You have to keep growing
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"Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other." – President John F. Kennedy
Indeed, leadership isn't just a call to serve; it is a call to be a steppingstone. It is a call to take people from where they are to where they ought to be. In the words of Henry Kissinger (the United States Secretary of State and National Security Adviser), "The task of the leader is to get their people from where they are to where they have not been." This quote is a timeless leadership truth.
Leadership is a call to lift people higher. It is a call to make the lives of the people you lead better.
In the words of Anthony Kevin Dungy (the first African American head coach to win the Super Bowl), "The secret to success is good leadership, and good leadership is all about making the lives of your team members or workers better." This quote is indeed accurate for leadership at all levels. Good leadership will always make the lives of team members, or workers, better.
That said, you should also keep in mind that you cannot give what you don't have, neither can you take anyone to a place you have never been. Consequently, you cannot lift your team members to a higher level if you are not on a higher level.
And this calls for continuous growth as a leader. You have got to grow if you want to grow your team. There are no two ways about it.
I have seen leaders come into positions of leadership and their growth plateaus. Probably because of some false sense of security, entitlement, or accomplishment, they do nothing to improve their leadership skills or capacities. They do nothing to discover or make up for their areas of deficiency. They do nothing to update themselves with current best practices. And as a result, because they get stuck in the past, the world eventually leaves them behind, and they end up stagnating their organizations and frustrating the people who follow them.
Whatever your leadership role is, you have to make it your responsibility to grow in it consistently. Study books relating to your field. Acquire more theoretical, experiential, and practical knowledge. Improve. Expand. Attend seminars and conferences. Engage consultants and coaches. Take on new challenges. Broaden your horizon. Stay informed about current best practices in your field.
No matter how much you think you know, there is still a lot you don't know. Consequently, there will always be room for more growth. And the more you grow as a leader, the more you empower yourself to lift your team higher.
In the words of William S. Burroughs, "When you stop growing, you start dying." You have got to keep growing.
 | Dr. Rukevwe Odjimogho is a Certified Learning and Development Specialist, a Maxwell-Certified DISC Behavioral Analysis Consultant and Trainer, and a Leadership Coach, Speaker, and Teacher with the Maxwell Leadership Team. He is also a Medical Educator at Windsor University School of Medicine, the Director of a health-based community service outreach, and a Pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Providence Center, situated on the beautiful island of St. Kitts & Nevis. Learn More » |
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