Everyone wins when the leader gets better. The leader wins, the leader’s team wins, the organization wins and the recipients of the organization’s mission wins. There’s nothing wrong with the leader growing, improving and maturing.
Luke 2:52 states that Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with both God and man. Even Jesus, who was God in the flesh, grew. He learned and accelerated.
When you as a leader grow, you’re not only making a difference in your own life, but in the lives of people around you.
Reasons for Growth
- Growth helps us become more effective and productive. This may be behind the scenes, but there is a way for leaders to maximize their days, learn new tricks for batching work, organizing their flow, saving time, automating, delegating, and streamlining. You have to grow into those things that help you become more effective. Your time must be focused on what you’re called to do.
- Growth gives us insights into those around us. The better a leader can work with his team, the better everyone will be. Leaders must continually grow in the area of caring, connecting and communicating with those around him or her.
- Growth helps us manage and lead better. It’s not always easy to make the tough decisions, set the pace or determine the best direction for the people you lead. Growing your skills and knowledge will aid you in the process.
Barriers to Growth:
- Growth takes time. There may be a few shortcuts, but no matter what, if you want to grow, it’s going to take some time.
- Growth requires energy and discipline. Growing as a leader is hard work. It’s constant. I think one of the reasons why leaders are typically early risers is because it requires those kinds of disciplines to not only improve yourself and your leadership, but to get it all in each day.
- Growth will cost us. In addition to time, growth will cost something. We will have to pay to grow. We for sure pay in time but we also pay as we purchase books, attend growth events, hire coaches and mentors, etc.
How to Grow as a Leader:
Here are five overarching categories for leaders to use to grow.
- Habits – Jesus was a master of the habit of being in the synagogue and learning. Jesus had the habit of Sabbath rest and He had the habit of early morning prayer and quiet times. We must develop growth habits if we are going to grow as leaders. Reading, learning, disciplines, preparation, scheduling, taking care of our physical and spiritual lives are all supported – one way or the other – by our habits.
- Questions – One of the best ways to grow as a leader is to take on a learning posture. Ask questions, listen and learn. Don’t feel like you have to have all the answers – be a learner. Jesus was a master at asking questions.
- Challenge – Pinpoint your current challenge. Just like when you break down muscles while lifting weights, you grow through challenges. What is your challenge and what are you learning through it? If you don’t have a challenge, you’re probably not growing.
- Vision – Your vision for the outcome of your leadership will help your grow as a leader. If you are a parent of young children, your vision for your kids to be successful, faithful and well rounded will help you grow to be the kind of parent you need to be. The same is true for any area in which you are leading. You will be motivated by a potential outcome – the vision.
- Action – Growth requires action and movement. You must take a step even if it’s small. Actions may be as small as writing down goals or taking one step toward a goal you have. Action may be meeting with someone to learn more, reading a particular book, signing up for a particular conference or event. Your first action may be getting up earlier to exercise and plan your day more effectively. Leaders grow through action of some kind. If you feel like you are in motion but getting nowhere, it’s time to funnel your actions toward your goals. You learn to do the essential things for maximum growth.
If you consider yourself a leader, you must grow. And as you do – everyone wins.
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