Leadership

***This article is inspired by chapter 7 of John C. Maxwell’s book “Developing the Leaders Around You” – “The Leader’s Highest Return: Forming a Dream Team of Leaders” ***

In 1992, the USA sent its first-ever basketball team made up of active professional NBA players to compete for the Summer Olympics gold medal in Barcelona, Spain. It was nicknamed the “Dream Team” as the roster was stacked with the best talent in the world at the time. In case you don’t remember who played in these games, look at this world-class roster above.

This team changed the face of how the USA performed in future Olympics and caused other nations to improve their rosters to compete at the highest level. That’s what a Dream Team can do. It forces everyone to become better.

Would you like a dream team of leaders to carry your organization into the future?

Most leaders shout a resounding “Yes!”

Who wouldn’t want that?

However, not all leaders know how to develop or compile such a team. And not every team with superstar talent make up a dream team just by showing up. It takes intentional effort and the members must carry themselves in a way that works well together.

Consider John C. Maxwell’s 10 qualities of a Dream Team:

1 – The team members care for one another.

Teams that achieve the greatest success cannot be at odds with one another. They must care about one another’s interests personally and professionally. Caring means that each person is looking out for each other through the ups and downs of the journey to success.

2 – The team members know what is important.

A common goal or vision is critical for a team to reach its highest level of success. The leader must take responsibility for casting vision and making sure each member is clear about it. When they know what is important, they can then advance in the same direction toward the common goal.

3 –  The team members communicate with one another.

Communication is one of the greatest challenges of any team or organization. In fact, it’s been said that the greatest illusion in communication is the assumption that it has happened well. In order to achieve the highest levels of success, team members must commit to communicating clearly with one another and make sure what is important has been heard.

4 – The team members grow together.

Achieving success is a journey filled with many ups and downs. As the team travels together toward their goals, they must be committed to growing together. They must focus on their personal development, as well as, their team development. A dream team looks much different and better at the end of the journey than when they began.

5 – There is a team fit.

Chemistry matters so much that it trumps vision. A dysfunctional team with a great vision is rarely successful. A team with great chemistry can passionately pursue a vision as each member contributes to their fullest potential while keeping the team’s overall goals in mind.

6 – The team members place their individual rights beneath the best interest of the team.

There is no room for selfishness on a dream team. While individuals may have more experience and personal success than others, they cannot demand or assume they have more rights than other members. Dream teams are made up of highly talented members who set their selfish motives and rights aside for the sake of the team’s overall success.

7 – Each team member plays a special role.

Everyone on a dream team has a unique role to play. Some of the greatest teams throughout history have unsung heroes who played their parts well while not getting the attention they deserve. However, the rest of the team values their contribution as much as the so-called “stars” of the team who were thrust into the spotlight. When everyone understands their unique role and does what they can to contribute, the team can achieve incredible success.

8 – An effective team has a good bench.

There are “starters” on all teams, but winning the long-game demands a strong bench of back-up players who perform their unique roles when called upon. While the bench players may not receive notoriety like the starters, their contribution is critically important and their fellow members value what they do for the success of the team.

9 – The team members know exactly where the team stands.

Regardless of the team vision and goals, a scoreboard that measures progress is vital for a dream team to succeed. Whether it’s a sports scoreboard with a clock and points or a business dashboard showing key performance indicators (KPI’s), the team must know the current reality of where they stand if they are going to keep moving forward and achieve the highest levels of success.

10 – The team members are willing to pay the price.

All dream teams that become champions understand that sacrifice is required. Whether it’s long hours working on projects or more drills on the practice field, members are willing to pay the price. It’s been said that champions are made in the dark, but revealed under the spotlights. Dream team members understand this and do what it takes to pay the price for the team’s success.

As you can see, dream teams require important qualities to succeed at the highest levels. In sports, there is one winner crowned at the end of each season. In most cases, the championship teams have lived out these qualities while others didn’t. The others came up short while the champions continued to work together to achieve their vision and goals. In business, there may be no season-ending trophies given out, but there are market share and industry impact that an organization can go after. There are annual revenue and profit margin goals to pursue.

You can build a dream team for your organization if you develop and equip your team members well and make sure that they have these 10 critical qualities listed above.

