Growing is important for a leader, but as we get older the world tells us that we do not need to continue to grow. Is that really true?
I heard a song the other day by a well-known song writer/singer called “Daisies”. It made me think about my growing as a leader, how much I still have to learn and what is stopping me from continuing to grow in my life. The song made me ask myself the questions, “Am I listening to others that say that I can’t do it?” and even more impactful, “Am I waiting until they cover me in daisies?” I think I am listening to those voices in certain areas of my life and leadership where I still need to grow. I need to overcome those voices. I need to get out there, continue to lead and look for ways to continually grow…and so do you.
As a board member of a Youth Center, I had an opportunity to mentor a young man who was an intern there; we will just call him Steve. I went and met with Steve the first time and we grew in trust very quickly. The second time we met, he shared with me his challenging life journey. I sat back and listened to how his Dad was in jail for most of his life. How his Mom had multiple boyfriends that would stay at the house while they drank and did drugs during Steve’s middle and high school years. The amazing thing was that Steve and his brother made it out of that life. They somehow saw past it. Steve got through high school, joined the Army and was now attending college with aspirations to be an Army Officer. Not only did he accomplish all of that, but on top of it all he was trying to help other teens at the Youth Center overcome the same challenges that he faced. He grew and is still growing from a foundation that was about as rocky as you can get. I was supposed to be an inspiration to him as his mentor, but he was inspiring and teaching me to see past those challenges and keep pushing myself to grow.
“Your capacity to grow will determine your capacity to lead.”
I just finished a book by John Maxwell called Developing the Leader Within You 2.0. A great book that I would encourage anyone to read if you want to keep growing as a leader. In one of the last chapters called Personal Growth, John said, “Your capacity to grow will determine your capacity to lead.” That one stuck with me and still keeps coming up from time to time a month later after I read it. Why did it stick with me? I think because there is so much depth to it.
What does it mean to grow; to be a true growing leader? I believe we need to:
Come to the realization that we do not have all the answers, but still have capacity to grow as a leader.
Dig for the truth about life, about work, about our relationships, about our organization’s culture, and about our team.
Search for and learn from other’s experiences and knowledge by reading or listening to other leaders or people in our life that we trust.
Take action to implement what we have discovered by setting goals for ourselves.
Do you hear those voices telling you that you have been taught as much as you can? That you don’t have any more capacity to grow! Do you hear people’s insinuations that you don’t need to learn anymore? If so, I think you must have your eyes shut and your ears plugged. We all hear those voices, but you and I know we have so much to learn. We need to try to be humble leaders and I hope you will continue to try to learn from those you have the opportunity to lead; no matter if they are your boss, your mentee, they are 16 or 76. We DO have capacity to grow and we need to get out there and learn before they do cover us in daisies.
