Tag: growth mindset

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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.