review.
NOTE.
It is important to make sure that the units of volume
are the same as those given in the constant used for
density.
Safety.
These note boxes offer advice on how to react and,
more important, be proactive in protecting the safety
of yourself and your crew.
Caution.
These note boxes indicate a hazardous situation that,
if not avoided, could result in injury or alert against
unsafe practices that can result in property damage.
These tips offer practical advice for completing tasks
and succeeding in the duties of a driver/operator.
Skills.
Step-by-step photo sequences illustrating important
procedures are located at the end of the chapters.
These are intended to be used as a guide in mastering
the job performance skills and to serve as an important review.
Review Questions and
Practice Problems.
In addition to Review Questions, there are Practice
Problems integrated throughout the hydraulics sections, carefully testing your knowledge by building
on each concept presented in the book. Additional
practice problems can be found at the end of each
chapter, as well as a list of formulas at the end of
each water flow calculation chapter.
Additional Resources.
Each chapter includes a list of additional resources.
Each recommended listing offers additional information on the topic covered in that particular chapter.
The goal is to give you as much information as possible to help you in your duties as a driver/operator.
This information will help you better perform
your duties, not just to meet the requirements of
the standard, as important as that is. Whether you
are reading this book to improve your skills or taking
a structured program leading to certification, we
hope that you will find this book informative, interesting, and useful.
CURRICULUM PACKAGE.
This book was created not only as a stand-alone
manual for firefighters, drivers/operators, and fire
officers, but as a special package of materials for
the full instructional experience. The supplement
package provides a variety of tools for students and
instructors to enhance the learning experience.
Instructor’s Curriculum
CD-ROM.
The Instructor’s Curriculum CD-ROM is designed to
allow instructors to run programs according to the
standards set by the authority having jurisdiction
where the course is conducted. It contains the information necessary to conduct driver/operator courses.
It is divided into sections to facilitate its use for
training:
■Administration. Provides the instructor with an
overview of the various courses, student and instructor materials, and practical advice on how to
set up courses and run skill sessions.
■Equipment Checklist. Offers a quick guide for ensuring the necessary equipment is available for
hands-on training.
■Lesson Plans. Ideal for instructors, whether they
are teaching at fire departments, academies, or
longer-format courses, each Lesson Plan correlates
to the corresponding PowerPoint
®
Presentation.
■Answers to Review Questions. Include answers to
questions and problems in the book in order to
evaluate student learning.
■PowerPoint® Presentations. Outline key concepts
from each chapter, and contain graphics and
photos from the book, to bring the content to
life.
■Computerized Test Banks. Contain hundreds of
questions in ExamView 6.0 to help instructors
prepare candidates to take the written portion of
the certification exam for driver/operator.
■Skill Sheets. Outline important steps of each skill
that candidates must master to meet requirements
for certification.
■Progress Logs. Provide a system to track the progress of individual candidates as they complete the
required skills.
■Quick Reference Guides. Contain valuable information for instructors. Included are the following grids:
■2009 Edition of NFPA Standard 1002 Correlation Grid used to cross-reference Fire Apparatus Operator: Pumper with the standard.
■New Edition Correlation Guide used to crossreference the revisions between the second and
third editions of this book.
■Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE) Correlation Guide correlates the
model curriculum course Fire Protection Hydraulics and Water Supply requirements to the
textbook chapters.
■Additional Resources. Offer supplemental resources for important information on various topics presented in the book.
■Image Gallery. Contains hundreds of graphics and
photos from the book and offers an additional
resource for instructors to enhance classroom
presentations.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS.
Howard Sykes.
Howard Sykes edited the third edition. He is the paid full-time chief
of the Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department, a combination department
with full-time, part-time, and volunteer members. The department serves
a suburban community in northern Durham County,
North Carolina. Chief Sykes started his fire service
career as a volunteer member of the Pelham Fire
Department, a combination department just north of
New York City, and was a member of the Pompano
Highlands Fire Department in Florida before joining Lebanon. Howard teaches various Firefighter I
and II classes, emergency vehicle driver, and driver/
operator pumps classes through the North Carolina
Community College system.
Howard Sykes has a BS in Computer Science with
an unofficial minor in electrical engineering from the
State University of New York at Stony Brook and a
Masters in Project Management from George Washington University. While a volunteer firefighter, he
worked a full career at IBM, was a member of the
industrial fire brigade, and is listed as an inventor on
various patents.
Howard is certified as an ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) technician, EVT (Emergency Vehicle Technician)/Fire Mechanic, and enjoys apparatus
maintenance and repair.
Howard has lectured worldwide, worked in an
executive briefing center, and has been responsible
for resolving critical customer problems.
Dr. Thomas B. Sturtevant.
Dr. Thomas B. Sturtevant wrote the first and edited
the second edition. He also reviewed and provided
valuable feedback during the development of the third
edition. Dr. Sturtevant is a program manager for the
Emergency Services Training Institute (ESTI) within
the Texas Engineering Extension Service, itself a
member of the Texas A&M University System. He
currently manages the Emergency Management Administration online bachelor degree program with
West Texas A&M University and the Department of
Defense Emergency Services Training and Education
program. He manages ESTI’s curriculum development and accreditation/certification with the National
Professional Qualification System.
He was a tenured assistant professor at Chattanooga State Technical Community College, Tennessee, where he held the positions of dean of Distance
Education and coordinator of Fire Science Technology. Dr. Sturtevant was a fire protection specialist
with the Tennessee Valley Authority and held various firefighting positions with the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, California, and the United
States Air Force. He is a Certified Fire Protection
Specialist and has an education doctorate in Leadership for Teaching and Learning and a Masters in
Public Administration from the University of Tennessee. His research and consulting efforts focus on
program evaluation and emergency service professional development.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.
The author and publisher would like to extend our
gratitude to the following individuals who participated in the development of the third edition
of this book.

