A Plan For Growing As A Leader Pt. 1

Growth is a natural part of life. Children may have several growth spurts as they age and develop. Growth is also a sign that the child is healthy. A lack of growth is a signal that something is wrong and need attention. Leaders must keep growing and never allow themselves to become stagnant. The growth of a leader is not automatic. In order for a leader to grow and reach his/her greatest potential, there must be a degree of intentionality by the leader for growth and development. No, matter what level of leadership a leader finds himself/herself on they can grow to the next level if he/she has a plan for growth

The reason that it is important for a leader to remain on a continuous pattern of personal growth is simple. No leader can lead the people where he/she has not been. As I have studied leaders and leadership I have observed that it takes effort to grow and that if you have gifts without growth you will become an ineffective leader.

In creating a plan for growth for my leaders that I lead, I will skillfully lay the foundation for their growth so that they can begin to live a lifestyle of growth and development. We will lay the following foundation for personal growth:

• Ask the important questions – Do I have growth potential?
• Get rid of excuses – Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.
• Make a decision to change – Great changes that affect your life are not made progressively over long periods of time. They are the result of conscious decisions that you make at specific moments.
• See the big picture – The highest reward for our toil is not what we get for it, but what we become by it.
• Take no short cuts – Shortcuts don’t pay off in the long run. Pay the price. “Do not be afraid of going slowly, be afraid of standing still.” (Chinese Proverb)
• Live in a growth environment – Unless you try to do something beyond what you’ve already mastered, you will never grow.
• Grow everyday – Successful leaders recognize that developing leadership skills is a everyday lifetime pursuit.
• Plan for growth – “You were born to be a winner but to be a winner you must plan to win and prepare to win.” (Zig Ziglar)

The goal of the plan is to have the leaders to grow together. Growing together and sharing insights provides a foundation for lateral thinking instead of vertical thinking. The plan is for each leader to make a commitment of five hours a week towards their growth. It is as follows:

• Monday One hour listening to leadership CD or Podcast.
• Tuesday One hour reading leadership book.
• Wednesday One hour listening to leadership CD or Podcast (same as Monday).
• Thursday One hour reading leadership book (the same book).
• Friday One hour making and reviewing notes taken from CD/Podcast and

A copy of the notes taken from the weekly CD or Podcast and book assignment will be given to me for discussion during our coaching session. This will allow me to gauge their perception of what they are hearing and reading. All books and CD’s or Podcast will be assigned by me.

This is the plan that I personally used to begin my leadership journey. It was very beneficial to me and the growth results were phenomenal. It can be adapted and modified to fit your personal situation. Remember, have no plan is a plan to fail. Growing as a leader requires a plan.

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