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Wisconsin ASSOCIATION of School Councils- Home
- Grow Your Leadership
Grow Your Leadership Series
Throughout 2025 we will be exploring the book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell. This section is devoted to helping your personal leadership journey, as we share stories from 21 WASC alumni about leadership, learning, and life.
Enjoy!
Name: Kavari Brann | 1. Law of the Lid A flea finds itself alone in a jar, with a lid screwed into place overhead. No matter how much effort the flea puts into escaping, the jar blocks its freedom and the flea falls back to the bottom. The flea tries jumping lower than before, avoiding hitting its head – success! The flea tries jumping higher than the previous attempt – failure once more. The flea learns its limitations, and doesn’t dare to jump higher than what it knows is safe. The lid was removed, but the flea kept jumping the same height despite its obstacle disappearing. While this flea was jumping the same height, a second flea in a taller jar found a similar struggle; it also was unable to leave, only jumping just beneath its lid. The first flea was added to the taller jar, but it initially kept to itself, jumping its familiar height. The flea hesitated when it saw the second flea – it was jumping so much higher! The second flea had its own lid, but it was covering ground the first flea had never been able to discover. The first flea learned from the second flea, until the two were both happily jumping to new heights. The story of the fleas represents a condition called learned helplessness. Learned helplessness occurs when an individual is repeatedly experiencing stress or failure; this leads to the belief that they cannot control or change their surroundings, even if opportunities present themselves. To translate this to leadership, a leader’s greatest flaw can be believing they have nothing left to learn, like how the first flea was taught there was nowhere higher to jump until it fully believed there was nowhere higher to jump. It wasn’t until the flea was surrounded by a new flea in a different environment that it learned its potential for growth. As a leader, it’s important to surround yourself with people who you can learn from, so your lid can be set higher with each new experience. New knowledge can be used to better your own leadership skills, but also to become a teacher yourself to those with lower lids. It’s possible that outstanding leadership seems out of reach – the greatest leaders known project their qualities with confidence, but even the greatest leaders possess skills that have room to grow. With so many skills that aid a leader in their work, it is impossible to instantly be a master of every aspect, but taking the time to identify personal areas of proficiency and limitation creates a foundation for growth. Learning from those who have unique experiences and perspectives to share is a crucial part of the process of raising your lid. As leaders, the practice of teaching others is powerful, but it is important to not overlook the rewarding challenge of continuing to seek personal growth. |
Name: Scott Willis | 2. Law of Influence Who is the leader of your group? Most of the time it is the person who has influence to get others to get the job done. The author states that “If you don’t have influence, you will never be able to lead others”. I believe that a true leader has earned the respect. The author went through his five myths about leadership. First, he thinks it is a myth that managers are the good leaders that are needed. You have to have influence to manage well. Second, entrepreneurs aren’t always what you need either, they have to be able to influence people to go after an opportunity. When I was at AFHS, and our basketball team made it to state for the first time, I thought we could sell buttons and t-shirts and I encouraged the kids to design and make them. We sold over 1500 buttons and 500 shirts in a week. The kids had ownership of the project. Thirdly, the author believes just because you have knowledge you will be the leader. Book smart isn’t always the best. The fourth myth was, that being the pioneer and being out front makes you a leader. Not always true either. In our student council, the officers up front weren’t always the ones that influenced the rest of the council. The last myth he believed was that just because you have a position or title you will be a good leader. I worked with many students who wanted to run for a class officer and said “I don’t have to be the President, I just want to be part of the team to get things done”. The author goes on to explain the factors that he believes make a good leader. Character- who they are, are they a good person. Second is relationships- who they know. Thirdly, knowledge of what they know. I was the head negotiator for the teacher union for over 25 years. I understood the facts and envisioned what teachers should be earning and how to do it. I was always prepared with comparables when we negotiated. Fourthly, was the intuition or what is the feel of the people you are trying to lead? Fifth and sixth are experiences or where they have been and past success or what they have done. I ended up being a leader in the WASC, I think, because of my track record. People could see I had “Been there and done that.” I could advise on hosting any WASC event. I wasn’t a big rah-rah person, but it seemed that people respected my opinion when I did say something. Lastly, the author believes that leaders can deliver. When AFHS applied to host something with WASC, we were selected a lot of the time so kids kept working with council for the positive feedback. I worked with Don Larsen and Roger Chambers, two of our executive directors, who were two of the first “true” influencers. |
Name: Dylan Kopf Hometown: Evansville, WI | 3. Law of Process