Are you ready to pursue greatness by building a dream team?

You can do it. I believe in you!

Until next time…make today GREAT!

Would you like to start your day with more motivation? Click HERE to receive my Daily Inspiration thoughts each morning in your inbox.

***This article is inspired by chapter 6 of John C. Maxwell’s book
“Developing the Leaders Around You” – “The Leader’s Lifelong Commitment: Developing Potential Leaders” ***

In the previous article, we looked at the 3 keys of modeling, mentoring, and empowering to effectively equip potential leaders. Today we’re going to look at John Maxwell’s 10 critical actions that leaders do who are good developers of people.

Consider the following:

1 – Discover the potential leader’s motivations and harness them.

Motives matter and knowing how to motivate others is a key aspect of leadership. Some people are motivated by finances. Others by prestige and notoriety. Still, others are passionate about making an impact. Motivations vary. If you want to draw the best out of your followers, discover their motivations and then use those them to help them advance and grow.

2 – Be a good listener.

Listening seems to be a lost art among most people in our world today. It’s not simply about hearing the words coming from someone’s mouth, but rather listening deeply to what is truly being said through tone, body language. It even includes what isn’t being said aloud. As you focus on listening, you can learn ways to motivate, strengths to build upon, and weaknesses to address.

3 – Develop a plan for personal growth.

Many organizations wait until an employee is underperforming and then put them on a performance improvement plan. Great leaders are proactive and help their followers develop a personal growth plan which helps them intentionally develop into their roles and responsibilities. As a leader, help them develop a solid plan as they may not know what they need to focus on.

4 – Promote ongoing growth.

While this may at first seem repetitive of #3, it’s actually not. A personal growth plan may have an expiration date or a specific timeline. However, personal growth should never end. For your followers to truly reach their potential, they must make personal growth an ongoing focus. Guide them to read books, listen to podcasts, go to conferences, attend workshops, take courses, etc. Point them towards whatever will help them continue on their success journey.

5 – Give them varied experiences.

Potential leaders, who will someday oversee departments and entire organizations, must develop a well-rounded perspective. This happens best through a variety of hands-on experiences. Give them relevant opportunities based on their desired career path, as well as, your vision for how they can best serve your organization.

6 – Strive for excellence.

Excellence is not about perfection, but it is about doing the best with what you have. Be intentional with the time and attention you give your followers. Consider how their development and success can be a reflection of your own success long-term. Help them become the best they can be by giving them your best effort.

7 – Reward positive growth.

Pastor and leadership expert Andy Stanley once said, “What gets rewarded gets repeated.” When you catch your potential leaders doing well, reward them. Give them private and public recognition as appropriate. Help them achieve small and large victories, then reward them along the way. This will build their confidence and morale. It will also enhance their trust in you.

8 – Care enough to confront.

While very few people like to deal with confrontation, it simply comes as a responsibility of leadership. However, HOW you confront truly matters. When you approach them from a place of caring versus condemnation, constructive criticism is heard much better. If you are going to be a great developer of people, you need to start with the heart. John Maxwell’s Law of Connection states, “Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand.” The hard truth is that if you don’t care about people, you shouldn’t be in a leadership role. Managers can focus on systems and processes. Leaders must focus on people and their development.

9 – Make the hard decisions.

Many people want to be in leadership roles for the perks and benefits, but leaders quickly realize that many hard decisions must be made. Whether you must have hard conversations, fire someone for continued poor performance, or even hire for an important role, making hard decisions comes with the territory. When it comes to developing your potential leaders, commit to being courageous and making the hard decisions that are best for your followers and the organization.

10 – Be personally secure.

It’s natural for leaders to want to be liked. However, leaders can’t draw their security based on how others feel about them. If you do, you won’t last long. As stated above, leaders have to confront and make hard decisions. This often results in becoming unpopular at times. Consider your own successes when you feel beat down. Focus on your own personal growth and what is best for the organization as you navigate the difficult aspects of leadership. Also, don’t worry about your potential leaders replacing you. If you do your job well to equip and develop people, you become more valuable.