.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to Joyce R. Sykes, my wonderful wife, without whom
many of my accomplishments would not have been possible; all the members
of the Lebanon Volunteer Fire Department, full-time career, part-time, and
volunteer, who endured getting the implementation right of the many skills covered
in this book; Robert Glover, Chief of the Pelham Fire Department and FDNY ret.,
for developing my enthusiasm in the fire service; the Setauket, Port Jefferson, and
Rocky Point Fire Departments, for planting the seeds of interest in the fire service
as I grew up on Long Island; and to the Broward County, Florida, fire service
instructors, for providing me with a model for an ideal fire service instructor.
Most important, this book is dedicated to firefighters everywhere, with the hope it
will help and inspire you.
—Chief Howard Sykes
This book is dedicated to Karen, my loving wife, for her careful review and
honest evaluation of the manuscript and, more important, for her love, encouragement, and commitment to me and our three wonderful children Rachel, Hannah,
and James.
—Dr. Thomas B. Sturtevant

Sturtevant, Thomas; Sykes, Howard (2011-01-21). Fire Apparatus Operator: Pumper (Page v). Cengage Textbook. Kindle Edition.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JOHN C. MAXWELL, known as America’s expert on leadership, speaks in person to hundreds of thousands of people each year. He has communicated his leadership principles to Fortune 500 companies, the United States Military Academy at West Point, and sports organizations such as the NCAA, the NBA, and the NFL.
Maxwell is the founder of Injoy Stewardship Services, as well as several other organizations dedicated to helping people reach their leadership potential. He dedicates much of his time to training leaders worldwide through EQUIP, a nonprofit organization. The New York Times best-selling author has written more than forty books, including Winning with People, Thinking for a Change, and the two million-sellers, Developing the Leader Within You and The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.

SPECIAL SECTION

SPECIAL SECTION

CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT THAT UNLEASHES 360-DEGREE LEADERS

If you are the top leader in your organization, then I want to spend a few moments with you in this special section. Many leaders in the middle of organizations are highly frustrated. They have great desire to lead and succeed; yet their leaders are often a greater hindrance than help to them. More than two-thirds of the people who leave their jobs do so because of an ineffective or incompetent leader. People don’t leave their company—they leave their leader.
As a top leader, you have the power the way nobody else does to create a positive leadership culture where potential leaders flourish. If you create that environment, then people with leadership potential will learn, gain experience, and come into their own. They will become the kind of 360-Degree Leaders who make an organization great.
If you’re willing to work at making your organization a place where leaders lead and do it well, you’ll need to shift your focus from

leading the people and the organization, to . . .
leading the people, finding leaders, and leading the organization, to . . .
leading the people, developing the leaders, and leading the organization, to . . .
leading and empowering the leaders while they lead the organization, to . . .
serving the leaders as they lead the organization.

Depending on where you’re starting from, that process may take several years, and it may be a tough climb. But think of the alternative. Where will your organization be in five years if you don’t raise up leaders in an environment that unleashes 360-Degree Leaders?
THE LEADER’S DAILY DOZEN
If you’re ready to revolutionize your organization, then I want to encourage you to start the process by adopting what I call the “Leader’s Daily Dozen.” Every morning when you get up and get ready to lead your organization, make a commitment to these twelve power-unleashing activities.
1. PLACE A HIGH VALUE ON PEOPLE
The first shift for turning your organization into a leader-friendly environment must occur inside of you. You only commit yourself to things you value. And fundamentally, if you don’t value people, you will never create a culture that develops leaders.
Most top leaders focus on two things: the vision and the bottom line. The vision is what usually excites us most, and taking care of the bottom line keeps us in business. But between the vision and the bottom line are all the people in your organization. What’s ironic is that if you ignore the people and only pay attention to these other two things, you will lose the people and the vision (and probably the bottom line). But if you focus on the people, you have the potential to win the people, the vision, and the bottom line.
When Jim Collins studied great companies and came to discover and define what he called level five leaders, he noticed that these excellent leaders didn’t take the credit for their organization’s accomplishments. In fact, they were incredibly humble and gave the credit to their people. Without a doubt, level five leaders place a high value on people.
Many companies say they value their people and their customers. Those are trendy things to say, but talk is cheap. If you want to know whether this is a value in your organization, then talk to people who know your organization well but don’t work for it. What would they say? Their answers would probably give you the most accurate picture.
But you know your own heart better than anyone else. It all starts with you. You need to ask yourself: Do I place a high value on people?
2. COMMIT RESOURCES TO DEVELOP PEOPLE
Once when I was flying to Dallas with Zig Ziglar, he asked if I ever received letters from people thanking me. When I acknowledged that I did, he asked, “When you get those letters, what do people thank you for?” I had never really thought about that before, but the answer was clear. People almost always said thanks for a book I had written or some other resource I had produced.
“It’s the same for me,” Zig said. “Isn’t that interesting? You and I are known for our speaking, but that’s not what prompts people to write.”
I’ve done a lot of speaking over the past thirty-five years. I love doing it, and I do think it has value. Events are great for creating lots of energy and enthusiasm, but if you want to facilitate growth, you need resources. They are better for development because they are process oriented. You can take them with you. You can refer back to them. You can dig into the meat and skip the fluff—and you can go at your own pace.
Once when I was teaching leaders at a large corporation, one of the event’s organizers stated from the platform that people were their organization’s most appreciable asset. I applauded his sentiment, but I also expanded on it for the leaders in the room. His statement is true only if you develop those people.
It takes a lot of effort to develop leaders. The first question a top leader usually asks is, “What is it going to cost?” My answer is, “Whatever amount it costs, it won’t be as high as the cost of not developing your people.”
Once again, I have a question for you. Ask yourself, Am I committed to providing resources for leadership development?
3. PLACE A HIGH VALUE ON LEADERSHIP
People who run a one-person business may not have to worry about leadership. But for people who lead organizations, leadership is always an issue. Anytime you have two or more people working together, leadership comes into play. In some organizations, all the emphasis is placed on effort, and leadership isn’t even on people’s radar. What a mistake.
All good leaders recognize the importance of leadership and place a high value on it. I love what General Tommy Franks said about the ultimate leaders in the middle of the military—the sergeants:

