The law of «Arithmetic of success» is simple, but cruel:
First: If you act and people listen to you, follow you, then your every success adds leadership points to you.. Success — you get 1 point.
If you slow down, you let another leader go ahead. You get 0 points, and someone adds 1 point to themselves.
If your initiative was not successful, it was not supported or it did not please anyone, 1 point is deducted from you as a leader. At the same time, the one who recorded your failure writes himself plus 1 point, and taking this into account, each of your failures is 2 points in the negative.
Where to go tonight? If your offer wins, you get 1 point. If you went where someone else suggested — 1 point to him. And if they followed you and it turned out to be unsuccessful, you get 1 point in the negative, and the one who warned you not to go there with you raised himself as a leader by 1 point.
Total: the leader is obliged to act, but to act only successfully.
Second: «The series amplifies the effect«. If you are successful several times in a row, then each success in a series gives you not 1, but 2, 3 or more points. You teach people that you are a leader.
But the streak can also work against you. If you start with a series, slow down several times in a row, you start to lose points already in ascending order. And a series of failures, two or more unsuccessful leadership initiatives in a row simply destroy you as a leader.
Third: «Combat amplifies the effect, but destroys the relationship«. The offer you push makes you a leader more than being naturally followed. If you always win, but through a scandal, you are very cool, but soon there will be no people around you.
Let’s look at all this with an example.
You asked a friend to drive you in a car. «With pleasure!» — the comrade answered, and you write down your score. “I’m going to warm up the car, come back in a couple of minutes!” «Good!» — you answer, but the score is not recorded for you, but for your friend.
After a couple of minutes, they came up, hesitated where to sit down, a friend lowers the window: “Sit down in front!” — this is already a series, for a friend, in addition, not 1, but 2 points.
Sat down. You: «I think we’d better go around the ring!» “No, there may be traffic jams, I will drive differently,” the friend answers and drives in his own way. In fact, there was a small leadership fight, you lost, 2 points for a friend, 1 point for you in the negative.
«Does your stove work? Can you make it warmer? «I’ll turn it on now!» — here you are warmer, and an extra point.
You go, set the topic: “Tell me, please, what do you think about …?” — a friend began to talk about what you need. You have 2 points, because it’s already a series.
“Thank you, your opinion is important to me” — approving, you give a friend 1 point and 1 point to yourself — you approved.
Closer to home, you command: “So, we won’t drive straight here, we must turn left!” Have you turned? You have more points (leading streak continues).
I thank you for the trouble-free delivery!” Your friend nodded with a smile. Another 1 point for a friend, we count a beautiful victory for ourselves!
Here is the arithmetic. Life is made up of little things, especially if you have good eyesight to notice these little things.
The leader must be visible and must be successful
To score points, the leader must be visible, which translated into practical language means: «You must be seen, you must be heard, your presence must be felt.»
You came to the party — your place at the table should be, if not central, then honorable, and not behind the ficus in the corner. I must say a toast — someone is lazy, sits out, and you get up and work. There is a general chatter — throw a tasty topic, then, as a conductor, offer to perform this, that and that one, comment on their performances cheerfully and kindly. The people want to sing — offer something that will appeal to many and in which you can participate loudly. There is no voice or hearing — either wave your hands enthusiastically to the beat, or beautifully cover your departure: for example, find an authoritative interlocutor with whom you should have an important conversation. The main thing is that you should be in sight and not in the second, but in the first roles.