Developing potential leaders takes significant time and energy. However, there is a great reward for seeing those whom you’ve developed succeed. As mentioned previously, their successes can be your success when you help them grow, mature, and advance in their careers. Commit to giving them what they need by taking these 10 key actions.

Until next time…make today GREAT!

If you need help on your journey of going to the next level in your personal life or leadership, click HERE to learn more about my personal and executive coaching services.

***This article is inspired by chapter 5 of John C. Maxwell’s book
“Developing the Leaders Around You” – “The Leader’s Daily Requirement: Equipping Potential Leaders” ***

In order to develop a leadership culture, you must develop your followers to reach their full potential. While they have a personal responsibility to do what they can do, it is critical that their leader does the work of equipping them for success each day.

While there are various components of equipping, the key is consistency and intentionality. Becoming an equipping leader is a skill that can be mastered over time like any other skill. The key is to start and then keep doing it daily until it becomes natural and automatic.

Consider John Maxwell’s 3 keys to effectively equipping your potential leaders:

1 – Model

While everyone can learn on their own initiative, we all go farther faster when we have a model to see and learn from. Your potential leaders’ growth and success can be multiplied and expedited if you will choose to be a model for them of what you desire for them to produce. The first step in effectively equipping your followers is sometimes called the “I do, you watch” phase. Let them see you in action. Have them observe how you work and what you do. Show them the ropes.

2 – Mentor

Beyond having them observe you, step into the mentoring role where you intentionally and consistently sit down with them to help them. Allow them to ask questions and learn from your experiences. Availability is the key to being a valuable mentor. Your followers will run into problems, obstacles, and challenges. They will also have opportunities presented to them that they are unsure of how to move forward. They need someone who has “been there, done that” before to help them make wise decisions. If you want to have a strong team of future leaders, you must commit to being an available mentor who shows them the way forward in real-time.

3 – Empower

While many leaders excel in giving clear objectives and writing concise job descriptions, many fail to truly empower their followers. Empowerment occurs when you do the consistent up-front work of modeling and mentoring, then give your followers the freedom to work without micromanaging them. Micromanagement is one of the most demotivating things any leader can do to their followers. Empowerment comes by giving responsibility with appropriate accountability and freedom of expression. Your followers will likely not perform tasks exactly how you would, but that’s okay! Focus on the outcomes, not the exact steps along the way. Tell them you trust them and believe in them to accomplish the task or project at hand. If you don’t trust them, then you must go back to modeling and mentoring. Provide more or better training. Take responsibility as their leader to set them up for success.

Equipping potential leaders is not difficult, but it does require intentionality. It requires patience and discipline. It requires an up-front investment of time and resources in order to result in long-term benefits. If you want an all-star team of future leaders, you must commit to equipping them for success today.

Are you willing? If so, then begin (or continue) the process today.

Until next time…make today GREAT!

If you need help on your journey of going to the next level in your personal life or leadership, click HERE to learn more about my personal and executive coaching services.

***This article is inspired by chapter 4 of John C. Maxwell’s book
“Developing the Leaders Around You” – “The Leader’s Crucial Task: Nurturing Potential Leaders” ***

In our hard-driving world, nurturing followers may seem “soft” or a waste of time for many leaders. However, if you want to be a leader who is able to draw the most out of your potential leaders so your team and organization can experience the highest levels of success, you can’t overlook this crucial task.

If you’re like me, you may better understand nurturing in the context of raising children or even plants and animals. It’s often easier to embrace this task when thinking about people or things that need extra attention. We can easily overlook that our followers need continual care and attention as well. Being a nurturing leader isn’t for the weak. Rather, it takes great courage to go against the grain to intentionally take care of those under your leadership.

In order to do this, consider John Maxwell’s four significant ways to nurture potential leaders:

1 – Believe in them

Everyone needs others to believe in them at some point in life. Many times we don’t believe in ourselves and we have to borrow belief from others to courageously move forward in our lives. Potential leaders rarely have a track record of success to fuel their own beliefs. They need their leaders to show that they believe they can be successful until their self-belief catches up.

2 – Encourage them.

Everyone needs encouragement regardless of age, experience, or situation. No sane person has ever told someone to stop encouraging them. We love to hear encouraging words! Potential leaders need you to catch them doing things well and encouraging them to do more of it. They also need you to encourage them when they fail. Encouragement is like oxygen to the soul of potential leaders as they strive to develop and achieve success.

