Get it, grow it, give it

Mark Deterding March 7, 2019

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Growing in our leadership skills is a never-ending process. High-performing servant leaders have an unending desire and passion for personal development. They would not be at their high level of performance if they did not have this passion.

I heard a great phrase that referenced the life cycle of development that I found to hit home. It is just six simple words.

“Get it, Grow it, Give it”

1. Get it

When learning any skill you must first learn or “get it.” You can learn great servant leadership skills any number of ways, but it usually doesn’t just happen by osmosis. 

You can “get it” through great mentors, through leadership books, through training classes, through coaching and through social media. That last one is a new one to me, but I have to say I have been pleasantly surprised by the learning that can take place by connecting with the right people on Twitter. Twitter makes it very convenient to get access to great leadership blogs and information by some brilliant minds in this area.

2. Grow it

After you “get it,” the next step in developing to high performance is to “grow it.” Once you have learned the skills of a servant leader, you must now practice them and make them a part of your daily routine. 

Practice is a lot of hard work, as being a true servant leader normally does not come natural to people. Going into it, fully understanding that you will fail more than not, is an important part of this part of development. However, being vulnerable will help you recognize what needs practice and will, in turn, strengthen your skills in that area.

3. Give it

The last area of moving to high performance is to “give it.” Once you are proficient at anything it is then good stewardship practice to share your knowledge with others to help them grow and make a positive impact on society as well. 

Teaching others is a great way to continue to hone your skills and by doing so you are lifting others up which is what servant leadership is all about!

The phrase “Get it, Grow it, Give it,” is a great, easy way to be intentional about becoming the most proficient, high performing leader that your people deserve you to be. No matter where you are in your development, there is always more to get, grow and give. That is the fun and challenging part!

Photo source: istock 

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Mark Deterding is the founder and principal of Triune Leadership Services, LLC. In 2011 he formed Triune Leadership Services to follow his passion of working with leaders to help them develop core servant leadership capabilities that allow them to lead at a higher level and enable them to achieve their God-given potential. He is married to his wife Kim, and they have two sons, two lovely daughter-in-laws, and three wonderful grandchildren. This article was first published on triuneleadershipservices.com. Used with permission. Learn More »

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