The months in the desert had reinforced my longstanding conviction that sergeants really were the backbone of the Army. The average trooper depends on NCOs for leadership by personal example. I thought of Sam Long and Scag, of Staff Sergeant Kittle—they had been examples of what a sergeant should be. If a noncommissioned officer is dedicated to his troops, the squad or section will have hard, realistic training, hot food when it’s available, and the chance to take an occasional shower. If a sergeant is indifferent to the needs of his soldiers, their performance will suffer, and their lives might be wasted. A smart officer works hard to develop good NCOs.1

The American military understands the value of leadership and always places a high value on it. If you value leadership, leaders will emerge to add value to the organization.
This time the question to ask yourself is very simple: Do I place a high value on leadership in my organization?
4. LOOK FOR POTENTIAL LEADERS
If leadership is on your radar and you value it, you will continually be on the lookout for potential leaders. Several years ago I did a lesson for one of my leadership development tape clubs that taught leaders what to look for in potential leaders. It was called “Searching for Eagles,” and for many years it was our most requested lesson. These are the top ten characteristics of “eagles”:

• They make things happen.
• They see opportunities.
• They influence the opinions and actions of others.
• They add value to you.
• They draw winners to them.
• They equip other eagles to lead.
• They provide ideas that help the organization.
• They possess an uncommonly great attitude.
• They live up to their commitments.
• They show fierce loyalty to the organization and the leader.

As you begin to search for potential leaders, look for people who possess these qualities. Meanwhile, ask yourself: Am I continually looking for potential leaders?
5. KNOW AND RESPECT YOUR PEOPLE
As you find leaders and develop them, you will get to know them better as individuals. I want to encourage you to use the guidelines in the “Walk Slowly Through the Halls” chapter to enhance that process. But there are also other characteristics that are common to all leaders that you should keep in mind as you take them through the development process.

• People want to see results.
• People want to be effective—they want to do what they do well.
• People want to be in the picture.
• People want to be appreciated.
• People want to be a part of the celebration.

As you select people to develop, work to strike a balance between these universal desires and the individual needs of your people. Try to tailor the development process for each individual as much as you can. To do that, continually ask yourself, Do I know and respect my people?
6. PROVIDE YOUR PEOPLE WITH LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCES
It is impossible to learn leadership without actually leading. After all, leadership is action. One of the places where many top leaders miss developmental opportunities comes in what we delegate. Our natural tendency is to give others tasks to perform rather than leadership functions to fulfill. We need to make a shift. If we don’t delegate leadership—with authority as well as accountability—our people will never gain the experience they need to lead well.
It is impossible to learn leadership without actually leading.

The question you must ask yourself is, Am I providing my people with leadership experiences?
7. REWARD LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE
Taking initiative is such an important part of leadership. The best leaders are proactive. They make things happen. Most top leaders are initiators, but that doesn’t mean that every top leader feels comfortable when others use their initiative. Just because they trust their own instincts doesn’t mean they trust the instincts of their people.
It’s true that emerging leaders often want to take the lead before they are really ready to. But potential leaders can only become full-fledged leaders if they are allowed to develop and use their initiative. So what’s the solution? Good timing! If you rush the timing, you short-circuit the growth process. If you hold leaders back when they’re ready to move, you stunt their growth.
One of the things that can help you navigate the timing issue is recognizing whether your mind-set is one of scarcity or abundance. If you believe that the world has only a limited amount of resources, a finite number of opportunities, and so forth, then you may be reluctant to let your leaders take risks—because you may think that the organization will not be able to recover from mistakes. On the other hand, if you believe opportunities are unlimited, that resources are renewable and unlimited, you will be more willing to take risks. You will not doubt your ability to recover.
How are you doing in this area? Ask yourself, Do I reward leadership initiative?
8. PROVIDE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT WHERE PEOPLE ASK QUESTIONS, SHARE IDEAS, AND TAKE RISKS
Pulitzer prize-winning historian Garry Wills said, “Leaders have a say in what they are being led to. A leader who neglects that soon finds himself without followers.” It takes secure leaders at the top to let the leaders working for them be full participants in the organization’s leadership process. If leaders in the middle question them, they don’t take it personally. When they share ideas, the top leaders cannot afford to feel threatened. When people lower than they are in the organization want to take risks, they need to be willing to give them room to succeed or fail.
Leadership by its very nature challenges. It challenges out-of-date ideas. It challenges old ways of doing things. It challenges the status quo. Never forget that what gets rewarded gets done. If you reward complacency, you will get complacency from your leaders in the middle. But if you can remain secure and let them find new ways of doing things—ways that are better than yours—the organization will move forward more quickly.
“Leaders have a say in what they are being led to. A leader who neglects that soon finds himself without followers.”
—GARRY WILLS

Instead of trying to be Mr. Answerman or Ms. Fix-it, when your leaders start coming into their own, move more into the background. Try taking on the role of wise counselor and chief encourager. Welcome the desire of your best leaders to innovate and improve the organization. After all, I think you’ll agree that a win for the organization is a win for you.
So what role are you playing in your organization? Are you “the expert,” or are you more of an advisor and advocate? Ask yourself, Am I providing an environment where people can ask questions, share ideas, and take risks?
9. GROW WITH YOUR PEOPLE
I’ve talked to a lot of top leaders during my career, and I’ve detected a number of different attitudes toward growth. Here’s how I would summarize them:

• I have already grown.
• I want my people to grow.
• I’m dedicated to helping my people grow.
• I want to grow along with my people.

