Growth requires a strategic plan. We must be diligent about targeting our end results and keeping our focus on them if we want to grow. Having a plan and sticking to it are great ideas. But how do we go about achieving that?
I believe that there are five steps that you can take to ensure that you grow.
Making sure that you are poised for growth isn’t always as easy as you want it to be. Growth takes work. There is an element of effort involved that must take place if you want to see any improvements.
For example, one of my favorite things is a fine quality fountain pen. But in order for a fountain pen to be effective, you need to know how to use it. There was a time when my handwriting was pretty poor. I could use a fountain pen, but it wasn’t very nice to look at. But with time and practice, I improved my writing skills and now have handwriting that I’m more satisfied with. I still have along ways to go to achieve the style and look that I want my handwriting to have. But I’m well on my way.
What helped me in this? I developed a plan that would help me improve, and then I started doing it. When I didn’t want to practice, I practiced anyway. I had pages and pages with the same phrases written all over them, testing and evaluating my handwriting. And after a lot of work, my plan helped me succeed in achieving the desired results.
In this particular case, let’s talk about growing as a leader, and improving your leadership abilities. These five principles are universal enough that you can apply them to any areas where you desire to see growth. But for today’s purposes, let’s look at the topic of leadership, and see what the five steps to success are.
Set Aside Time For Growth
If you want to grow as a leader, you need to set aside time for growth. Set a plan, a structure, in place that will help you along the road toward stronger leadership. Identify resources that can help you, and then start using them. For example, a typical week may look like this:
Monday: Spend time reading about leaders from the Bible, taking notes.
Tuesday: Listen to a leadership podcast, taking notes.
Wednesday: File the notes from your reading and listening. I use Evernote to make this a simple process and keeps information at my fingertips easily.
Thursday: Spend an hour in a good leadership book, taking notes.
Friday: Spend a half an hour in the same book, taking notes. Spend another half an hour filing those notes and reflecting on what you learned.
File What You Learn Quickly
Just taking in the information does you no goo unless you are able to assimilate and use the information in your leadership abilities. Keeping a file reinforces what you’ve learned and helps you to apply it more fully. It also provides the resources for future use in lessons, sermons, writings and more. Plus, you learn to evaluate your reading the the authors that you read and gain more from the material than a simple cursory reading can accomplish.
As I mentioned above, I use Evernote for this process. My notes, pertinent quotes, and things that I learned from what I’ve read or listened to go into a file in this program, and becomes completely searchable, allowing me to find things again when I need them. I highly recommend it as an organizational tool.
File these. And do it quickly, so that you keep as much of what you learned as possible.
Apply What You Learn Quickly
Storing what you’ve learned is helpful, but utilizing it is even more so. Ask yourself these questions:
Where can I use this?
When can I use this?
Who can I share this with?
The sooner you use the information, the more solidly it becomes a part of your leadership skills.
Here is a good plan for applying what you’ve learned. Take one thing that you’ve discovered and write it on an index card. Stick that card in your pocket and review it frequently. Share it with someone close to you, such as your spouse or a close friend. Share it with someone else within twenty-four hours, without using the card as a reference point, if possible. Use it somehow during your day. Keep the card visually in front of you for a week before moving on to something new. In this way, you have a very good chance of keeping what you’ve learned and allowing it to become a solid part of your leadership abilities.
Grow With Someone Else
Find another person who desires to grow in the same areas as you, and work together. Growing together brings some incredible benefits. You have increased insight. What stands out to you about a particular chapter of the book you read together, for instance, may be completely different from what the other person notices. Share with one another and you stand the chance of growing even more.
Growing with another person also increases your joy in the subject. Your excitement is contagious, and so is theirs. Your enthusiasm will help each of you stay motivated. This also is true in the area of accountability as well. And on top of that, it gives you something in common to talk about, creating the opportunity for numerous conversations.
And, it helps you to develop a shared vision. Learning together with another person ensures that you aren’t the only one developing these thoughts and ideas. If your learning partner is also a part of your church or organization, your shared insights will go along way to creating momentum among others.
Chart Your Growth
Take the time to list the books, articles, and blogs you read, or the CDs and podcasts you listen to. Don’t be in a rush. Take your time with each resource. But when you’ve finished, log your thoughts and ideas, along with the title and other pertinent information. After a year, you’ll be able to look back and see just what you’ve digested on the subject of leadership, and you should be able to see a marked improvement in your abilities.
Earl Nightengale once said, “If a person will spend one hour a day on the same subject for five years, that person will be an expert on that subject.”
That’s true. Continual, intentional focus on improving your skills and abilities always pays off.
So, take the time and create a plan for your personal growth. You’ll be a better person because of it.
What elements are included in your personal growth plan? You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.