Three Keys to Growth
David Freund, Chief Leadership Officer
Last week, I attended the International Maxwell Certification conference. Unfortunately, I needed to attend virtually, but it was still an amazing and instructive experience for me. Reflecting on my notes, I was reminded of a simple growth model. It is made up of three aspects: Exposure, Practice, and Mentoring. Let’s take a look at each of them separately.
Exposure: Learning and growth begin when we are exposed to new things. Unless you have the opportunity to see something new, you would have no reason to even know it exists. As leaders we need to ensure we are exposed to new ideas and new thoughts regularly. This exposure can come through books, podcasts, or events like the one I just attended or the many programs MACNY offers. I am always looking for ways to offer new leadership content to our members so Central New York’s leaders can be the best possible.
When we grow as leaders, we need to bring our teams along with us. Don’t just go to an event and report back with a few ideas; bring team members along and discuss the experience. Shared learning has a greater impact, and the various nuances each person brings add to their learning and enriches the team. MACNY’s Live2Lead re-broadcast will be on held on November 1 at The Lodge in Skaneateles, NY. This event will offer an amazing opportunity for us all to learn together.
Practice: We are never good at anything the first time; we need practice. Great leaders look for opportunities to practice and set up similar opportunities for their team members to practice. It might be taking them along to visit a customer, allowing them to help you with a major project or giving visitors a tour of your facility. Whatever skills your team members are developing require practice. Remember, it will take time, and no one is ever good the first time.
Mentoring: Who is your mentor? Who are you mentoring? I hope you have at least a couple of names that pop into your head. Mentors can be in person or through books and other types of media. The key is to be very intentional about choosing who you allow to speak into your life and the people you will choose to mentor. Mentoring takes effort and time, but the rewards are incredible. Some of my most rewarding experiences have come from watching those I had the privilege to coach and mentor find breakthrough moments. Witnessing them see things from a different perspective and trying things they may have previously avoided is priceless.
As we make the turn from summer into fall, how will you choose to grow? We have the greatest opportunities ever. So much material is at our fingertips. Unless we become intentional and plan out this process, we will find ourselves in the same place next year. The only thing that will have changed is our age; we will be one year older. Just remember, the world isn’t stopping. Choose well.