Guess which attitude fosters an organization where people are growing?
When people in an organization see the top leader growing, it changes the culture of the organization. It immediately removes many barriers between the top leader and the rest of the people, putting you on the same level with them, which makes the top leader much more human and accessible. It also sends a clear message to everyone: make growth a priority.
So the question I want you to ask yourself is very simple: Am I growing with my people?
10. DRAW PEOPLE WITH HIGH POTENTIAL INTO YOUR INNER CIRCLE
When Mark Sanborn, author of The Fred Factor, spoke at one of our leadership events, he made a remark that really stuck with me: “It’s better to have a group of deer led by a lion than a group of lions led by a deer.” Why? Because even if you have a group of deer, if they are led by a lion, they will act like a pride of lions. Isn’t that a great analogy? It’s really true. When people spend time with someone and are directed by them, they learn to think the way that person thinks and do what that person does. Their performance starts to rise according to the capability of their leader.
When I was working on Developing the Leaders Around You, I often took an informal poll at conferences to find out how people came to be leaders. I asked if they became leaders (a) because they were given a position; (b) because there was a crisis in the organization; or (c) because they had been mentored. More than 80 percent indicated that they were leaders because someone had mentored them in leadership—had taken them through the process.
The best way to develop high-caliber leaders is to have them mentored by a high-caliber leader. If you lead your organization, you are probably the best (or at least one of the best) leader in the organization. If you are not already doing so, you need to handpick the people with the greatest potential, invite them into your inner circle, and mentor them. It doesn’t matter if you do it with one or with a dozen, whether you work one-on-one or in a group setting. The main thing is that you need to be giving your best to your best people.
Are you doing that? What is your answer to the question, Am I drawing people with potential into my inner circle?
11. COMMIT YOURSELF TO DEVELOPING A LEADERSHIP TEAM
When I started out as a leader, I tried to do everything myself. Until I was about age forty, I thought I could do it all. After my fortieth birthday, I finally realized that if I didn’t develop other leaders, my potential was only a fraction of what it could be. So for the next decade, developing people into good leaders was my focus. But even that has its limitations. I realize now that to reach the highest level of leadership, I must continually develop leadership teams.
Let’s face it. No one does everything well. I can’t do it all—can you? I wrote the The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, which contains every leadership principle I know based on a lifetime of learning and leading. I can’t do all of the twenty-one laws well. So I need help.
You do too. If you want your organization to reach its potential, if you want it to go from good to great (or even average to good), you need to develop a team of leaders, people who can fill in each others’ gaps, people who challenge and sharpen each other. If we try to do it all ourselves, we will never get beyond the glass ceiling of our own leadership limitations.
How are you in this area? Ask yourself, Am I committed to developing a leadership team?
12. UNLEASH YOUR LEADERS TO LEAD
As leaders, if we feel any uncertainty or insecurity about the leadership development process, it is usually not related to the training we give. The uncertainty we feel comes when we contemplate releasing our leaders to lead. It is not dissimilar to what parents feel with their kids. My children are grown and have families of their own, but when they were teenagers, the hardest thing for my wife and me was releasing them to go their own way and make their own decisions. It is scary, but if you don’t let them try out their wings, they will never learn to fly.
As I have grown older, I have come to think of myself as a lid lifter. That is my main function as an organizational leader. If I can lift the leadership lids for the members of my team, then I am doing my job. The more barriers I remove for my people, the more likely they are to rise up to their potential. And what’s really great is that when the top leaders are lid lifters for the leaders in the middle, then those leaders become load lifters for the ones at the top.
When the top leaders are lid lifters for the leaders in the middle, then those leaders become load lifters for the ones at the top.

So here is the last question. Ask yourself, Am I unleashing my leaders to lead?
If you become dedicated to developing and releasing 360-Degree Leaders, your organization will change—and so will your life. I’ve found that leaders who go from leading alone to successfully developing 360-Degree Leaders go through three stages:

STAGE 1: THE LONELINESS OF LEADING—“I am the only leader.” When you are the one leader, you really have to personally lead everything.
STAGE 2: THE LIFTING OF A LEADER—“I’m one of only a few leaders.” When you begin leading and developing other leaders, then you lead only some of the more important things.
STAGE 3: THE LEGACY OF A LEADER—“I’m only one of many leaders.” When you develop 360-Degree Leaders, then you lead only a very few strategic things.

That’s the situation Tom Mullins finds himself in at this point in his career. Tom is the senior pastor of Christ Fellowship, a very large congregation in West Palm Beach, Florida. Tom was the founding pastor of his church, so when he first started, he did everything. If a task was to be accomplished, if a goal was to be met, if a program was to be started, Tom had to lead it personally.
But Tom is an outstanding leader. He had no desire to go it alone, to be Mr. Answerman. As the organization grew, Tom dedicated himself not only to helping people but also to developing leaders. The more leaders he developed, the less time he needed to be on the front lines. For years, Tom has been developing and empowering 360-Degree Leaders to lead.
Today, more than ten thousand people attend his church every weekend. There are hundreds of programs and activities going on every week. The church is highly active in the community, building houses for the poor and feeding people. They are constantly reaching out to others. And where is Tom? He’s in the middle of it all, coaching, advising, and encouraging. That’s where he now leads from most of the time. Rarely is he the top leader in any endeavor anymore. Tom said he is more fulfilled by seeing others succeed—whether it’s teaching on the platform or leading the team—than he is by taking the point position. The organization is succeeding beyond his wildest dreams as a result.
Isn’t that what we all want as leaders—for our people and our organizations to succeed? Legendary Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu said, “A leader is best when the people barely know he exists.” That’s what the best leaders do—help others succeed. They lead, empower, and then get out of the way. If you create an environment that develops 360-Degree Leaders, that is what you will someday be able to do.

