“Everything rises and falls on leadership.” This is a quote made famous by America's top leadership guru, Dr. John C. Maxwell, in his bestselling book, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. The first time I read this quote was in 2002, when I was a rookie teacher at an Islamic school. I remember staring at that statement and thinking, “what does he mean by that?” To find the answer, I kept reading the rest of the book, and my life has never been the same.
I started to look at everything from a leadership lens. The good and bad of every school, masjid, organization, family and even country were directly related to the quality of their leaders. I was so fascinated by this topic of leadership that I went on to study it in graduate school. I also implemented as many good leadership principles as possible in my classrooms as a teacher in public, private, charter and international schools, and as a principal in private Islamic schools in the Virgin Islands and in Houston, Texas. Now, I teach these leadership principles day in and day out in companies, schools, non-profits and masjids internationally, because I know the kind of positive impact that great leadership can make.
When leadership is great, success inevitably follows. Likewise, when leadership is poor, failure inevitably follows. Think about it: give me some examples of successful countries, businesses and masjids and I will point you in the direction of the strong leader that orchestrated their success.
This is the first in a series of articles about leadership in which I discuss why all of us need to understand and live out the principles of great leadership. It doesn't matter whether we are teachers, parents, CEOs, doctors, imams, engineers, sons or daughters; we are all responsible for being leaders.
Abdullah bin Umar reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said,
“All of you are shepherds and each of you is responsible for his flock. An imam is a shepherd and he is responsible for those in his care. A man is a shepherd in respect of his family and is responsible for those in his care. The woman is a shepherd in respect of her husband's house and is responsible for what is in her care. The servant is a shepherd in respect of his master's property and is responsible for what is in his care. All of you are shepherds and each of you is responsible for his flock.”
What is the modern-day equivalent to the work shepherd in this hadith? IT'S LEADER! So reread the hadith above, but this time, replace the word shepherd, with the word leader.
I believe that it is our responsibility to become leaders, because that's what our beloved Prophet 
taught us to be, and that is what he was. He exemplified leadership in all areas of his life, and, if we are truly followers of his example, then we will seek to do the same. Also, by looking at the life of the Prophet Muhammad through this lens of leadership, my hope is that we will gain an even greater appreciation of how incredible he was, and our love for him will increase.
So let's take a look at the life and leadership of the greatest leader in the history of the world, the Prophet from the lens of the 21 Irrefutable Laws. As you're reading, be sure to contemplate on how we all can follow in the Prophet's example and live out these laws in our lives.
Law of the Lid: Leadership Ability Determines a Person's Level of Effectiveness
The Law of the Lid states that leadership ability is the lid that determines a person's level of effectiveness; the lower an individual's ability to lead is, the lower the lid on his potential. Likewise, the higher an individual's ability to lead is, the higher the lid on his potential. In other words, if your leadership ability is judged on a scale of 1 to 10 – with 1 being completely ineffective and 10 being extremely effective – your potential will coincide with your level of leadership. So, if your leadership ability is a 9, you're going to get incredible results, but if your leadership is a 2, your results will be less than stellar.
Let's look at this law based on the life of the Prophet . How effective was the Prophet in his mission? What was his level of effectiveness?
The fact that I'm writing this article on this blog is proof of how incredibly effective the Prophet was as a leader. Based on the definition of the law provided earlier, the Law of the Lid proves clearly without a doubt that the Prophet was the most impactful human being to ever walk the face of the earth. His leadership ability was through the roof; therefore, he was able to change the course of human history forever. He was a perfect 10!
Reflection Questions on the Law:
So what is your leadership lid? If we're not striving to be 10's, then we're not striving to be like the Prophet .
Law of Influence: The True Measure of Leadership is Influence – Nothing More, Nothing Less
The Law of Influence states that leadership is measured based on a person's ability to influence others; nothing more, nothing less. Let's look at the influence of the Prophet :
Only a few short years after the Prophet and his followers were forced out of their hometown of Mecca, he came back accompanied by 10,000 others and became the ruler. Within the next 100 years, the Islamic Empire stretched from Morocco to China. Fourteen hundred years later, Muhammad is the most popular name in the world, and there are over 1.3 billion Muslims spread out across the entire globe. His name is being repeated across the globe millions of times daily. His life is being studied in homes, masajid and universities across the globe. Whether you walk into a mosque in Tokyo, Delhi, Dubai, London, New York City, Los Angeles, Bogota or Sao Paulo, you will hear Surah al-Fatiha recited and see people praying the way that the Prophet used to pray.