3 – Share with them.

In the busyness of daily activities, it’s easy to neglect sharing with others why you do what you do and how you have become successful. Many times, leaders are operating intuitively and overlook the steps they took to accomplish the goals and objectives that potential leaders need to learn. Be intentional to share your insights and keys to success with them.

4 – Trust them.

While trust takes time to build, your followers need to believe that you trust them to get the job done. If you hired them to do a job or task, then trust them to do it until they prove you wrong. Don’t micromanage them, which may be your way of making sure things are done right, but it conveys a message of mistrust. Do the work of explaining clearly what needs to be accomplished, equip them to be successful, provide the necessary resources, and then trust them to do the task. This is how you empower potential leaders to achieve success.

Nurturing potential leaders requires thoughtful, intentional behavior. As stated in the beginning, it is easy to overlook this key role of a leader because it appears “soft” or even to be a waste of time. However, when you take the time to do this for your followers, the payoff can be great. You’ll feel good as a leader and your organization will win long-term.

Until next time…make today GREAT!

If you need help on your journey of going to the next level in your personal life or leadership, click HERE to learn more about my personal and executive coaching services.

***This article is inspired by chapter 3 of John C. Maxwell’s book
“Developing the Leaders Around You” – “The Leader’s Primary Responsibility: Identifying Potential Leaders” ***

Leaders at the Ogilvy and Mather advertising agency had the practice to give each new manager a Russian doll set with the following message inside the smallest doll: “If each of us hires people who are smaller than we are, we shall become a company of dwarfs. But if each of us hires people who are bigger than we are, Ogilvy and Mather will become a company of giants.”

Whom you select as leaders TODAY greatly impacts your future success TOMORROW.

John Maxwell states, “By selecting followers rather than potential leaders, the leader of an organization limits its potential growth.”

In order to select high-quality leaders to join your team or organization, you must let go of any insecurities or worries that you may have about others being better than you. The reality is that the best leaders hire others who are better than they are in key areas so the team and organization become stronger.

Consider the following 10 qualities John Maxwell recommends when looking for potential leaders:

1 – Character

The character of a person is more important than their skills. You can train for skills, but you can’t train character. Choose wisely or pay a high price with a damaged culture.

2 – Influence

Consider whom a potential leader is influenced by and whom they influence. Remember, the true measure of leadership is influence; nothing more, nothing less.

3 – Positive Attitude

Attitude is like yeast in dough. A small amount makes a big impact. A positive person has the power to raise the morale on a team and throughout the organization. A negative person can kill morale the minute they walk in the room or get on the call. Evaluate if this is the type of person you and your team want to be around daily.

4 – Excellent People Skills

No matter what business you’re in, you’re in the people business. We’re either interacting directly or indirectly with people. We’re personally engaging or creating products and services for people to use. Without excellent people skills, a person will have a significant limit on their personal success and may hold your organization back from achieving greater results.

5 – Evident Gifts and Abilities

This may seem obvious, but you must make sure that your potential leader has the skills to do the job well. Even if they have an engaging personality, make sure they can meet the needed requirements. Just because you like someone doesn’t mean they’re the best skill fit.

6 – Proven Track Record

Past performance is a good predictor of future performance. Leadership is ultimately about producing results with and for others. Make sure your potential leaders have been successful in the past so they have a strong chance to help your organization be successful in the future.

7 – Confidence

Leadership is often challenging. If someone doesn’t have confidence in themselves, they will not last long. Do they believe in themselves? Do they confidently accomplish their work? These are important indicators to look for when selecting key leadership roles.

8 – Self-Discipline

The higher you rise in leadership, the more self-disciplined you need to be. If you need someone to tell you every step to take, you’re not yet ready to be a leader. Make sure your potential leaders can think and act on their own.

9 – Effective Communication Skills

Communication is much more than the words we say. In fact, tone and body language make up more than 90% of communication. Observe potential leaders in a variety of settings. See how they engage with others in-person, on the phone, in writing, etc.