"To lead tomorrow, learn today"- John Maxwell. In chapter three of Maxwell's novel, he shares the Law of Process. Maxwell discusses the important lesson of growing continuously. One does not become a leader overnight. It takes time and practice. You have to trust the process. Yes, you may want to become one quickly. However, the work is never truly done. Maxwell shares that continuous self-improvement has a compound effect and is what makes you become a great leader. He explains how leadership is developed daily, not in a single day. If you invest in your leadership development over time, growth is inevitable. My leadership journey started when I was in 6th grade, attending my first WASC event. Throughout my middle and high school years, I was a very active WASC-er. I attended many Fall Tours, State Conferences, and Leadership Institutes. With my school council and advisors, I played roles behind the scenes organizing and running parts of these events. Additionally, I attended all six levels of leadership camp, was a junior counselor for two years, went to leadership day with the Bucks, and more. I also served on the WASC Governing Board (now the CLC) for 6 years, holding various regional and state officer positions. I am now a senior in college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and I am about to enter the business world. During my four years of college, I have joined a co-ed professional business fraternity- Alpha Kappa Psi, the Undergraduate Business Council, and a club called the Student Body for Social Business. As you can see, I have been involved in many things. That's just who I am. I would not be the person I am today without my background attending these leadership programs. My favorite part about participating in these events is the people you meet through them. I firmly believe it is important to surround yourself with the people you aspire to be—the people who will push you to be a better person. WASC events do just that. If you told 6th-grade Dylan everything he would be involved in, he wouldn't have believed you. At the beginning of my journey, I was hesitant to put myself out there, but I am so glad I did. Maxwell's idea of the compound effect is evident in my journey. I didn't just wake up one day and call myself a leader. It takes time! Over the years, I had to put in the work, show up consistently, and be comfortable with being uncomfortable. Even though I have a lot of leadership experience, I know that leadership development is never-ending. There's always room for growth. That's why I continue to challenge myself in new ways. Anyone can be a leader. Everyone has the potential. It's up to you to put in the work and day by day you will become a stronger, more capable version of yourself. |
Name: Chelsea Pozolinski Occupation: Middle School Social Studies Teacher (Mukwonago, WI) Hometown: Menasha, WI Experience: Collaborative Leadership Council - Region IV JAM Advisor | 4. Law of Navigation
“The secret to the Law of Navigation is preparation” was illustrated through the example from 1911 when two groups of explorers set out to be the first in history to reach the South Pole. Roald Amundson of Norway and Robert Falcon Scott from Great Britain both navigated the treacherous task of traversing through the Antarctic continent. Amundson took the time to plan, prepare and strategize, whereas Scott’s poor planning resulted in difficulties at every turn for the crew he was leading south. Ultimately, the results for both leaders and their teams were drastically different, with the Norwegian flag staked to the ground when the exhausted British group arrived at 90° South. The Law of Navigation is laid out as such: Navigators see the trip ahead Navigators draw on past experience Navigators examine the conditions before making commitments Navigators listen to what others have to say Navigators make sure their conclusions represent both faith and fact As both adult and student leaders, we must navigate others through many situations in order to get the best outcome for all. A recent example when student leaders and I used the law of navigation was planning our annual Dude. Be Nice. event. Each year, our school, led by our Student Government, spends a month promoting kindness in our building and community, and it is a HUGE undertaking. See the trip ahead - we know the end goal is spreading kindness, but the journey to that destination needs small steps along the way. Draw on past experiences - as a yearly event, we know what components were a success or a flop from previous years and use reflection as a tool to steer away when needed. Examine the conditions before making commitments - this year we had to pivot from a January event to a February event. We set ourselves up for success by examining the conditions and adjusting our timing. Listen to what others have to say - our committee of five students was full of ideas on this year’s events, but they had to compromise and collaborate in order to reach consensus. Make sure your conclusions represent both faith and fact - while you want to dream big and believe that anything is possible, ultimately decisions on this year’s event had to have a healthy balance of both faith and fact to see the success in the end. To wrap it all up into a final thought, let this quote from John Maxwell, “the truth is that nearly anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course” serve as a reminder that YOU are the leader navigating through life, take the time to chart the course. |