The incredible ways Prophet influenced the course of human history would require volumes upon volumes of books to enumerate.
Reflection Questions on the Law:
How are we influencing or making a positive impact in the world?
How are we influencing our families, communities, co-workers, children, cities and countries?
If the Prophet's mission was about changing the world, shouldn't ours be too? Should we not also be people of influence?
Law of Process: Leadership Develops Daily, Not in a Day
The Law of Process states that growth in leadership happens every single day, not in a single day.
Have you ever heard the story about the Prophet taking a day off from his leadership responsibilities? Of course you haven't because it didn't happen! He worked tirelessly for the sake of humanity. He worked tirelessly for you and me. Every day was a new challenge for him; a new problem to manage; a new threat on his life or the lives of his followers; a new hypocrite to deal with; a new tribe to negotiate with; a new rumor about him or his family to quell; a new strategy to develop; a new leader to give da'wah to; a new Muslim to teach; and a new world to create. Day in and day out he faced the kinds of challenges that developed and sharpened his leadership skills, to the extent that he became the greatest leader ever.
Reflection Questions on the Law:
What do we do to develop our leadership skills, day in and day out?
How can we intentionally follow the Sunnah of growing as leaders, day in and day out?
Law of Navigation: Anyone can Steer the Ship, but It Takes a Leader to Chart the Course
The Law of Navigation states that it's the leader who sets the vision for his people and then leads them there.
Are there words to describe the incredible vision of the Prophet ? Can you imagine what it would be like if you and the people you led were tortured, boycotted, mocked, murdered and driven out of your homes and still having the wherewithal to talk about conquering Rome and Constantinople? Allahu akbar! How amazing is that? The Prophet always kept the greater vision for his people at the forefront of his mind and the minds of his people. He never took his eyes off the ultimate prize and greater mission.
He had the vision and foresight to:
send Musab to Madinah long before he made hijra to develop a following there before his arrival
send the believers to Abyssinia when they didn't want to
always remind the people of the greater life to come
sign the treaty of hudaybiyya despite some of his companions objections
listen to his advisors in the battle of the trench and the thwarted trip to Mecca for Hajj
develop young and dynamic leadership all around him so the work would continue after his death
know when to be patient and quiet and when to step up and speak out
give the right roles to the right people at the right times; ibn Masud, Khalid ibn Waleed and Musab ibn Umary are a few that come to mind
These and countless more examples from the Prophet's life show that he was a forward thinking person of great vision, therefore we should be the same.
Reflection Questions on the Law:
How do we exemplify this quality from the Sunnah in our lives?
What is our long term vision for ourselves, our families, our communities and our organizations? And what steps do we need to take to make that vision come to life?
Law of Addition: Leaders Add Value by Serving Others
The Law of Addition emphasizes the practice of Servant Leadership, or the concept that the leader is there to serve the people and not the opposite. The Prophet was truly a servant of the people who added value to everyone's life that he came across. Whether it was a ruler that he was inviting to Tawheed; a companion the he was teaching and developing; an old lady whose bags he was carrying; a sick member of the community that he was visiting; or one of the many children in the community that he was raising; he added great value to everyone's life around him. The most incredible fact is that some 1400 years later he is still adding value to hundreds of millions of people worldwide on a daily basis.
There is a saying that has been attributed to the Prophet (although I have yet to find an authentic source) that summarizes who he was beautifully. “The believer is like a light rain, everywhere he goes he brings benefit.” In other words, if we want to be like the Prophet, then we should strive to be people that make a positive impact and add value everywhere we go.
Reflection Questions on the Law:
Who did you add value to today?
Who can you intentionally add value to every single day? Think of the people that you have influence over…imagine them in your mind right now and think about how you can add value to them day in and day out.
Law of Solid Ground: Trust is the Foundation of Leadership
Without trust, there cannot be leadership. The Law of Solid Ground states that Trust is the foundation upon which leadership and influence is laid. Every leadership guru in the modern world speaks of trust as an integral part of great leadership. What again was the Prophet's nickname before he even became a prophet?