SECTION VI REVIEW

Section VI Review
The Value of 360-Degree Leaders

On those days when you wonder whether it’s worth it to develop as a 360-Degree Leader and try to lead from the middle of the organization, remind yourself of the great value 360-Degree Leaders add:
1. A leadership team is more effective than just one leader.
2. Leaders are needed at every level of the organization.
3. Leading successfully at one level is a qualifier for leading at the next level.
4. Good leaders in the middle make better leaders at the top.
5. 360-Degree leaders possess qualities every organization needs.

If you still haven’t taken the 360-Degree Leadership assessment, don’t forget that it is offered free of charge to people who have purchased this book. Visit 360DegreeLeader.com for more information.

SECTION VI VALUE 5

Value #5

360-DEGREE LEADERS POSSESS
QUALITIES EVERY
ORGANIZATION NEEDS

When I was outlining this book, I talked to a friend about the whole concept of 360-Degree Leadership, and he asked, “What makes a 360-Degree Leader different from any other kind of a leader?” When I started to explain the concept of leading up, across, and down, he said, “Okay, but why are they able to lead in every direction? What makes them tick?”
I chewed on his question for a while as we talked about it, and I finally landed this answer: “360-Degree Leaders have certain qualities that enable them to lead in every direction, and that is what makes them valuable to an organization.”
“You need to put that in the book,” he advised, “because people can try to do all the right actions, but if they don’t embrace those qualities internally, they may never get it.”
I don’t know if you’ve ever thought about it before, but what adds greater value to the people around you: what you say or what you are? You may not be aware of it, but you can actually add value to others simply by possessing the right qualities. The higher you go in an organization, the more that applies.
360-Degree Leaders, as I envision them, possess qualities that every organization wants to see in all of its employees, but especially in its leaders. Those qualities are adaptability, discernment, perspective, communication, security, servanthood, resourcefulness, maturity, endurance, and countability.
ADAPTABILITY—QUICKLY ADJUSTS TO CHANGE
People from the middle down are never the first to know anything in an organization. They are usually not the decision makers or policy writers. As a result, they must learn to adapt quickly.
When it comes to leading in the middle, the more quickly you can adapt to change, the better it will be for the organization. Here’s why. All organizations contain early, middle, and late adapters. The early adapters are won over by new ideas quickly, and they are ready to run with them. Middle adapters take more time. And then the late adapters slowly (and sometimes reluctantly) accept the change.
Since you, as a leader in the middle, are going to be asked to help the people who follow you to accept the change, you need to process change quickly—the quicker the better. That may mean there will be times when you must embrace a change before you are even ready to do so emotionally. In such cases, the key is your ability to trust your leaders. If you can trust them, you will be able to do it. Just keep reminding yourself, Blessed are the flexible, for they will not be bent out of shape.
Blessed are the flexible, for they will not be bent out of shape.

DISCERNMENT—UNDERSTANDS THE REAL ISSUES
The president of the United States, an old priest, a young mountain climber, and the world’s smartest man were riding together on a private plane when it suddenly suffered engine trouble. The pilot scrambled from the cockpit saying, “We’re going down; save yourselves!” He then jumped out of the plane and activated his parachute.
The four passengers looked around but found only three parachutes.
The president took one and—as he jumped—said, “I must save myself for the sake of national security.”
The world’s smartest man grabbed one and jumped, saying, “I am an invaluable resource to the world and must save my intellect.”
The old priest looked at the mountain climber and said, “Save yourself, my son. I’ve been in the Lord’s service for forty years, and I’m not afraid to meet my Maker.”
“No sweat, Padre,” answered the young man. “The world’s smartest man just jumped with my backpack!”

Good leaders cut through the clutter to see the real issues. They know what really matters. There’s an old saying that a smart person believes only half of what he hears, but a really smart person knows which half to believe. 360-Degree Leaders cultivate that ability.
PERSPECTIVE—SEES BEYOND THEIR OWN VANTAGE POINT
Jack Welch said, “Leadership is seeing opportunity in tough times.” That ability is a function of perspective. One of the advantages of being a leader in the middle of the organization is that you can see more than others do. Most people have the ability to see things on their own level and one level removed from their own.
“Leadership is seeing opportunity in tough times.”
—JACK WELCH