10 – Discontent With the Status Quo

Leaders are never satisfied with the current state of things. They are continually looking to the future with a growth mindset. They want to expand and make a deeper impact. Confirm that your potential leaders aren’t so happy with where they and the organization are that they have no motivation to advance and become better.

These 10 characteristics are vital to selecting potential leaders who can help your team or organization advance well into the future. Keep these in front of you and use them as you observe potential leaders inside and outside your organization. Taking the time to evaluate potential leaders well up-front will pay incredible dividends long-term.

Until next time…make today GREAT!

If you need help on your journey of going to the next level in your personal life or leadership, click HERE to learn more about my personal and executive coaching services.

***This article is inspired by chapter 2 of John C. Maxwell’s book
“Developing the Leaders Around You” – “The Leader’s Toughest Challenge: Creating a Climate for Potential Leaders” ***

Leadership is much like gardening or farming. You must prepare and fertilize the soil, plant good seeds, continually water for growth, and pull the weeds that choke out healthy plants. It’s a never-ending, but critically important job.

If you want to ensure that the future of your organization is left in excellent hands, you must cultivate an environment for potential leaders to grow today. Leadership development takes time. It’s a process. It happens daily, not in a day. Just as gardeners and farmers must do the daily work to give their plants the best opportunity to grow and mature, so must leaders do the same for their followers if they are to become strong leaders for the future.

So, how do you help your potential leaders grow? Consider the following 5 actions suggested by John Maxwell:

1 – Expose the potential leader to people successful in his or her field.

It’s often been said that more is caught than taught. While gaining knowledge is important, seeing success in action is most powerful. Consider the roles and responsibilities of your potential leaders and then think of successful men and women who can be examples for them to imitate. These models of success may be inside or outside your organization. Keep in mind that your potential leaders may not know where to look for these people, so help them by making introductions and pointing them in the right direction.

2 – Provide a secure environment where the potential leader is free to take risks.

Security is one of our greatest desires in life. Job security feels like a fleeting reality in our world today. If you are going to raise up excellent leaders for the benefit of your organization as you move into the future, you must help your followers feel safe to try and fail. No one is perfect, so expecting anyone to be successful on the first attempt is unreasonable. Instead, give your potential leaders room to try and fail, while also giving them feedback in order to learn from their failures. This will allow them to fail forward and learn to lead well. Take the pressure off of them so they can attempt new ways to be successful in their role.

3 – Provide the potential leader with an experienced mentor.

This point is similar to #1 above. Not only do your potential leaders need to see examples of success, but they also need mentors who will invest time in their lives. You can learn from successful people at a distance (speakers, books, conferences, podcasts, etc.), but mentors provide up close and personal attention to help their mentees to achieve success. They give assignments and hold them accountable. They help them think through their challenges and point out opportunities. Mentors believe that their mentee’s success is their success so they want to do all they can to help them succeed.

4 – Provide the potential leader with the tools and resources he or she needs.

Potential leaders are typically young and/or inexperienced in their roles. They often won’t know what tools and resources will help them be successful. They may overexert themselves doing manual tasks that could be automated out of sheer ignorance of what is available to them. They may not know where to look for resources or answers to the challenges they’re facing. Remember what it was like to be in their shoes as a young or inexperienced leader. There is so much that you do today intuitively that was not intuitive when you were just starting out. Ask them what they need. Watch how they’re working and point out better ways. Share best practices. Send them to training. Hire a coach for them. Buy them books or online courses. This investment will make them better today and help them lead well into the future.

5 – Spend time and money to train the potential leader in his or her areas of need.

This point is connected to #4 above. You must invest in your potential leaders. Yes, there is a significant price to be paid for leadership development. Compare this price to what it will cost you now and in the future if you don’t train them! Your people are your most valuable assets. Just as you would invest in keeping equipment running well so it can perform optimally, you must do the same for your people. Send them to workshops. Hire outside coaches and trainers to assist your process. Create your own specific training to meet your organization’s detailed needs. Whatever you do, commit to investing in your potential leaders. This investment will pay back a high return over time. A lack of investment will cost you dearly as you won’t have the leaders needed to grow to new levels.

Leader, you have a vital task to help your potential leaders grow. Commit right now to continually and intentionally cultivating an environment of growth so your team and organization can have a pipeline full of prepared, effective, excellent leaders who can help you advance well into the future.