That's right…Al ameen, the Trustworthy. SubhanAllah, Allah was setting up the Prophet for successful leadership and influence well before he became a prophet. Imagine what would have happened if the people had even a little bit of doubt in regards to the Prophet's character? His call was initially rejected despite the fact that he was a person of impeccable character and was known for his trustworthiness.
Reflection Questions on the Law:
If people were to rate your trustworthiness on a scale of 1 – 10, what would your score be? Family? Friends? Co-workers? Business partners? Spouse?
Have you ever broken someone's trust? If so, how did you make amends?
Has anyone ever broken your trust? If so, did you ever forgive them and were they able to regain your trust eventually? If they did regain your trust, how did were they able to do that?
Law of Respect: People Naturally Follow Leaders Stronger Than Themselves
The Law of Respect states that people will only follow those who are stronger than themselves. To understand this law within the context of the Prophet's life, you simply need to look at the caliber of people who chose to follow him. Omar ibn al Khattab, Abu Bakr as-Siddiq, Khalid bin Waleed, Ali bin Abu Talib, Othman bin Affan, Asma bint Yazid, Muad ibn Jabal, Musab ibn Umayr, Asma bint Abu Bakr, Az Zubayr ibn al Awam, Talha bin Zaid, Sumayyah bint Khubbat, Abdullah ibn Masud, Abu Obayday ibn al Jarrah, Rumaysa bint Milhan, Salman al Farisi, Suhayb al Rumi, Abu Dhar al Ghifari and Hamza just to name a few.
Leaders, warriors, poets, business moguls, chieftains, scholars from various places of various ages and talents all chose to follow the Prophet . The greatest united collection of human beings to ever walk the face of the earth was assembled under his leadership and followed him to the extent that their level of loyalty to him was something that the world had never witnessed before.
They followed him because they respected him and knew that he was stronger than them, because people don't follow leaders who have a lower capacity then themselves. Another example of the strength of the Prophet's leadership is that after his death the Muslims were never 100% unified again.
Reflection Questions on the Law:
What do you do to intentionally to become a stronger leader every day?
Law of Intuition: Leaders Evaluate Everything with a Leadership Bias
The Law of Intuition states that leaders always look at things from a leadership lens. When you study the life of the Prophet , you begin to realize just how incredibly strong of a leader he was. From identifying and developing future leaders, to uniting people from various backgrounds, cultures and races on one shared belief system and way of life; the Prophet's leadership bias is clear. I have shared some examples within the previous laws and will share many more through the remainder of the laws.
Reflection Questions on the Law:
Do you view life through a leadership lens?
How keen are you in identifying both good and bad leadership when you see it?
Law of Magnetism: Who You Are is Who You Attract
The Law of Magnetism states that the people that you will attract into your organization, community or your life is determined by you are. Think about the 5 people that you spend the most time with in the world. If you balanced all of their characteristics, mannerisms, mindset and lifestyle and you'll be looking at yourself. That's why the Prophet said:
“A person is on the same way of life as his close companion. Therefore, let every one of you carefully consider the company he keeps.” [Tirmidhi]
This law is actually saying the same thing as the hadith but from the opposite perspective. You will ultimately attract the kind of people that are like you to you. This works both on a personal and organizational level. For those of you who watch sports, why are the great teams able to recruit even more great players to their team? Or even in business, how do Google, Apple, Harvard, Stanford and the likes continue to attract top notch talent. It's because they are attracting who they are. Like attracts like. Or think about the really successful Muslim organizations here in the West: Al Maghrib, Zaytuna, Bayyinah and Muslimmatters .
Now look at the Prophet and who he was able to attract to a cause that was not popular and went against many of the fundamental principles of the society that he lived in? The best and brightest came to Islam through the Prophet's example because that's who he was.
Reflection Questions on the Law:
Are you attracting the right kind of people into your life?
If you are not, then what do you have to do, or better yet, WHO DO YOU HAVE TO BECOME, in order to attract the right kind of people to you and your organization?
Law of Connection: Leaders Touch a Heart Before They Ask for a Hand
The Law of Connection states that leaders always seek to help and connect with others before they ask for help. Are you focused on your own needs or the needs of others? “If you help enough people to achieve their goals, they'll help you achieve yours” Zig Ziglar.
The Prophet was always focused on helping others. He served people through difficult times of great pain and suffering. He constantly was kind and gentle with people even though they were unkind towards him. How many hearts did the Prophet touch in his lifetime? And how many hearts has he touched since his passing? He is our guide in life and has taught us how to be outstanding human beings.
I honestly cannot imagine how my life would have played out if I had never studied the life of this great man. What if I went days, months, years without hearing his name? Just the mere thought of life without knowing him is too much for me to bear. I am sitting in a café typing this right now with tears welling up in my eyes.
So if he always sought to connect with and help people first and foremost, what about us? Sometimes we can become so self-centered and focused on our own goals and aspirations that we forget that the Sunnah is actually to focus on and serve others.
Reflection Questions on the Law:
How do you intentionally connect with the hearts of others on a daily basis?
How do you intentionally serve others on a daily basis?
Law of Inner Circle: A Leader's Potential is Determined by Those Closest to Him
The Law of Inner Circle states that the level of your potential is determined by those who you choose to surround yourself with. I've already mentioned some points of note related to this topic in the Laws of Respect and Magnetism, however I want you to ponder over one point related to this law.
Our potential as leaders is determined by those in our inner circles. What is your potential? What would you be doing if you were living at 100% of your potential in life? I want you think about this and create an image in your mind of you at your absolute best. What would you be doing daily?
I think too many of us settle for lives that aren't our best. I think this is one aspect of the Sunnah that is not present in our discourse at all…the Sunnah of living to your full potential. Was there anything that the Prophet set out to do that he didn't accomplish? Did he not live out to his full potential? Did the sahaba not actively seek to live out their best lives possible?
The Prophet didn't haphazardly choose his Inner Circle. He knew where he wanted to go and what he wanted to accomplish so he made sure that the people who were closest to him were world changers like himself!
Reflection Questions on the Law:
What does the best version of you look like?
Who do you need to have in your Inner Circle to help you live up to your full potential?
Law of Empowerment: Only Secure Leaders Give Power to Others
The Law of Empowerment states that leaders who are secure in their leadership make it a point to empower others. To understand this, let's consider the opposite…an insecure leader. Have you ever worked with or for someone who was insecure in their leadership? Their insecurity will usually manifest itself through lack of gratitude for their subordinates and co-workers; overemphasis on personal accomplishments and under emphasis on others' accomplishments; purposefully limiting the growth of their subordinates, coveting their position and seeking titles for the sake of the title and not for greater service.
The Prophet empowered so many leaders around him in various capacities. He empowered his wives by seeking their counsel and implementing it. He empowered youth by giving them REAL responsibilities. He selected young leaders amongst his companions to lead armies, spread and carry the message to foreign lands, and become scholars and teachers in order to carry the message forward after his death. He empowered the slaves and poverty stricken of their society; gave them dignity and important roles such as appointing Bilal (a former slave) as the Muaddhin (Caller to Prayer).
Empowering others is a critical part of the Sunnah for leaders to follow.
Reflection Questions on the Law:
How does a leader go from being insecure to being secure?
How do you empower others that you lead and are responsible for?
Law of the Picture: People Do What People See
The Law of the Picture states that people will follow the leader not just in their speech, but more importantly in their actions. Followers do what they see their leaders doing. This is an absolutely critical concept for leaders to understand. If you lead in any capacity, at work, home or in your community, know that you are being watched! I have to admit that I have made my fair share of mistakes during my time as a school principal. I remember one incident in which I was joking around with one of the students and I gave him a funny nickname, or what I thought was a funny nickname, but unfortunately the other students picked up on it and started referring to him with the same nickname. It wasn't derogatory by any means; however I could tell that the student didn't really love being referred to by that nickname. So I tried hard to convince the other students that it was not a good thing to call him and I apologized profusely. The nickname did eventually go away, however the fact that the student may have felt bad due to my account very much saddens me to this day. I ask Al Ghafoor to forgive me for my insensitivity.
This incident and many others taught me a powerful lesson on the importance of always trying to behave with ihsaan, in particular in a leadership role. I say that because when you're not in a leadership position, your actions may not impact others in as great a way as it will when you're a leader. This principle goes so far and so deep. Just look at the Muslim leaders in the west and those who follow them. Followers of a particular movement talk like the leader, act like the leader and even start to change their physical appearance to match the dress and style of the leader.