The people at the bottom can see and understand things on their own level and, if they’re perceptive, also on yours. The people at the top can see and understand things on their own level and on one below theirs, which would be yours. But as a leader in the middle, you should be able to see and understand not only things on your own level but also one level up and one level down. That gives you a really unique advantage—and opportunity.
COMMUNICATION—LINKS TO ALL LEVELS OF THE ORGANIZATION
Because you have a unique perspective and understanding of the organization that others above and below you may not have, you should strive to use your knowledge not only for your own advantage but also to communicate both up and down the chain of command. We often think of communication in organizations as being primarily top-down. Leaders at the top cast vision, set direction, reward progress, and so forth. Good communication, however, is a 360-Degree proposition. In fact, sometimes the most critical communication is from the bottom up.
In Leading Up (Crown, 2001), Michael Useem gives examples of important messages that were sent “up the chain of command.” Some messages were heeded and acted upon with positive effect. For example, when trade deputy Charlene Barshefsky came to the table to negotiate a trade deal between the U.S. and China, allowing China to enter the World Trade Organization, Barshefsky had previously listened to concerns of business and labor leaders, and she represented those interests at the table. The result was a successful negotiation.
Other messages that were sent “up” were ignored. Useem says that when General Roméo Dallaire, commander of the United Nations’ troops in Rwanda, tried to persuade his superiors to let him take aggressive action to head off what he saw as the impending threat of genocide, his request was denied. The result was disastrous—the death of more than 800,000 people as the Hutus slaughtered the Tutsis.
“The biggest job in getting any movement off the ground is to keep together the people who form it.”
—MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The biggest job in getting any movement off the ground is to keep together the people who form it. This task requires more than a common aim; it demands a philosophy that wins and holds the people’s allegiance; and it depends upon open channels of communication between the people and their leaders.”
SECURITY—FINDS IDENTITY IN SELF, NOT POSITION
I love the story of Karl, who enjoyed a good laugh at his office after he attached a small sign to his door—“I’m the Boss!” The laughter was even louder when he returned from lunch and saw that someone had made an addition to his sign. Next to it was a yellow Post-it note on which someone had scribbled, “Your wife called and said she wants her sign back.”1
It takes a secure person to be a good leader in the middle of an organization. In our culture, people ask, “What do you do?” not, “Who are you?” or, “How are you making a difference?” Most people place too much emphasis on titles and position instead of on impact.
But if you have been effective as a leader in the middle for any length of time, you understand that your role is important. Organizations don’t succeed without leaders who do their job well in the middle. 360-Degree Leaders must try to be secure enough in who they are not to worry about where they are.
The true measure of leaders is not the number of people who serve them but the number of people they serve.

If you are ever tempted to spend too much time and energy on getting out of the middle, then change your focus. Instead, put your effort toward reaching your potential and doing the most good you can where you are. Anytime you focus on developing your position instead of yourself, you are in effect asking, Am I becoming the person others want me to be? But if you focus on developing yourself instead of your title or position, then the question you will repeatedly ask is, Am I becoming all I can be?
SERVANTHOOD—DOES WHATEVER IT TAKES
I believe the true measure of leaders is not the number of people who serve them but the number of people they serve. 360-Degree Leaders adopt an attitude of servant first, leader second. Everything they do is measured in light of the value it can add. They serve the mission of the organization and lead by serving those on the mission with them.
Robert Greenleaf, founder of Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, gave an excellent perspective on this: “The servant-leader is a servant first. It all begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant—first to make sure that the other people’s highest priority needs are served.”
How do you know whether you are motivated by the desire to serve as a leader? It’s actually very simple. You have the heart of a servant if it doesn’t bother you to serve others. If you lack a servant’s attitude, then it grates on you when you do have to serve.
RESOURCEFULNESS—FINDS CREATIVE WAYS TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN
With presses set to run three million copies of Theodore Roosevelt’s 1912 convention speech, the speech’s publisher discovered that permission had not been obtained to use photos of Roosevelt and his running mate, Governor Hiram Johnson of California. And that was a problem because copyright law put the penalty for such an oversight at one dollar per copy.
The quick-thinking chairman of the campaign committee was a resourceful leader. He dictated a telegram to the Chicago studio that had taken the pictures: “Planning to issue three million copies of Roosevelt speech with pictures of Roosevelt and Johnson on cover. Great publicity opportunity for photographers. What will you pay us to use your photographs?”
The reply: “Appreciate opportunity, but can pay only $250.” The deal was done, the presses ran, and a potential disaster was averted.
Leaders in the middle of an organization need to be especially resourceful, because they have less authority and fewer resources. If you desire to be an effective 360-Degree Leader, then get used to doing more with less.
MATURITY—PUTS THE TEAM BEFORE SELF
How do you define maturity? In the context of leadership, I define it as “putting the team before oneself.” Nobody who possesses an unrelenting me-first attitude is able to develop much influence with others. To lead others, you need to put the team first.
I recently read a story about a group of principals in the Nashville school system who realized that for their students to succeed, they needed to employ a bilingual specialist. The only problem was that there was no money in their budgets to do it. What was their solution? They set aside the money that would have been used for their own raises to hire the person they needed. The team and the children they support were more important to them than personal gain. That’s mature leadership!
In leadership, maturity is putting the team before oneself.

ENDURANCE—REMAINS CONSISTENT IN CHARACTER AND COMPETENCE OVER THE LONG HAUL
A couple of years ago when I was in Africa teaching on leadership, I had the opportunity to go on a photo safari. It was an incredible experience. One of the things we did while out in the bush was follow, for about an hour, a pair of cheetahs that were hunting. Cheetahs are amazing animals. They are the fastest land animals on the planet, with the ability to run at an amazing seventy miles per hour. But cheetahs are pure sprinters. If they don’t run down their prey with their first burst, then they go hungry. The reason they can’t run long is that they have small hearts.
360-Degree Leaders can’t afford to have small hearts. With all the challenges that come to leaders—especially leaders in the middle—leadership is an endurance race. To succeed, 360-Degree Leaders need to respond well to challenges and keep responding well.
COUNTABILITY—CAN BE COUNTED ON WHEN IT COUNTS
In The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork, one of my favorite laws is the Law of Countability: “Teammates must be able to count on each other when it counts.” I love that law not only because it is true and very important for team building, but also because it gave me the opportunity to make up a word. I think countability really captures the idea of people being able to depend on one another no matter what.
When you trust a leader, when he or she possesses countability, it has greater value than just knowing you can count on that leader. It means you really do count on them. You depend on them for your success. You’re in it together, and you will fail or succeed as a team. That kind of character really makes a difference in a culture where most people have an every-man-for-himself attitude.