You can do this, but it requires great intentionality.

Until next time…make today GREAT!

Who would’ve thought we would see a virus disrupt the world like it has. It’s 2020 after all, right?!

I’m sure a lot has been going through your mind over the past several days. There is much uncertainty right now regarding the impact of this virus and the timeline until we regain our “freedom” and get back to normal.

Families are having to deal with kids being home full-time instead of at school long before summer break begins.

Businesses are having to adjust on the fly as a variety of government mandates and restrictions are coming out.

Nothing is “normal” or “as usual” anymore.

So, how do we handle times like these when we’re in uncharted territory?

Consider the five following positive, productive actions that have come to my mind:

1) Do all you can to remain calm.

While this certainly isn’t easy if you’re watching the news and absorbed on social media, it is critical. As a leadership coach, I often talk about how followers respond or react based on what they see in their leaders much like kids behave based on what they see in their parents. We all feel some sort of angst and unsettled emotions right now. That’s normal. However, the more we slow down to breathe and work to remain calm will help those around us do the same.

2) Be sensible.

No one likes feeling trapped or as if their freedom has been taken away. I truly believe our government officials are trying to make the best decisions they can with the information they have (which seems to change by the hour). While it’s easy to believe that politicians are only making decisions based on how they will benefit, I believe there is healthy collaboration going on for the good of our nation and world. Let’s believe the best about our leaders right now who are tasked with something none of us would want to deal with. Let’s honor the restrictions so we do our part to keep everyone around us safe.

3) Pray.

I’m a person of deep faith, so prayer is a fixture in my daily life. That may not be the same for you. However, here’s what I know. Prayer does change things. I see it daily in my life in a variety of ways. When I’m anxious, prayer calms me down. When I’m confused, prayer leads me to clarity. When I’m scared, prayer leads me to walk by faith and not just by sight. God wants to hear from you. Even if you’re skeptical about God or prayer, try it. Ask God to eliminate this virus and provide in unmistakable ways all around the world. If you need help taking this step, please let me know as I’d love to support you.

4) Maximize the time margin you now have.

I know that some people are busy working as usual, but I’m also highly aware that our lives outside of our work has been drastically freed up. For our family, there are no sports practices or games to go to. There are no school activities to attend. Going shopping just to “kill time” or run mundane errands are no longer wise choices. Instead, we find ourselves at home for hours on end when we would typically be out and about. It’s different for everyone, but let’s embrace the margin and become better personally and professionally. Let’s not simply binge watch our lives away or get lost in hours of scrolling through social media feeds. Read/listen to a book, take an online course, listen to podcasts, etc. Expand your mind. Study a topic you’ve been putting off. Make personal growth a priority so you’ll have more to contribute at work or to society when this pandemic passes.

5) Embrace technology, create, and innovate.

One silver lining is that we have the technology available to us to connect for personal and professional purposes. While life feels completely disrupted, embrace technology to keep relationships with family, friends, and clients strong. Think of things you can create and innovate to make your life and those around you better. Some of the greatest inventions our world has every seen have come because of obstacles. In fact, most of what we enjoy today is because someone saw a problem to solve or an opportunity to make something better. YOU are capable of creating and innovating as much as the next person if you set your mind to it.

Yes, this is a very inconvenient, disruptive time for us. It’s scary for those who fear they will be directly affected. We’ve seen some crazy behavior (binge-buying toilet paper anyone???), but let’s do our part to help society stabilize amidst it all. Let’s rally together and come out on the other side stronger personally and collectively.

We can do this.

YOU can do this.

Make each and every day GREAT by guarding your mind and taking positive, productive action.

***This article is inspired by chapter 1 of John C. Maxwell’s book
“Developing the Leaders Around You” – “The Leader’s Key Question: Am I Raising Up Potential Leaders?” ***

Management expert Peter Drucker once stated, “No executive has ever suffered because his people were strong and effective.”

Developing the people on your team must be a key priority if you are to grow your organization to reach its highest potential. There’s no way around it.

