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I want to begin this podcast with the most basic of questions; “How Will You Grow?” I have personally been on a thirty year journey of learning and growing. Yes there have been seasons of great intensity and yet others were quite laid back. However, I have come to learn some commonalities about my journey that is the same as others. As you read various authors you will pick up on these common themes. So, my response is not uniquely mine alone as it is part of a collective body of knowledge that all learners arrive at. I want to share some of these thoughts with you.

Invest in Yourself First

The one thing that you need before passion about growing your business is to grow yourself and others on your team. What determines the growth of the people on your team? The growth of the leader! As long as people follow you they will only go as far as you go. If you are not growing, they are not growing! At this point some of your best will leave and go to another place where growth is celebrated and honored.

If you want to lead, you must learn. If you want to continue to lead, you must continue to learn. Investing in yourself may appear to be selfish to some, but that is perhaps their lack of understanding of how growth works. If you are not in shape to lead, where does that leave others in need of a leader? President Truman stated that you cannot lead others until you lead yourself.

Become A Life Learner

I made a commitment in my sophomore year of my under-graduate program to become a “life learner.” I have faced numerous temptations to slack off when I have obtained various goals. I am reminded of Rick Warren in his Purpose Driven Life material, “The moment that you stop learning is the moment that you stop leading.”

For those in the golfing arena will recognize the name Harvey Penick and his book Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book: Lessons and Teachings from a Lifetime of Golf. You may not be aware of the fact that Harvey Penick was self-taught. Harvey Penick influenced many Golf’s greatest players.

John Maxwell’s book Winning With People discusses the principle of “Every Person Can Teach Us Something”. He suggests that maintaining an attitude of teach-ability is essential to becoming a life learner. The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance or lack of intelligence. Rather, it is the illusion of knowledge.One of the greatest dangers in life is believing that you have arrived. In that moment your learning journey just ended.

Learn to develop a solid routine for your life. For me, I begin early in the morning with devotional reading, prayer, reflective thinking, writing/journaling, and anticipating who I can positively influence each day. This habit over time has proven to be a great success in my learning journey. This single practice has exponentially expanded my ability to lead others.

Create A Growth Environment For People You Lead

The truth of the matter is that most work environments are not conducive to growth. The fact of the matter far too many college graduates conclude they have arrived at graduation and they now know enough. These are the people that attempt to hold others, keeping everyone in our circle average. Ask yourself one question; Did you wake up this morning and look at yourself in the mirror and declare, “I want to be average today!”

What does a growth environment look like? Consider the following thoughts: