One of the ways that leaders grow is by maintaining an environment of growth. Without building such an environment in your life, you could be setting yourself up to fail. Or, at the very least, setting yourself up to experience difficulty in leadership.
In my last post, we looked at three indicators of a growth-oriented environment.
Today I want to look at three more.
Epictetus is credited as saying “It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows.” This is true. Without an environment designed to foster growth, you will not grow.
You are in a growth environment if growth is modeled and expected
Look at your particular circumstance. Is growth modeled by those around you and above you? Is growth expected and encouraged of you? Do you feel like you have permission to grow? If so, then you are in an environment that promotes growth. When your organization is concerned with your growth, that shows that it is concerned with it’s own growth. Because, quite simply, if you aren’t growing, then the chances are good that those around you or under you aren’t growing either.
Don’t see this in your life? Ask your leadership team for permission to take a class or attend a conference. See if you can schedule a day you can get away and study on a regular basis. Make this a habit in your personal life, and the benefits will soon be seen in your professional life as well.
You are in a growth environment if your focus is forward
If you are always looking back at your “glory days,” the chances are good that you have stopped growing. Stop looking back, whether that is at your successes or your failures. Focus forward. Strive for something new. Stretch yourself. When driving, you tend to steer where your eyes are looking. If you are looking anywhere but at your destination, you’ll end up off track, or have an accident! Keep your focus in front of you, not behind. As Will Rogers once said, “Don’t let yesterday use too much of today.”
Don’t see this in your life? Set some personal and professional goals. And then create a plan on how you intend to get from where you are to where you want to be. Stop looking over your shoulder.
You are in a growth environment when others around you are growing
One of the strongest indicators that you are in a growth-oriented environment is when those around you are growing. It’s easy to remain still when everyone around you is still as well. But when they are moving and growing, you will be caught up in the flow as well. A great example of this is kayaking. When you are paddling upstream, you can make progress. But if you stop paddling, soon the others will be ahead of you. But you won’t simply stay where you were. You’ll start to lose ground, and quickly.
Don’t see this in your life? Surround yourself with people who you know are growing. If this isn’t possible in your organization or ministry, look outside it. I have a network of other youth ministers from other churches who I stay in constant contact with. They keep me challenged to continue my growth.
Creating or maintaining an environment that promotes growth isn’t always easy. But it’s well worth the effort. Unless you become proactive in creating opportunities for growth, you will soon start to stagnate.
There’s an old saying that “still waters run deep.” But in my experience in a canoe or a kayak, still waters usually stink, and are filled with leeches. The water stays fresh when it’s flowing.
In my next post, we’ll take a look at four more indicators of a growth-oriented environment.
Is growth expected of you? If not, what can you do to change this perception? You can share your thoughts in the comment section below.