John Wayne Mullins I just started a virtual mastermind group with a very ambitious group. When you have a group of hungry and intentional people who want to grow and invest in themselves, it really makes my job a lot of fun. This is a summary of tonight’s call as we discussed the laws of intentionality and awareness.
The Law of intentionality teaches that growth doesn’t just happen. Growth requires taking an intentional step by taking action. It will be the best one you’ve ever taken.
There are countless questions leaders can ask themselves to gauge their growth. For example: How can I improve? How can I gain wisdom? How can I improve relationships with those around me?
Each of these questions offers great insight into progress and growth. However, in order to move forward, leaders must apply the insight and be intentional in bridging the gap between plans to grow and actually growing.
“If you have dreams, goals, or aspirations, you need to grow to achieve them. But if you’re like I was – and if you are like most people – you have one or more mistaken beliefs that create a gap that keeps you from growing and reaching your potential” (Maxwell, pg. 2)
Each of us has the opportunity to bridge that gap and bring our current realities closer to our vision. But we must make that a goal and follow through. Join me as I dissect a few traps we often get stuck in that can hinder our personal growth:
The Assumption Gap
I assume that I will grow automatically” – No one improves by accident – (Maxwell, pg. 3)
Personal growth does not come naturally to us. Leaders must take ownership of their own growth, and take individual steps to figure out a plan for growth. Bruce Springsteen said “A time comes when you need to stop waiting for the man you want to become and start being the man you want to be”.
The Knowledge Gap – “I don’t know how to grow”.
“I was hoping that someone had figured [a growth process] out, and I could simply learn from him. Not one person said yes. Nobody in my world had a plan for growing and improving. I didn’t know how to grow and neither did they.” (Maxwell, pg 4)
Decide where you need to grow and intentionally plan how you are going to learn lessons to get there. Being disciplined in your growth process is imperative to help you not get stuck in the lie of “I don’t know how to grow.”
The Mistake Gap – “I’m afraid of making mistakes”.
“Growing can be a messy business. It means admitting you don’t have the answers. It requires making mistakes. It can make you look foolish. Most people don’t enjoy that. But that is the price of admission if you want to improve.” (Maxwell pg. 6)
Getting over the fear of making mistakes is hard. However, all leaders must overcome that fear if they want to grow. Expect to make mistakes every day. With each mistake, we learn and fail forward. Welcome mistakes as a sign that you are moving in the right direction.
The Inspiration Gap
“When Curt suggested I needed to be intentional about growing, I had thousands of reasons not to do it. I didn’t have the time, the money, the experience, and so on. I had only one reason to do it. I believed I should do it because I hoped it would make a difference.” (Maxwell, pg. 7)
Intentionality with growth does make a difference. A little bit of growth each day lends to a lot of growth after 12 months. At the end of the year, you will be able to look back and see how far you’ve come.
The Law of Awareness teaches that you must KNOW yourself to GROW yourself. You have to know who you are to grow to your potential. To reach your full potential, you MUST know where you are, and where you want to be. But you have to grow in order to know who you are. This is where we need to be really honest with ourselves. Do you know the direction you’re going in? Growing into your potential is a process, but as well as knowing yourself, you must take intentional steps in order to initiate that growth process.
Overall, growth can be hard but there are others out there just like wanting to grow and have these discussions. Joining a mastermind group can allow you a safe and fun environment as you explore and learn how to grow. Valuing personal growth is a crucial part of being a successful and influential leader. Take the steps to grow today and see your leadership transform over time.
Growth begins with a small step in the right direction. If you’re ready to be intentional with your growth and would like to join in on our discussions, I encourage you to join my next mastermind group by here. Make sure you sign up and join my mailing list to stay informed of my start dates.