It is very easy to overlook this key aspect of leadership amidst the busyness of work and life. However, doing so will be costly to your success. John Maxwell states, “Those closest to the leader will determine the success level of that leader.” In essence, we must remember that we can’t achieve greatness alone. We need others around us to reach our highest potential – personally and professionally. Make it your goal to develop leaders who become a movement that perpetuates itself over time.

Legendary UCLA Bruins head basketball coach John Wooden once shared four keys to raising up leaders:

1 – Appreciate them for who they are.

2 – Believe that they will do their very best.

3 – Praise their accomplishments.

4 – Accept your personal responsibility to them as their leader.

John Maxell also stated, “An organization’s growth potential is directly related to its personnel potential.” This once again highlights the importance of developing your people.

As you consider your next steps of developing leaders within your organization, evaluate the people closest to you using the following questions:

1 – Are you developing them?

2 – Do you have a growth plan for them?

3 – Are they growing?

4 – Have they been able to lift your load?

Potential leaders help carry the load of their leaders, but they must be developed and encouraged to do so. Leaders who mentor potential leaders multiply their effectiveness. Developed leaders expand and enhance the future of the organization. This gives the organization both wider reach and a deeper impact.

The most expensive people on your team are not the highest paid, but rather those who are nonproductive. As a leader, your key role is to bring out the best in your people and develop the talent that is within them. Don’t try to make people who they’re not. Instead, find their strengths, make sure they’re in the best roles to utilize their strengths, and then invest in them so they can maximize their strengths for the benefit of the organization and their personal lives.

Leadership is not a “set it and forget it” task. It requires ongoing talent development and nurturing the people you have on your team. If you will commit to developing potential leaders today, you will reap the benefit of having strong leaders helping your advance your business or cause in the future.

Until next time…make today GREAT!

***If you would like to take the next steps in your personal leadership development, click HERE to receive 21 FREE audio lessons. My good friend and colleague, Mark Williams, and I recorded 21 discussions focused on John Maxwell’s “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.” You will receive one lesson per day via email when you subscribe.

***This article is inspired by chapter 10 of John C. Maxwell’s book
“Developing the Leader Within You 2.0” – “The Expansion of Leadership: Personal Growth.” ***

If you desire to be a leader who makes a long-term impact, personal growth is non-negotiable.

John Maxwell states, “The development, expansion, and the future of your leadership depend on your dedication to personal growth.”

He also shares that “growth is the only guarantee that tomorrow will get better.”

If personal growth is so essential to successful, long-lasting leadership, why do so few leaders make it a point of emphasis in their daily schedule? I believe the answer to that question is one short little word spelled T-I-M-E.

Busy leaders never feel that they have enough time to invest in themselves. However, those who maximize their time and schedule personal growth into their days experience results that few others do. How you utilize your time is your choice. You can either “spend” it by being busy or you can “invest” it strategically in order to prepare for a better future.

If you desire to be an effective leader both now and in the future, consider these four key elements of personal growth to expand your leadership capacity:

1 – The Big Picture: Where do I need to focus my growth?

Vision is required to advance in any area of life, especially your leadership. If you don’t have a vision for what you need to grow in, you’ll likely struggle and have limited results. For instance, if you want to grow as a leader, but you begin reading books on how to fix your car, you’ll learn something and grow, but it won’t enhance your leadership. Define key skills or areas that you need to develop and focus on them. Do you need to become a better communicator? Do you need to manage your time better? Do you need to learn how to facilitate better reviews or meetings? Pick ONE THING to grow in and start there. Then, move on to other areas where you need to develop.

2 – Measurement: How can I measure and affect my growth?

Without developing a way to track your growth, you’ll acquire a lot of knowledge, but may not be sure of how you’re growing. For instance, set a goal to pick one topic each month and read a book on it. That means you’ll strategically read 12 books over the course of a year. By focusing your learning and practicing new lessons daily you will be able to improve much quicker than taking a shotgun approach of trying to read a wide variety of resources. Maybe you need to determine one conference to attend this year or a podcast to begin listening to. The key is being intentional so you can measure your progress toward achieving your goals.

3 – Consistency: How can I grow daily?

