In 1948, Maurice and Richard McDonald launched a successful drive-through restaurant business. From a small building in California, they sold burgers, fries, and milkshakes. The pair introduced a novel and groundbreaking idea that gave them a competitive advantage over their neighbors. They prepared burgers in advance, allowing customers to assemble their own sandwiches rather than waiting for the kitchen staff to serve them. The result was the fastest service and the best bargain burgers around.[1]
The McDonalds’ idea was phenomenal. Their skill was impressive.
However, the two lacked the leadership ability necessary to spread their success to a global market. Their attempts to start a franchise ended in futility. Endowed with practical skills they needed to succeed on small scale, they lacked leadership ability to drive their organization forward into the future.[2]
Ray Kroc, a food supplier, bought the McDonald’s business and turned it into a global franchise with over 30,000 restaurants.[3] Leadership capacity made the difference between a dead end and an ever-expanding success story.
As business leaders, it is easy to become wrapped up in perfecting our team’s technical skills. We focus on becoming the best lawyers, designers, pilots, or chefs we can possibly be. We hone our skills until we are selling the tastiest, cheapest, or highest quality products imaginable. But without leadership and relational skills, our chances of success are severely limited.
What keeps us from taking a step back to focus on intentional growth in leadership ability? Often, it’s fear. We think that diverting time and energy towards growing in leadership ability will cause us to lose our cutting-edge skill. However, if we neglect this counterintuitive step, we will soon find ourselves facing a leadership lid that we will be unable to break through.
No matter how much technical skill a business possesses, a lack of leadership ability places a cap on the effectiveness of the organization. However, when you raise the leadership ceiling of the business, the effectiveness and skill of your organization can grow exponentially. Growing in relationship skills will exponentially increase your ability to lead your organization.
A skilled CEO who doesn’t know how to deal with people will not make progress. At the same time, a community-focused business without practical skill will not achieve success. As we build the capacity for both aspects, we simultaneously strengthen our technical skill set alongside our leadership capacity.
Leadership is not about driving people towards success or becoming the most skilled entrepreneur possible. Instead, it includes a holistic, intentional, contextual view. As you live an inverse life that intentionally invests in leadership abilities, you will grow the capacity you need to unlock your dreams.
[1] John Maxwell, (New York: Harper Collins, 2007), 8
[2] Eric Reed, “History of McDonalds: Timeline and Facts,” The Street, Last modified on October 16, 2019, https://www.thestreet.com/markets/history-of-mcdonalds-15128096
[3] John Maxwell, (New York: Harper Collins, 2007), 8
