SECTION VI INTRO

SECTION VI

THE VALUE OF 360-DEGREE LEADERS

Becoming a 360-Degree Leader isn’t easy. It takes a lot of work, and it doesn’t happen overnight. But it is worth every bit of the effort. In all my years of leadership teaching and consulting, I’ve never had a leader come to me and say, “We have too many leaders in our organization.” So no matter how many good leaders your organization has, it needs more 360-Degree Leaders—and it needs you!
As you seek to grow as a leader, you will not always succeed. You will not always be rewarded the way you should be. Your leaders may not listen to you at times. Your peers may ignore you. Your followers won’t follow. And the battle may feel like it’s uphill all the way.
Please don’t let that discourage you—not for long, anyway. By becoming a better leader, you add tremendous value to your organization. Everything rises and falls on leadership. The better 360-Degree Leader you become, the greater impact you will be able to make.
As you near the conclusion of this book, I want to give you some encouragement to keep on growing and learning. And I want to do it by letting you know why you should keep working to become a 360-Degree Leader. Keep reading. And on the days when the climb seems too steep, reflect on these observations to help you remember why you should keep climbing and keep leading from the middle!