Consistency is one of the most underrated characteristics of great leaders. People need consistency from their leaders so they know what to expect each day. When it comes to personal growth, you need to develop a consistent plan of action. For me, my personal growth begins first thing each morning in the quiet before my family is up and moving for the day. This is when I read, study, and pray. Once everyone is busy getting ready to head out for the day, it’s difficult to focus. It may be different for you depending on your life stage. Evenings may be better. Lunch breaks can be a great time to read and reflect. Customize an approach that works for you, but commit to consistent, daily growth.

4 – Application – Can I act on it?

Knowledge without application won’t take you very far. Instead, you’ll simply become a frustrated subject matter expert. A critical step to becoming a better leader is to put your knowledge into action. Share with others what you are learning. Implement action steps that can help you and your team become better. Whatever you do, refuse to sit on the information you invest your time learning. Do something with it! As you read books and articles or listen to podcasts or attend conferences, be thinking about at least one thing you can apply immediately to your leadership. Also, be thinking about information that is relevant for others whom you influence so you can pass it along. Applied learning is the only way it will truly stick and have a long-term impact.

When I was beginning on my leadership journey, a mentor advised me to be a lifelong learner because leaders are readers. I believe in this perspective 100%. You can be a “leader” by position and not invest in your personal growth, but if you desire to be an effective transformational leader that makes a long-term impact in your organization, family, or the world, you must make personal growth a priority. Reflect on these four key elements of personal growth and put them into action. Once you do, you’ll expand your influence in ways that you never could have imagined.

Until next time…make today GREAT!

If you need help on your journey of going to the next level in your personal life or leadership, click HERE to learn more about my personal and executive coaching services.

***This article is inspired by chapter 9 of John C. Maxwell’s book
“Developing the Leader Within You 2.0” – “The Price Tag of Leadership: Self-Discipline.” ***

Mountain climber Jim Whittaker once said, “You never conquer the mountain. You only conquer yourself.”

Wow! That’s so true!

Over the years I’ve met so many people who want more from life than they’re currently experiencing, yet they won’t’ do what is required to achieve their dreams and goals. They don’t have the self-discipline required to arrive at their desired destination.

Consider Olympic and professional athletes for a moment. We see them perform under the bright lights, but they first win championships in the dark of the early morning hours when they are training. Winning the race or the game is only a result of the work they’ve put in when no one was watching. They had the self-discipline to train when they didn’t feel like it or when it wasn’t getting them notoriety. It’s been said that champions are made in the off-season. They’re also made in the hidden moments when the only person they’re accountable to is themselves.

Rory Vaden said, “Are we going to do what’s easy and feels good in the short-term? Or are we going to do what’s difficult and actually is good in the long-term?”

Leader, I ask this question of you today.

Are you disciplining yourself in order to achieve your dreams and goals?

Are you doing the work in the early morning hours when no one is watching so you can perform at your best and achieve success when the bright lights are turned on?

Are you committed to personal growth so you can be better today than you were yesterday?

Personal growth speaker Jim Rohn once said, “You can’t achieve beyond your level of development. You don’t achieve goals. You grow into them.”

John C. Maxwell stated in his book No Limits, “There is no growth in your comfort zone and no comfort in your growth zone.”

Each of these leaders is onto something. Growth requires self-discipline. Don’t be the person who wants results but refuses to put in the work to achieve them. Our human default condition is laziness. Successful men and women are those who reject laziness, mediocrity, and small living and instead opt for pursuing greatness in all roles they play in life.

Leader, you have greatness within you. You are capable of so much more than you can imagine. But it requires self-discipline to achieve the next levels of success.

Are you ready to increase your self-discipline so you can be, do, and have more?

Are you willing to put in the work to become better so you can help your followers become better?

One of my favorite quotes is from former South African President Nelson Mandela – “There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”

Today is your day to increase your self-discipline so you can improve your results.

I believe in you.

You can make it happen if you put in the work.

Ask yourself the following three questions and then take action:

1. Do I want to grow?
2. Will I do what it takes to grow?
3. Can I grow?

If you can answer “yes” to each of these questions, then you are well on your way to becoming a better leader today than you were yesterday, last week, and last year.

Your people need you to become better so you can help them become better.

Let’s make it happen today!

Until next time…make today GREAT!

If you need help on your journey of going to the next level in your personal life or leadership, click HERE to learn more about my personal and executive coaching services.