It starts with YOU
“Mastering others is strength. Mastering yourself is true power.” – Lao Tzu
John Maxwell says “The first person you must lead is yourself.”
In his January ’13 leadership podcast, A New You Resolution, Andy Stanley says, “before you know where you are going you must first know who you want to be.”
So what does all this mean for you? If you are going to successfully lead others, you must first know what kind of person you want to be, lead yourself in personal growth, and then in turn lead others.
There has been much written on self-improvement and it doesn’t seem advantageous to re-hash what has been exhausted in other realms. Rather, I want to recognize some indicators that we might need some self-improvement and growth.
Ask yourself these four questions:
1. Am I the smartest person in my circles – John Maxwell says,” if you’re consistently the smartest person in the class, you’re in the wrong class!” You need to graduate yourself and allow yourself to become the listener rather than the talker.
2. Am I around other people that are growing – If your immediate circle of influence isn’t growing, it is a good indication that you aren’t either.
3. Am I a know-it-all – It has been said, the more I learn and know, the more I realize how much I don’t know. If you have a sense of “I’m the smartest guy in this place,” chances are you don’t know half of what you think you do.
4. Am I investing in myself consistently – It is very possible to have little hubris when it comes to your abilities, but to still be found wanting in some areas. If you do not have a personal growth plan, I highly suggest you get one.
Obviously this list isn’t exhaustive, but if you can answer yes to even one of these questions, chances are you have room for growth. If you need a place to start John Maxwell’s 15 Laws of Growth is a great starter’s mark!
What other questions would you add to the list?
What is it that you do for personal growth?
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