All of this is precisely why the statement of Aisha who said that the Prophet's character was like a walking Qur'an is so incredibly profound! He walked his talk! His character was so beautiful that the Sahaba studied and emulated his every move. The minute details of his life have been studied and followed more than any other person's in human history. It's the reason why you see people throughout the world brushing their teeth with miswaaks, wearing long garbs, turbans and cologne (athar).
Followers do what they see, so what are your followers doing?
Reflection Questions on the Law:
How do you ensure that your actions are congruent with what you say?
Can you think of examples of good and bad actions that your followers have done directly as a result of the example that you set? How do those things make you feel?
Law of Buy-In: People Buy into the Leader, Then the Vision
The Law of Buy-In states that people will not buy into what your vision is until they buy into you as a person and as their leader. Think about this for a second…it is almost never the case that a vision propels people forward without a credible leader pushing that vision forward. Social Media has changed that phenomenon a bit, however for a viral video, message or cause to really make a broad impact, there are leaders that take center stage and make that cause real and take it beyond what it was only on facebook, twitter, vine or youtube.
In terms of the Prophet's life, this is law provides a fascinating insight into Allah's Divine wisdom in selecting and preparing the Prophet in particular to carry out this message. A man of great integrity; a man of the noblest character; a man of great internal and external strength; a man of excellent dress and of medium height and build; the most handsome of men; a man of balanced temperament; a man of great wisdom and patience; an orphan and a former shepherd; this was the man that was selected by Allah to bring the final and perfect message from God to mankind.
It was easy for the people to buy into the Prophet because he exemplified Noble Character and had an amazing combination of perfectly balanced qualities. Even when his enemies tried to defame him, they really couldn't because anyone who met him and met them would know clearly who was on the path of truth and who wasn't. When people met him, they knew just by looking at him that he was a person of honesty and integrity; that they were not looking at the face of a liar or dishonest man.
Obviously, we can't share the physical attributes of the Prophet , but we can try to emulate his character and prophetic qualities. If we want to be leaders and agents of positive influence, then people will have to buy into us before they buy into what we're selling.
Reflection Questions on the Law:
When taking on a new position of leadership, was it easy or difficult to get the people to buy into you? How so?
When trying to set a new vision for your organization, school or community, what steps do you need to take in order to get them to first buy into you and then your vision?
Law of Victory: Leaders Find a Way for the Team to Win
The Law of Victory states that leaders always figure out how to lead their teams, companies, communities and even countries to victory. Obviously, in sports, defining victory is simple whereas in the real world what being victorious really means is quite ambiguous. However, the principle remains. Leaders know how to drastically improve the situation of whatever it is that they are leading. Steve Jobs is a great example of this law. Apple was a big hit in the 80's then died down after he left, only to rise to its greatest prominence upon his return to the company in the early 2000's.
The Prophet exemplified this law greater than any other human being in history. How he went from receiving the message and being the world's only 'Muslim' to becoming the leader of his people, to being a source of guidance and inspiration for over 1 billion people over 1,400 years later is unfathomable. Despite all odds, with the help of Allah and the support of his companions, he was able to fulfill his mission.
Reflection Questions on the Law:
How have you helped those whom you are responsible for leading to victory?
What were the key components you needed in order to become victorious?
Law of the Big Mo: Momentum is a Leader's Best Friend
The Law of the Big Mo states that once momentum is created by the leader, it helps to propel your mission and/or organization faster and farther then you could have ever expected. Once momentum is established, great things happen and the leader is given far more credit than he deserves. The hard part is creating that momentum and that's where the leadership ability of the leader comes into play. He is responsible for creating that momentum and this is no easy task. Just look to the life of the Prophet and you'll see how difficult it can be.
One can argue that the 'Tipping Point' for the Prophet's message spreading rapidly was the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. Up until that point, Islam had definitely gained traction amongst some of the masses and a new capital city was established in Madinah, however it really thrived after the signing of Hudaybiyyah.
It took the Prophet the entire time in Mecca and then 6 years after the hijra in order to take the message to the point where it spread rapidly and was widely accepted. After Hudaybiyyah, Islam has never stopped growing.
Momentum will take the vision and mission of your company, community and country farther than you could have imagined. It really is a leader's best friend.
Reflection Questions on the Law:
How have you created positive momentum in your various leadership roles?
