Tag: growth

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motivation

Biggest Obstacle to a Leader’s Growth

We consider leaders to be people with huge egos. And it does take self-confidence and bravado to rise up through the ranks of any organization or field. However, Ken Blanchard reminds me the biggest obstacle to a leader’s growth is their ego.

“The biggest obstacle that stalls leaders’ growth is the human ego. When leaders start to think they know it all, they stop growing.”

Ken Blanchard

We stop growing when we begin to think we know it all. After all, why stop growing if you’ve reached the pinnacle of knowledge and accomplishment? The ego is very good at stunting our growth.

woman standing in dry valley with leafless plants
Photo by Julia Volk on Pexels.com

And in an ever-changing world, it is foolish to believe we know it all in any and every situation. If the situation changes, how can past knowledge possibly account for that?

We experience this roadblock whenever we present a new idea and someone says, “We tried that before and it didn’t work.” Or, “The old way got us here. If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.” Not only does ego keep us from growing, but it also stops us from moving forward.

Pride and haughtiness blind us. The moment we think we know it all is the moment we have chosen to close our eyes to possibilities. We stop thinking and start making excuses.

When a Leader Stops Growing

When a leader decides they know it all, they stall their growth. As a result, the organization they lead stalls. It may be subtle at first. It can take years to see the results. But slowly and surely, the organization begins to die.

A leader who lets ego define them soon finds their influence dying. Without growth, there is death. And without the humility to change, people and organizations tend to fade away.

The biggest obstacle to a leader’s growth is their ego. Let’s remember to have the humility and courage to acknowledge we don’t know everything.

Categories
growth motivation

Getting Older or Getting Old

Aging is inevitable. We start getting older the minute we are born. Of course, as children we keep growing and learning. But as adults, we have a choice to continue to grow, or just get old.

www.brainyquote.com/s/a_195fc

Too many of us decide once school is over, there is nothing to learn. We live on knowledge that is stale and affected by time. Life gives us some bumps and bruises along the way. We learn to fear some things and become bitter about other things.

It is our choice. Are you getting better or worse? We can continue to learn and grow. The body may be giving us issues, but our minds are always ready to learn. Our spirits can soar above the tragedies and disappointments of this world. We can decide to become better instead of bitter.

Each day, we have a choice to grow. There are several things we can do today to make that happen.

  • Read a book
  • Keep a journal
    • It can be written, or drawn
    • It can contain scraps of paper notes or photos like a scrapbook
    • If nothing else, write down what you are thankful for
  • Take up a new hobby
  • Consider other opinions
  • Laugh! Yes, find something to laugh about in good humor

We can have a growth mindset. Every one of us is getting older. But none of us have to just get old!

Categories
motivation

Getting Better or Worse

Getting Better or Worse

“Any time you stop you stop striving to get better, you’re bound to get worse.”

Pat Riley quoted in:
Jerome, Jerry. Instant Inspiration: Using Quotes to Guide You to Your Goals. 1st ed.
Instant Wisdom Publishing, 2003. 

There is no middle ground when it comes to growth. Either we are getting better or worse each day. Either we are contributing to the solution or part of the problem.

The temptation in life is just cruise through. We tend to gravitate towards comfort and inactivity. As we get older, we tend to think growth is behind us. But nothing can be further from the truth!

Our growth is not limited by our age. Physically, we may have stopped growing years ago. (Or at least, we stopped growing vertically and began growing horizontally!) But there is always something to learn. There is always a new challenge to confront and solve. Life is much more than just cruising into obscurity.

A Choice to Grow or Fade Away

When I began my graphic design career, many of the older designers were resistant to computers. They had been creating layouts with materials such as rubylith and huge, bellows cameras. They knew how to create layouts quickly and efficiently. The new way of doing things felt uncomfortable. Many of them stubbornly held onto the old ways until they were forced to change, or they left their jobs and careers.

At the time, I thought surely the designers of my generation would have learned a lesson. Some have. Others are just as resistant to change. A graphic design career changed from a primarily paper and printing process to online graphics. Some have stubbornly held on. Others have faded into obscurity as new ways of doing things took hold.

Each day, we have a choice between getting better or worse. There is always a new way of doing things. Don’t get so comfortable that you resist growing and changing. Always be looking for new techniques and new technologies. Otherwise, we risk becoming irrelevant.

Categories
motivation

Do You Spend More Time in the Past or Future?

Do you spend more time in the past or the future?

Neither the past nor the future is a reality right now. The present moment is what we have today. Yet, it’s strange, isn’t it? You are reading this after I spent time in the past writing it. An action I did in the past results in another action right now.

I am thankful for my past. But like everyone, I have my regrets. There are things I would’ve done differently if given the chance. I uttered words and did things that in light of today, weren’t the best choices. I have grown from where I was. After all, the insight of a ten-year-old is much different than that of a forty-year-old!

I can’t change the past, but my perception of it changes over time. Science tells us our memories may have been distorted over time. We reminisce about the good old days but forget the challenges we had then.

The future is hazy. No one can predict it with one hundred percent accuracy. If a pandemic taught us anything, it’s that the future is far from certain. We can make plans, but they are always subject to change.

I tend to think more about the future. I can’t change the past, but I can make investments that could pay off later. An encouraging word in a blog, a helping hand to someone in need, and a positive growth mindset can pay off later. It’s not certain, but the lack of any kind of future investment certainly is.

If you sow seed in the present, at least some of it will bring a harvest in the future. Some may succumb to bad conditions. That is the risk you take. But not sowing seed is certain to bring a barren season.

So while I honor my past, I will use the present to sow investments in the future. And I hope you will too!

Categories
motivation

The Desire to learn

Quote by Sophocles: "Always desire to learn something useful."

There is always something to learn! It doesn’t stop once you graduate from school. If you had a tough time and had to leave formal education, it doesn’t mean you aren’t cut out to learn new things. It may just mean the education system wasn’t a good fit for your learning style.

Even if you graduated with honors, you didn’t learn it all. There is always something to learn. The world changes. New discoveries are made. You may be at a maturity level that allows you to learn what you weren’t prepared for previously.

“Always desire to learn something useful.”

Sophocles

If you are a parent, you know there is always something to learn about your child. Their personalities are unique. They grow and each new stage has new wonders and challenges to discover.

In the workplace, business changes before you have a chance to fully know what the last stage was. Just when you think you mastered an industry, new opportunities appear.

No matter how young or old you are, keep your desire to learn. There is no lack of material. You may be surprised to discover how fascinating a new subject or even an old one is today!