personal growth
Making the Transition to Intentional Growth
I wrote my upcoming book, The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, because I wanted to help others see the value of growth and make it a priority in life. The first law is the Law of Intentionality: Growth Doesn’t Just Happen. We don’t improve by simply living. We have to be intentional about it. And…
Read MoreDon't trip over these growth gaps
Last week we talked about potential, and how you can only reach it if you’re willing to grow. If you have dreams, goals, or aspirations, you need to grow to achieve them. But if you’re like most people, you have one or more mistaken beliefs about growth. These create a gap that keeps you from…
Read MoreWe reach our potential through growth
Potential is one of the most wonderful words in any language. It looks forward with optimism. It is filled with hope. It promises success. It implies fulfillment. It hints at greatness. Potential is a word based on possibilities. Think about your potential as a human being and you get excited—at least, I hope you do.…
Read MoreBecoming a leader before you are a "leader"
In 2003, Charlie Wetzel, my long-time collaborator, decided he wanted to tackle a goal he had held for more than a decade. At the time he was a regular runner who averaged twelve to twenty miles a week and ran two or three 10K races every year, so he picked the Chicago marathon and decided…
Read MoreHow competent are you as a leader?
The author John Gardner once said, “The society which scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water.” We all admire people who display high competence,…
Read MoreAsk no more of others than you ask of yourself
According to noted medical missionary Albert Schweitzer, “Example is not the main thing in influencing others … it is the only thing.” Part of creating an appealing climate to grow potential leaders is modeling leadership. people emulate what they see modeled. Positive model – positive response. Negative model – negative response. What leaders do, potential…
Read MoreSuccess: What it isn't
The problem for most people who want to be successful is not that they can’t do it. The main obstacle for them is that they misunderstand success. Maltbie D. Babcock said, “One of the most common mistakes and one of the costliest is thinking that success is due to some genius, some magic, something or…
Read MoreEnlarging others
Team members always love and admire a player who is able to help them go to another level, someone who enlarges them and empowers them to be successful. Players who enlarge their teammates have several things in common: Enlargers value their teammates: Your teammates can tell whether you believe in them. People’s performances usually reflect…
Read MoreThe benefits of mistakes
I recently shared a few quotes on mistakes here. And based on the comments, they seemed to strike a chord for many of you. I believe you can’t have too much instruction on the value of mistakes. So I thought I’d share one of my favorite illustrations on the subject. This is quoted in my…
Read MoreHow does today impact tomorrow’s success?
Everyone wants to have a good day, but not many people know what a good day looks like – much less how to create one. And even fewer people understand how the way you live today impacts your tomorrow. Have you ever asked someone what he was doing and heard him respond, “Oh, I’m just…
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