Personal growth should be the leader’s highest priority. I’ve described it before like the admonition when flying: In the event of an emergency, put your own oxygen mask on first. Recently, after talking about how important it is for leaders to grow, someone asked, “What are YOU doing to grow?”
Category: Grow
I wish I’d paid more attention in psychology classes in college. It seems like every day is an opportunity to use the principles and practices my professors were trying to teach me. One of the lessons that seemed to stick was the idea that our beliefs really do affect our behavior.
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3 Reasons Leaders Fail to Grow
Growth for a leader is like oxygen for a deep-sea diver. Without it – you die. Ken Blanchard and I have been working on a book on this topic entitled, Great Leaders GROW. To most of you reading this, the idea of growth for a leader makes perfect sense. However, many leaders still see personal growth as extracurricular at best; it is something to do if you find extra time, energy and resources.
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No Shortcut to Wisdom
We live in a world that loves speed – our computers, our microwaves, our cars, texting is quicker than a call and tweets are quicker than a text. We’re always looking for a faster way – and leaders are the worst offenders! In Great Leaders GROW, Ken Blanchard and I outline four strategies for leaders who want to become leaders for life. The fourth of these is Walk Toward Wisdom – and it is not a text or a tweet, it’s a life-long pursuit.
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How Big is Your World?
In Great Leaders GROW, Ken Blanchard and I outline four strategies to help leaders grow. The third of these is Open Your World. The metaphor I often use to explain why this is so important for leaders is that of an artist putting paint on a palette. You can only use the paint after it’s on your palette. As we expand our world, we are putting more on our leadership palette. Only then can we create the masterpiece our vision demands.
The second strategy for becoming a leader for life from Great Leaders GROW is Reach Out to Others. On the surface this may seem counter intuitive. However, we believe one of the best ways to stimulate personal growth is to share what you’re learning with others. This does a few things for you and me as leaders…
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4 Things You Should Learn More About…
The first of the four strategies that Ken Blanchard and I talk about in Great Leaders GROW is Gain Knowledge. This may seem like the most obvious thing you’ve heard recently – if you want to grow as a leader, you’ve got to gain knowledge – duh?
Well, hold on… it is obvious, but that doesn’t make it automatic or easy. We decided that it might be helpful for some leaders if we put handles on the idea – break it down, make it more specific.
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4 Ways to Grow as a Leader
As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, I’m excited about the new book that Ken Blanchard and I have just released, Great Leaders GROW. This post is a quick summary of the four growth strategies leaders can employ to become a leader for life. I’ll go deeper on each one in the days ahead.