I believe most leaders in the middle of organizations don’t get enough credit, because the middle is where most organizations succeed or fail. The leaders at the top can make only so big an impact on any organization, and the workers in the trenches can do only so much. They are often more limited by the leaders above them than they are by resources or their own talent. Everything truly does rise and fall on leadership. If you want your organization to succeed, then you need to succeed as a 360-Degree Leader.
One of the finest examples I’ve ever encountered that shows the value and impact of a leader in the middle can be found in the life of General George C. Marshall. When most people think of the leadership that won World War II for the Allies, they think of leaders like Winston Churchill and Franklin D. Roosevelt. And while I acknowledge that the war would not have been won without those two great leaders, I also believe it would not have been won without the effective 360-Degree Leadership of Marshall.
Marshall was always a good soldier, and everywhere he served, he led well—up, across, and down. He attended the Virginia Military Institute, where he graduated as first captain. He went on to serve in the infantry in the U.S. Army. Marshall was such a good student and influenced his superiors so much that after finishing first in his class at the School of the Line at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, and then taking a more advanced course, he was kept as an instructor.
Marshall never failed to add value wherever he served—in the Philippines (two tours); in France during World War I; as a senior aide to General Pershing during a tour in China; as the chief of instruction at the Infantry School at Fort Benning, Georgia; as well as at other posts. It’s been said that Marshall “rose through the ranks of the military with a record of achievement rarely equaled by any other.”2
Marshall’s career was stellar, but you can really see him making a significant impact as the appointed U.S. Army chief of staff. From that position, he led up to the president, he led across to the other Allied commanders, and he led down with his own senior officers.
When he entered that office, the United States’ military forces were anemic and ill equipped. All the branches of service combined comprised fewer than 200,000 people. With war breaking out in Europe, Marshall knew what he needed to do—build a large, well-prepared, and powerfully equipped army. And he set about the task immediately. In four years’ time, Marshall expanded the military to a well-trained and well-equipped force of 8,300,000.3 Winston Churchill called Marshall “the organizer of victory.”
That alone would make Marshall a hero of World War II, but that wasn’t his only contribution. He worked tirelessly throughout the war and continually showed an ability to lead up, across, and down. President Roosevelt found his advice invaluable and said that he could not sleep unless he knew Marshall was in the country. And Roosevelt requested Marshall’s presence at every major war conference, from Argentia, Newfoundland, in 1941, to Potsdam in 1945.4
Marshall continually had to lead across in the area of military strategy. He is credited by some for ensuring cooperation between the Allied forces during the war. He went head-to-head against other generals when it came to strategy too. MacArthur wanted the United States to shift its primary focus to the Pacific theater of operations before defeating Germany. The British wanted to employ what was called the Mediterranean strategy against Hitler’s forces. But Marshall was convinced that to win the war, the Allies had to cross the English Channel and engage the Germans in France.5
Marshall won everyone over, and for a year he and his general planned the invasion of Normandy. After the war, Churchill said of Marshall: “Hitherto I had thought of Marshall as a rugged soldier and a magnificent organizer and builder of armies—the American Carnot [a man known as the “organizer of victory” for the French Revolution]. But now I saw that he was a statesman with a penetrating and commanding view of the whole scene.”6
Marshall was also as effective leading down as he was leading up and across. The people who served under him held a deep respect for him. After the war, General Dwight D. Eisenhower said to Marshall, “In every problem and in every test I have faced during the war years, your example has been an inspiration and your support has been my greatest strength. My sense of obligation to you is equaled only by the depth of pride and satisfaction as I salute you as the greatest soldier of your time and a true leader of democracy.”7
Even after the war, Marshall continued his influence as a 360-Degree Leader. He was asked to serve as secretary of state by President Truman. And when a plan was needed to rebuild the countries of Europe in the wake of such a devastating war, Marshall gave his support in a speech at Harvard University to what he called the European Recovery Plan. I’ve read that when President Truman’s aides wanted to call it the Truman Plan, the president wouldn’t hear of it. He valued and respected his secretary of state’s leadership so much that he called it the Marshall Plan.
There are not a lot of people about whom you can say that if he or she had not lived, the face of the world would look very different. Yet that is true for George Marshall. Europe, Asia, and the United States are different from what they would have been without his influence. There are few better examples of 360-Degree Leadership. In the end, Marshall’s influence was so great and his service so selfless that he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He is the only professional soldier in history to whom it has been given.
We can’t all hope to make a global impact as Marshall did. But that isn’t important. What matters is that we are willing to do what it takes to make a positive impact wherever we find ourselves in life—to add value in any way we can to others. I believe there is no better way to increase your influence and improve your chances of doing something significant than to become a 360-Degree Leader. As a 360-Degree Leader you can influence others no matter where you are in the organization, no matter what title or position you have, no matter what kind of people you work with. I hope you will keep working at it, and keep making a positive impact.

SECTION VI VALUE 4

Value #4

GOOD LEADERS IN THE MIDDLE
MAKE BETTER LEADERS
AT THE TOP

In industrialized and free-market nations, we often take leadership for granted. A leadership culture has evolved to run the many organizations in such countries because commerce and industry are so strong. And because markets are so competitive, many of the leaders who emerge work hard to keep improving their leadership.
In developing countries, things are different. In the last five or six years, I’ve spent a lot of time teaching leadership around the world, and what I’ve found is that great leaders are few and far between in many of those countries—and 360-Degree Leaders are almost nonexistent. Most leaders in undeveloped countries are highly positional, and they try to keep as much distance as possible between their followers and themselves. It’s one of the reasons there is such a difference between the haves and the have-nots. There are, of course, many exceptions to the broad generalization I’m making, but if you’ve traveled overseas a great deal, you have probably noticed it too.
In places where the top leaders try to keep everyone else down, the overall leadership is usually pretty poor. Why? Because when all the power is at the top and there are no leaders in the middle to help them, the top leaders cannot lead very effectively.
Just in case you think I’m being too critical of leaders in emerging nations, I can tell you that this is a problem any place where there is one leader at the top and no 360-Degree Leaders to help lead. I personally experienced it in my own life in my first leadership position because I didn’t try to identify, develop, or empower anyone else to lead. As a result, my leadership was weak, the overall effectiveness of the organization was far below its potential, and within two years after I left the organization, it shrank to half its former size.
Good leaders anywhere in an organization make better leaders at the top.