What are some of the positive outcomes that have occurred as a result of this momentum that exceeded your expectations?
Law of Priorities: Leader's Understand that Activity Is Not Necessarily Accomplishment
The Law of Priorities states that merely being busy does not equate to being effective. Have you ever been around leaders who move and talk really fast but when you ask them what they've accomplished they have very little to show? These leaders don't understand that in order to be the most effective leader possible, you must intentionally choose to do the right things. The right things are the ones that matter most and the ones that give you the best return on investment for your time.
Think of it like this…time is the most valuable asset that we have, and as leaders we oftentimes have very little of it on our hands. So how we organize that time is extremely important to achieving our highest level of effectiveness. Let me share an example from my own life. As a principal, there are 100 different tasks to be completed at the same time on a daily basis, and I could have easily gotten busy doing all of them simultaneously, and I did! The lack of focus caused me to get burned out very quickly! However, after a couple of years of experience under my belt, I reread about this law and decided to come up with a list of the top 3 tasks that brought me the greatest return and focus most of my time on those three. After much contemplation and reflection, I actually came up with a list of two: communication and coaching. Those were the two things that gave me the greatest return on investment of my limited time. Once I made the switch and started to focus most of my time on these two areas, I started to see much greater results and felt like I was working less. I wasn't, however it felt like I was because I was engaged in activities that not only brought me the best results, but they also were duties that I thoroughly enjoyed doing.
Now, let's go back to the life of the Prophet . When we look into his seerah from this leadership lens, you see clearly that he always focused on the biggest priorities at any given time period. In the beginning of the call in Mecca, he focused his time on teaching and training his followers and on his own personal growth in prayer and reflection. Even the Sunnah of Allah is profound in that the verses that came down focused mainly on developing the aqeedah of the believers and their connection with Allah, His Messenger and the next life.
Of course later after the hijrah, the Prophet spent much more of his time on community building and spreading the message now that a base city had been established. Finally, towards the end of his life, he spent more time completing his duties to Allah and humanity by putting the final pieces of the message together. His life is a profound example of prioritizing our time depending on current needs and circumstances.
Reflection Questions on the Law:
How do you prioritize your time? Which activities bring you the greatest return on investment for your time? Which activities bring the least? How can you do more of the former and less of the latter?
Think back on your experiences to an example of when you prioritized well and when you prioritized poorly.
Law of Sacrifice: Leaders Must Give Up to Go Up
The Law of Sacrifice states that in order for you to keep rising up the leadership ladder, you're going to have to make more and more sacrifices. Great leadership means greater responsibility to serve.
This law is exemplified by no one throughout the course of human history better than the Prophet . It seems that all he did was sacrifice for his followers, for you and me, for our parents, for our children and grandchildren to be successful in this life and the next.
The examples of his sacrifices are too numerous to discuss all of them, but I will mention a couple:
When the Muslims were kicked out of Mecca and were surviving off of tree leaves and random donations of the most basic food from well-wishers in Mecca, the Prophet was the hungriest of all of them. He ate last and he ate the least.
He sacrificed all for the pleasures of the dunya for a greater cause. Can you imagine if Bill Gates or some other billionaire tycoon came to you and offered you anything that you wanted in the world? Money, mansions, yachts, exotic cars, private jets, the finest jewelry and everything else that the dunya had to offer was yours at your convenience. The Prophet was offered this by the wealthy leaders at that time and chose the life of servanthood and struggle for a greater cause instead.
So the question that comes to mind that we have to ask ourselves is: what are we willing to sacrifice for the sake of Allah and the people? Many of us live self-serving lives in that we do good for ourselves and maybe our immediate families but we don't seek to make a bigger impact in order to serve humanity. Success is what we do for ourselves, but greatness is what we do for others. Real leadership is all about sacrifice. The higher we go up the ladder of leadership, the more sacrifice is required from us.
Reflection Questions on the Law:
What sacrifices are you willing to make to keep climbing the ladder of leadership?
What sacrifices have people made for you to help you get to where you are today?
Law of Timing: When to Lead is As Important As What to Do and Where to Go
The Law of Timing states that understanding and practicing good timing is a critical component of great leadership. When the leader chooses to do the right thing at the right time then great success follows. When the leader chooses to do the right thing at the wrong time, there is limited success. When the leader chooses to do the wrong thing at the wrong time, the people get a new leader.
