Personal Leadership

Keep Learning to Keep Leading

What is your plan for personal growth?  That was a question John Maxwell’s mentor asked him early in his career before he became a leadership expert, now writing over 100 books on leadership and personal growth.  He didn’t have a plan or know he needed one or even what a plan for growth was.  His mentor said, “Personal growth is not automatic.  It doesn’t just happen.  To grow, you must be intentional.” John Maxwell was a 25-year-old pastor at the time his mentor made this statement, making a meager $700 a month for his salary.  He asked 300 people at that time about their personal growth plan, and no one had one!  He saved money for 6 months and bought a personal success planner kit for $700, the cost of an entire month’s salary.  He didn’t look at the price as a barrier to starting on his growth journey, rather he looked at the COST of NOT investing in himself.  He is now 77 years old.  Your success in life will be a result of your personal growth.  Did you take that in?  Grow yourself, and you will grow your career.  If you have hit a plateau, the problem is you.  If you are not moving up in the company, it’s because you are not focused on growing yourself.  How often do you read?  Listen to podcasts?  Take a course? Get coaching?  You cannot do what you do not know, and you cannot give what you do not have.  Personal growth is a silent investment.  Each and every day that you actively learn and grow is an investment in your future business, future organization, and future self as a leader.  As long as people are following you, they will be able to go only as far as you go.  If you’re not growing, they won’t be growing.  The only guarantee that tomorrow will be better than today is that you are growing.  No one is going to recognize you for doing this.  However, it will show up in who you become and what you do.  When you are growing, you are out of your comfort zone.  Everything you want or need in life is outside of your comfort zone.  In a comfort zone, there’s no changing, stretching, learning, or improvement.  Unfortunately, few people want to stretch.  Stretching always requires change. Some people choose comfort over potential, and choosing comfort leads to mediocrity.  Stretching sets you apart from others because there are a lot of people who work to get by and do the minimum and settle for mediocrity. So, I will ask you the same question John's mentor asked him, "What is your plan for personal growth this year?"