It’s hard to overestimate the value of 360-Degree Leaders in the middle of an organization. In fact, good leaders anywhere in an organization make better leaders at the top—and make for a much better organization overall.
EVERY TIME YOU ADD A GOOD LEADER, YOU GET A BETTER TEAM
Good leaders maximize the performance of those on their team. They set direction. They inspire their people and help them work together. They get results. This is easy to see in sports where the only thing that changes on a team is the coach. When a better leader comes in, the same players often perform at a much higher level than they did before.
The same thing happens in any kind of organization. When a strong leader takes over a sales team, their performance goes up. When a good manager takes over at a restaurant, the operation runs more smoothly. When a better foreman runs the crew, the people get more done.
If you were to look at your entire organization (assuming it’s not a mom-and-pop-sized operation), you would be able to locate the quality leaders even before you met them. All you would have to do is look for the teams with consistently high results. That is where the good leaders are.
EVERY TIME YOU ADD A GOOD LEADER, ALL THE LEADERS IN THE ORGANIZATION GET BETTER
I thought it was very interesting when Tiger Woods moved up from the amateur ranks to become a professional golfer. He was so good that the rest of the field looked weak. He won his first Master’s Tournament at Augusta by a huge margin, and afterward he said he didn’t even have his “A” game all the days he played. Many people feared that Woods would so dominate the game that nobody would ever be able to beat him.
But a funny thing happened after Woods had played for a few years. Everyone else’s game went to another level. Why? Because strength brings out strength. The book of Proverbs says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”1
When a good leader joins the team, it makes the other leaders take notice. Good leaders bring out the best, not only in their followers but also in other leaders. Good leaders raise the bar when it comes to performance and teamwork, and this often challenges other leaders in the organization to improve.
GOOD LEADERS IN THE MIDDLE ADD VALUE TO THE LEADERS ABOVE THEM
Leaders in the middle of an organization are closer to the people in the trenches than are the leaders on top. As a result, they know more about what’s going on. They understand the people who are doing the work and the issues they face. They also have greater influence at those lower levels than the top leaders.
When there are no good leaders in the middle of an organization, then everyone and everything in the organization waits on the top leaders. On the other hand, when good leaders in the middle use their influence and commitment to assist the top leaders, they “stretch” the top leaders’ influence beyond their reach. As a result, the top leaders are able to do more than they would ever be able to do on their own.
GOOD LEADERS IN THE MIDDLE RELEASE TOP LEADERS TO FOCUS ON THEIR PRIORITIES
The higher you climb in an organization as a leader, the more you will see but the less you will actually do. You can’t move up and keep doing all the tasks that you do now. As you move up, you will have to hand off many of your old responsibilities to others. If the people who are supposed to do those tasks don’t perform them well, then you will have to keep taking those things back. You probably will not be able to do your new responsibilities effectively if that happens.
Let’s face it. There is no greater frustration for senior leaders than operating at a level below their own, because leaders in the middle need continual hand holding. If a leader has to do that, the organization ends up paying high-level dollars to solve low-end problems.
For this reason, the leaders at the top can only be as good as the middle leaders working for them. When you perform with excellence in the middle, you free up your leaders to perform with excellence above you.
GOOD LEADERS IN THE MIDDLE MOTIVATE LEADERS ABOVE THEM TO CONTINUE GROWING
When a leader grows, it shows. Growing leaders continually improve in their personal effectiveness and their leadership. Most of the time that makes their leaders want to keep growing. Part of that comes from healthy competition. If you’re in a race and someone is getting ready to pass you, it makes you want to pick up your pace and move faster.
There is also the contribution factor. When team members see others on the team making a significant contribution, it inspires them to step up. There is a natural joy that comes from being on a team that is functioning on an extremely high level.
GOOD LEADERS IN THE MIDDLE GIVE THE ORGANIZATION A FUTURE
No organization keeps moving forward and growing using yesterday’s ideas and ways of doing things. Future success requires innovation and growth. And it requires the continual emergence of new leaders. In The Bible on Leadership (Amacon, 2002), Lorin Woolfe writes, “The ultimate test for a leader is not whether he or she makes smart decisions and takes decisive action, but whether he or she teaches others to be leaders and builds an organization that can sustain its success even when he or she is not around.”
Today’s workers are tomorrow’s leaders in the middle of the organization. And today’s leaders in the middle will be tomorrow’s leaders at the top. While you function as a 360-Degree Leader in the middle of the organization, if you keep growing you will probably get your opportunity to become a top leader. But at the same time, you need to be looking at the people working for you and thinking about how you can prepare them to join you and eventually take your place in the middle. You will be able to spot potential leadership candidates because they will be more than just good workers.
TODAY'S WORKERS TOMORROW'S LEADERS
Implement current ideas Generate new ideas
Identify and define problems Solve problems
Get along with the people they have Attract sharp people
Work within the current framework Take risks
Value consistency Value and spot opportunities
Leadership expert Max DePree said, “Succession is one of the key responsibilities of leadership.” That is true. There is no success without a successor. Being a 360-Degree Leader is about more than just doing a good job now and making things easier today for the people working above and below you. It is about making sure the organization has a chance to be good tomorrow too. As you teach others to perform 360-Degree Leadership, you will be giving the organization greater depth as well as strength. You will be helping to raise the bar in such a way that everybody wins.