When analyzing the life of the Prophet , we can see how clearly he understood this law. When the companions around him were calling for retaliation for the brutality and torture that they were suffering from, the Prophet understood the importance of timing.
When the Prophet decided to climb the hill outside of Mecca and proclaim his message publicly, he knew it was the right time because he needed certain people to join their ranks in order to strengthen and grow.
When the Muslims were prevented from entering into Mecca to perform the pilgrimage, the Prophet understood that this was a good time to sign the Treaty of Hudaybiyah. Even though many of his companions disagree with him and were furious over the terms of the treaty, the Prophet understood that the timing was right for a period of peace to ensure the continued spreading of the message.
Also, when the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah was broken, the Prophet knew that the time was right to gather the Muslims together and re-enter Mecca.
His entire life is a study in the law of timing.
Reflection Questions on the Law:
Think about a situation or circumstance that you've faced in the past in which you've followed the law of timing. What results ensued?
Think about a situation in which you did not heed the law of timing. How were your results different?
Law of Explosive Growth: To Add Growth Lead Followers – To Multiply, Lead Leaders
The Law of Explosive Growth states that if you really want to amplify your positive impact in the world, don't lead followers, lead leaders. It's good to reflect from time to time and ask ourselves, how many leaders have we developed?
I remember a conversation I had about 20 years ago with imam Siraj Wahhaj who I see as a modern day Malcolm X, in which he emphasized how important this issue of leadership is and how critical it is to develop leaders in our communities. I believe that imam Siraj understood this because he is a student of the life of the Prophet .
I'm not going to mention all of the leaders that the Prophet developed. I'll just remind you of the 4 that stand out the most: Abu Bakr, Omar, Uthman and Ali . Consider the accomplishments of these 4 leaders within a relatively brief time period and we see just how powerful the Law of Explosive Growth really is. To really put that in perspective think about how their lives would have been different had they not received the tutelage and development from the Prophet that they did. What would Abu Bakr, Omar, Uthman and Ali's lives been like had they chosen not to become followers of the Prophet's leadership? It's an interesting thing to consider hypothetically, but alhamdulillah for all of us that they did learn and develop under the Prophet's leadership.
The Prophet developed so many leaders around him. He lifted them up; he set a perfect example for them to follow; he added valued to their lives in so many ways and they returned the favor; he empowered them and gave them responsibilities; he instilled confidence in them by believing in them; he gave them hope for a better future; he developed their hearts, minds, souls and character; he encouraged them to seek to be their best physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally; he helped them to become the best version of themselves, thereby creating the greatest generation of people to ever walk the face of the earth .
What inevitably results when you lead leaders is a profound impact on not only the individuals themselves, but all those who they lead, their families and their communities.
Reflection Questions on the Law:
What changes do you have to make in order to develop leaders rather than followers?
Law of Legacy: A Leader's Lasting Value is Measured by Succession
The Law of Legacy states that you can measure a leader's lasting impact by how effective their successors are. I personally understood this law the hard way. The first school that I was a principal of, I did not have a successor who was ready to take over when I left. Therefore, the changes that I implemented at the school didn't last because I did not set up the leadership moving forward.
Alhamdulillah, for all of us, the Prophet didn't make those kinds of mistakes. He set up the leadership for our ummah not only immediately following his death, but gave us examples for us to always refer to until the end of time. I really want you to think about that and how profound it is. The lessons from the Prophet's leadership and the leadership of his successors were examples for us to follow transcending both time and place. I would say without a doubt, that this is the greatest legacy that the world has ever seen!
This is the reason why I wrote this series of articles.
To help us better understand leadership and the leadership imperative for all of us.
To share some leadership lessons from the life of the Prophet so that we can implement them in our own lives.
To appreciate and value how incredibly profound the life of the Prophet was by analyzing it through the lens of leadership.
To increase our love of him .
I hope that you have benefitted from this series of articles. I ask Allah to forgive me for any mistakes I may have made and I ask Him to accept any good that may come from it.
I think it's time that we step up to the plate and become the dynamic and inspirational leaders that our deen calls us to be and that the Prophet taught us to be. I wish you all the best on your leadership journeys.
The post Lessons in Leadership from the Prophet Muhammad (saw) appeared first on MuslimMatters.org.