Leadership Blog

Welcome to the Friday Blog.. Every day, I welcome your comments and feed back – that is what will make us a community – and allow us to grow together and to “synergize”. For Fridays, though, I would love to hear your comments on the theme of the week.

How do we work on application of that topic? Or what can you add to the mix?

For years, now stretching into decades, I have practiced this principle of intentional growth. I learned this early on from my mentor, Dr. John C. Maxwell. I have had the great fortune of learning from him on a monthly basis. I surrounded myself with people of a similar mindset – people that encouraged me, “ if you will pour knowledge into yourself – if you will purpose to fill yourself with great knowledge – then you will become an incredible leader.” As I took that advice to heart and over the next decade, I read leadership books and listened to a tremendous amount of audio books. Because of this, I have discovered that in a conversation or consulting opportunity – those things will surface from the sub-conscience and I can add value – to my clients, to my team, or my friends.

Speaking of friends, Donna, and the great leaders at Cosma/Magna were the first to teach me the term ‘Kaizen’ – and I love the term – because it embodies what’s already in my heart – how do I improve? How do I improve, every day? How can I move the needle? Even if I am in exactly the wrong direction – and all I can do is to improve 1 degree – in 6 months – I will have turned it around 180 degrees – and I’ll be headed on the right track!!

Many things are learned on the trail – please let me know about your experiences – and share with the rest of us your favorite method for learning and growth. You never know when your comment will be the one that touches someone else.

How many of us prefer reading? Reading books or short articles?

Listening? Listening to audio books? Podcasts?

Going to workshops or experiencing events?

What has growth journey looked like?

Thanks for being a part of the adventure…

To continue the thought of the week (being that leaders are Intentional perpetual learners ) my thoughts today are around building in the structure that ensures growth – in other words – when I put myself in a place (on purpose) where I must grow – then it is a support or a structure that forces growth – maybe not because I want to grow that day – but because I know something is on the line and I am “harnessed” into growth.

On dog sled teams – there is momentum and a given amount of pressure to perform when you’re strapped in with 15 other dogs and a musher – that pressure to perform will motivate a performance response – when we don’t necessarily feel like performing. They don’t want to let the rest of the team down – and there are “social consequences” to not performing.

When my friend, Nils, and I were on a training run – one of the dogs (Fatty) decided he wasn’t really into running that day – it brought the whole team down and eventually Nils stopped and we unhooked him and put him in the sled. He had missed it – he knew it – and every other team member on my team AND Nils team knew it – their body language communicated it and his communicated it, as well.

What could you “harness” to help your “Intentional” growth? At times, I’ve committed to teaching a class, starting a mentorship club, or having a leadership book study breakfast once a week. Another friend of mine has accountability partners that call him once a week to ask about his progress. The awkwardness of having to tell them you didn’t perform can be a motivator, a “harness” that supports the structure of growth.

Launch out there today – find something or someone to commit to that will “harness” you into a growth mode.