Name: Jacob Mathias Occupation: ELA Teacher Hometown: Stevens Point, WI Experience: 3x Adult Counselor at WASC Camp | 7. Law of Respect On its face, the Law of Respect according to John C. Maxwell seems simple: “Followers are attracted to people who are better leaders than themselves.” This may seem obvious, and to good leaders and followers, it is. We gravitate towards those who lead and lead well. Natural leaders take charge and others follow. However, this law isn’t as easily followed as stated. Throughout my life, and I’m sure in many of yours, I’ve encountered many “leaders” whether they be bosses, colleagues, coaches, or otherwise whom I cannot honestly say were in their position based on this law. Some people are offered leadership positions simply due to rank, connection, or because they were successful at a lower position, but without the law of respect, their effectiveness as a leader simply falls flat, they lose the respect they had, and their followers leave or suffer as a result. According to Maxwell, leaders gain others’ respect through multiple traits including: 1. Natural Leadership Ability; 2. Respect for others; 3. Courage; 4. Success; 5. Loyalty; and 6. Value added to others. Ultimately, it’s not enough to bank on one of these traits, you need all. I’ve had plenty of bosses who are successful in their lives, or careers, but that’s not enough to follow them. A boss or leader who only sees themself through the lens of success, will ultimately leave others behind. In my experience (limited as it may be), as a teacher, coach, advisor, and other category of leader, I try to lead by the example my first leaders, my parents, gave me which started with respect for others. From the beginning, my parents treated me as a person, not just a child, or a product, or a project. They respected my independence, my ideas, my feelings, me. As I move through life and various careers from journalism to sales and finally to teaching, I always try to remember the respect my parents gave me and how that improved my own leadership skills. I see my colleagues, bosses, clients, camp delegates, and leaders as people first. The leaders I respect most do the same. The best teachers I know respect their students as people, not test results. My principal sees her teachers as team members, not employees. Respect for others leads to respect from others. The Law of Respect is simple, but simple does not mean easy. It requires effort from oneself as a leader to earn respect that makes you attractive to followers. If you’re not sure of the level of respect you command, gather the courage and ask those closest to you. Your willingness to learn and grow will show your loyalty to those that follow. The Law of Respect ultimately follows itself if the leader is willing to continue to do the work. |
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Name: Jenn DeWall Occupation: Motivational Speaker & Consultant Hometown: Little Chute, WI Experience: 3x Camp Delegate, 1x Camp Staff | 8. Law of Intuition A few years ago, I was contracted by a company to step into their HR Business Partner role. The company had recently been acquired and was experiencing a wave of turnover. They needed someone to step in while they worked to fill the many open roles. During this time of turmoil, I learned something no leadership textbook can fully teach you: On paper, nothing seemed alarming about the acquisition. There were no massive layoffs or drastic restructuring. But if you walked the hallways, you could feel the shift. Employees who had once been confident and steady were stopping by my office, voices low and faces tense, asking questions like: The problem was that these employees were not going to get fired. We wanted to keep them. But my concern was the fear around uncertainty was so strong that it would begin to impact their performance. When humans are under a lot of stress, whether real or perceived, it can impact their ability to make decisions, problem solve, and pay attention to detail. I called a meeting with all of our managers. I didn’t have a spreadsheet of complaints or a detailed report to show them. What I had was a pulse on the emotional temperature of the organization, built from dozens of one-on-one conversations and careful observation. I shared with the managers what I was seeing and feeling: We talked about the importance of setting clear expectations. We needed to explain the difference between making a mistake (which is human) and the rare, serious behaviors that would actually lead to termination. Employees needed to hear directly from their leaders—not through office gossip or worst-case-scenario assumptions. Because when people are left to assume, they almost always assume the worst—and that’s the quickest way to drain morale. The managers took the message seriously. They began having open conversations with their teams. They answered questions honestly instead of hiding behind vague corporate language. They clarified expectations so employees knew exactly where they stood. Slowly, the tension in the air began to lift. People refocused—not because all the uncertainty disappeared, but because they felt seen, heard, and supported. That experience illustrates what John Maxwell calls the "Law of Intuition" in The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. What is the Law of Intuition? While others might wait for official reports or data to recognize a problem, leaders with strong intuition sense the warning signs early—and act before the damage is visible. Leadership intuition is about reading between the lines, not just reading the reports.
Maxwell points out that intuition is partly natural—but it’s also developed. Why does the Law of Intuition matter for leadership? The great thing about this skill is it’s available to anyone who wants to develop it. You don’t need a fancy title or ten years of experience to start practicing leadership intuition. It starts now, by paying attention to what is happening around you:
Leadership is not just about executing the plan—it’s about feeling the pulse of your team and adjusting when needed. When you trust your leadership instincts, you create stronger, healthier, and more resilient teams. You don’t just respond to problems—you prevent them. You build trust, because people know you’re paying attention—not just to the outcomes, but to them. Because at the end of the day, leadership isn’t only about what you know. It’s about what you sense. And the leaders who trust their intuition are the ones who make the biggest impact. |
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